Today is the day so many of us have been looking forward to since last August: it is opening day of the 2013 Iowa State Fair! Yes, it’s time to fill our bellies with the finest fair foods, hop on the Ferris wheel, check out the butter sculptures and soak up what it means to be a proud Iowan.

If you plan to visit the fair this year, there are some important things you should know before you go!  First, we want to be sure you stop by the butter sculpture exhibit and take your picture with the butter sculpture of Abraham Lincoln for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card from Lincoln Savings Bank!  As we mentioned in our last blog post [link to previous post], all you need to do to enter the contest is upload your picture with butter Abe to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mylsb.  Be sure to upload your pictures by Thursday, August 22 for a chance to win!

Second, we want to make sure you are prepared financially for a fun day at the fair.  You’ll want to be sure to have enough money on hand so you can have a fun day and not worry about unexpected costs. Here is a high-level rundown of some of the costs:

Tickets- if you didn’t pre-order your tickets, you can get them at the gate when you get there. Ticket costs are as follows: $11 for Adults (ages 12+), $5 for children ages 6-11 and free admission for children age 5 and younger.

Midway Rides & Games- be kings and queens of the midway and hit the rides and games while you’re at the fair!

·         Midway Play Packs- $14 that has 5 ride tickets included in the plan

·         One-Day Unlimited Rides Pass- for weekdays only, $25 gets you unlimited mechanical rides from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Food- with over 200 food stands and 60 food items available for easy munching on a stick, you can be assured your every food and beverage craving will be satisfied. There are number of great options for under $2, but make sure you have enough cash to try one of the fair’s signature food items like an Octo-dog (hot dog shaped like an octopus).

Grandstand- the concerts and events on the Grandstand this year vary in price from $20-$49 per ticket depending on which event you choose.  Each day of the fair offers a new and different Grandstand attraction.  Visit http://www.iowastatefair.org/on-stage/grandstand/ for a complete listing of all Grandstand events. 

You may be wondering if you should bring cash or if your LSB debit card can be used.  We recommend carrying mostly cash as it will be accepted no matter where you are on the fairgrounds.  You may want to bring more money than you think you’ll need so you are prepared.  There will be 30 ATMs throughout the fairgrounds, but you may be charged a transaction fee since the ATMs at the fair aren’t owned by LSB (remember that LSB doesn’t charge you a fee for using the ATM). 

Your debit and credit cards aren’t useless at the fair.  You may encounter alternative payment methods like Square. These secure ways of taking credit and debit payments use a card reader attached to an iPhone, iPad or Android device. These alternative payment methods are secure and safe for you to use. No information from your transaction is actually stored on the device. It goes straight into the program the vendor uses to track their sales.

All of us at Lincoln Savings Bank hope that everyone planning to head to the Iowa State Fair has a safe and amazing experience full of rides, games and multiple Octo-Dogs!