The celebrations are perhaps best known for deep-fried foods, carnival rides, musical performances and agricultural demonstrations, but some State Fairs' claims to fame are a bit more unusual, with traditions including butter cows, hot air balloon races and giant cabbage competitions.
Here are five of the oddest traditions celebrated at U.S. State Fairs.
Butter Cows -- Ohio, Iowa, Illinois
The figure of a cow sculpted from hundreds of pounds of butter was first displayed at the Ohio State Fair in 1903, and it was followed by similar sculptures that debuted at the Iowa State Fair in 1911 and the Illinois State Fair in 1922.
Several other states unveiled their own version of the butter cow in recent decades, including Michigan, Minnesota and Kansas. Some states have added their own spin on the tradition, with accompanying butter sculptors of calves, other animals, local agricultural icons, sports heroes and historical figures.
Today, Sarah Pratt serves as the sculptor for both the Iowa and Illinois butter cows. She said it takes several weeks to craft each buttery bovine.
Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off -- Alaska
Several State Fairs feature competitions for giant pumpkins, including Alaska, but the state is also famous for a unique spin on the agricultural contest: the Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off.
The contest features farmers from across the state tipping the scales with their most corpulent cabbages to compete for $2,000 in prizes.
The 2012 Giant Cabbage Weigh-Off saw a world record set when Palmer resident Scott Robb's gargantuan greenery weighed in at 138.25 pounds. That's a lot of coleslaw!
Hot Air Balloon Race -- Indiana
The Indiana State Fair held its first hot air balloon race in 1975, and the contest proved so popular that it is now the inaugural event of the fair -- weather permitting.
The race follows the "hare" and "hound" format, in which a balloon dubbed the "hare" leads the competitors on a chase while the teams in the "hound" balloons attempt to toss a bean bag with a streamer as close as possible to the center of the target marked with an "X."
The balloon race has been called off several times due to unsuitable weather, including, unfortunately, this year.
Giant Slides -- Wisconsin, Minnesota
Since 1968, the Wisconsin State Fair has invited visitors to experience the original low-tech thrill ride: a five-story-tall Giant Slide.
An identical slide made its debut at the Minnesota State Fair the following year.
Both slides, which send riders seated on burlap sacks down a 170-foot-long track, were created by Fred and Beverly Pittroff, who were inspired by a similar -- but much smaller -- slide they encountered in Santa Cruz, Calif.
The couple created 42 of the slides, but the ones found at the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Fairs are the only ones still operated by the Pittroff family. The couple's daughter, Stacey Pitroff, held her wedding at the top of the slide during the Minnesota State Fair in 1993.
Rooster Crowing Contest -- Kentucky
The Kentucky State Fair annually plays host to one of the most ear-splitting competitions imaginable: a Rooster Crowing Contest.
The contest features Kentuckians bringing their most vocal birds to see whose rooster can crow the most times in a 15-minute period.
The crowing competition has been an annual tradition since at least the 1960s. John Ball, the fair's crowing commissioner, said legend has it the contest started as a means to settle a dispute between two feuding farmers.
The contest winner goes home with $5 and a bag of chicken feed.
