Fair 2025 – Friday, August 15

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Hello and welcome to our coverage of Fair 2025! I’m Bill Riley, and as we head into these final moments of the fair, we’re reminded that what really makes this place shine isn’t just the food or the fun… it’s the people. And tonight, we’re spending time with folks who bring the spirit of the fair to life.

We’ll head into the swine barn with some determined 4-Hers and see what it takes to show pigs at the highest level. Then, it’s pure muscle and precision as competitors engage in a fair tradition that’s all about old-school skill. And we’ll step into the brand-new Conservation Discovery Area at the DNR Building.

But first, we’re easing into the evening with a little Goat Yoga. Yes, real goats. Real yoga. And some seriously happy fairgoers.

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[Instructor] And bring it back up to tabletop. And we're going to do the same thing on the other side. So stick that left hand through that keyhole. We're going to take our hands back down to the mat. I want you to leave your left hand planted. We're going to come into a modified side plank. So our left hand is planted, left knee is down. You can lift that right leg if you like.

[Tami Bingham, Yoga Instructor] There's just a lot of noise around. Just noise from the barn. The goats are going crazy. We've got music, there's people talking. It's just a loud atmosphere. So to be able to get everybody engaged is, I would probably say, the most challenging part.

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After our first Goat Yoga numerous years ago, I ended up getting goats myself. So that's been the best part is just getting the animals that after I have a session that I think that I like.

[Nicole Bandstra, Yoga Participant] It was so much fun. The goats are so cute. And I was not expecting the yoga to be as, like, advanced as it was, but it was a lot of fun. It was a good stretch.

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[Instructor] All right, then we're going to jump forward into that lunge. If you want, you can press those hips forward, bring your hands up.

[Stacy Koenigs, Yoga Participant] It was really fun. It was just fun to have the goats walking around and interacting. And I love yoga. It was a little different with goats kind of coming by, but it was really fun.

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Just a fun interaction with the animals. I mean, I'm not usually around goats, and so they were very friendly. One tried to get my shirt a little bit, but just all in fun. So I think they were having a good time, too.

[Woman 1] It was so much fun to just play with the goats and pet them and to just get a little mini workout in while you're at the fair.

[Instructor] Up and under your armpits. Take your right leg, press it up into a hip circle. Nice and slow. Press up, out and around.

[Tami] Goat yoga, or any of the barnyard yogas at all different levels. So there's people that have never done yoga before. There's people that are amazing at yoga, way better than I am at yoga. There's kids. We've had bachelorette parties. It's kind of for everyone, like grandmas, kids, everybody. It's just a fun, fun event.

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[Paul Yeager] These 4-Hers are penned over. They are getting ready to be the best in their class. We are at the 4-H Swine Show. We have both pure and crossbred on the docket for today. They're getting ready to find out what the judge thinks here and see if they are some of the best at the Iowa State Fair.

What'd you just win?

[Kambria Donscheski, Dunlap] Grand Champion Duroc Breeding Gilt.

[Paul] What's that mean to you?

[Kambria] It means a lot to me.

[Paul] Why do you think that you won?

[Kambria] After all the hard work and that it looks good out there and was walking and presented well.

[Paul] What'd the judge tell you after you won?

[Kambria] Congrats. I wasn't listening. I was just in the moment, kinda.

[Paul] What's that moment like? Describe that moment for me.

[Kambria] Excited, happy, thrilled that all my hard work's finally paying off after all the years showing.

[Paul] Tell me what the hard work is. Because not everybody understands what it is you go through.

[Kambria] Late nights in the barns, getting yelled at some nights, just really, just a lot of making sure they get walked every day, twice a day, tanned every single day, washed everything you can think of. They have to get done every single day.

[Paul] All right. When I watch you in the ring, what am I watching in your brain? What's being said in your mind?

[Kambria] Oh, probably me just being nervous out there the whole time.

[Paul] You don't look nervous when you're out there. You are.

[Kambria] Yeah, I'm very nervous when I'm out there.

[Judge] More importantly, she's the loosest, longest heel, most athletic.

[Paul] What did it mean to go from reserve to grand this year?

[Addison Blauwet, Lyon County] It just made me really happy just to finally get that top spot.

[Paul] And your support group, who helps you?

[Addison] My dad and my brothers are always helping me and encouraging me to do my best.

[Paul] Tell me what it is you're trying to do in the ring when you're looking at the judge and looking up and helping your animal.

[Addison] Well, I'm just trying to see if the judge wants me to do something, if it wants me to drive it forward or go to the side or if he wants me to go get penned up or something.

[Paul] What'd you just win?

[Madison Gent, Wellman] Commercial breeding gilt.

[Paul] What was that like to win?

[Madison] It was very good. It felt really good to win.

[Paul] Did you think that this was a strong possibility when you woke up this morning?

