Some people wait years, even decades, to receive their own site at the Iowa State Fair Campgrounds.
The process? A mix of dedication, letter writing and waiting.
“You have to write your letter into the State Fair to get your name on the list. And you may be doing that for 15 years from what they say now,” says Deb DeDecker of Altoona, whose family has been camping at the State Fair for 16 years. “You just kind of have to be persistent and keep trying.”
That’s exactly what the DeDecker family did. Several years of participating in what is known as the “land rush”—where those without a guaranteed camping spot (literally) rush the campgrounds before the fair to try and find a spot, any spot, to claim—finally resulted in an elusive, permanent camping spot.
“We were so excited when we got the news that we got a spot,” Deb says. “No more waiting in line.”
Deb’s husband Marty is the man behind constructing the deck that extends off the family camper. As the years have gone on, the setup becomes more natural.
“The current deck is 12-by-28,” Marty DeDecker says. “As we moved camping spots and changed campers, the deck kept getting bigger. And simpler. It looks complex, but it took us about 3 hours to set up with 4 people.”
One of the DeDecker children, Michael, will show pigs through FFA during the first two days of the fair. And despite residing outside the fair for the next couple of weeks, the DeDeckers plan on partaking in plenty of Iowa State Fair food.
