Fair 2025 – Thursday, August 14

Thursday

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Hello, I’m Bill Riley and welcome to our Thursday night edition of Fair 2025!

We’ve been telling fair stories for decades, but every year brings something new — and tonight we’ve got a lineup that’s pure Iowa fun.

We have the best hour ahead of us. Here’s what’s coming up in tonight’s show. We’ll step into the Livestock Pavilion for the Governor’s Charity Steer Show. Then it’s time to fire up the flavor with the Cookout Contest. And we’ll head to the Cultural Center to see how Art WORKS is bringing a burst of live creativity to the fair.

But first, Hayley Schaefer is ready for some serious whisker-watching at the Beard Growing Contest.

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[Hayley Schaefer] It's a hairy showdown years in the making. These beards didn't just grow overnight. Awards will be given for longest beard, best groomed, most unique, best beard with costume, and most historic in nature. Let's go comb through the competition.

My name's Levi Walter. I'm from Grand Mound, Iowa. It's better than shaving.

[Contest Emcee] Now today we have the new Iowa State Fair Queen, and she will be the one measuring the length.

First place with 28 inches is number 275.

[Hayley] What made you decide that you wanted to start growing a beard?

[Harold Stephenson] Well, I saw the PBS show on the winner 15 years ago and I thought I could beat him.

[Hayley] How many times have you won?

[Harold] 15 out of 16.

[Hayley] And how long do you think you'll keep continuing to enter this contest?

[Harold] Well, this might be my last year because it keeps breaking off shorter and shorter.

[Emcee] And first place for 2025 for the best groomed beard is. Number 283.

[Hayley] Is this your first time at the Iowa State Fair?

[Ron Spradling, Biloxi, Mississippi - Best Groomed] Yes, it sure is.

[Hayley] How did you hear about the best beard competition? Did you know this was a thing before, like, this week?

[Ron] No, I didn't, actually. I was standing at the Waldorf booth over by gate 11 in that building, and those two gentlemen I just yelled at came by and said, “you need to be at the beard competition.” Figured I'd at least give it a shot. I had no idea I'd win.

[Emcee] And now a tie for first, and that is between 115 and 274.

[Hayley] And what made you decide that you wanted to enter?

[John Shaffer, Cedar Rapids - Most Unique] I look good in a beard, man. Why not?

[Hayley] How long have you had your beard for?

[John] I've been growing the beard for about two and a half years. I only have about six, seven months on the mustache, though. Took about an hour and a half to get this whole look done.

[Hayley] What made you decide to start growing a beard in the first place?

[Nathan Anderson, West Des Moines - Most Unique and Most Historic in Nature] It was a two year challenge. It was two years, keep it growing, no trimming. And I pulled it off and I just started loving it. My daughter will not allow me to shave it now, so I'm pretty much stuck with it.

[Emcee] And first place for 2025, number 276.

[Hayley] And what made you want to enter this competition?

[Will Garriott, West Des Moines - Best Beard with Costume] I've been growing a beard for the past four years or so. Knew that they had a competition down here. Thought it would be fun.

[Hayley] Is this your first time entering? It is.

[Will] Yeah, it is.

[Hayley] Okay. And you walked away with first place?

[Will] I did. I got first place in the costume competition.

[Hayley] And then talk me through your costume. Who do we have here with us today?

[Will] We have, I will just say, an iconic sea captain.

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My name is Emily Wynn. I'm the education and outreach coordinator here at the Iowa State Fair, and I coordinate Fair After Dark. And tonight we're at the Little Hands Fair After Dark. This is an adult event. It's 21 and over, and people get to come.

They get to experience Little Hands, mostly people who probably grew up bringing their kids through Little Hands on the Farm. And tonight, it's all about them. It's all about making that connection from the farm to the plate while also having a few drinks and enjoying themselves at Little Hands After Dark.

I am Kylie Peterson, and I'm representing the Iowa Beef Industry Council here tonight at the Fair After Dark event. And here in Little Hands on the Farm, we have a cattle barn that represents a feedlot in Iowa. And so we are teaching people how to make a cattle ration. And they're going to be doing that by adding each ingredient that you would be adding to a steak seasoning, and that would be very similar to making a cattle ration.

And so then afterwards, they'll be able to take home their steak seasoning.

I'm Joyce Hoppas with Iowa Pork Producers Association, and I have with me tonight Calla Langel, who is one of our pork ambassadors, and Amanda Ostrom, who is our pork queen. We'll be having a pork trivia question as well as giving a sample of a pork belly on a stick.

