PHOTOS: Twins take stage on Iowa State Fair opening day

With a fan section of friends and relatives cheering them on, Sidney and Addison Swartzendruber of Cedar Rapids took fourth place in the 4-year-old most-alike category at the Twins, Triplets and More Contest on Thursday at the Iowa State Fair.

Despite the already sweltering heat at 9 a.m., the girls stood patiently in their matching blue dresses with their grandma, Pat Swartzendruber of Des Moines, on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage while the judges – two set s of twins – looked over the 10 sets of identical twins.

The twins' parents, Greg and Paige Swartzendruber of Cedar Rapids, couldn't attend the contest because they had to work, but Grandma planned to call them with the good news.

Although twins didn't run in Pat Swartzendruber's family, both her son and daughter have sets of twins.

“It runs in the family now,” she says.

Sidney and Addison's great-grandparents, Glen and Betty Mullikin, of North Liberty, were among the girls' cheering section.

They saw what they wanted at the State Fair and planned to get out of the heat and go home after the contest.

Also competing in the 4-year-old most-alike category were Maria and Christina Dorman of North Liberty.

Dressed in their matching dance costumes, they were old pros on the stage.

“We've been doing this since they were babies,” says their mom, Jackeline Dorman of North Liberty. “It's such a fun family thing to do.”

Jackeline has no problem telling her daughters apart.

“I can tell in the face,” she says. It also helps that Maria is slightly taller than her twin sister.

Avery and Shae Plank, of Iowa City, also have experience on the State Fair stage..

This was the third year the 3-year-olds have participated in the contest. Last year they received the fifth-place ribbon in the 2-year-old category.

Their mom, Sandy Plank, of Iowa City, tries to attend the State Fair every year.

“I love it,” she says. “It's the fair and it's a great fair.”

PHOTOS from the fair's first day:

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