[Madison] I kind of felt like I'd do pretty well with her. I was hoping I'd catch a pen but it really shocked me winning the division.

[Paul] What's her name?

[Madison] Avery.

[Paul] Tell me about Avery.

[Madison] Avery is very good. She really listens. She's just really special. She has a great personality.

[Paul] Is that important in a hog or something? And an animal?

[Madison] Yeah. If they have a good personality, I feel like they listen better, respond to the whip better.

[Paul] What's it like showing at the Iowa State Fair?

[Madison] It's really great. It's super special to be here.

[Paul] When the judge penned you the first time and you won your class. Describe the emotion difference between then and then walking out with the big purple.

[Madison] It was really cool. I don't know. There's, like, not a whole lot of words to it. It was just really great.

[Paul] Do you remember anything the judge said?

[Madison] No.

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[Hayley] Outside Pioneer Hall, it's time for the manual Timber Sports Contest, a showdown worthy of Paul Bunyan himself. Lumberjacks and Jills will compete in seven categories of wood chopping and sawing, each aiming to prove they're a cut above the rest. Let's see who's carving out a win today.

[Emcee] Ready, set, go.

[Hayley] And what are we here today for?

[Lucas Monson, Boone] We're here for the Heritage Timber Sports event.

[Hayley] And tell me a little bit about that. As a first timer that knows absolutely nothing, give me a little rundown.

[Lucas] We always start with the axe. The chopping, most dangerous, most skill. It's about precision, strength and speed. Cut it once, you don't have to cut it again. Hopefully you don't cut yourself. From there, there's three specific styles of bow saws. Buck saws, crosscut saws. Crosscut saws are the five or six foot long ones. Bow saws are the smaller ones more people are familiar with. Buck saws are more of a traditional style, with the tensioner located at the top of the blade.

[Hayley] What are your tips and tricks for first timers if they want to get involved with this for the first time?

[Erin Hefner, Urbandale] Just go right in there and try it. And as far as the saw, hold on loosely but don't let go. If you hold too tight, you lose control.

[Hayley] I like that. That's good.

[Erin] The bow saw is the lightest and then they get bigger and heavier, being steady, keeping the bow straight, pulling as opposed to pushing. Literally, if you hold on too tight, the blade wobbles and goes all over the place.

[Emcee] First place goes to Erin. Congratulations.

[Hayley] Now, as a first timer who's never done it before, what tips or tricks do you have for me?

[Lucas] Start slow, stay consistent, and then you can build up speed from there. There'll be plenty of us up there cheering you on.

(Hayley sawing a log using a bow saw.)

[Onlookers] Go. Yep. Keep it moving. Breathe.

[Hayley] And what do you enjoy about competing in this competition?

[Erin] I like how we have all the camaraderie. Everybody encourages one another to borrow or use each other's equipment. It's very encouraging and positive.

[Hayley] And what do you enjoy about it? Why do you keep coming back for more every year?

[Lucas] It's like a family reunion, like we all see each other. We're talking this year about finally exchanging contact information so we know who's coming back when.

[Hayley] Why do you two compete?

[Landra Rundlett, Swisher] Well, we started competing after Dakota did the beard contest a couple years ago and we've just been doing it ever since. It's really fun. You compete with the same people so you get to see them once a year and just have some camaraderie and some fun, friendly competition.

[Dakota] We've been doing it for four years. We make a good team, and that's why we got married last year.

[Hayley] And how did you two meet?

[Landra] We actually met by talking about the state fair. So I told Dakota that we could be the king and queen of Pioneer Hall. And here we are with all our ribbons.

[Hayley] We had a super fun day today at the Timber Sports. If you haven't tried it or haven't watched, I highly recommend going next year. And it's always a great day at the Iowa State Fair when you go home with a ribbon, even if it's 7th place.

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[Bill Riley] If you’ve been watching our Fair coverage closely over the years, you might have spotted someone who’s no stranger to fair competitions - Ann Hegstrom. Ann throws herself into the fair with heart, humor and a whole lot of creativity.

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[Ann Hegstrom] I just love the fair. The fair is just Iowa. Everything about it is things I love. I love going to look at the 4-H exhibits to see how those kids are doing. Of course you have to go see the Butter Cow. That's something you have to do every year.

The food, the people are fun to talk with. What's not to like? Except maybe the heat.

I come every day to the fair. I work every day at the fair, but I come early so I can do all the contests and see the fair.

Good morning, Nick.

[Nick] How’s it going?

[Ann] We're great. I need some coffee and a donut.

I come early in the morning, get my breakfast, my coffee, all that, early in the morning.

Yes. Look at this.

[Nick] Look at that. I love it.

[Ann] When the fair first opens on Thursday morning, they have a history tour. For that I'm planning on wearing kind of a historical map of the United States and a vintage Iowa flag.