I'm Elycia VanVacter. I'm here with the Iowa Egg Council. Today we are out here at the Fair After Dark to serve up our new fair. Food of the year is the Fairgrounds Fiesta Wonton, which is a jalapeno popper egg salad in a wonton wrapper with some hot honey and pico on it. It's really delicious.

I'm Alyson Vendrick. I am an ag affairs manager with Midwest Dairy, and we are here tonight at Fair After Dark, and we're going to be serving up some delicious Thelma's ice cream cookie sandwiches after they milk the Bessie cow.

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[Monica Walker] So I saw on social media an awesome event for a VIP night out at the fair. And I thought, what better way than to spend a night out at the fair? And it's just fabulous. It's been so awesome, and I'm so excited to be here.

[Woman 1] Pull down. There you go. Yep, that'd be perfect. Yeah. Excellent.

You guys have cattle?

[Man 1] No, but I got family. We raise show pigs.

[Denise Youngers, Urbandale] I have all my adult kids who grew up coming to Little Hands on the Farm for years. And then when we saw that Fair After Dark was going to be here this year we just had to come. Oh, this is fantastic. So we actually have a friend who came up with the concept of Fair After Dark several years ago.

And so we've been coming to most of the Fair After Dark events each year that they've had them. They're great.

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Cheers to Fair After Dark.

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[Stephanie Jessen] Art Works is over a 20 year tradition at the fair where we used to be very special arts and we used to have a festival down at Fun Forest. A couple years ago the fair said, “let's move all the art up at the top.” Put us in the Cultural Center and you can find us every day on the third floor in between photo and fine art.

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It is a carnival plus art activity. It is entertainment from 3 until 8. We have a punny wall where kids can put a pun on the wall. We have a fair show, talk show every night at 6:00, we have a balloon artist every day from 10:00 to 4:00. We have Janice Baker who's right behind me doing everybody dance now. And then at 5:00 we have a local talent showcase where we feature a local Iowa artist.

[Payton] Do you have a joke? You look like the man who would have the joke. No, you are the man who would have the joke.

Where do farmers get their medicine? From the pharmacist.

[Payton Kokke, Mitchellville] I really like teaching. I really like working with kids. I think that's really, really fun. Maybe something with like crowds. I'm really good with the crowds and like talking in front of people and public speaking.

Does anybody else have a joke? Joke in the crowd, joke in the crowd?

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Art Works was started based on celebrating the creative power in people of all abilities. So we had artists with every disability of all abilities. And now we've decided that we're going to be all inclusive, all art, all abilities. So it's for everyone, anyone that loves art, affordable family fun. I do this because I'm pretty passionate about artists and helping artists build their career in the arts.

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Earlier this year the spirit of the Iowa State Fair showed up in full force, in April, on the East Coast! With corn dogs! We’re taking you to that celebration to see how one of the fair’s signature flavors brought a little taste of home to a history making moment.

[Lt. Cmdr. Scott Carper, Executive Officer, USS Iowa SSN 797] Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome you to Submarine Base New London and the commissioning of USS Iowa.

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The crew of USS Iowa salute you. We are proud to serve in America's Navy. Iowa. Ready two.

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[Jeremy Parsons, Iowa State Fair CEO/General Manager] You know, we were honored to be part of the commissioning of the USS Iowa in Connecticut. You know, nothing more Iowan than the Iowa State Fair. So of course it made sense, I guess, that we were part of that celebration.

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The ship's sponsor is former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. One of the requests from her specifically when planning the commissioning ceremony is she wanted an Iowa State Fair themed reception, of course, mainly to feature Iowa State Fair food. And we were happy to accommodate.

[Christie Vilsack, Former First Lady of Iowa] Officers and crew of the USS Iowa, board our boat and bring her to life.

[Jeremy] It's a very historic ceremony. They've been commissioning naval ships for more than 200 years. But then, following the formal ceremony, it was just the Iowa State Fair. It was people standing in lines, great photos of Navy officers eating corn dogs and pork chop on a stick.

[Man 1] That's the last one.

[Jeremy] I think sometimes we forget that the Iowa State Fair is more than just an 11 day event. It's really part of the culture of our state. And it really was a humbling experience, probably more humbling than even I really understood going into it about what it meant that the Iowa State Fair was chosen to represent Iowa at this commissioning.

Standing on the pier there in Groton, Connecticut, there were obviously a large contingent of Iowans, you know, were present, including the governor. Just a great way to celebrate our state.

[Gov. Kim Reynolds] After nearly eight years as governor, some occasions stand out as special reminders of the great privilege it is to serve. Today's ceremony is certainly one of those occasions, and in fact it may very well top the list for Iowans. Today's commissioning will spark memories of our state's numerous connections to the USS Naval history. This history matters to Iowans.

