KC Reporter

Governor Mike Parson and Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore announced today that 345,643 visitors attended the annual State Fair in Sedalia, held from August 8-18, 2024. The Missouri State Fair is the state’s largest agriculture showcase, attracting people from across the state each summer.

“The Missouri State Fair is consistently for many families, including ours,” Governor Mike Parson said. “Teresa and I love sharing our State Fair stories from year to year, so this theme was fitting for our final fair season as Governor and First Lady. But rest assured, we'll be back next year for more State Fair fun.”

A survey of attendees indicated that family-friendly agriculture exhibits and shows, fair food, and tradition were top reasons for visiting the Fair in 2024. Mild temperatures during the early days of the event contributed to a high turnout, with over 50,000 individuals attending on the first Saturday.

“This year, we told our personal Fair stories and encouraged others to do the same,” Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore said. “We love hearing stories from farm families and fairgoers about how the State Fair is their favorite event of the summer. For many, it represents a culmination of a year’s worth of hard work and an opportunity to showcase Missouri agriculture.”

The carnival midway proved popular among guests, generating record revenues on both the first Saturday and Sunday of the event. Concerts also played a significant role in drawing crowds this year with performances by Alabama, Warren Zeiders, and Ludacris being particularly well-received.

Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced that more than 29,000 livestock and competitive entries were exhibited at this year's fair. Notable increases included a 14 percent rise in 4-H and FFA market livestock entries and a 20 percent increase in boer goat entries.

“The Fair is always an opportunity for my team to celebrate traditions, enjoy exhibits, and showcase Missouri agriculture,” said Director Chinn. “The Parsons are true champions for Missouri agriculture and their contributions continue to advance our industry forward.”

The Missouri State Fair Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new indoor arena at the fairgrounds. “I was speechless upon hearing the arena will be named the Governor Michael L. Parson Arena,” Governor Parson stated. “Seeing the excitement through our children’s eyes is special to us; knowing this arena will display our family name for years is truly an honor.”

Governor Parson also selected Kingdom Crunchdown as the inaugural Missouri State Fair ice cream flavor in celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs. Over 600 Kingdom Crunchdown treats were sold at Gerken Dairy Center during this year's fair.

The 2025 Missouri State Fair will take place from August 7-17 in Sedalia. More information can be found at mostatefair.com.