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Pork chops on a stick dominate Iowa Pork Tent sales during record-setting state fair
By Doug Sawyer,
20 hours ago
DES MOINES, Iowa — Record crowds at the 2026 Iowa State Fair also meant a busy 11 days for the Iowa Pork Producers.
The organization has released its final sales numbers from the Iowa Pork Tent and Chop Shops, showing fairgoers purchased 77,495 pork items during the Aug. 13-23 run.
The numbers came during the biggest Iowa State Fair ever. A record 1,218,834 people attended the 2026 fair, surpassing the previous record of 1,182,682 set in 2024. The fair also set several individual daily attendance records, including an all-time single-day record of 130,654 people on Saturday, Aug. 22.
According to a social media post from the Iowa Pork Producers, the Pork Chop on a Stick was by far the most popular offering, with 40,152 sold.
The complete sales totals were:
- Pork Chop on a Stick — 40,152
- Brown Sugar Pork Belly on a Stick — 10,892
- Pork Burger — 6,182
- Shredded BBQ Sandwich — 4,995
- Pork Loin Sandwich — 4,445
- Iowa Chop — 4,436
- Hawaiian Hog Sandwich — 3,217
- Pork Picnic in a Cup — 3,176
Those figures do not include another 1,776 Pork Chops on a Stick that Iowa Pork Producers gave away during the 1776 Pork Chop Salute, part of the fair's celebration of America's 250th anniversary. That giveaway also resulted in the Pork tent closing early one day during the fair.
Polk County boy insprires at the Iowa State FairIncluding those giveaway chops, Iowa Pork Producers served more than 79,000 of the listed pork items during the fair.
In its post, the organization thanked the volunteers and Iowa pig farmers who staffed the Pork Tent and Chop Shops, along with the thousands of fairgoers who stopped for one of the Iowa State Fair's longtime food traditions.
One-on-one with Susan Knapp“A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the Iowa Pork Tent and Chop Shops,” Iowa Pork Producers wrote. “It was our pleasure to serve up delicious Iowa pork and share one of our favorite fair traditions with you.”
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