The countless crew members, living and dead, who wrote that history matter to us. And that's why so many from our state, including many veterans, have made the 1,200 mile journey here to Groton, Connecticut to honor the much loved name of USS Iowa. May God bless the new USS Iowa and all who built her.

May God bless her crew and give success to her mission. And may God bless Iowa and the United States of America. God bless you.

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[Travis Graven] All you have to do is follow your nose here to the Grand Concourse for the Farm Bureau's annual Cookout Contest. Dozens of home cooks are showcasing their grilling and smoking talents, and more than half of them are participating here for the very first time. Let's go see what they're cooking up.

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Caitlyn Lamm with the Iowa Farm Bureau. Tell us just a little bit about this contest.

[Caitlyn] The Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest is a celebration of Iowa raised meats and the Iowa farmers who produce it, with animal care and sustainability as top priorities.

It's actually been around since 1964, and since that time, we've had 2,500 Iowans compete in this contest.

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We have our spare ribs. And then once you get back here, you have an apple cider drink with honey and raw sugar rim with a smoked cinnamon stick. Smoked cornbread, smoked mac and cheese, the full spare rib here, homemade coleslaw, and a smoked baked potato with lots of butter, Iowa style.

[Travis] Do you have a favorite aspect of this? Do you get around? Do you get to sample some of the goods?

[Caitlyn] Well, the thing that I love about it is just like Iowa agriculture is diverse, so are our entry categories. We have beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and then also we have a youth division for ages 13 to 17. I really like that because I certainly wasn't grilling or trying new recipes as a teenager, and it's fun to see their enthusiasm.

[Travis] Theo, how old are you?

[Theo Baumer, Wyoming] I'm 17.

[Travis] And tell us what you barbecued here today.

[Theo] We did a pork loin with some cowboy candy. It's a mixture of pineapple, apple cider vinegar, and chili pepper flakes with our homemade barbecue sauce on top. We really want to go really hot with it, but we realize not very many people like that.

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[Travis] Describe for me what you've made here.

[Ana Hall, Des Moines] Okay. This is a famous Filipino barbecue. This is a famous food in the Philippines. My recipe is from my grandmother. When I was young. I always watch her cooking. She always used unique ingredients from her garden.

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[Travis] Chef Michael, what are you looking for here?

[Chef Michael Hirst, Fort Dodge] Oh, I think creativity. I'm looking for that magic moment when you pop something in your mouth, and it's like a really pleasant surprise when someone does something unique with pork or chicken or beef that you haven't had before. And it happens every year. There's always a moment when you're like, wow.

[Emcee] The first place winner of the youth category is Theo Baumer from Wyoming. And that's Wyoming, Iowa. He is in Iowa.

Congratulations. And our showmanship winner is Kaden Weber of Clinton.

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[Emcee] Welcome our Governor Kim Reynolds.

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] This is the 43rd annual Governor's Charity Steer Show. Here at the Livestock Pavilion, 25 celebrities and their steers are competing for the title of grand champion of this iconic state fair event.

The celebrity parade is underway.

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Next are the celebrity interviews.

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[Emcee] It looks like you got a good one this year.

[Gov. Kim Reynolds] I got a good one this year. This is the favorite part of my Iowa State Fair. It's for such a good cause. And I especially want to thank the USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, for joining us today. We are so proud. And we set a record last year, so we're hoping we can break that record this year.

[Emcee] But have you ever showed a steer before?

[Brooke Rollins (Exhibitor, Chandler Ludwig)] I have four kids that have been showing Herefords for about 15 years, so I have never showed, but I've been yelling through the arena rails to lift his head up hundreds and hundreds of times. So I'm trying to remember that now with my new best friend. How about Snoop Dog, everybody?

[Jeff Angelo, WHO Radio (Exhibitor, Brenna Thie)] I noticed that Jimmy and I have two things in common. We like to be the center of attention, and we like getting our bellies scratched. So we're getting along just fine.

[Casey Manser, IA SIDS Foundation (Exhibitor, Elery Hinrichsen)] This is my first time. This is the closest I've ever been to a steer, so way out of my element. But I am delighted to be here and represent the Iowa SIDS Foundation. And this is a special way to honor baby Maxwell and his memory.

[Sec. Mike Naig, Iowa Department of Agriculture (Exhibitor, Jack Wayson] This is great to be here. What a great way for our cattle industry to show up and give back. Very proud of this whole event.

