04:17:58pm, Saturday, April 27, 2024
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Iowa State Fair
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Iowa Guy
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No pull at the Iowa State Fair this year?
Any word on when it will be back? Know they are changing the Grandstands for concerts but what about their new motor sports arena?? What do we have to do to get a winter pull scheduled in the Jacobsen pavilion?? would be a great place to hook!! IowaGuy |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Registered: 03/31/2008 Posts: 267 |
What I have been told....
Next year new motor sports track....smaller...less seating.... What I see.....the area that where it is to be.....has been graded.....does not look like any kind of track As far as the inside pull....Its for horses.....and horses only...... |
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Death of State Fair pulls
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Registered: 07/06/2008 Posts: 1,347 |
The Indiana State Fair used to have a dedicated pulling track up until sometime in the 1990s, though there were a few GN pulls at the main grandstand. Now, the tractor pull strip is kiddy land so the only place to have a pull is the main grandstand, but it appears thr fair doesn't really want a big event.
PPL gave it a shot, and this year the state fair pull consists of a single 15 tractor hot farm class by an organization that barely exists. Guess they want 15 tractors to run and be done twice that day in 90 minutes so people will spend money on other things. The Ohio State Fair used to be one of the largest pulls in the country with a dedicated track. The 8am start times in the 70s were legendary. The New York State Fair had a big GN hook during Labor Day weekend. Most of the legends of the sport ran there. Iowa also had one of the best State Fair pulls. Unfortunately, the people that run these Fairs have decided they can make more money with other events, or in some cases do not understand or simply do not like the sport. I doubt big State Fair pulls will ever be what they once were. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2018 06:30AM by The Original Michael. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Posts: 513 |
They have the Battle at the Barn races in the Jacobsen Center, maybe those guys would be somebody to talk too..
http://www.battleatthebarn.com/ 
Below is what the Iowa Farmer Today (main sponsor for past 5+ years) posted on Facebook when I asked about the pull at the ISF..
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Registered: 03/31/2008 Posts: 267 |
The real proof will be is the attendance drops next Wed. If is does...there will be pulling in the future....otherwise nope.....This is the same guy that ran the Minnesota State fair and took out pulling up there |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Posts: 513 |
Thomas Rhett is there next Wednesday, they'll probably see a increase in attendance from Walmart cowboys and such..
Rumor on here last year was 3 days of pulling, all afternoon shows in the new facility.. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. ---
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Moderator Registered: 01/11/2009 Posts: 1,579 |
All the more reason to support places like the Missouri State Fair where they basically pull something every day from Sunday to Thursday. Doesnt matter if it has hooves or tires it seems like it can hook in Sedalia next week. Bryan Lively - 
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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According to the "master schedule" on the top of this forum, there are already 119 tractor pulls in Iowa this year. That's probably got a lot to do with it. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Registered: 12/25/2015 Posts: 66 |
The Iowa State Fair is not an Agriculture Fair any more. All they care about is getting more People in the Gate , that in turn equals more Money for Vendors that ends up looking like a very successful Fair. The Ground that was the Pits is now more Paid Parking there is no place to build a Track and Bleechers for a large Event. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Fair fanatic
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Missouri state fair does an awesome job with their pulling. Love how anyone from a garden tractor on up can make a hook there. That's the way it should be, some of my favorite memories as a kid were dad loading up the tractor and us heading to Sedalia and camping out for the tractor pull |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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HP
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IF the new race track gets built, it will supposedly will be a 3/8 mile track.
"Grandstand" will allegedly seat 6000. They could bring in extra seating, but even doubling the seating will not be enough for a pull at the ISF. A 3/8 mile track is same as Boone Speedway. There have been pulls there, and it is like all short race tracks, start high on one corner, and pull till you are climbing the other banked corner. Mark me as "Skeptical at Best" |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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day later
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The fair is wanting to "double dip", pulling event in the afternoon, concert at night.
