An Evening at the Fair

"A View of the Grandstand, Iowa State Fair" ink, 7.5x5.5

With the thought that afternoon light might be different enough that various venues on the Iowa State Fairgrounds could look entirely different, I spent some twilight time at the Fair on August 12. As expected, the experience was considerably different.

The late afternoon wasn't sweltering, but plenty hot. The light was indeed different, slanting diagonally through the thin summer haze and not so golden as I'd hoped. The crowd had changed too. It makes perfect sense that there would be many differences--more young people, especially those in their mid- and late teens. More extended families were there too, probably because it was Sunday. But the crowd was the usual "Iowa nice"--polite, cheerful, orderly--and nearly everyone was having fun. Although I didn't draw it last evening, the ink drawing shows where I spent some time last evening while having a root beer float. The view is from the porch of the Administration Building. The porch is deep and shady, girdling the entire building like an apron. On a sultry Iowa afternoon, the height of the porch and the shade make it a great spot to cool off and watch the passing throngs. The top of the Grandstand shows over the roof of the Steer N Stein food and beer concession.

"Ice Sculpting" wc, 4x6

After the last slurp of root beer I wandered across to the front of the Agriculture Building where a crowd had gathered. The attraction was a man carving ice with a chainsaw. Ice carving outdoors on a 90 degree afternoon is an unusual sight, but the carver was working away with real aplomb. He had a relatively thin slab of ice tipped onto one side and had begun to carve a bas-relief of a bucking horse. The spectators stood or sat in small rapt groups. If he had been using a different tool one wonders if the crowd would be so big. The final results will be on display in the refrigerated display inside the Ag Building.

"Super Bull, Iowa State Fair 2018" wc, 4x6

A trip to the Iowa State Fair is never complete until you visit the Big Bull. He is always housed in a separate pen at the entrance to the Cattle Barn, and each year's champion is equally astonishing in size. This year's winner was a giant at over 3000 pounds, and while he looked completely docile in this pen, it was also reassuring to see that huge bulk snubbed up very close to the fence. And of course his breed are hornless, another reassuring detail.  No doubt he will be the sire of many more of his breed.

"The Behemoth," wc, 4x6

During the past several days of the Fair I've been walking past a huge farm implement--a tractor--parked along one of the sidewalks bearing a sign proclaiming it's tires to the "World's Largest Agricultural Tires" so I stopped on my way out of the grounds to sketch it. It's a John Deere implement that looks almost impossibly big. The mounted tires are twice as wide as most tractor tires, and taller besides. I can't help being fascinated by these giant machines. What kind of farm must need such a behemoth?