Fair 2026 – Tuesday, August 18

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[Bill Riley] Welcome back to another evening of Iowa State Fair highlights on Iowa PBS. I'm Bill Riley.

One of the best things about the Iowa State Fair is that no two days are exactly alike. Every day brings new competitions, new traditions, and new memories waiting to be made.

Tonight, we'll experience a few more of the things that keep people coming back year after year.

We'll follow a few first-time exhibitors taking their best recipes to the judges. We'll learn the basics of pitching horseshoes from some seasoned competitors. And we'll meet the 2026 Iowa State Fair Queen.

But first, let’s step inside the cooler where Iowa’s famous butter cow comes to life.

[Sarah Pratt, Butter Sculptor] This year's cow is a Jersey. Especially Jerseys, I think their eyes are where their soul is. That's what I was working on yesterday and again today. I keep coming back because I really want them to sparkle. This would be my 20th cow as the lead sculptor, so that feels really significant, like a milestone.

It doesn't feel like that long, and maybe sometimes it feels even longer. It's just kind of remarkable. And I look back at some of the cows in the past and think, wow, I've changed how I do this or changed how to do that. And it's fun to look back and see that journey.

(Historical video begins playing)

[Reporter] Duffy Lyon has been creating the Butter Cow for over 40 years, and she's finally stepped down, and Sarah Pratt is the new creator of the Butter Cow, and Sarah's with us right now. Sarah, tell us a little bit about how you got interested in sculpting Butter Cows.

[Sarah] Well, I always have loved art, and I didn't have the opportunity to take a lot of art classes in high school, so I really enjoyed being a part of sculpting the Butter Cow and getting training as well.

[Reporter] So you started working with Duffy when? A few years ago?

[Sarah] When I was 13.

[Reporter] Oh, gosh.

[Sarah] So I'm 29 now, so you can do the math on that.

(Historical video ends)

[Sarah] My first year, the scope of what we sculpted in the cooler was smaller. It was the cow, of course, and then it was Brandon Routh as Superman, and then a bust of Bill Riley. As far as the number of pieces in this— in the entire cooler, it was a smaller amount, but I probably took twice as long sculpting everything, certainly sculpting the cow.

The theme is “Meet Me at the Pepsi Clock.” If you've been to see the Pepsi Clock, you know that just the top spins. And so we had the turntable, we've had it since 2011. We knew we could do something to make it spin, but the trick was to try to make this bottom part not spin, which will be all covered.

We used hardware for a turntable here to let them glide and still support each other, and then we put wheels underneath so that the turntable can spin but not be impeded, and then this can still span the distance.

Pepsi clock is just a symbol, right? It's a fun thing that challenged our engineering skills. I'm like, “How do I make this work?” And so it was really exciting to work on that together, but using it as a symbol of coming together and meeting from the diverse corners of our state. Beyond the Pepsi Clock, they will see a group of people representing community members coming together, gathering around the Pepsi Clock, and there'll be little hidden nods to different things that we've learned about the different regions of Iowa as I traveled and did classes and met people, shared my sculptures, and they created their own butter sculptures in the classes, and then seeing what they sculpted and using those themes of things that were important in their communities hidden within the sculpture.

I do always strive to have some connection to Iowa, and sometimes it's just a small whimsical connection, and sometimes it's a more deep historical connection. And I feel like this one really is rooted in Iowa community and coming together. I can't believe I get to be a part of this.

[Hayley Schaefer] I am at the Elwell Family Food Center, and you do not have to be a pro to enter a contest at the Iowa State Fair. You could enter the Beginner’s Food Contest. Let's go check it out together and see our entrants.

I'm here with Darrellyn Knight, and she is the sponsor of the Beginner’s Food Contest.

So tell me a little bit, what is the — what do people have to do to enter? What are the rules?

[Darrellyn] The rule is it's for adults and it's adults entering the foods contest department for the first time. You can enter other contests within the foods, but it has to be your first year entering.

(Darrellyn sits with fellow judges at the judging table.)

[Darrellyn] Detailed recipe is greatly appreciated.

[Hayley] And what made you decide that you wanted to sponsor a contest?

[Darrellyn] I always wanted to be a fair food judge. And the former superintendent, Arlette Hollister, told me that if you sponsor a contest, you can judge your own contest. So it was like, after that, I was in.

We're going to look for taste and the uniqueness factor. The presentation of it is important.

[Hayley] Tell me, what did you bring to the contest today?

[Donna Dubberke, Luther] We brought a dessert that my daughter and I kind of invented for my son's wedding. It's called a Jalaina.

