I love going to the Iowa State Fair also! We go every year and we live in freaking Nebraska! Yes we see the same thing year after year, but for my family it is more the nostalgia of the state fair that we love. Last year my parents got a Century Farm award at the fair, which was really cool. Both my wife and I growing up on a farms and my wife being in 4H and now living in the city we enjoy looking at the old tractors, cattle, sheep, hogs, horses, varied industries building, etc. We want our kids to appreciate how their parents grew up and how life should be.
If you want to see a sad state fair- go to Nebraska's... I went once when it was here in Lincoln and it was terrible! I have heard though since they moved it to Grand Island they have actually tried to make it better.....
The people of Iowa don't know how lucky you all have it to have one of the very best fairs in the United States!