the Iowa State Fair has been one of the biggest state traditions for more than 100 years. It draws tens of thousands of people every year from all over the world to ride on the midway to see the price tiers that listen to big name entertainers. But the Iowa State Fair has changed quite *** bit from its early beginnings. Would it be wonderful if we could travel back in time? Say about 50 years and see what the fair was like back then and how it compares to the fair today. Well, through the magic of television, we can do just that. This is home video of the Arthur johnson family of palmer shot at the Iowa State Fair some 50 years ago. You know, you can see some familiar buildings, the horse barns, the livestock pavilion, there's the grandstand with the ferris wheels nearby and look at the state of the art farm equipment Back then we were primarily agriculture and this certainly was *** showcase of agriculture but today it's *** showcase for everything and for everybody, you name it, it's here and it's glorious. Herb Landbeck knows the Iowa state fair. He's been going for some 60 years now. He says the changes are dramatic from the livestock to the people to the type of entertainment you'd find back then. But I go back to the days when they had the great train wreck. Two locomotives coming together at 50 60 70 miles an hour. What *** sight. And I'll tell you people were there to see that me included Says some things haven't changed over the years. The enthusiasm of the folks who come to the fair and the Iowa State Fair Spirit. I don't know how it can be, but some of us that have been around for 60, 70 years still look forward to this Iowa state fair and we sincerely believe it's the best in the world.