[Hayley] What did you enter in the contest today?

[Natalie Long, Johnston] Today I entered a cinnamon swirl bread with a maple and cinnamon glaze.

[Blair Ryan] Think you can throw a ringer? It's a lot harder than it looks. Come join me and some other beginners as we learn from the best at the Iowa State Fair.

[Ralph Davis, Horseshoe Pitching Superintendent] Here at the State Fair we have state championships and mixed in with the state championships we have how-to’s, we've got open for anybody and everybody to play, and then just other segments are for the sanctioned players only, the ones that have qualified for the state tournament.

[Blair] All right, so back. I think I could try and try and try and never make one.

How did you get involved with pitching horseshoe?

[Ralph] Well, we used to pitch in my brother-in-law's backyard quite a bit, and we came to the fair, and they had a sign up that said open horseshoe pitching to anybody. So me and my wife were there, and we go, “Oh, let's go try it.”

[Blair] So how long has this been part of your life?

[Ralph] Oh, this would be, what, 25 years?

And we get preferably blue clay because blue clay doesn't stick to your fingers and stick to your shoes. Red clay tends to be a little bit muddier. Oh. So we use a— we get this from a brickyard and then mix it with water and turn it into a consistency of putty, you know, or, you know, Play-Doh.

And we keep it wet and keep it turned so the shoes stick in it when they hit and don't slide. So, you know, like sand, you got that good slide action you can do.

[Blair] All right. See, that was a little bit higher.

[Woman] That was better.

(Blair pitches a horseshoe.)

[Blair] Yeah! Woo-hoo! She got a ringer! Oh, the adrenaline!

[Woman] Uh-huh. That's what happens. That's what happens.

[Bill Riley] The Iowa State Fair doesn't just happen. Behind every show ring, exhibit hall and food stand is a team making sure the lights stay on, the water flows and the grounds are ready for more than a million visitors. It’s a year round operation, and it’s become a tradition passed from one generation to the next.

[Clinton Wallace, Operations Manager] So the maintenance crew is made up of a lot of wonderful, dedicated people, and that number is 38 full-time employees, and then this time of year that number balloons. The maintenance staff as a whole has fingers everywhere, from pushing snow to mowing grass, the HVAC, the life safety system, the buildings. And then when the projects sometimes either get too big or we don't have enough time, we involve a lot of great contractors that we work with to help us get ready for the fair each year.

[Shaun Rydl, Maintenance Manager] Our in-house guys have been finishing up a couple new ticket booths we built for the fair here. They're rebuilding doors for the Cattle Barn. They're, they're helping finish the doors on the Horse Barn. Pouring concrete. You know, we got guys that have done 20-some fairs. They know how to put on the fair. They know what needs to be done. They know the stuff that needs to be in place that most people don't even think about.

[Deanna Kern, Custodial Manager] We get everything cleaned, everything waxed and shiny, and every single building, information booth, ticket booth, outdoor restroom, barn, office, clean and stocked. We do inventory throughout the year and we keep really good numbers on that. So we're like, okay, “If we used 835 cases of trash bags last year…let's just go two pallets more. Same with toilet paper. I order 900 cases at a time, like 14 pallets, and we will use 800 cases easily.

[Clinton] But I think what's important for people to understand is 11 days of the year is the Iowa State Fair. I'm not super focused on the fair until, you know, the calendar flips past July 4 weekend typically. But there's 354 other days where the maintenance department and other departments are working on our off-season events.

[Chester Crawford, Electrical Manager of Plant Operations] The electrical department does exactly what you think it does. We keep the power on. But we manage the high-voltage systems that enter into our fairgrounds and then down to where we hook up every stand and stall that's out here. The outlets to lights to pumps and fans. And a lot of our infrastructure's old, but we're doing a fantastic job of improving things as we can.

The fair is a goal to get to and have everything be on and running before the customers get here.

[Clinton] So it takes all of those people to keep our venues up and running all year round. You know, a lot of people's favorite question to ask me is, well, the fair's over, what are you going to do now? Well, September is actually our busiest off-season events month. And so we have a horse sale and a horse show 10 days after the fair is over.

So we are constantly getting ready for events. We have around 200 off-season events in addition to the 11 days of the fair. It's a lot of moving parts, and it takes all those people paying close attention to the details that impact them, working together to pull it all off.

[Anna Pilcher, Fabrics & Threads Superintendent] This year's theme, all across the fairgrounds, was America's 250. We're seeing a lot of red, white, and blue exhibits, lots of flags, lots of stars. Lots of things celebrating America's history and a very patriotic showing from our quilters. The theme was very well received by Iowa craftsmen. They really came out and submitted a lot of entries in this.

