7 Best US State Fairs for a Rollicking Good Time ...

Since 1911, around one million people from everywhere have been flocking to Iowa State Fair every year to see the famous butter cow. Created from ca. 600 pounds of Iowa butter by a sculptor who clearly hasn't butter fingers but a great sense of occasion, the cow is one of the highlights among US state fairs. Amazingly, the butter used to create the heart-attack inducing beasty is recycled and used to butter toast and tea cakes for up to 10 years! While visitors know what to expect with regard to the bovine element, they won't know until they get to Iowa State Fair what the cow's companion piece will be like, for every year a different sculpture stands next to the butter cow. In previous years, the cow has been watched over by buttery companions such as Elvis Presley and a Harley-Davidson motorbike and visitors could compare the rippling muscles of Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson with the cow's own sturdy legs.

Boasting around 300 concession stands where visitors can sample more than 500 different types of food, Minnesota State Fair is the place foodies head to when visiting State fairs. The last Minnesota State Fair showed a firm commitment to eco-friendly commerce, for the show included an Eco Experience showground where visitors could enjoy an urban garden, a climate-change exhibition and the world's largest wad of paper. Foodies left the state fair dreaming of the wonderful beer gelato, Jell-O salad ice cream and breakfast on a stick they had tried during the day.

New York State Fair has long been a byword for being a musical extravaganza, for the huge numbers of visitors who come to this most amazing of US state fairs are treated to performances by stars of the national musical scene. From h Doobie Brothers to Jason Derulo and Brad Paisley, everybody wants to show their best at the New York State Fair. Foodies can try out more unusual fare, from enormous baked potatoes swimming in favourite toppings for just $1 to sampling local breweries and wineries' offerings.

The state where JR Ewing ruled the roost at the fictional "Dallas" ranch has to provide visitors with a bigger and better experience than most, right? Even the Texas State Fair's mascot, an overgrown cowboy, measures 55 feet in height, forcing visitors to crane their necks if they want to see him smile. Held over 24 days, the Texas State Fair includes cooking competitions, football at Cotton Bowl Stadium, fairgrounds, concerts and all manner of thrilling entertainments, rides and food stalls. For those with a strong stomach and a head for heights, there's the new 500-foot Top o' Texas Tower ride, an attraction large enough to accommodate the mascot cowboy and make JR Ewing smile!

Featuring one of the world's longest portable sky rides, the amazing Sky Glider, Ohio State Fair allows visitors to watch the events unfold from lofty heights. The surprisingly relaxing ride glides about half a mile above the fairground. Among the attractions are a park with entertainments and rides specially designed just for kids: Kiddieland. There are some 60 rides on Mountain Dew Midway for older visitors to tackle. The 144 feet long Giant Slide is a new adrenaline-inducing ride.

The name Alaska conjures up images of mighty polar bears and mysterious wolves, but the Alaska State Fair has become more famous for its record-breaking giant vegetables than its native mammals. Twice already a lucky grower has won in the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off and set world-standards. The Alaska State Fair features more than 10,000 exhibits and draws famous celebrities to its stages, from The All-American Rejects to KC and the Sunshine Band, from Flo Rida to the stars of A&E's Duck Dynasty. Everybody wants a piece of the action at the Alaska State Fair.

If "bourbon" and "horses" are the first two words that spring to mind when imaging a day in Kentucky, you're almost there, for they both feature heavily among the attractions and entertainments at this state fair. Starting small with a Miniature Horse Show, the fair gradually works its way up to hosting the hugely popular event of the World's Championship Horse Show, including the more modest Quarter Horse Show and 4-H Horse Show along the way. Watching all that horseflesh makes visitors thirsty, so organisers thoughtfully provide guests with ample opportunity to sample the amber nectar that is bourbon at a variety of stalls and exhibits. The "Bourbon: America's Native Spirit, Kentucky's Liquid Soul" exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Congress recognizing bourbon as a uniquely Kentucky-made product. A

I think state fairs are so much bigger than anything we could ever pull off in the little old UK with our quaint and intimate country fairs. I definitely need to attend a US state fair. Which would you recommend?