Enjoy State Fair Spirit Year-Round with IGT's State Fair Slot

By the time you read this I will have spent a hot, long but fun day at the Missouri State Fair. I like to go to the historic Sedalia fairgrounds every couple of years to see the Missouri mules, eat corn dogs, admire the state's largest zucchini and have my picture taken with the two-headed cow or whatever mutant barnyard animal happens to be touring the state-fair circuit.

In honor of this great late-summer event, I recently played the State Fair video slot machine by IGT. It's an excellent way to keep state-fair spirit alive all year long. Now State Fair isn't one of the newest or most technologically advanced games in the IGT lineup. But it's cute and colorful and kind of fun to play. I even won a couple of bucks on the one-cent, 20-line, 10-coins-per-line machine.

It's a celebration

Well, one thing I could live without is that ubiquitous song "Celebration" (You know, "Celebrate good times, come on!") playing constantly in the background of the State Fair slot. It comes up every time you spin the reels--at least a few bars of it until the reels stop. To me it's just not very fair-esque. I guess I'd expect to hear something more traditional and down-home, maybe with a calliope, or a banjo. Do you agree? "Celebration" seems a little too modern, too disco-y and I believe it's on other slot games, too.

Okay, with that complaint aside, let's play State Fair! I like the game's garish primary colors. The beautifully illustrated symbols are cotton candy, pink lemonade, popcorn, a merry go round, roller coaster, Ferris wheel, Wild ticket, Carnival Games symbol and a hot dog that looks positively yummy.

Sometimes the food items show up with a "Sugar Shack" logo on them; if five different ones appear, you've won the Sugar Shack bonus. A voice tells you to "Pick your favorite food!" Touch your choice of fair foods on the screen and you collect the credits that appear times your line bet. "See ya next time!" says the disembodied voice of the food stand guy.

Carnival games

When three scattered Carnival Games symbols appear on the screen, you've won one of two bonus rounds that randomly kick in: the Balloon bonus or the Catch A Clown bonus.

If it's the Balloon bonus, the screen transforms into a carnival midway game of skill, but instead of throwing darts to pop balloons, you touch up to three balloons on the screen. Keep selecting balloons until one reads "Collect"--that's all, folks. In the meantime the multiplier increases and so do your credits. You can win up to 10 rounds of balloon-bursting bonus points.

In the Catch A Clown bonus, the screen reveals a grid of nine holes. "Hurry! Hurry! Step right up!" shouts a barker. Touch three holes and keep your fingers crossed for a rainbow clown. If at least one of the brightly costumed clowns pops up you win another round, up to five rounds in all. "A winner every time!" says the barker as you collect a big bunch of bonus credits.

Like I said, State Fair is not the most adrenaline-boosting video slot on the casino floor. But for a relaxing and pleasant slot experience--and a chance to win some major bonus credits--I suggest you step right up to the State Fair video slot.