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[Brooke] Judge Kirk Stierwalt from Leedy, Oklahoma, is already looking over the group of entries.

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Now it's time to select the Community Hero Award. This year, it's Merritt Moss from Hull. Every year, proceeds from the auction that immediately follows the show here at the Livestock Pavilion go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

Next, it's the award for Showmanship. This year's winner is Dr. Dan Grooms with the steer Trice. Let's go across the ring for the People's Choice Award. It's gonna get loud in here. This year's pick is Ralph Lents, the Iowa Corn Promotion board president (exhibitor, Tucker Freimuth), with the steer, Burt Reynolds.

Let's go back to the other side of the arena where Stierwalt is picking his top five.

[Gov. Reynolds] I'm happy I'm here. They put so much work into these animals this year. This was a fun day. I'm wearing my steer, though, that's for sure.

[Brooke Rollins] Oh, I'm so excited I'm here. I am completely covered in cow slobber. But that's how it should be. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. And listen, Chandler, this is her hat. She's amazing.

[Jeff] Here we are again. And I gotta credit, first of all, Brenna's amazing. Jimmy's amazing. And Don Foley that picks out these steers every year, also amazing. This is such a great experience.

[Casey] Yes. I'm just delighted. I'm just so impressed with Elery and all the kids here and the work they do. It's just. It's amazing. So I've learned a lot, and this is really cool.

[Sec. Naig] We love being able to showcase, really, some of the greatest cattle and families in the state of Iowa. So it's a wonderful event.

[Brooke] It's time for a few words from the judge before he picks this year's champion.

[Kirk Stierwalt, Judge, Leedey, Oklahoma] These are not livestock. We're raising kids with cattle. And they represent dedication, hard work, expensive feed. I mean, it's long hours, and then, you know, and you're going to feel like some are going to win and some are going to be disappointed. So, I mean, that's kind of what we do. But there, again, I think that adds so much stability to these young people, and they're going to be our future leaders. So let's go get your champion steer. How about a big round of applause out here today?

[Jeff] Is there crying and cattle showing? Because there is now. Amazing. Amazing. Just an amazing feeling. And for me, you know, the Iowa State Fair is one of the greatest events in the country, in the world. And to say that I've won a contest, any contest, but this incredible contest is just amazing. And to do it and raise money for the Ronald McDonald House, I'm a little bit emotional. Talk amongst yourselves.

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It takes both creativity and courage to compete at the fair. Here are some of the talented winners who rose to the challenge.

Beards - Longest Beard

1st – Harold Stephenson, Center Point
2nd – Mathew Crispen, Carlisle
3rd – Ryan Smelcer, Fairfield

Beards - Best Groomed

1st – Ron Spradling, Biloxi, MS
2nd – Ryan Smelcer, Fairfield
3rd – Dakota Rundlett, Swisher

Beards - Most unique

1st – Nathan Anderson, West Des Moines
2nd – Ben Pullen, Spencer
3rd – John Shaffer, Cedar Rapids

Quilting - Hand Quilting

1st - Kathie Anderson, Des Moines
2nd - June Hoksbergen, Pella 
3rd - Stephanie Bracelin, Des Moines

Quilting - Team or Group - Pieced, Traditional Pattern

1st - Suzy Sernett, Kelley 
2nd - Kay Lund, Iowa City 
3rd - Colleen Henrichs, Osceola

Quilting - Quilt Blocks of the Iowa State Fair

1st - Marcia Wing, Pleasant Hill 
2nd - Kim Peterson, Granger 
3rd -  Janice Felthous, Ely

Quilting - Quilt of Valor

1st - Myra Houser, Ankeny 
2nd -  Linda Goodin, Bondurant
3rd -  Lynn Koester, Ankeny

Food - Best Dipping Sauce Ever

1st - Geraldine Tait, Humeston 
2nd - Ian Caffrey, Ankeny
3rd - Tiffany Melchers, Windsor Heights

Food - Best Cheeseburger Casserole

1st - DeeDee Kennedy, Des Moines
2nd - Samantha Streff, Ankeny 
3rd - Jamie Buelt, Polk City

Banjo

1st – Darin Manson, Albia
2nd – John Schlenker, Ankeny
3rd – Rory Morse, Cherokee
4th – Rollie Lint, Ames
5th – Mike Gonzalez, Des Moines

Piano Playing - Adult

1st - Kevin Emge, Grinnell
2nd – Gabriella Niewoehner, Manson
3rd – Dan Hogan, Riverside

Piano Playing - Youth

1st – Charles Smith, Ottumwa
2nd – Carlee Smith, Laurel
3rd – Jovie Bakken, Bettendorf

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We’re going to take a quick break, but the state fair celebration is far from over.  So stick around for more Iowa State Fair fun on Iowa PBS!