[Tour Guide] The Agriculture Building is still home to one of our most beloved Iowa State Fair icons, which would be the Butter Cow.

[Crowd] The Butter Cow.

[Ann] Because I go everywhere all the time, I probably get in at least 10 miles every day. I have to decide what I'm going to wear for every day at the fair and for every contest that I participate in. The best part about a fair outfit is the fact that people notice it. People recognize me and go, remember me, and they'll talk to me.

I do a lot of the heritage contests because I want to make sure that they continue. So part of that is they're fun. But I also want to be enthusiastic about it and have other people come and join. It's the chicken calling, it's the husband calling, it's the kids telling jokes. The cow chip throwing contest and the rubber chicken throwing contest. Those are all part of the heritage ones and the fun. I hope people just always want to come do it all. That's a part of the fair that I hope will continue forever. When I go up on stage for a chicken calling, I'm wearing a feather boa, and I'm ready to do my yell.

Yeeee!

And they laugh. And that's the best part of it. But I really came to the fair seeing it through my husband's eyes. He always went to all the ag buildings and had to watch all the contests. And so that became part of my life, too.

And he spent a lot of time at the wood carvers contest. He loved to talk to those guys. He was a farmer. He did, like, a little bit of everything. And then suddenly he had an accident and he couldn’t do any of it anymore. So this is one of the ways that he could still vicariously enjoy part of Iowa.

And so every year, I make sure that I honor that somehow, some way.

(Ann sawing a log using a bow saw.)

[Judge] Good job.

[Ann] Thank you.

[Judge] Congratulations.

[Ann] One day at the fair is overwhelming. It's hard to do everything that you want to do. That's the advantage of when I come every day for work and I come early. I could just do bite sized portions of the fair. And then it's just really fun and you're not worn out.

[Camera Operator] I'm slowing you down, aren't I Ann?

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[Kayla Lyon, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director] So welcome to the DNR Building. When people come see the DNR exhibit at the state fair, they naturally think about the aquarium. That is kind of our flagship. The aquarium itself has about 40 different species of fish on display. We bring about 200 and some fish in for the week to show off the fisheries across the state of Iowa. And it's actually the original DNR Building at the state fair.

And next year it will be 100 years old. We wanted to create a new experience where Iowans could come and learn about some of our state parks and have an interactive experience. And so this last year, we built a new structure here showcasing two of our flagship parks. We have Maquoketa Caves State Park and Pilot Knob State Park.

So over 15 weeks, we had a contractor in here building both the cave and the tower. There's about 20,000 pounds of concrete and 5,000 pounds of steel here, and 13 family members actually worked on it together. So it's been really cool.

[Child 1] Look at the enclosure.

[Kayla] So as you walk into the cave, you'll experience sounds of a cave. It looks like it's wet like a cave. There's the stalactites in there. We've got some creatures in there, including some bats and a skink. And then there's also a smaller cave that kids can crawl into. And sometimes we have a little trouble getting the kids out, but it's really cool. It feels like you're in a cave at Maquoketa Cave State Park.

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Look down and you'll see the little cave that you can go through, but then also look up. You're going to see bats, you're going to see lights, you're going to see all kinds of little nooks and crannies that feel like the inside of a cave.

So in the floor we have a river scene. And then also there's a couple of cutout spots where next year we're going to bring in creatures and put them in the floor so you can walk over the top of them. So it'd be an experience like you're going over the top of a stream.

We also have a backdrop from another one of our flagship state parks, Pikes Peak, and it shows Bridal Falls, and that's the waterfall that you can see in the park at Pikes Peak in Northeast Iowa.

We also have a shooting range experience where kids and adults alike can come and do archery. We also have programming throughout the week, three times a day, so folks can come out and learn about opportunities outside.

This is going to be here for a while. It was built here. It's concrete, it's heavy, it looks super cool. It's visually appealing, it's interactive. I'm a mom of two little kids and they loved it.

So I think it's also important to note that it's ADA compliant, so you can take wheelchairs through there, you can take strollers through there. It's a very accessible opportunity.

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[Amanda Munson, Bakery Specialist, Fareway] This is the Older Iowans Cookie Decorating Contest.

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It's a great event for older Iowans here today. Anybody 60 and older can come right up. They don't have to sign up beforehand. They can just show up and come decorate a cookie.

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It's free. It's not something that they have to sign up for like the other food events. They can just come and grab a cookie and fill out their information and just get in line and set up and start decorating. And at the end, they turn the cookie in. They can turn it in for judging and win an award. Win a ribbon, which everybody's here for, right? Blue ribbons in this building. And they can get a cookie to eat right away.

[Woman 1] I'm trying to do a fair logo. I don't know how it'll turn out. You never know till the end. So it's fun. It's part of the fair.

