Along I-380 between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, a sign beckons drivers to a town boasting the largest frying pan in the state. Anyone willing to spend a few minutes on a detour will not be disappointed.
Heading into Brandon, Iowa, the promised frying pan cannot be missed. According to a sign explaining its existence, the sculpture weighs 1,020 pounds and is a bit over 14 feet from the end of the handle to the opposite rim. It could hold 528 eggs or 352 half-pound pork chops or 88 pounds of bacon, the sign claims.
Not unlike Strawberry’s Point’s giant strawberry, Iowa’s Largest Frying Pan is a marketing ploy. This one advertises an annual Brandon tradition: the Cowboy Breakfast, held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the third Sunday of September every year. Since the year 2000, around 1,000 people have gathered to enjoy a variety of breakfast favorites cooked over open fires in — you guessed it — cast iron frying pans. This is an impressive headcount since the town itself has less than 400 residents.
All proceeds from the event are used to maintain the Brandon Area Community Center, and while it’s advertised that souvenirs are sold at a little country store in town, the place with the goods is shuttered. However, the kitschy monument is worth a stop for the photo opp alone.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s December 2023 issue as a part of Peak Iowa, a collection of fascinating state stories, sites and people.
