Cotton candy at the Iowa State Fair is more than a nostalgic treat — it’s a spectacle, a family tradition and, increasingly, a creative inspiration for new foods and drinks.
Across the fairgrounds, the pastel swirls of spun sugar draw crowds of children and adults alike, their faces lighting up at the sight of whimsical shapes and vibrant colors. For Joy Carter of Pleasant Hill, cotton candy is a family legacy. She operates Carter’s Cotton Candy & Sno Cones on the Grand Concourse.
Step up to the Carter family’s booth on the Grand Concourse and you’ll find a whirlwind of pastel colors and sugar.
“We only do the Iowa State Fair. It’s a family-owned business. My grandma started it in 1950,” said Joy Carter, who now runs the stand with her mom, husband, and sons.
While bags of blue and pink cotton candy hang from the ceiling and customers can order a soda or a sno cone in flavors such as cherry, bubblegum, and blueberry, the family started making their showstopper cotton candy art three years ago.
The Carter crew doesn’t just spin sugar — they sculpt it. Minions, kitties, pigs, and bunnies are all on the menu, and each one is a crowd favorite. “People were waiting in line for, like, an hour,” Joy Carter said after they first showed their creations at the Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party, a night of entertainment, fair foods, and auction packages that helps fund the Blue Ribbon Foundation, the nonprofit organization raising funds to help preserve and improve the Iowa State Fairgrounds. “We had to stop people and tell them, ‘We can’t take it anymore.’”
The Carters came up with the idea after visiting their son in Japan, Rob Carter, Joy’s husband, said while making a pig. They saw an artist making animals with cotton candy, and decided to find the right machine, sugar, and colors to bring animal art to the fair. They spent about 100 hours just to get the right ingredients to make this whimsical treats.
Last year, Joy Carter said the final day of the fair brought a last-minute rush for the cotton candy treats after the Kids Bop concert. “My husband made animals till the last second.”
It’s not just the shapes that keep people coming back. “I only have one rule. The smaller the kid, the bigger the cotton candy,” Rob Carter said.
Cotton candy is having a moment as a novelty ingredient at the Iowa State Fair
The Carter family’s operation is not alone in elevating cotton candy to an art form. At the fair, cotton candy is not just spun on sticks — it’s found in drinks, desserts, and even as a garnish for cocktails. According to the Iowa State Fair website, recent years have seen the debut of cotton candy lemonade, cotton candy ice cream sundaes, and even cocktails topped with a cloud of spun sugar.
These inventive offerings reflect a broader trend at the fair: classic treats reimagined for a new generation, highlighting the fair’s penchant for playful innovation.
Check out some of the novelty ways to find cotton candy at the Iowa State Fair.
Where to find drinks that use cotton candy at the Iowa State Fair
Barntown Cotton Candy Beer, $19: Yes, it’s pink. Yes, it tastes more like a seltzer. No, you probably won’t want to drink more than one in a sitting. Find it at Blue Ribbon Bar & Eatery on the Grand Concourse east of the Grandstand. Also $10 to $15 at the Bird’s Nest, near the MidAmerican Stage.
Cotton candy frappe, $6 or $9: Nab a cool version of a latte on ice with cotton candy as the flavor at the Biscuit Bar on the Grand Concourse west of the north entrance to the Varied Industries Building.
Cotton candy martini, $16: This concoction uses a wine-based spirit and cotton candy flavor, served in a souvenir Bubbly shaker cup. Refills are $2 off. Find it at Bubbly Bar & Bistro near Grandfather’s Barn.
Cotton candy soda, $6: find this nonalcoholic drink at the Veggie Table, north of the Varied Industries Building and west of the main entrance on the Grand Concourse.
Where to find novelty cotton candy food at the Iowa State Fair
Cotton candy ice cream, $6 to $8.50, or the Unicorn Ice Cream Sundae, $10: A mane of whipped cream, a face made from a sugar cone, and sprinkles on top of cotton candy ice cream make this sundae a dream.
Head to Dairy Zone east of the Riley Stage on Rock Island Avenue for a cotton candy topping added to any ice cream dish for $4.
Cotton candy cheesecake, $10: Frozen cotton candy cheesecake on a stick can be dipped in chocolate and rolled in toppings such as peanuts, sprinkles, M&Ms, pecans, walnuts, coconut, or pretzels. Find it at Well’s Wonder Bar on the east end of the Triangle.
Where to find cotton candy at the Iowa State Fair
Carter’s Cotton Candy & Sno Cones, north of the Varied Industries Building on the Grand Concourse, sells cotton candy for $6 to $9, as well as cotton candy art for $16.
The Cotton Candy Wagon on the east side of Thrill Town has cotton candy for $7 to $15, depending on the size.
Fyfe’s Cotton Candy & Deep-Fried Candy Bars on the north side of the Triangle offers cotton candy for $4 to $9.
Gpop’s Candy Shop on the south side of the west entrance to Pioneer Hall has cotton candy for $6.
Schuler’s Popcorn & Cotton Candy, $6 to $9, on the northwest corner of the Cattle Barn.
Yum Yum Shoppe, northwest end of Thrill Ville, offers cotton candy for $5 to $12.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: From Minions to cocktails, cotton candy steals the show at the Iowa State Fair
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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