[Amanda] So we have our buttercream that we use at the store, and then they have a lot of different sprinkle options. So some rainbow sprinkles, some sanding sugar, all different colors, and then some colored gels. So we have a full array of the rainbow colors now that they can use. So, yeah, lots of different options. We see so many creative things. A lot of times people go for fair themed cookies.

[Woman 2] I'm gonna need to get another tube.

[Amanda] It's so fun seeing what people can come up with. Well, I will say there's a gentleman that comes every year, and I'm sure he'll be here this year. And he comes with some tweezers.

[Don Francois, Des Moines] The first one, they did about, what, six years ago, I happened to have my little Swiss army knife in my pocket cause I couldn't… I said, “How are you supposed to get the colors you want?” So then I said, “Oh, I have a little tweezer.” So I got it out of my Swiss pocket. So now I think they call me the Tweezer Man.

[Amanda] He meticulously uses the sprinkles and will place them in the most, like, beautiful designs. And he blows us away every year. So very impressive. With, like, corn kernels or, like, corn on the cob. It's amazing.

[Don] I didn't have an idea for this year yet until I was walking from the Ag Building to here, and I went by one of the vendor stands and they had this ear of corn on the sign. I said, “That's what I'll do.” I got a couple ideas to make it pop a little more yet maybe. Or it might ruin it. Who knows, right?

[Amanda] I like just seeing the fun that people have, the looks on their faces, the enjoyment that they get out of it.

[Woman 3] It's a tree with a swing.

[Amanda] Being creative and having fun. That they have their grandkids, their grandkids can come and join them and they love it.

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[Bill Riley] Think you’ve got what it takes to win a ribbon at the fair? These contestants proved they do. Here are the latest results.

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Ladies Rubber Chicken Throwing – Adult, ages 51 and up

1st tie – Antoinette Norris Woodson, Angleton, TX
1st tie – Becky Reber-McAfee, Mountain View, MO
2nd – Luann Conklin, Sagle, ID
3rd tie – Jean Stadtlander, Manning
3rd tie – Tammy Toth, Ames

Ladies Rubber Chicken Throwing – Adult, ages 16-50

1st – Sophie Goerish, West Des Moines
2nd – Jae Wilson, Des Moines
3rd – Anna Hadley, Ollie

Yodeling Contest

1st – Marissa Waldo, Cascade
2nd tie – Rick Vanderwall, Cedar Falls
2nd tie – Verle Spence, Hartford
3rd – Betty Walker, Des Moines

Fabric & Threads – Surface Embroidery: Embroidered Holiday Decoration

1st - Charlene Doehrmann, Williamsburg
2nd - Theresa Knight, Des Moines 
3rd - Martha Lawrence, Cedar Rapids

Fabric & Threads – Surface Embroidery: Household Item

1st - Amy Ferguson, Runnells
2nd - Anne Hanson, Cedar Rapids
3rd - Bernice Collingwood, Williamsburg

Fabric & Threads – Presidents Choice
Junellyn Ellis, Tracy

Fabric & Threads – Best Needlework of the Four Divisions

Nancy Boddicker, Cedar Rapids

Food – Having a Ball with Cheese

1st - Sara Carlson, Des Moines 
2nd - Kathy Poetting, Des Moines
3rd - Catherine Bailey, Clive

Food – Fruit Pie

1st - Deborah Cronin, Des Moines 
2nd - Jamie Buelt, Polk City 
3rd - Lisa Norris, Johnston

Food – Cream Pie

1st - Jamie Buelt, Polk City
2nd -  Diane Caron, Johnston
3rd - Anita Van Gundy, Des Moines

Woodworking – Clocks

1st - Philip Laudenklos, Urbandale 
2nd - Justin Deahr, Robins
3rd - Todd Olstad, West Des Moines

Woodturning – Bowl

1st - Jack Rolison, Ottumwa
2nd - Steve Yeager, Martinsburg 
3rd - Robert Wallace, Ames

Mr. Legs Competition – Overall Winner

Andrew Roehr, NE

Mr. Legs Competition – Crowd Favorite

Rafael Jacobs, Cedar Rapids

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[Bill Riley] We’re stepping away for just a moment—but stick around, because we’re only getting started. Still ahead, more fair stories you won’t want to miss.

Some fierce competition at the Ladies’ Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest.  Advanced Vet Camp, where future animal experts get hands-on experience. And a world record attempt from the Iowa Lottery—tons of people, one unforgettable moment.

We’ll be right back with more fair fun—only on Iowa PBS.

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[Hayley Schaefer] What's a pro tip for people that are coming to the fair?

[Woman 1] Oh, definitely. Comfortable shoes. I brought my fan along. Anything to stay cool.

[Hayley] And what would you recommend people wear to the fair?

[Man 1] I told him, I said black shirt. I wish you could pan over there, but my buddy, he's got a black shirt on. Don't sweat through a gray shirt. Absolutely no gray shirts.