Get different groups to attend each and build up their during the week attendance. It will be a smaller venue, they were talking less classes per day over multiple days. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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The attendance at the ISF was a packed house everytime and I would guess the purse no where neared what some of the name acts get.The antique pull would not have anyone in the stands even though it was free but pits had many . The racetrack is gone and replaced for parking. There is talk of a new track and pulling area but I personally know some board members and that is doubtfull if it will happen. Years ago it was held on an outside track near the northwest fence but hard to get enough seating and the grandstands were better for venders and shade.I do know for what it costs to pull a top tractor that the purses are not enough. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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tbj999
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Yeah they got rid of the auto racing 5 or 6 years ago and finally the pull is gone to all the noise and dust must have finally got to the urbabites but they could always count on a good crowd. i guess they would rather pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a musical act that would come and spread its polictical views on us midwestern folk. Lots of good memories from the isf and one bad memory when dickie sullivan got pinned between the sled box and his steering wheel in 84 or 85 ish darn near killed him. now for all the great memories watching the banters,heilmans,ropps,klugs,conners plus many many others and the one memory that sticks in my mind is in the early 80s it rained several inches in the morning and that night they had a pull that is back when john klug was the promoter there no complaining about muddy shoes they went to work and had a great pull. And how could i forget about George Hendrickson my favorite pull announcer of all times he would rollover in his grave if he knew that pull wasnt happening. what a shame not really any reason to go back to that fair this the first time in i wont be going there for a pull. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Done
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Talked to some board members and yes the tractor pull made good money but the racing and other motor sports never did. My impression was they are not going to build anything as even if had pulling 3 afternoons to get the same show they have now would draw enough people to justify the facility and the lost of parking space. The Iowa State Fair like most fairs are out of room for everything. I would say you have seen the end of pulling at the ISF. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Do you think having a grand national pull or even something lesser would work at farm progress show. I know they had one in boone a few years back but wasnt promoted very well. I would think that might help the struggling farm show to especially if they could have it at the show area in the evening |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Ryan In Iowa
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I was there for that hook at the Boone Farm Progress Show, and man, the iron really showed up! The track was kinda rough, though, and there weren’t many people in the stands. Tucker and I were just talking about it this weekend in McLouth, too; he figures that since very few attendees actually stay in Boone, once they’re gone back to Ames or Des Moines, you’ve lost them for the night to the bars, restaurants, and strip clubs. At the end of the day, there’s a better chance of a pull happening at the Iowa State Fair again than there is at the Boone Farm Progress Show, unfortunately. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Outlaw watcher
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I would say the Tractor pull is done, my wife told me my daughter paid 85$ for tickets to Surgarland, I think I paid 20 or 25 last year for the pull ,so it’s all about the money at that place anymore.. it’s to bad I have saw some great pulls there over the years, Hasn’t been that long ago Doug used to hook around 170 in short period of time.. |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Registered: 03/31/2008 Posts: 267 |
I watched the state fair parade last night. The parade had a group of IH tractors, and a group of JD tractors......That was all there was ag based. The Iowa State fair is following Minnesota Fair. The way it looks, the fair will be all about "entertainment" and less about ag and the state in general. Face it, the population of Des Moines is who the fair is aiming towards..... |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Outlaw watcher
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We as fans have some what created this problem, I’ve always said they under charge at the gate and under paid pullers out the gate..no one is worse than a ag based Comunity about gate price and then turn around spend 5 times as much for them selves or kids to see a concert, it’s to late now but I know I wish I could spend a hundred on a ticket to watch a pull next Wednesday ! |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Well, looks like the fair makes some decent money from most of their concerts according to the link below. Not sure why the pull is only listed for the past 3 years though?
[db.desmoinesregister.com] |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Frank P. Shepard
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[www.kcrg.com] |
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Re: Iowa State Fair
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Donald
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We need to make the Iowa state fair great again, and bring back racing and tractor pulling getting rid of the race track/pull track was the worst trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever! |
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