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[Blair Ryan] You guys just got off the Down Draft. Was it scary?

[Child 1] Well, pretty, pretty scary.

[Child 2] It was adrenaline inducing.

[Blair] Are you scared to ride any of the rides?

[Child 3] About half of them.

[Blair] What would you say to someone who's scared to ride these rides?

[Child 2] Don't be scared.

[Teen 1] They're really not. They're easy compared to some.

[Child 1] I mean, your pupils will dilate and you might black out.

[Blair] What tips would you give someone that wants to win on Whack-A-Mole?

[Child 4] Oh, you just gotta keep on going. You can't give up.

[Child 5] You'll need four players, and one of you have to win.

[Blair] All right. I like it. Awesome.

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Welcome back, everyone to Fair 2025.

We’re going to start the second half of our show in the Fabric and Threads Department. The quilting competition is more than patterns and fabric; it’s bold color, sharp skill, and a touch of heart. We’ll meet the judges, admire the winners, and see why these quilts are true masterpieces of the fair.

[Anna Pilcher, Superintendent] The Fabric and Threads Department at the Iowa State Fair has several different divisions, one of which is quilting. Inside the quilting division, we have over 60 classes that folks can enter their projects into.

The quilting division has over 500 entries. This year, we have four highly qualified judges looking at all of the projects, evaluating them against a standard set of criteria.

[Judge] We're going to give this an E for the visual impact. All the points are evenly spaced. No matter where you go, you've got a different quilting pattern just for that area, and that enhances the quilt beautifully.

Good depiction of cat's face created through the use of fabrics.

[Anna] One thing that's different about the quilting division at the Iowa State Fair is that all projects that are entered are exhibited at the fair. So everything that's entered makes it onto the floor to be displayed. Anyone who lives in Iowa is eligible to enter their project in the Iowa State Fair. We have classes that cover all age groups and all techniques.

[Judge] The gold and black fabrics complement the Caitlin Clark Iowa focus fabrics. The quilting adds movement through the piece. Kind of mimics a basketball bouncing down the court. Visual impact on this is excellent. That's an easy one.

The quilting is different in every section. You can see more of a feathery design here. Just some little loops in here, and then, of course, the feathers through the corners.

[Anna] Quilting is a tradition that's often passed down within families, and you'll see this at the Iowa State Fair, with multiple generations of family members entering their projects into the fair each year.

[Maribeth Schmidt, Judge] I started quilting as a very young person. I finished my first quilt when I was 15. I have judged over 19,000 quilts in my career. So far, we're still counting.

Oh, this is incredible piecing. I can see every single point on these flying geese here. Hand quilted stitch is beautiful, and what I mean by that is that the stitch is even and consistent.

Here at the Iowa State Fair, we are blessed to have so many talented people. The workmanship, the creativity is spectacular.

[Judge 1] There's lots of detail.

[Judge 2] I agree.

[Judge 3] Yeah. Jean?

[Judge 4] Yep, yep.

[Judge 3] Best of show. (Janet Rabe, Ottumwa)

[Maribeth] Coming to a show such as this, we can become very inspired by what has been created and the visitors as well. People love bringing their family, showing off their creativity and inspiring the next generation.

We need quilters. It's a lifelong journey.

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[Charity Nebbe] Walking into this Old Fashioned Soda Fountain will fill you with nostalgia, and that is by design. It also comes with a 50 year family fair legacy.

So, Larry, the soda fountain is a little more than 30 years old, but this is a story that goes back 50 years. How did your family get into this business?

[Larry McConnell, McConnell Concessions Inc.] Well, we were in the A&W business in Indianola, Iowa, since 1956. And we had the opportunity in 1975 to put our first stand at the Iowa State Fair. My dad says, “oh, Larry, you like that? Why don't you do it instead of me?” And he loves the fair and always wanted to do this. So really it's him that started. And then I had the first stand in ‘75 and the second one in ‘76. They were both A&Ws.

[Charity] Did you dream up the old fashioned soda fountain idea?

[Larry] Actually, I did. That used to be the pharmacy museum and at least 10 or 12 people a year went in it. And I asked the fair board if I could just take a window and do flavored Cokes. Because pharmacy and soda fountain…

[Charity] … inseparable.

[Larry] It just happened that they were moving out to Living History Farms, and said, “could you take the whole building?” And I said, “absolutely.”

[Charity] Except at first maybe it wasn't the perfect location, was it?