[Hayley] If you got lost at the state fair, what would you do?

[Child 1] Find a cop.

[Teen 1] Or a nice citizen around here. There's a lot of nice people around here. I'm pretty sure they would help.

[Hayley] I think so too.

[Child 2] If you're, like, getting lost, you just gotta, like, look for what your parents were wearing.

[Hayley] Good call.

[Child 3] And you also have to like… you can also go tell somebody who works at the state fair.

[Hayley] What is something you would recommend people do not do or something they should not wear to the state fair?

[Woman 2] High heels.

[Man 2] A mullet.

[Hayley] A mullet.

(Laughter)

[Woman 3] Definitely don't wear sandals. Wear something comfortable because you'll be moving around the whole day and getting over 10,000 steps, probably.

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[Bill Riley] Now, there are a lot of contests at the Fair that take serious skill and strategy, and then there’s this one. It’s loud, it’s silly, and it’s a fan favorite —the Ladies’ Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest.

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[Blair Ryan] We're about to find out which one of these ladies can fling their featherless fowl the furthest.

♪ ♪

We have three sisters here with us today that all participated in the Rubber Chicken Throwing Competition. Who was the winner of the sisters?

(Two sisters point to a sister wearing a blue shirt.)

How far did you throw it?

[Tammy Toth, Ames] I think around 49. I'm not sure.

[Blair] Are you all rooting for each other or do you have a bet on a winner?

[Barbara] Oh, no, we're all rooting for each other. We always have.

[Lisa Hauenstein, Ashland, Ohio]  I'm not. She's probably gonna win, but I want to beat her. I'm gonna practice.

[Blair] You have a year to gear up.

[Lisa] Yes. I never threw a chicken before.

[Blair] Hey, there's a first time for everything.

[Barbara Pieklo, Fernandina Beach, Florida] My first time. Now I know how to do it. Okay.

[Blair] Yeah. Tell us. What's the trick?

[Barbara] Well, yeah, she…

[Lisa] ..hit her wheel.

[Barbara] It’s her fault. She put me in the wrong position.

[Blair] Absolutely. Blame your sister. Good.

[Barbara] I probably only threw it 8 feet.

[Blair] Mine would have gone behind me, so…

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[Emcee] I do want to say thank you for coming out. It's a little bit warm, but it's a beautiful day at the Iowa State Fair, and this is always a fun contest.

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[Antoinette Norris Woodson, Angleton, Texas] I'm here visiting my daughter and her boyfriend and their family, and she told me before I came. She's like, “Mom, we have to do the chicken throw.” I was like, “What the devil is a chicken throw?” I was like, “Well, I just had my shoulder replaced, so I can't throw overhand yet.” She's like, “No, mom, you'll be great because…” I played basketball, so she was like, “Okay, you can do it.” So I just got as much weight in there as I could. It was the first time I've ever thrown one, and I got 55. I was like, whoop, whoop.

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[Bonnie] Roy. Roy, can you hear me? You get yourself in here right now. Come on.

[Narrator] At the Iowa State Fair, certain voices rise above the crowd, and one of the most unforgettable ones belongs to Bonnie Swalwell Eilert.

[Bonnie] Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Royyyyyy!

[Narrator] A loyal contestant in just about every Pioneer Hall contest. She'd take the mic with confidence, charm, and a little bit of mischief.

[Bonnie] My husband said to me, “You're not going to do that, Bonnie. You're not. Oh, please don't do it.” I said, “I'm going to do it.” I defied him, and I won first. So after that, he's gung ho for me.

Roy!

[Regina Pirtle, Pioneer Hall Superintendent] She was a very colorful person. She always came – if it was chicken calling, she would have a chicken hat on. If it was hog calling, she would have a pig on her head.

[Reporter] Bonnie Swalwell Eilert of rural Newton is the winner of the Chicken Calling Contest. And Bonnie, aside from dressing up for the occasion, how did you prepare for this event?

[Bonnie] I don't know, it just comes natural because my parents were farmers. I married a farmer, and it just is natural. We always had chickens.

[Regina] She had a lot of energy. She was very competitive. When she got up to the microphone, she knew what she wanted to produce.

[Bonnie] Come on, girls. You know mommy wants to make an angel food cake.

[Narrator] Bonnie's love for the fair went far beyond the stage.

[Regina] She did the hymn sing in the log church, and her husband actually created some stained glass windows for Pioneer Hall. And she was quite proud of that and felt very happy to be able to donate that to the fairgrounds.

[Reporter] And why did you decide to enter the rubber chicken throwing contest?

[Bonnie] I have done it for years. I never get any place. But I always think, well, I better do it again this year because they're going to wonder where that little old lady's at. I don't get very far. But I love to do it, and the people here love to have me do it, too, I think.

