Illustration of a horse's head over a blue background, surrounded by text. A red and white ribbon with a lapel bar and cowboy hat charm is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Iowa State Fair began in 1854 and is the largest event in the state. It started in the city of Fairfield but moved to the capital city of Des Moines in 1886. The fair began as an agricultural event for Iowans to show horses and pigs. It has expanded in scope and size over the years, adding many food and beverage vendors and a range of attractions including amusement rides, concerts, tractor-pulling, dirt bike racing, rock walls, and mazes. 

Agriculture and animals remain central to the event, which hosts multiple horse and pony competitions. Horse competitions are judged on the horse's performance, the rider's performance, or a combination of both. English and Western styles of riding, horse pulling, miniature horses, and select breeds of horses are all categories of competition. Since the 1960s, the fair has also hosted a popular “Cowgirl Queen” horse contest. 

Red text on a blue and white background with dark blue and light orange ribbons attached. Red, white, and blue ribbons with metal horseshoe and horse face charm attached.

Since the mid 1600’s, Pennsylvania has held agricultural shows throughout the state, where farmers could assemble and share knowledge. In 1917, industry representatives chose Harrisburg as the location to hold an annual, statewide farm show. Since then, the Pennsylvania Farm Show has grown to include several exhibition halls, arenas, and an equine barn and ring. The show is meaningful to the people of the state as farming has always been one of Pennsylvania’s top industries. In January, 2024, 585,000 visitors attended the eight day show.

Illustration of a blue deer over a white/yellow background, surrounded by blue text and a blue rim. 

Johnson Smith & Company began in Chicago, Illinois in 1914 as a mail-order novelty and gag gift supplier, settling in Racine, Wisconsin in 1926. Johnson Smith & Co. or Johnson Smith Company sold an array of toys including pinback buttons with suggestive slogans meant as ice breakers.  Their 1929 catalogue touts, “These Buttons provide subjects for pleasant jokes and amusing conversations, and thus smooth the way to a more familiar acquaintance and cordial friendship. They are very wittily worded and quite unobjectionable. Wear one and see the effect.”

"Will you be my dear" exemplifies the playful and suggestive nature of 1930s humor, utilizing deer imagery to create a lighthearted approach to romance and flirtation. This period was marked by a cultural shift in humor, where double entendres and suggestive language became popular, particularly in male-dominated comedic contexts.

Black text on a white background with red and white checkerboard design around the rim

Jazz and blues musician Lucky Millinder (1910-1966) first recorded his song “Hello Bill” in 1946 to critical acclaim. Lucky could not read or write music and didn’t play any instruments, though this didn’t stop him from performing; Lucky had great showmanship and lent his musical taste to his accompanying bands.

Lucky’s band was one of the first racially integrated in the country and was composed of “mixed musicians” during the Southern Swing era of music. Lucky is quoted as having said, “[The time has come to] do away with the jim crow [sic] attitude of Negroes as well as whites,’ and had Italian, Armenian, Irish, Jewish, East Indian, and Black musicians in his bands.

In the 1940s, carnivals gave out checkered pin-back buttons as game prizes and souvenirs, many of which had funny phrases like “You’re the One” and “Jeepers Creepers” and also included titles of famous songs of the day, like “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No ‘Mo.” This “Hello Bill” button may be a variation of such buttons.

Photo of a hairy belly button.

Whether an 'innie' or an 'outie', everybody has got one. The way artists have seen bellies, and belly buttons, has changed over the course of history.

Black and white text on blue and white backgrounds with red and white vertical curved stripes around the center rim. Red, white, and purple ribbons along with an white elephant fob attached to the bottom of the button.

Richard M. Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, from 1969-1974. Born in 1913, Nixon began a distinguished law career before becoming a Navy Lieutenant during WWII. After his service, he was elected as a Senator from California, and two years later he became Vice President under Eisenhower. He narrowly lost to Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election, but succeeded in 1968. 

Nixon’s Presidency was initially characterized as a time of peace. He ended the Vietnam War, improved relations with the Soviet Union and China, and brokered agreements in the Middle East. However, his Presidency became marred due to the Watergate Scandal, in which his party members broke into the Democratic National Committee offices. Although denying personal involvement, Nixon was caught trying to impede investigations. Facing impeachment, he decided to resign, becoming the only President to do so. 

Blue text on a yellow background. A blue and red ribbon with a brass fob is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Los Angeles County Fair is among the largest fairs in the United States. Main attractions include amusement rides, agricultural exhibits, and horse racing. It was first held in 1922 and featured chariot racing competitions and an airplane stunt exhibition. Despite the Great Depression casting a shadow over the 1930s, the Fair underwent expansion. In 1937, under the directive of the Works Progress Administration, new buildings were constructed such as a fine arts building and a cafeteria. 

In 1942 the Fair would close for the next six years due to WWII. However, the fairgrounds would play a vital role in the war effort. Over 5,000 Japanese-Americans were temporarily held there before being relocated to internment camps. The grounds also housed German and Italian prisoners-of-war. In 1948 the Fair was reopened with new construction initiatives such as an agricultural pavilion. Since its reopening, the Fair has attracted over one million visitors almost every year. 

Dark blue text on a white background. A brown and purple ribbon with a horse and horseshoe charm attached to the bottom of the button.

The Illinois State Fair was first held in Springfield in 1853 to promote state agriculture, industry, education, and arts and sciences. The Fair attracted 20,000 people, and was praised for its family-centered activities. The next year, the Fair hosted a debate between Senator Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln on the topic of slavery. In subsequent years, the Fair would move around to 12 different Illinois cities before returning back to its permanent Springfield home in 1894. 

The Fair currently runs 11 days across its 366 acres, and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It features entertainment such as harness racing and concerts, attractions such as the Butter Cow sculpture and a robotic dinosaur exhibition, and competitions such as a LEGO building contest. 

Multi-colored illustration of a covered wagon on a typical midwestern prairie with black lettering on top of the illustration. A red and white ribbon with a lapel bar and rodeo rider charm is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Iowa State Fair is the largest event in the state of Iowa and is among both the oldest and largest fairs in the country. Annually attracting more than a million visitors from around the world, the Fair showcases Iowa’s best in agriculture, industry, and entertainment. Its attractions include amusement rides, hands-on farm exhibits, concerts, and a wide variety of food vendors. 

The first Fair occurred in 1854, and was managed by the newly created Iowa State Agricultural Society. The six-acre grounds hosted a number of sheds and pens for animals, a 1,500-foot track, and plenty of entertainment. Among the most notable was a women’s horseback riding competition. The Fair was a huge hit, attracting around 8,000 visitors. Families would travel by covered wagon and would camp outside the perimeters. The Fair’s location would move each year, until finding its permanent home in Des Moines in 1879. 

Multi-colored illustration of animals and fair activities ringed by black text on a white background plus black text on a panel in the center on top of the illustration. A red, white, and blue ribbon is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Wisconsin State Fair is an annual event celebrating Wisconsin’s rich history and industries. Founded in 1851, the Fair originally traveled to different cities every year, but found its permanent home in Milwaukee in 1892. It attracts over a million visitors during its 11-day summer run.  

The Fair especially promotes the importance of Wisconsin's agriculture, and showcases educational programs about topics like renewable energy and animal husbandry. Other attractions include musical performances, large shopping centers, and amusement rides. One of its most notable rides is the Sky Glider, which offers a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. The Fair also takes pride in its food and beverage, and is home to the Original Cream Puff, which it has been selling since 1924.