Carnival & Fair Buzz

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO.) – Today, Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn and Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore announced that more than 329,000 people attended the 2025 Missouri State Fair, held last month in Sedalia.

“The Missouri State Fair offers something for everyone, and I am always pleased that so many people come to see this celebration of agriculture,” said Director Chinn. “The hardworking team on the Fairgrounds works to improve the Fair each and every year with innovative new offerings, while keeping the spotlight on Missouri agriculture. Thank you to everyone who traveled to Sedalia to attend the Fair.”

Livestock shows, concerts and fair food are always staples at the Missouri State Fair. The Fair also showcased more than 28,000 total entries, including almost 8,000 4-H exhibits and nearly 6,500 FFA exhibits. The MDA Animal Health team checked in more than 15,000 animals throughout the duration of the Fair. The Home Economics Building welcomed 1,500 entries and the Floriculture Building hosted almost 1,600 entries.

"The 2025 Missouri State Fair was another fantastic celebration of this cherished tradition,” said Fair Director Jason Moore. “Despite several days with heat indices over 100 degrees, Missourians demonstrated their unwavering spirit and love for the Fair. This year, the Fair highlighted the best of Missouri agriculture, with exciting live entertainment, a thrilling carnival midway, unique shopping experiences, delicious Fair food and more. We are grateful for everyone's participation, making this year's Fair a memorable success."

Governor Mike Kehoe and Mrs. Claudia Kehoe are also long-time supporters of the Missouri State Fair and attended several events during Fair week.

“The Missouri State Fair is truly one of those events that feels like a family reunion for Missouri’s farm families,” said Governor Kehoe. “It’s about celebrating the people, the communities, and the way of life that makes Missouri strong. Claudia and I appreciate each and every person from across our great state who came to celebrate the industry and enjoy all that the Fair has to offer.”

A highlight of the 2025 Missouri State Fair was the world’s largest rubber duck. Standing more than six stories tall, the rubber duck drew fairgoers of all ages for posed photographs and selfies.
 

More fun facts about the 2025 Missouri State Fair:

• More than 600 pounds of butter were used to create a sculpture titled “YeeHaw,” featuring a young boy enjoying a ride on the back of his show steer.
• The Missouri State Fair largest pumpkin weighed 525 pounds.
• The Missouri State Fair largest watermelon weighed 400 pounds.
• Missouri FFA members packed nearly 178,000 meals during the Drive to Feed Kids.
• Gerken Dairy Center served more than 33,000 scoops of ice cream and more than 10,000 soft serve ice cream cones.
• Missouri Farm Bureau sold more than 16,500 cups of milk.
• The Missouri State Fair Sale of Champions and Best of Missouri Sale raised more than $332,000 for youth in agriculture.

Make plans to join the Missouri Department of Agriculture for the 2026 Missouri State Fair Aug. 13-23, in Sedalia. Learn more about the Fair at MoStateFair.com.