[Larry] Oh, no. We were up the hill. At the time, everybody in the campgrounds, which is a large population, would ride the tractors from the triangle. Well, then years later, they started dumping people off farther up the hill because there was just so much traffic down there. And then the Susan Knapp stage right behind us, when they put that in, it was like, we're part of the fair now.

[Charity] What are the most popular items that people order?

[Larry] You know, just a fountain Cherry Coke, you know, because everybody gets a Cherry Coke or Vanilla Coke now. But we actually do it from the fountain. But malts and shakes. We make our own ice cream. Make vanilla ice cream so it's soft enough so we don't add any milk or anything. You can just feel your arteries clog up. It is just good stuff.

[Charity] And it's air conditioned.

[Larry] You know, it's air conditioned. And we want you to come in and enjoy the air conditioning, but we also want you to leave so the next group can come enjoy the air conditioning.

Charity. Here's what we're gonna do today. We're gonna do one of our most popular things, which is a fountain Cherry Coke.

[Charity] All right.

[Larry] All righty. We're gonna add a scoop of ice. Gonna come over and put the cherry in.

[Charity] And how many squirts?

[Larry] And you're kind of a sweet girl. Well, I don't know. That's kind of a top secret. I can't tell you everything. And add Coke. And then we're going to grab a spoon and mix it up. There you go.

[Charity] All right. Perfect.

[Larry] Very good.

[Charity] Do I get to try it?

[Larry] You? Absolutely.

[Charity] I know that's not normally what you do back here.

[Larry] No, but I think that's good. How do we do?

[Charity] That's delicious.

[Larry] All right, then, you're in. Now we're going to change uniforms and she's going to go to work. I appreciate that.

[Charity] So the whole family doesn't work in the soda fountain. What are your kids doing?

[Larry] Well, you know, my son James has bought his own stand and he has a tater ribbon stand down on Rock Island. And then my daughter and her husband bought a stand down by The Depot. It's a root beer stand and it's called Georgie's after her husband and her son.

[Charity] This is obviously an enormous amount of work and I can tell that it's a labor of love. What do you love about it?

[Larry] It's mostly the people. Two or three people have been with me for seriously 40, 50 years. And back then it was just us, you know, it's a family. I just had a 50 year celebration this winter at one of the buildings here on the fairgrounds. We had over 400 people. Just a great group of people here. I mean, this is really the cream of the crop.

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Behind the Blue Ribbon takes you behind the scenes of the Iowa State Fair, featuring sculptor Sarah Pratt and her daughters as they share how butter sculpting has become a family tradition.

[Hannah Pratt] Growing up it never crossed my mind that it was strange or weird because mom was doing it before we were born. So, my entire life it's always been, yeah, my mom in the summer sculpts the butter cow.

(Door squeaking as the women enter the cooler.)

[Sarah] Lights, butter, action! All right, so you're going to work on Jimmy's face? Do we need to take the tiny hats off?

From a young age they were very interested in digging their hands in. They have always been artistic and interested in creative pursuits, for sure. There have been times where they wish they didn't have to come when they were maybe nine years old and they wanted to go swimming and they didn't want to come and chase their brother around. But they've always been interested in the art process of it.

[Grace Pratt] We officially became apprentices at 14. But we were helping a little bit before that too with washing buckets or...

[Hannah Pratt] Odd jobs. Finding tools. Picking out mold.

[Grace] Now we kind of have our own roles in what we work on. I have tended to do more of the face and head and sometimes I'll do hands.

[Hannah] And I'll take care of most of the, if not all of the clothing that goes on there because I'm studying costume design at UNI. So, working with the fabrics there and learning how they would drape on a person helps me know this is where a crease or a wrinkle would be in the fabric.

You can watch the full Behind the Blue Ribbon documentary anytime at IowaPBS.org

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From singers to dancers and everything in between, today’s Riley Stage competitors brought serious talent! Here’s who’s moving on.

Seniors

The names, ages, hometowns and routines are:

• Aleesha Smith, 17, Waterloo, Vocal Solo
• Hayden Miller, 17, Manilla, Acro/Jazz Dance Solo
• Moriah Denhart, 18, West Des Moines, Musical Theatre Dance Solo

Sprout Champions

• Kinsley Schooley, 12, Chariton; Paisley Wickett, 10, Chariton; Paislee McFall, 12, Chariton; Eleanor Brown, 12, Allerton; Jazz Dance Quartet
• Harlow Schultz, 13, Polk City, Lyrical Dance Solo
• Maddi Hodge, 10, Sioux City, Vocal Solo

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Catch the Talent Championships this Sunday, August 17 at 8pm on Iowa PBS.