It also helped that we had additional premiums added, so we got some extra cash bonuses for some of these exhibits, and it had people asking a lot of questions and really excited to participate. So overall in the department, we have over 600 people that have entered exhibits. Those 600 people brought in over 2,000 entries total. It's very inspiring to see it all out on display now that we have everything judged and everything up. You can really see a cohesive group of red, white, and blue exhibits and fabrics and themes throughout the department.

In the America's 250th exhibit, the artisans came out and really put forward some of their best entries. We have a lot of quilts. We also have cross-stitch, needlework, needlepoint, doll clothes, rug hooking, tatting, and many other techniques.

Come visit the America's 250th exhibit in Room A of the Varied Industries Building. We have blue ribbon quilts in Room B, and everything else is upstairs on the second floor. So make sure and walk through the whole thing because we do have patriotic displays upstairs as well.

(Indistinct chatter)

[Cassidy Bos, Urbandale] I noticed a quilt over, over on that side of the room. I was drawn to it. When I walked over, I saw that the entire quilt is hand-stitched, and knowing that somebody made each stitch with their hand, a lot of love put into that piece. I've been knitting, and so I haven't done as much lately, but yeah, having the appreciation for the time, probably a lot of unstitching and restitching that goes into it, right?

Yeah, I feel inspired every year when I come to the Varied Industries Building, see all of the great textile work. I haven't been upstairs yet, so that's our next stop, but I'm very excited to see some of the knitting work and the crochet work.

[Tanja Fargo, Creston] I'm a quilter, but I also know this is the 250th And I wanted to see what everybody did. And I'm actually crying. Because, well, everybody has— we all have kind of the same hopes and dreams in our country. Since I was a little kid, I was taught that this is our country.

I was always really proud to be an American. And recently, I've had a lot of doubts, you know? So being in this room made me feel proud again. I think it's beautiful. This is our America right here in this room.

[Paul Yeager] There's always something to do at the Iowa State Fair, and that includes hands-on experiences like, you know, milking a cow. Korey here is a student at Iowa State, and you're also involved with the I Milked a Cow exhibit. How many years have you done this?

[Korey Hrdlicka, ISU Dairy Science Club] This is my first year as a co-chair.

[Paul] Okay, so you've done this before and seen people come through. Tell me what it's like to see a little kid come through, maybe for the first time they've ever been this close to an animal.

[Korey] It's great to see how much kids are really interested in the dairy industry and learning more about where their food comes from.

[Paul] And that's what the fair really is about, is trying to bridge that gap. So we're with Maple today. Tell me a little bit about Maple.

[Korey] Maple, she is a sweetheart. She's super soft, very pretty.

[Paul] The dairy industry is one that is hands-on. It is two times a day. It is a huge commitment. You can't get that all in with the kids in 8 seconds, can you?

[Korey] No, definitely not.

[Paul] But you get— maybe if you get a chance with the adults to kind of help them out.

[Korey] For sure, for sure. A lot of adults have more questions than the kids, so it's definitely interesting to see.

[Paul] Does Maple know that we're talking about her right now?

[Korey] I think so.

[Paul] Okay, so I'm gonna give you the mic, Korey, and you're gonna help me out. And I need you to treat me like I've never been on a dairy farm very often and, and to do this. So tell me what you would do with the kids. Take the mic, Korey. You're in charge now.

[Korey] So with Maple here, first we're gonna pet her just to let her know we're back here, introduce her, and then we introduce— we have an udder here and we have 4 teats. So 2 teats in the front, 2 teats in the back. And then what I do is I pinch at the top and just slide my fingers down, and you might have to add a little bit of pressure.

Yep, just like that. Perfect.

[Paul] One more, Maple.

[Korey] Perfect, you're a pro.

[Paul] We see lots of kids come through. Walk me through some of the emotions and the varied apprehension maybe some of these kids have.

[Korey] Yep, some of them are definitely a little scared at first, but as soon as we talk them through it and kind of help them out a little bit, the excitement on their faces is really what makes everything so much better after they finally milked.

[Tyler Latchar, Washington D.C.] It was a lot of fun. We had a good time. Last year Jack was too afraid to do it, but this year he got right up in there and we milked the cow, right, Jackie?

[Paul] Dawson is from Florida. It's his first time at the Iowa State Fair. You've heard about the fair before.

[Dawson Castillo, Florida] Yes.

[Paul] And you wanted to milk a cow? What— how'd that happen?

