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Study: Iowa State Fair ’24 operations had $629 million impact
A new study suggests year-round activities on the Iowa State fairgrounds in 2024 had a $629.2 million statewide economic impact.
Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons released the study’s results this morning. “Iowans should be proud of their Fair, not only for what we do for the state socially, culturally, and in the news, but also economically,” Parsons said.
A large part of the overall tally is the nearly $480 million impact of just the 11-day run of the 2024 state fair itself. “In 2024, that number compared to the economic impact of the Kentucky Derby? $405 million. The economic impact of the men’s NCAA final four in San Antonio? $440 million,” Parsons said.
That tally for the 2024 fair does not include how much vendors made selling food, drinks, and other items during the Fair, which would significantly boost the overall figure. This is the first-ever study of the financial ripples the state fair’s year-round operations create. Nearly 700,000 out-of-town visitors came through the gates for the 2024 Iowa State Fair, creating demand for tens of thousands of hotel rooms, plus there were more than 200 events on the fairgrounds throughout the rest year.
“We want to be more than a big neighbor on the east side of Des Moines,” Parsons said. “We want to be a good neighbor.”
Parsons indicated the information will help officials plan for the future and the 175th Iowa State Fair in 2029.