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If you’re looking for raw power at the Iowa State Fair, nothing delivers like the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulls.

From roaring engines to dirt-flying showdowns, these machines — and their drivers — are built to impress. We’ll head to the pull track to see who can go the distance.

But first, we’re going to let the kids test their power in the Pedal Tractor Pull.

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[Abby Brown] The next generation of tractor pullers are getting their start at the fair right here, right now. But we're not talking about horsepower. We're talking about kid power.

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Tell me about what's going on today.

[Katie Cordray, Bloomfield] So we have the kids Pedal Tractor Pull. Ages 3 through 12 can join. Anyone who places 1st through 3rd in our 4-12 year olds will advance on to the state Pedal Pull.

[Man 1] Push, push, push, push, push, push, push.

[Katie] The kids will get on the tractor, they'll pedal their farthest distance, and whoever pedals the farthest in the first three places.

[Abby] But it's not just pedaling, right? There's a little bit more of a challenge to this than some people realize. Tell me about that.

[Mike Cordray, Bloomfield] So how this works. The sled is built with an axle, turns a drive chain which carries the box up the sled, and as it goes up, it spins and the weight goes up on the sled, making it challenging for the contestant. How we know how far they go. We got a little meter that treads the tire and counts the distance. So a full pull is 40 foot. So we get to the end of the sled, and it's 40 foot, I'll say full pull.

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[Abby] Do you do anything to prepare and get in shape for this?

[Canon McGrew, Henderson] Yes.

[Abby] What do you do?

[Canon] We have our own pulling thread.

[Abby] You do at home? Your own? And so are you out there every morning before the sun comes up, just pushing those petals?

[Canon] Yeah.

[Abby] That's what I thought.

(Indistinct chatter)

Tell me about your trophy.

[Paisley Klein, Hartley] I got first place.

[Abby] You got first place. How far did you go?

[Paisley] Full pull.

[Abby] A full pull! Have you done this before?

(Shakes head yes)

[Abby] You have? How many times?

[Paisley] I don't know. But I have gotten to nationals, and I got second place.

[Abby] No way.

Mason, tell me what you've done at Tractor Pedal Pull before.

[Mason Curtis, Fonda] I've been in state and I've been in nationals.

[Abby] What would you tell kids here today that want to go to nationals?

[Mason] Pedal your hardest.

[Abby] Have you done the pedal tractor pull before?

[Kymree Verbick, Ringgold County] No.

[Abby] This is your first time?

[Kymree] I do lawnmower pulling, basically, like tractor pulling, but you just are on a lawn mower.

[Abby] You think you got this in the bag?

[Kymree] Yeah.

[Abby] Blue ribbon?

[Kymree] Yep.

[Abby] Ella, you and I talked almost a decade ago at this same event here at the fair. You did great that year.

[Ella Waske, Mount Ayr] Yeah.

[Abby] So this year you're not competing. So what's going on this year?

[Ella] I'm here with my sister and my dad. My sister's competing, and then we're gonna help out.

[Abby] Have you given any wisdom to your younger sister?

[Ella] Go fast, pedal hard.

[Abby] Do you think we've got some future tractor pullers coming today?

[Katie] Absolutely. Our boys make comments that they want the big tractors. I'm sure they're not the only ones.

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Welcome to Iowa PBS Sports coverage of the 2025 Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulls at the Iowa State Fair. I'm Paul Yeager. We'll kick up the dirt at the Elwell Family Park with highlights of a handful of classes. But first, the Iowa Tractor Pulling association paid tribute to charter members and Hall of Fame inductees.

There's Ron Warschkow of Iowa Falls.

Wayne Longnecker from Cambridge. Out of Odebolt, it's Carol Youngren and Warren Ropp of Kalona. They even snuck a Cornhusker in there. Fred Petsch of Milford, Nebraska. Let's get it started with the Limited Light Modifieds.

Andrew Beckman, Pure Pressure, out of Hoskins, Nebraska. He will take third on this pull with a distance of 312.85.

Wes Sievers, Runnin’ Rowdy, out of Wayne, Nebraska, heads down the track to a second place finish. He takes the rock a great distance of 317.47 feet.

And your champion in this class is Dalton Henery. He's working Double Overtime. Norfolk, Nebraska. Heads down University. Look out, man. You're not street legal here. 349.06. Great pull.

Let's move now to the Limited Pro Stock.

Bill Figanbaum, the Instigator out of Tripoli. Northeast Iowa, well represented. Look at the crowd looking him on, cheering him on, watching him pull. 306.08.