[Dawson] It just happened, you know. I just came over here, there's a bunch of cows that need to be milked, and I'm here for it. I love it. It was a very good learning experience. I got to learn about how long they produce, like 300 days, and how each one has their own gland, and it looked like they're kind of connected, and it looks really cool.

[Paul] Are you ready to go milk a cow again, maybe for real, for a full-time job twice a day?

[Dawson] Honestly, it seems kind of relaxing, so yeah, I would love to be a farmer.

[Paul] It's your first time at the fair. You've got all the stickers, you've got the tattoos, you've got the hat. Where's your milking hat?

[Dawson] Um, I mean, I could get one over there. They got some cow ones for me, so I could easily get one there.

(Dawson walks away in a new cow hat.)

[Bill Riley] Every ribbon has a story behind it—and every winner has something to be proud of. Let's take a look at some of today's results.

Wood Projects

Woodworking - Furniture Item 
1st - Hunter Menken, West Branch
2nd - Isaac Piersma, Waukee 
3rd - Dan Oberender, Ankeny

Woodworking - Functional Item
1st - Rudy Kane, Des Moines 
2nd - John Twedt, Ankeny 
3rd - Daniel Jordan, Ames

Relief Carving - Nature Scenes
1st - Nedra Herr, Newton
2nd - David McCool, Bayard 
3rd -  Betsie Brown, Marion

Ladies Chicken Calling 
1st – Anne Lind, West Des Moines
2nd - Diana Barker, Indianola
3rd - Sandy Gerst, Burlington

Turkey Calling

Ages 4-16
1st - Reese Kerr, Waukee
2nd - Liam Crestsinger, Coon Rapids
3rd - Raymond Kerr, Waukee

17 and Over
1st - David Kerr, Des Moines
2nd - Brandon DeJong, Oelwein
3rd - Ervin Eiben, Monticello

Duck Calling

Ages 4-16
1st - Drake Bach, Coggon
2nd - Jasper Denman, Earlham
3rd - Ryland Knipper, Peosta

17 and Over
1st - Charlie Bach, Coggon

Fly Tying

Expert Division – Wet Nymph
1st - Jeff Moore, Cedar Rapids
2nd - Mark Smothers, Peosta
3rd - Mike Jacobs, Monticello

Adult Division – Wet Nymph
1st - Thomas Polehna, Cedar Rapids
2nd - Andy Hunsinger, Pella
3rd - Tom Donnelly, Cedar Rapids

Junior Division – Wet Nymph
1st - Maverick Mendick, Moulton
2nd - Magnolia Mendick, Moulton

Creative Arts & Crafts

Kentucky Derby Hat
1st - Cloe Wales, Albia 
2nd - Janice Goodman, Robins 
3rd - Juliette Houseman, Cumming

[Bill Riley] There are a lot of reasons people come to the Iowa State Fair and we've got three more waiting for you after the break.

We'll see how a little luck can turn three pieces of fabric into a whole new stash. We'll experience the colorful traditions of the Charros. And the horsemanship continues at the Farm Team competition. 
So stay with us. We'll be right back with more stories from around the fair on Iowa PBS.

[Blair Ryan] All right, funniest fair memory?

[Man 1] It was just yesterday, you know, with all the rain. There were a bunch of kids from Eddyville just in their underwear sliding down the muddy hill. I looked down there, it looked like a bunch of pigs. I said, “Only in Iowa.”

[Girl 1] So I showed bucket bottle calves and one of them laid down and we couldn't get it back up, so we had to put it in a wheelbarrow and wheelbarrow it back.

[Woman 2] I was probably in 7th, 8th grade, drank Diet Coke, ate a whole pack of sunflower seeds and then did the Tilt-A-Whirl. You know what happened.

[Blair] The writing's on the wall.

[Woman 3] A pit bull. And it was seeing the crowd of pit bulls in the crowd.

[Blair] Yeah, the bald caps?

[Woman 3] Yep.

[Man 2] Today down here we took a bus and I said, “Are we ready for the fair?” And everybody started clapping.

[Blair] You got the crowd—

[Man 2] Got them hyped up.

[Man 3] A few years back I bumped into a girl by the name of Sue. She says, “Hang on a minute, you and I have a little electricity, I'll be right back.” You know, I waited two hours. The girl broke my heart.

[Blair] Oh no!

[Man 3] But every year since, I looked for Sue.

[Blair] What's my funniest fair memory? I had my bachelorette party at the Iowa State Fair, and my dad had so much fear of missing out, he crashed the bachelorette party.