[Narrator] Bonnie passed away earlier this year, but her spirit will always be part of the sound of the fair.

[Bonnie] Hurry up. Get your you know what out of that bed.

[Regina] First place for 2017,. 823.

She was a jewel, a gem, a many faceted gem.

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[Abby Brown] One thing's for sure. There's something for everyone at the Iowa State Fair. Some of us love the big crowds, the big sounds, the bright lights, and some of us don't. This year, Sensory Friendly Morning has even more fun opportunities.

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All right, Peter, tell me about this very special playground.

[Peter Cownie, Executive Director, Blue Ribbon Foundation] Well, we're very excited about our new Variety Star Playground. We were able to dedicate this playground at opening ceremonies of the 2025 Iowa State Fair. And we were able to do it because we received a note last year, an email from the Hagerman family.

Kinsley Hagerman, who is handicapped, wasn't able to experience the old playground, and it kind of ruined her day at the Iowa State Fair.

And she called us to task for this. And we were really proud to be able to build this new playground this year because of that.

[Abby] Wait, and that was a letter from a child?

[Peter] Yeah, Little Kinsley. It was really quite wonderful.

And this was a unique one for us because we were able to partner with Variety, and they raised some of the money. We raised some of the money. We were able to put together $700,000 for this beautiful new playground for all fairgoers to enjoy. And this is also, it's also kind of special because this is open every day of the year outside of the fair, too. So it's a neighborhood amenity now, too.

[Abby] What's the response been?

[Peter] Oh, it's been wonderful. I think it's great. My own kids love it. You know, everyone loves the surface. It's twice as big as the old playground. The merry go round is really neat, and it's just been a really special treat for the fair this year.

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[Abby] So, Jordan, tell me about Sensory Friendly Morning.

[Jordan Juhl Marcon, Director of Public Relations, ChildServe] So Sensory Friendly can look like a couple different things. What we try to do, we can't control everything, but to minimize the distractions in the environment. Taking on an event of this magnitude without knowing that there's assistance and understanding can be really difficult for families.

So today, ChildServe and the Iowa State Fair are saying, you're welcome every day, but we're here for you today, all day today, to help you navigate this important event.

[Abby] Cindy, tell me about your family.

[Cindy Pommrehn, Pleasant Hill] So our family is a family of three. Our son Aiden is 14, and he has Emanuel syndrome.

[ChildServe Staff] Nice, Aiden. That was awesome, buddy.

[Cindy] So this is just such a, I guess, is just such a relief for us to have staff that are trained to have resources, to have spaces that are appropriate for Aiden, to have activities that help him engage, because he does have a lot of limitations, and those are ways that he can connect and enjoy something fun, and then we, as a family, can enjoy that together.

[Abby] And truly, the Iowa State Fair is for everyone.

[Cindy] Yes.

♪ ♪

[Bill Riley] The competition is heating up as we head into the final stretch on the Riley Stage. Here are the performers who made it through today.

Seniors

• Dawson Huinker, 15, Clive, Musical Theatre Vocal Solo
• Hannah Harris, 18, Dunlap; Lauren Herrig, 18, Denison; Tayla Brodersen, 18, Denison; Brylee Schechinger, 18, Harlan; Addison
• Houston, 17, Denison; Tap Dance Quintet
• Audrey Janssen, 18, Indianola, Piano Solo

Sprout Champions

• Reese Freml, 11, Johnston, Tap Dance Solo
• Warren Place, 12, Pella, Lyrical Dance Solo

Don’t forget the Talent Championships this Sunday, August 17 at 8pm on Iowa PBS.

[Bill Riley] For many young Iowans, the fair is more than just fun—it’s a place to learn and explore future careers. We’re heading over to Advanced Vet Camp, where students with a passion for animals get hands-on experience and a real-world look at veterinary medicine.

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] We're here at the Jacobson Center where students are getting a hands-on look at what it's like to work in the vet field. It's a chance for students who are interested in taking care of animals someday to get their gloves dirty and ask lots of questions. Let's go check it out.

[Heidi Mandt, Agriculture Instructor, Waukee] We're running our Advanced Vet Camp here today at the Jacobson Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. And we're running a few different lab experiences for the students that are here at the vet camp. So today it's some middle school and high school students that are here right behind us. They are dissecting fetal pigs. So lots of fun experiences.

In the other room they're doing kind of like a blood sampling lab. So giving them some really hands-on activities at a look for what kind of the vet industry is like and different experiences within like animal health and animal medicine.

[Instructor] The heart's gonna be up here in the thoracic cavity.

[Heidi] Something they can just sign up for. It's free. When the signups come out, the classes fill up really quickly. But it's put on through the education department at the Iowa State Fair.

[Instructor] So I would recommend cutting into the abdomen first. And here's why. If you cut into the chest first, you're going to get rid of that negative pressure. And we don't know if they had pathology in their chest or not.

