By JANE NGUYEN
Guest Columnist

(Jane Nguyen is the publisher of The Asian Iowan column.)

Over the years, I have learned something about the Iowa State Fair. Either you love it or you hate it. I love it, and since moving to the Des Moines area in 1997, I’ve never missed a fair. I usually go multiple times within the 11-day span.

I wouldn’t say I’m a fair expert; more like a seasoned fairgoer.

Here are some of my tips for the fair:

I suggest going in the morning to get parking and avoid crowds. The fair opens at 8:00 am. The lines are shorter in the morning for exhibits and food.

I try to park on someone’s lawn west of the main entrance/Grand Concourse. Expect to pay about $20 in cash to park on a lawn near the entrance, and less to park farther away. The cars are secure, and you can stay as long as you want. Or there are side streets for free and pay lots for $10. There are several entrances to the fair. I have never ridden a shuttle bus, but that’s a good option, too.

Buy your gate tickets online before the fair begins to save $ 5 per ticket. Tickets can be scanned from your phone.

Order tickets in advance for attractions like the Ye Old Mill (an old-fashioned, slow-moving boat ride through a tunnel that shows the history of the fair), the giant slide, etc., to save time because you can scan your phone instead of waiting in line to buy physical tickets.

Download the Iowa State Fair app for maps, directions, daily schedules, etc.

If you get hot, check if there’s a horse show at the Jacobsen Center. Other cool buildings include the Cultural Center, Varied Industries Building, Livestock Pavilion, and the Elwell Food Center.

Most likely during the fair, it will be hot and humid from the corn sweat. It’s what we Iowans call “Iowa State Fair weather.”

My List of Must-Sees:

The Agriculture Building to see The Butter Cow, gorgeous flowers, the biggest pumpkin, etc. The Iowa Egg Council passes out free hard-boiled eggs on a stick, and you can take a free souvenir photo there too.

The Cultural Center is nice and cool, with a wonderful photography contest exhibit and other exhibits such as dollhouses, Lego, and artist demos.

There are plenty of animals to see at the south end of Rock Island Avenue, including The Biggest Boar and The Biggest Bull. You are allowed to walk through the horse stables. You can even pay $3 to milk a cow.

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The Knapp Animal Learning has farm animals that will give birth during the fair, as well as a close-up view of newborn pigs and baby chicks.

If you have kids ages 2 to 10, Little Hands on the Farm is an interactive way to teach kids about farming. This was one of my two sons’ favorite things to do when they were little.

The two sky gliders are a great way to see everything if you don’t mind heights.

From 3 to 6 pm, there’s music trivia and Bingo up at the Bubbly Bar and Bistro. It’s up the hill near Grandfather’s Farm. It can be a little tricky to find. They have fun cocktails and mocktails and a stellar view of the city. The Iowa Experience Wine is also up there.

Be prepared to eat a lot. Share food with another person if you can so you don’t get too full if you want to try a lot of things. One of the most Iowa things to eat is the Pork Chop on a Stick along the east side of the Pork tent.

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The ISF app is the best way to find a particular food or drink.

There are many things to try along the way. Day drinking is allowed. The bars have live music. All 11 stages at the fair offer free entertainment during the day and evening.

Each night after the Grandstand concert is over, there are fireworks and a drone show.

What to bring:

I bring a backpack, a couple of water bottles, wet wipes, and a portable fan, because I get hot easily. Sun hats are a good idea too. Wear comfortable shoes, ones that can get muddy or dirty walking through barns.

There’s so much to see and do, and you can still enjoy the fair on a limited budget. Have fun!

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(Jane Nguyen of West Des Moines is the publisher of The Asian Iowan column and a member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. She was born in Saigon, Vietnam and is a nearly lifelong Iowan writing about people, places, and things. Jane is the sister of Iowa Mercury publisher Douglas Burns. Both grew up in the Carroll Daily Times Herald newspaper family.)

Noah Cardenas’ bases-clearing double in the sixth erased a 4-2 deficit and the Saints beat the Iowa Cubs, 5-4, Saturday in the second game of an International Double-header in Des Moines.

Kala’i Rosario, Cody Morissette and Tanner Schobel scored on Cardenas’ one-hope double off the wall, and Eric Orze and Julian Merryweather each pitched a perfect inning of relief as St. Paul swept its third double-header this season.

In the opener, starter Kendry Rojas and Jack Anderson combined on a six-hit shutout at Principal Park. It was the Saints’ eighth shutout this season.

Cody Morissette drove in three runs, two on his 10th home run of the season in the Saints’ three-run sixth inning. Tristan Gray and Matt Wallner also drove in runs for St. Paul, which will wrap up the six-game series against the Cubs on Sunday afternoon.

If you’re looking to visit an Iowa beach between rain showers, there are more than a dozen you’ll want to avoid.

A total of 15 beaches are not recommended for swimming, as of Aug. 14. That’s one fewer beach than in the previous week’s Iowa Department of Natural Resources beach monitoring report.

The Iowa DNR provides weekly updates on which state beaches are experiencing high levels of E. coli or algae that can be dangerous to swimmers. You can check the latest reports on the DNR website or by calling 515-725-3434.

Staff collect weekly samples at 41 state-owned swimming beaches to determine the public’s risk of coming in contact with waterborne diseases. Testing starts a week before Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day.

What Iowa DNR beaches are not recommended for swimming?

Backbone Beach

• Beach classification: Vulnerable
• Last test date: Aug. 12
• Test results: Exceeded five-sample Geomean standard for E. coli