[Bill Riley] Welcome back, everyone. The Iowa State Fair brings together people from every corner of the state, and tonight we're meeting some of the people who are here to represent their communities. It's time for the Iowa State Fair Queen competition.

Each of these young women has already earned the title of her county's queen, and along the way, they've shown leadership, commitment and pride in their communities. So tonight is about more than a crown. It's about seeing these young women step onto the Riley Stage and represent the places they call home.

[Emcee 1] We are so excited for all of you to be here tonight as we introduce our 103 County Fair Queens. There are 75 members of 4-H, 81 members of FFA and a combined GPA of 3.8. And these are stellar young ladies tonight.

[Emcee 2] Ladies and gentlemen, your 2026 Iowa State Fair Queen contestants.

[Emcee 1] From Adair County, Kacie Ford.
From Adams County, Justyce Bradley.
From Allamakee County, Reegan Benzing. 
From Appanoose County, Kimmie Johnson. 
From Audubon County, Olivia Carter.
From Benton County, Jillian Hanson.
From Black Hawk County, Evelyn Schmitz.
From Boone County, Clara Fulton. 
From Bremer County, Addison Carlson. 
From Buchanan County, Emily Cook. 
From Buena Vista County, Hannah Brown. 
From Butler County, Colby Wix.
From the Calhoun County Expo, Peyton Davis. 
From Carroll County, Meredith Sturm. 
From Cass County, Clara Kennedy. 
From Cedar County, Madelyn Walshire. 
From Cerro Gordo County, from the North Iowa Fair, Ava Kappmeyer. 
From Cherokee County, Danika Ducommun. 
From Chickasaw County, Brenna Throndson. 
From Clark County, Victoria Rosales.
From Clayton County, Kara Knipper. 
From Clay County, Maggie Moser.
From Clinton County, Taylor Houser. 
From Crawford County, Brigid Bonner. 
From Dallas County, Eliza Schmidt. 
From Davis County, Kallee Nebel. 
From Decatur County, Leighanna Bundt. 
From Delaware County, Kate Ries. 
From Des Moines County, Lily Nalley. 
From Dickinson County, Brianna Swenson . 
From Dubuque County, Kendra Calonder. 
From Emmet County, Taylor Larsen. 
From Fayette County, Maggie Jones. 
From Floyd County, Madison Vance. 
From Franklin County, Carli Lyon. 
From Fremont County, Nora Martin.
From the Great Jones County Fair, Emma Dietsch. 
From Greene County, Kaliyah Minnhan.
From Grundy County, Josey Syhlman. 
From Guthrie County, Brooklyn Haines. 
From Hamilton County, Sophia Nibe. 
From Hancock County, Marissa Muff. 
From Hardin County, Alyssa Vierkandt. 
From Harrison County, Maci Bertelsen. 
From Henry County, Zenlynn Lee.
From the Mighty Howard County Fair, Mally Linkenmeyer. 
From Humboldt County, Adelyn Vinsand.
From Ida County, Allison Moore. 
From Iowa County, Hayden Wade.

[Emcee 2] From Jackson County, Abigail Schmidt. 
From Jasper County, Seriah Nolin. 
From the Greater Jefferson County Fair, Hailey Pedrick. 
From Johnson County, Haiden Gauley. 
From the Keokuk County Expo, Adalynne Tremmel. 
Representing the Keokuk County Fair, Gracen MacCready .
From Kossuth County, Charli Dodds. 
From Lee County, Allison Gruntmeir.
From Linn County, Allison Arnold. 
From Louisa County, Emma Salazar. 
From Lucas County, Emersen Gunzenhauser. 
From Lyon County, Lucy Doorneweerd. 
From Madison County, Denali Coffman. 
From Mahaska County, Sydney Bruxvoort. 
From Marion County, Emerson Hiemstra.
From Marshall County, Hannah Frahm. 
From Mills County, Hannah Swinford.
From Mitchell County, Lydia Koch.
From Monona County, Claire Smallwood.
From Monroe County, Maggie McAninch. 
From Montgomery County, Audrina Johnson.
From Muscatine County, Abigail Schell. 
Representing the National Cattle Congress, Cheyenne White. 
From O'Brien County, Abby Woodall. 
From Osceola County, Mariah Dake. 
From Page County, Jillian Dammann.
From Palo Alto County, Trista Guinn.
From Plymouth County, Isabelle Plueger. 
From Pocahontas County, Delaney Janssen.
From Polk County, Rylie Campbell.
From Pottawattamie County, Evelyn Scott.
From Poweshiek County, Leah Urfer.
From Ringgold County, Kelbey Greenland. 
From Sac County, Skylar Smith. 
From Scott County, representing the Mississippi Valley Fair, Ellie Weyeneth.
From Shelby County, Carly Torneten.
From Sioux County, Marnie Croatt.
From Story County, Emilee Kelly.
From Tama County, Belle Werner.
From Taylor County, LaraLynn England. 
From Union County, Kadley Bailey. 
From Van Buren County, Molly Johnson. 
Representing the Wapello County Expo, Alexandra Perry. 
Representing the Wapello County Fair, Isabella Sherwood. 
From Warren County, Anita Scholten. 
From Washington County, Adelyn Huston. 
From Wayne County, Brooke Hitt.
From Webster County, Aianna Kirby.
Representing West Pottawattamie County, Joanna Cook. 
From Winnebago County, Aubrey Olson.
From Winneshiek County, Jadrienne Langreck. 
From Woodbury County, Ashleyn Weber. 
From Worth County, Layla Scarlett.
From Wright County, Rylee Pals.