[Brooke] What are you hoping that kids learn and walk away with?

[Dr. Amy Fertig, Director of Veterinary Technology, DMACC] Well, I hope they learn a little bit more about the veterinary profession as a whole and what veterinarians and veterinary technicians do on a daily basis when they're in their clinics and doing their jobs.

[Brooke] It seems like they're getting hands-on experience today.

[Dr. Fertig] Yes. We try to make all of our vetcamp stations very hands-on and very interactive for students. So they aren't just sitting, having people talk at them or lecture at them. They're getting to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty and vet med.

[Brooke] Describe what this is like.

[Marley Van Schoick, Riverside] Gross, but also fascinating.

[Mariella McClellan, Mount Pleasant] It's disgusting to say the least.

[Brooke] Are you interested in medicine someday, veterinary medicine?

[Marley] I am. I would love to be a vet someday.

[Heidi] I hope they walk away first with some just fun memories and experiences of something they could do at the fair.

[Dr. Fertig] Yep, fluid is normal.

[Heidi] But also hopefully to open their minds and show them some visions of what their future could look like. Maybe within the animal industry or just within the agriculture industry as a whole. Part of a big part of my job that I do throughout the school year is helping kids kind of figure out what their future looks like after school.

So maybe this camp can be kind of the start of thinking through what they want to do for their careers.

[Izzy Duncan, Van Meter] So I've been in FFA and I was a volunteer last year for it. And so this year I was like, oh, I'll just, like, help and be the manager because I've already been in it and helped with it. So I was like, I know what I'm doing, so I'll come and help.

[Heidi] They come, and then we just really get going right away and they start digging in and asking questions and are really curious about it. So it's a really fun experience and something that helps them kind of bond with other students as well, make some new friends and make some fun memories, too.

[Instructor] You can still follow this out a little bit, too, and kind of open it up where you can get these sides and you can kind of splay them open.

[Bill Riley] Behind the Blue Ribbon is a new documentary that shares the personal stories behind the Iowa State Fair, including Fair Manager Jeremy Parsons.

[Jeremy] Hello? Good afternoon. Hello, everybody. In case you didn't know, we have a fair starting in less than a month. Some of you look excited and some of you look terrified.

(laughter)

We're going to do two things today. We're going to talk about new things at this year's fair and then we're going to talk about ways we want you to be contagious, how we want you to spread the fair fever.

(Jeremy being interviewed.)

The Iowa State Fair when you look at our mission statement, ultimately, it's a celebration of all the very best things of Iowa. We want to make sure we're a place that people want to be. And I think one of the ways we become that place, the place where people want to be, is that they have a good experience while they're here.

(Jeremy speaking to the crowd.)

The fair is not a prison. What that means is none of them are required to be here. Every single fairgoer made a choice to come to the Iowa State Fair. It's not a requirement. In all reality, we could open the fair on August 8 and no one could show up. It is not guaranteed. The accounting department just fainted.

(Jeremy being interviewed.)

We have to be a place that every Iowan feels like they are welcome. We have to be that place. That's our job. We hope, though, that when people come that they are able to see, again, those kids excelling at the highest level. They're able to see their neighbors showing off some skill that you had no idea. Or forget about everything during a Grandstand concert. We hope we provide those experiences, but yet still provide that commonplace. And we hope that's what the fair provides.

(Jeremy speaking to the crowd.)

Thank you for your time and we will see you, well we'll see you around. So, see you at the fair.

[Bill Riley] You can watch the full Behind the Blue Ribbon documentary anytime at IowaPBS.org

♪ ♪

[Travis Graven] You occasionally run into some lines at the fairgrounds, maybe waiting to see the butter cow or to buy one of the popular new foods. But this is a really, really long line, and it's full of people waiting for a chance to win some cash, but also maybe be part of history. The Iowa Lottery is trying to set a new Guinness World Record for the most people scratching off a scratch ticket at once.

♪ ♪

[Matt Strawn, Iowa Lottery CEO] Ah, Travis, I can't think of a better way to celebrate 40 years of the Iowa Lottery. When you think of that first ticket that was sold here at the fairgrounds, Aug. 22, 1985. For Iowans to show up and help us attempt to set a Guinness World Record with scratch tickets 40 years later, I can't think of a better way to celebrate 40 years of the Iowa Lottery giving back.

[Travis] Becky, why are you here?

[Becky Schneider, Vinton] Because I feel lucky and I brought my lucky pigs. That's what I was gonna tell you. Here you go. I give them out to people. You take two and give one to someone else. Take three. There you go.

[Travis] So you're feeling lucky today.

[Becky] Feeling lucky.

[Travis] Are you feeling lucky? Is that why you came?

[Scott Duden, Ames] Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm always lucky.

[Travis] Are you a regular scratch ticket player?

