The Iowa State Fair kicked off under a steady rain that forced the cancellation of one scheduled Vanilla Ice concert, while visitors could still wander past a towering dinosaur rib‑cage display and attend rallies and speeches linked to what promoters have dubbed the Great American State Fair tied to former President Trump.
Following the Iowa kickoff, a wave of state agricultural departments confirmed they would skip the fair following disputes over the Trump‑aligned branding, with at least five states withdrawing their exhibits and delegations, underscoring mounting friction between the fair’s political orientation and traditional fair partnerships; authorities stated the withdrawals could reduce the fair’s livestock entries by roughly a third.