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2026 County Fair Queens.

[Riah Schrage, 2025 Iowa State Fair Queen] It is hard to believe that the little girl who once dreamed of wearing this crown and representing this amazing fair is getting ready to pass it on and close this chapter of a dream come true.

I mean, it has truly been so amazing and just a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm so glad and so blessed to be able to have had it.

I was able to go to 74 different county fairs and travel about 13,000 miles around Iowa, and I don't know when another time you get the chance to do that, so I'm super grateful.

[Emcee 1] And now I present to you your 2026 Iowa State Fair Queen. From Tama County, Belle Werner.

[Belle Werner 2026 Iowa State Fair Queen] It's just truly an honor to get to wear this crown, get to wear the sash, and represent a state fair that's played such a huge role in my life.

[Emcee 2] Give it up for Belle Werner, ladies and gentlemen, from Tama County.

[Belle] I'm definitely looking forward to traveling the state to see all the county fairs, see what everyone does differently at their county fair. I'm excited to meet all the new people. I know Iowa is a lovely state and I want to meet all the Iowans I can. I'm super excited to be the 2026 Iowa State Fair Queen.

[Mackenzie Olsen, Nevada] My name is Mackenzie Olsen, and for the state fair this year, I have decided to restore my grandfather's tractor. So FFA started for me in 8th grade.

I heard a lot of people joining it, so when I decided to do that in that first class, I just kind of fell in love with it. I loved the competitions, I loved all the people that were doing it, and it kind of just turned into a passion for me. My grandfather was also in FFA, so I just wanted this to be like a kind of a full circle type moment. Like he did FFA and now his granddaughter's doing it and decided to do his tractor.

So it all started with my great-grandfather on my dad's side. After World War II, he actually decided to work in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and help produce these tractors, and he helped produce some of the first D17s. And then on my mom's side, my other great-grandfather purchased this tractor, which was one of the first ever made. So it's kind of a full circle because the most rewarding part is I got to bring two sides of my family back together on one.

My family feels very rewarded with it because my grandfather actually used this tractor a lot on the farm. And to see it be restored is just such an amazing thing. So this is a 1957 Allis-Chalmers D17.

It was one of the first out of the 3,000 that were ever made. So a little bit of historical significance is there's a lot of things that other tractors don't that this does. Like on the end of it, it has these two arm bars that actually adjust. So when you hook something onto it, it actually helps bounce with it. Like when you're doing rows of crops and stuff like that.

And it actually has spin-out tires. These tires aren't like a John Deere. It actually helps lock them in so they don't spin out. And the Allis-Chalmers is just a really cool machine, and I got to learn a lot of the history, and I think it's really cool. My favorite part about the tractor is if you actually look under the steering wheel, there are a bunch of gauges, and I'm really proud about that because they used to be so eroded and rusted.

They just weren't how they were supposed to be. So now to finally see them working and like, clear, I— it's just my favorite part. So this started in January, and just over the course of the winter, due to the fact that we couldn't work outside, we did a lot of tearing apart, sanding down parts, seeing, “Hey, what do we need to fix?”

Because there was a hydraulic leak in the front, so we had to take the whole front out, and that was just—the situation itself, that was one of the hardest things that I had to do for this project because we had to replace seals and we had to figure out, “Oh, where does this go again?”

Like, we need to remember where everything goes and how to put it back together.

One thing that I'm excited for is just to be recognized for my work. I'm very excited to be known for what I did and kind of inspire other people, show like, “Hey, I did this. Other chicks in FFA are able to do this as well, and you should try it.”