[Scott] I am. Well, not too many scratch tickets. More lotto. The lotto. I play that one.

[Travis] Are you feeling lucky today?

[Tanner Nygard, Des Moines] Yes, very lucky.

[Travis] Well, that's half the battle right there.

[Tanner] Yeah.

[Travis] And you can't win if you don't play, Right?

[Tanner] Right. Exactly.

[Travis] Now, if you won one of the big prizes, you got any specific plans?

[Tanner] Um, hmm. Probably a new car.

[Travis] What would you do if you won one of the big prizes?

[Becky] That is a really good question. Um, enjoy. Just do something enjoyable.

[Travis] Something you wouldn't normally do.

[Becky] Correct.

[Emcee] When I say win, you say…

[Crowd] Money!

[Matt] It was that $1 Scratch Match and Win ticket that was sold here on the fairgrounds 40 years ago. And it's awesome that fast forward 40 years later, there was a $5 Scratch Match and Win ticket in the hands of all the Iowans attempting to set a new Guinness World Record.

Tonight, we thought it would be cool to create a special gold plated commemorative scratcher for the occasion. So everybody that's here tonight is going to get that and they're gonna scratch with that. And of course, we'll make sure they have a t-shirt. So as they're walking around town, everybody can know, hopefully, that they were part of setting a new Guinness World Record.

[Michael Empric, Guinness World Records Adjudicator] Everyone in the black shirts is a steward. They are watching to make sure you don't scratch until we say go.

[Emcee] Ready?

Go.

[Woman 1] What are you supposed to do?

[Woman 2] You gotta match three.

[Matt] Of course, we're the Iowa Lottery, so we've gotta have a little bit of fun beyond trying to set a new world record. So we had three cash prizes for everybody in attendance as well, that we anticipate giving away. A $4,000 prize, a $4,000 prize, and, of course, a $40,000 cash prize.

So those are going to be given away while we're waiting for the Guinness World Adjudicator to officially sanction the attempt.

[Michael] I can announce that today in Des Moines, we have a total of 1,380.

(Crowd cheering)

♪ ♪

[Gary] I believe I've been carving here 15 years now.

(Saws buzzing.)

[Gary Keenan, Des Moines] Virtually stumbled into it 25 years ago. A friend of mine had seen it done here at the Iowa State Fair. In all my adult life, I appreciated art, but especially sculpture. And often when I saw sculpture, I'd say to myself, well, that'd be easy to do. I know I could do that.

And when they were telling me about the chainsaw carving done here, they said, it's really cool. I found it interesting. And I said, I think I could do that. And they essentially dared me to come over to their house. They had logs in the yard. I had a homeowner's chainsaw, and I carved something. It was a fish. It was crude and it slow, but I was intrigued with the process. Started playing around with it on weekends, and it took off from there.

Well, I'm carving with TJ Jenkins and Clint Hennick, and together we'll create probably at least 44 pieces for the two auctions. The traditional auction is the live auction at the cattle sale barn, 3:30 on Sunday. The other half of the carvings will be sold online through the Blue Ribbon Foundation. All the money for both auctions goes back into the Blue Ribbon foundation, and they invest that back into the fairgrounds.

♪ ♪

Choose a log based on what we want to carve, and then we go to it. We start with the bigger saws with the bigger cuts. Switch to smaller saws for more detail, more shaping. Often we'll use electric tools such as a die grinder or an angle grinder as a high speed sander to finish it out a little nicer. Sometimes even some burning, taking a torch and darkening certain features.

The hummingbird. I'm proud of the hummingbird. It's been a popular piece.

It's fun. A lot of people come up to us and say that this is our favorite thing to see at the fair. So we're here every day. It's a busy day. It can be a long day.

Sometimes to us, it feels a little bit like Groundhog Day. It doesn't matter that it's Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. It's kind of the same day over and over again, but it's still fun. It's great to be here.

♪ ♪

[Bill Riley] That brings another night of Fair 2025 to a close. We’re grateful you chose to spend part of your Friday evening with us. There’s a lot to watch out there, and we’re glad you tuned in. If you’d like to revisit any of the highlights from tonight’s show you’ll find it all, from videos to photos, on our website, our YouTube channel, and the PBS App, plus our Facebook and Instagram pages. We love bringing the State Fair to you wherever and whenever you want it.

We’ll be back tomorrow night with a special Saturday edition of Fair 2025, featuring a mix of fresh fun and time-honored tradition. Like the high-climbing action of the Lineman’s Rodeo. The fierce and friendly competition of the Cornhole Tournament. And the inspiring achievements on display at the 4-H and FFA Sale of Champions.

It’s all part of the best State Fair coverage around—right here on Iowa PBS. Until tomorrow, I’m Bill Riley. Have fun at the fair!

(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

Copyright 2025
Iowa PBS
iowapbs.org

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