Weirdest Things at the South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota State Fairs

We are on the doorstep of one of the best times of the year - state fair season.

And while big name entertainment and some unusual food offerings are always the biggest draws, there are some offbeat things that make each state fair standout from the rest.

Midwest Living did a deep dive into some of those for their story 'Find Out the Wackiest, Wildest State Fair Contests'. In it, they highlight the weirdest competitions in the area, including the offerings in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

HUSBAND CALLING CONTEST - Iowa State Fair

The Hawkeye State's big gathering is August 8 - 18 in Des Moines, where for more than 40 years they've been crowning a winner in the Husband Calling Contest.

It dates back to the days when wives would summon their spouses from the field to come in for dinner.

No big money at stake here, just bragging rights. The winner gets $5.

LLAMA & ALPACA COSTUME CONTEST - Minnesota State Fair 

The North Star State's annual party is August 22 – September 2 in St. Paul and one of the big crowd favorites each year is the transformation of some of the furriest creatures abound into runway models.

It's the 4-H Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest and don't take my word for it about its draw each year, the Fair's own website describes the contest as 'insanely popular'.

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GROCERY BAGGING CONTEST - South Dakota State Fair 

Residents of the Mount Rushmore State get together in Huron August 28 – September 2, and one of the quirkiest competitions has a big payoff for the winner.

The South Dakota Retailers Best Bagger Competition pits employees from grocery stores across the state against one another as they are judged on speed, technique, uniform bag weight, and presentation.

The winner gets a $500 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to the National Grocers Association's National Bagging Competition in Las Vegas, where they could walk away with the $10,000 grand prize.