It's just moving forward, I just hope that other people do projects such as this knowing, hey, there's a community behind you that wants you to do this. And I’m just, I'm so appreciative of everything. And if I do a project in the future, I'm just proud and very accepting, like, “Wow, if I do this again, I'll have somebody to come and support me.”

I just can't believe…like, do it. Why not?

Try something new and just don't think of the cons of like, “Oh, what if it goes bad?” Like, “Oh, what if I mess up?” Just try and go for it. I'm just really proud of how it's come out and me being able to do it.

[Abby Brown] Quilters know, and if you don't know, then you need to know that the one with the most fabric wins. So Stash Bash is a lucrative opportunity because the winner takes all.

All right, Patrick, tell me about Stash Bash.

[Patrick Lose, Stash Bash] Well, this is something new at the fair this year. We, um, if you've ever played Left, Right, Center...

[Abby] Yep.

[Patrick] It's a dice game. And everybody shows up with 3 fat quarters of fabric. So as you're playing the game, you get an L, you roll an L, you pass one of yours to the person on the left.

Get an R, you pass it to the one on the right. Get the dot or whatever, you get to keep it for yourself.

[Abby] Okay.

[Patrick] But by the end of the game, they're all given away, and one person walks away with all the fabric.

[Abby] Now, why is so much fabric such a big deal amongst quilters?

[Patrick] The cost of fabric these days is a lot of it. But they insulate their houses with it. I mean, these people are avid, avid collect— we'll call them collectors, not hoarders.

[Abby] You know, fabric tells a story too, I am told. And so this fabric is much more than just a game piece to a lot of these quilters, right?

[Patrick] Oh, sure. Um, you know, they all have their favorites too, and I'm a fabric designer, so, um, that's my thing. And so I try to design fabric stories that, you know, speak to them, something that they want to have in whatever it is they're making.

[Abby] Um, are you playing Stash Bash?

[Patrick] Absolutely not. No, it can get rabid in there.

[Abby] Wish me luck.

[Patrick] I don't know how many people are playing today. I haven't heard yet, but if it's a crowd, it can be crazy.

[Abby] I heard it's a crowd.

[Patrick] Oh, good.

[Abby] Do you have any tips for me?

[Patrick] It'll be fun. No, there really aren't any. It's chance, you know, so unless they get mean, like, you know…

[Abby] Like, watch for like flying elbows? Okay, I can do that.

(People cheering)

[Abby] That's our cue.

The ladies are talking a lot of really specific lingo and I'm not really catching up. This is going to be a little more intense than I thought. But I'm ready. I can do this. Can I do this?

[Women] Yes.

(Dice hitting the table)

[Abby] I'm ready. One to the left. Here you go.

That's good, right? Still in.

You're up.

Ohh, nice one. Keep all 3.

[Women] Center, center.

Throw it down there.

Center! Oh my God, no! You can do it!

Center!

You get it all! I'll give this to you.

[Abby] Loretta, you are the winner of Stash Bash!

[Loretta Moon, Eagle Grove] This is great! So many pretty colors.

[Abby] Is this enough though?

[Loretta] Oh yeah, it's plenty.

[Abby] How does this compare to the stash you have at home?

[Loretta] You don't want to know. I can't believe I won.

[Bill Riley] The Riley Stage welcomes singers, dancers, musicians and performers of every kind. Today, these talented young Iowans earned a chance to take the next step.

Don't miss the Talent Championships, Sunday, August 23 at 8 p.m. on Iowa PBS.

It seems only fitting that we wrap up tonight with horses. They've long been part of what makes the fair special, and our final two stories are no exception.  

For generations, Charros have celebrated Mexico's ranching traditions through horsemanship, music and community. At Elwell Family Park, that heritage comes to life in a colorful performance unlike any other.

For generations, Charros have celebrated Mexico's ranching traditions through horsemanship, music and community. At Elwell Family Park, that heritage comes to life in a colorful performance unlike any other.

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] Juan, tell us about Charros. What, what is it?

[Juan Pina] So Charros is a Mexican cowboy, and believe it or not, the cowboy comes from the Charros in Mexico.

[Brooke] Recent rains this year have changed the plans a bit. The dirt arena where they normally perform is just too muddy, but that's not stopping them from introducing fairgoers to Charros. 
(Music)

What does it take to train some of these horses out here?

[Juan] Well, I think first it's a lot of patience from the rider. And to have a good horse, I think all horses are good. You need to be patient and read them and see how they act. Because every horse is like us, like humans. We're all different. So you need to find out what's— how you can work with him. And once you find that spot, you're done. He will work with you and he will do whatever you ask him to do.

[Brooke] How long have you been here at the fair?