Here comes the International. Brian Miller, Diggin Bone out of Marengo. The Eastern Iowa tractor heads. Look out. He's coming for you, mom. 319.23. Great pull.

And Bryan Deck, Dream On out of Winside, Nebraska. This is a first place pull. Watch him go. Opens it up. 319.75.

Now to the Light Superstock.

Allen Ulmer, it's Never Enuff. The rock moves through. Stops him at 264.44.

Frank Bohaboj from Howells, Nebraska. He's driving Green Lightning. Kachiga kachiga down this track. 287.33.

And in first place. The Last One Standing is Justin Hoffman of Dunlap. He gets airborne in the front, hammers it down, stops at 292.53. That's first place.

Now onto the Pro 4x4.

We got a noise complaint. Miles Jumps, “Noise Complaint.” Pretty quiet. No, it's loud, it's proud and it is a great pull at 309.77.

Longtime fair participant Marty Seleman. He's in “Rat Trap” out of Garden City, Missouri. My oh my, what a pull. Sets a trap there for first place. What can beat 312.32.

It's gonna be this one. Philip Kreisler. “Show me Chevy” and I will show you a first place pull of 313.46.

And now to the Lite Limited Pro Stock.

Scott Struthoff is “Dearly Devoted.” We are gathered here today to see a great pull at the Iowa State Fair. That is a fantastic start to this 315.95.

Brady Goslar, “Spare Time,” out of Ute. This has been a ridiculously close class. Haul those feet. And it's gonna come down to inches. Or should I say barely an inch at 315.98. Oh, oh, oh. So close.

And now your first place pull. Brett England, “Running Late” out of Diagonal. First place on the line. Well, we already know he's gonna be in first place, but by how much? That's the big as we go to this pull. There it is. 316.08. First place. Hey, the fans love it. They're giving a big cheer.

We hope you loved it. And that is a wrap of our state fair coverage this year. I'm Paul Yeager. Have fun at the fair.

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(Parranderos Latin Combo singing in Spanish)

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♪ ♪

What a fun way to wind up our coverage for this Thursday of Fair 2025. We’ll be back here again tomorrow night with another full hour of highlights, but until then your daily dose of fair fun is just a click away on our website, our YouTube channel, and the PBS App, as well as our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow along with us anytime, anywhere!

Here’s what we have planned for tomorrow night’s show. A fair experience that’s equal parts relaxation and laughter — goat yoga! An underground adventure as we explore the DNR Cave. And a high-stakes moment as the Iowa Lottery tries to break a world record.

You won’t want to miss tomorrow night’s fair coverage — it’s a lineup full of surprises right here on Iowa PBS. Until then, I’m Bill Riley — thanks for joining us tonight, and get ready for another unforgettable night at the fair.

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(Credits roll on screen)

FAIR

Host
Bill Riley

Executive Producer
Theresa Knight

Editors/Production Assistants
Julie Knutson
Neal Kyer

Segment Producers
Judy Blank
Patrick Boberg
Dan Bolsem
Laurel Bower
Tyler Brinegar
Andrea Coyle
Travis Graven
Deb Herbold
Emily Kestel
Colleen Krantz
Kelsey Kremer
Cameron McCoy
David Miller
Rachel Mummey
Keila Perez Serrano
John Torpy
Peter Tubbs
Paul Yeager

Videographers
Darrin Clouse
Scott Faine
Eric Gooden
Mark Haugen
Kenny Knutson

Editors
Reid Denker
Kevin Rivers

Audio
David Feingold

Technical Director
Reid Denker

Camera
Liam Brennan
John Coleman
Marley Cerveny
Chris Gourley

Engineer in Charge
Kevin Rivers

Field Reporters
Abby Brown
Travis Graven
Brooke Kohlsdorf
Dana Lain
Charity Nebbe
Blair Ryan
Hayley Schaefer

Motion Graphics
Bo Dodge
Brent Willett

Production Assistance
Tiffany Clouse

Production Supervisor
Sean Ingrassia

Graphics
Joe Bustad

Creative Director
Alisa Dodge

Digital Team
Robert Canada
Matt Clark
Danny Engesser
Abby Friedmeyer
Randy Garza
Gavin Jensen

Communications Team
Caryline Clark
Matt Clark
Bo Dodge
Hayley Schaefer
Dan Wardell

Engagement Manager
Caryline Clark

Director of Communications
Susan Ramsey

Director of Emerging Media
Taylor Shore

Director of Content
Cameron McCoy

Executive Director & General Manager
Andrew Batt

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Iowa PBS
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