[Juan] This is our 3rd year we participate and we do this exhibition, and I was looking for this opportunity 20 years.

I really enjoy sharing all these things we do with everybody. And we live in Iowa, so we're part of the community. We love to share this with Latinos and non-Latinos and see where we're coming from.

[Brooke] First, tell us about the costumes. What are we seeing here?

[Hilda Ramos] Okay, the costumes come from Guadalajara, Mexico. My mom, every year, brings the suitcases full of dresses. These are more of our culture because the flowers, the ribbons, everything show our culture, the importance to show you who we are. We are dance, we are music, we are happy people to come here to show you this.

For you to meet me, not like a laborer, no. Like a person dancing.

[Brooke] How does it make you feel when you see people from the fair come in who you know have probably never experienced this before?

[Hilda] Oh, I feel so excited because people can see all these colors. The little girls are like, oh my gosh! They want to take pictures with them, smile with them. They like the big dresses, and I love to see their faces.

[Brooke] Okay, before we leave, I feel like I need to learn one dance move, but it has to be easy because I'm not a good dancer.

[Hilda] Okay.

[Jim Stuart, Farm Team Coordinator] The Farm Team Competition at the fair, so you've seen the draft horses with their fancy show harnesses and clean fancy wagons. Well, this is, this is back to the farm. We'll have horses with their work clothes on and doing the kind of events that the horses would do back on the farm.

It's a draft horse, but it can be anything. It can be mules, it can be crossbreds. We're not picky about that here, but today you're going to see all draft horses. So your Percheron breed from France, your Belgians, Shires are here. Calmness is more than strength in our thing. They're known to be gentle giants, and, and that's what we're looking for— something that's calm and collected that'll stop when you say, “Whoa.”

We're going to start off with a carriage turnout class, and that would be for people who have a carriage business doing weddings and stuff, or hayrack rides, or that kind of thing. The antique machinery class is old farm equipment or construction equipment pulled by horses, and it's judged by just whatever the judge likes.

[Tony Garrett, Douds] I brought up a wagon for the antique class that's kind of unique, and it's for hauling wheat bundles out of the field. Yeah, during our antique class, everybody writes information about what they're pulling and the history behind it and what it is and what it was used for. And so the announcer goes through each and every one and announces it during the class.

[Brenda Coulson, Eagleville, MO] It's been a family event. That was my youngest grandson, Corbin, and he's 8 years old. It was 57 years ago when I was 8. That was the first implement that my dad taught me how to ride on and drive. He liked it, but he said, “It was really slow, Grandma.” He wants to go a little faster.

[Jim] We have a feed team race, and we're gonna hook our horses to a sled, and we've got a couple bales of hay and 4 buckets with simulating feed buckets, and 2 teams are going to race against each other. And we limit it to a trot, but the judge will say, “Go.” They're going to go down through the course, put bales of hay on a pad. They have to have the bale of hay clear on the pad. And then they're going to pour feed in a bucket at the next station. You’ve got to have horses, not just go fast, but they have to stop and stand while you're picking up your hay and pouring your feed.

We'll do a log pull where we'll run a log around pylons. Not speed, it's more precision to get through the course.

We have a barnyard pull, we call it. It's like back when they had to move chicken houses and hog houses, they would move them to new ground. And a cultivator class. So we'll put down some Solo cups on the ground and got a cultivator. You gotta drive, straddle 'em and try not to knock down any cups.

[Brenda] I love the elderly and watch the smiles on their faces when they're thinking about when they used to do their farming by horses and stuff. So I just like the environment.

[Bill Riley] That brings us to the end of another evening at the fair. If last night gave us one answer to why people come to the Iowa State Fair, tonight gave us a few more and there is still plenty left to discover.

If you'd like to watch any of tonight's stories again or catch something you missed we've made it easy.

♪ ♪

You can see  all of our Iowa State Fair stories wherever you connect with Iowa PBS. Whenever you're ready for another trip to the fairgrounds, we'll be there.

Tomorrow night we’ll head behind the grill at the famous Pork Tent. We'll celebrate a fair tradition that pays tribute to the men and women who have served our country. And of course, no night of state fair traditions would be complete without the Cowgirl Queen Contest.

That brings us to the end of another evening at the Iowa State Fair. From time-honored traditions to discoveries you might not expect, we've explored just a few more of the experiences that keep people coming back year after year.

Until tomorrow night, I’m Bill Riley. Have fun at the fair.

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As Iowans, we all want clean air, land and water. Iowa's pig farmers do, too. You can learn more about the Iowa Pork Producers Association at iowapork.org/wecare.

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