Fair 2026 – Wednesday, August 19

[Announcer] Funding for Fair 2026 is provided by:

Pella Windows and Doors help bring your home to life for more than 100 years. Pella has been dedicated to building a brighter future in Iowa communities. Pella Corporation is a proud supporter of Iowa PBS.

With our Iowa roots and Midwestern values, Farmers Mutual Hail is committed to offering innovative farm insurance for America's farmers, just as we have for six generations. Farmers Mutual Hail, America's crop insurance company.

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.

Since 1929, Wellabe has offered insurance solutions to help people protect their health and financial well-being. Wellabe strives to empower people to be well, well prepared and well protected. Learn more at wellabe.com.

(On screen text: Vermeer. What you love about the fair... Vermeer is proud to support. Learn more at vermeer.com. Vermeer Equipped to do more.)

Welcome to Iowa, where you can explore parks, wander countless trails, and experience history, culture, and art. Travel Iowa.

At Iowa Corn we know that corn is more than just a crop. It fuels our cars, feeds our livestock, and is in over 4,000 products on your grocery store shelves. Iowa doesn't just grow corn. Corn grows Iowa. Learn more at IowaCorn.org.

Banking in Iowa goes beyond transactions. Banks work to help people and small businesses succeed, and Iowa Banks are committed to building confident banking relationships. Iowa Banks your partner through it all.

Hello and welcome back to our third night of Iowa State Fair highlights.  I’m Bill Riley. No matter what brings you to the Iowa State Fair, chances are you'll find someone who shares your interests. Whether it's food, farming, art, music or friendly competition, the fair has a way of bringing people together around the things they love. On tonight’s show we’ll meet the grill masters in the pork tent. We’ll see how these young imaginations turn foods into works of art. And we'll catch up with our very own butter sculptor in our nation's capitol.

But first, as another busy day at the fair gets underway, we'll join a tradition that pauses to recognize the service and sacrifice of Iowa's veterans.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Travis Graven] The Veterans Day Parade is an annual tradition here at the fair, but this year's parade is the biggest ever, celebrating America's 250 and paying special tribute to Iowa's military involvement throughout the years.

Today's grand marshals are all from the Iowa Gold Star Museum. Living History Detachment, bringing 250 years of our nation's military heritage to life right before our eyes.

[Michael Vogt, Iowa Gold Star Museum Curator] The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs asked the museum's Living History Detachment to put together a timeline that would represent U.S. military history from 1775 to 2026. Everything that they have is privately owned. The same thing that I'm wearing, buy them off eBay. Companies make reproduction garments and items. Buy weapons at gun shows, things like that.

So they all spend their own dollars to represent as accurately as possible the certain period that they represent. Some of them have relatives that served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Others have aunts, uncles, fathers, cousins that served in a number of those conflicts over time.

[Nicholas Erickson, Independence] It's important for us as Iowans to remember who we are. So many Iowans, I think, feel like our state, sort of, doesn't have its own story. And I guess I'll speak for myself and give my own opinion when I see Iowans searching for their identity in other places, right?

But we have a history here that we should, whether or not it's something we should be proud of, I mean, there are plenty of things to be proud of, there are plenty of things that we can use as learning experiences, but we need to understand who we are really if we want to really have command of our own identity.

[Mike Rowley, Clive] This is the uniform of the War of 1812. And in the parade today, the Veterans Day Parade, they're having a representative from every era of our country. And so I guess I'm second in line behind the Revolutionary War guy. You know, the War of 1812, certainly that was 30 years before Iowa was even a state.

But what might surprise people and Iowans is that there's over 1,000 War of 1812 veterans that came here later in life and are buried here in the state.

[Gov. Kim Reynolds] Thank you all for being a part of the Veterans Day Parade as we celebrate 250 years of American independence by paying tribute to those who have defended it.

[Mike] I think it's always important to, you know, represent the people that are representing us and giving us the freedoms and liberties. And, you know, pretty small price for me to pay to come out here on a summer day in a uniform and represent those people that have worked so hard for our liberties.

[Michael] Every day we live the legacy of those that have come before us, those that have fought for freedom, those that have sacrificed for freedom. And so it's important here at our nation's 250th anniversary to remember the folks not only currently serving in uniform, but those generations that have come before us that have passed the torch of freedom and liberty forward.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Dave Moody, Iowa Pork Tent Grill Master] Both Dana and I got on the committee the same year in 1993 and enjoy it so much we're still here.

[Dana Wanken, Iowa Pork Tent Grill Master] Very true.

[Dave] The reason for the name of Pork Tent is that it truly started under a tent. The grills have been our main area and the gas has made that much, much easier. You know, when we first started, we were still using charcoal and you started the morning out sifting the old coals to And get whatever was still good, get rid of the ash.

[Dana] I remember the charcoal. Whole semi-load of it sitting right over there, and you'd go get, what? 50 bags at a time, whatever fit in the gator and come up and stack them next to the building. And then try not to get too much so you didn't have too much sifting in the morning. But it always— it was quite interesting, actually.

[Dave] Much improved today.

[Joyce Spurgeon, Drakesville] Maybe 8 or 10 times we ate at the Pork Tent. We still call it the Pork Tent.

[Keiko Sampson, Des Moines] We started doing the pork chops on a stick. My grandpa and I would always share one, and now I'm usually sharing one with my husband when he comes.

[Dave] The people. I mean, it's number one, the people. And being able to promote the pork industry. I mean, the pork industry is my life. Being able to talk to people and explain the pork industry as we're providing them a very delicious pork meal is— that's why I keep coming back.

[Dana] Go a whole fair without a piece of meat coming back is worth a lot to me.

[Keiko] It's hard to beat how well cooked they are. They're delicious. And it supports Iowa pork producers.

[Dave] It's about 900 people for the whole fair to make this happen. That's all volunteer labor. We all work together. You know, it's great relationship-building time.

[Keiko] The Iowa nice thing is always alive and well in this tent. So if you're sitting next to people that you've never met before, you're instantly in a conversation and it's like you have a new friend.

[Dave] I love grilling and cooking food, and so it's just kind of a natural for me.

[Dana] This is just part of my August, my vacation. It's kind of a working one, but it— but I love doing it.

[Dave] We work really hard, but we tend to play a little hard at evening when we're done too, and so there's a lot of fun time.

[Dana] Depends on how hot it was that day.

[Dave] Yeah, exactly.

[Dana] Makes a big difference.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Woman 1] We hide 10 cows a day, every single day of the fair, so 110 cows total. There's no, like, rhyme or reason to, like, how we're hiding the cows or where we're hiding the cows. It's just by chance where we're at.

Over here looks good. Could hide under the Christmas tree, maybe.

I don't want people to know We don't want anybody to know who we are so they don't get a little leg up on the competition. So we'd like to keep ourselves anonymous. It's not about me or anybody else that helps with the cows. It's about the cows themselves and the hunt.

I already know what I'm going to caption it. I can put, “Christmas tree.”

This started in, I believe, 2019. We used to do the “Where at the Fair” that the Des Moines Register did. But then they took it away, and we just really liked the hunt of finding things around the fair and figured other people liked doing it too. We post on Instagram and Facebook every time we hide a cow.

We do little clues with the cows too, like in the caption, but people are way too good at it, and I don't even think we need clues anymore. They immediately find them within max 5 minutes. It's really a very competitive competition. It's insane how fast people are finding these cows.

This window.

[Man] Running low on cows today.

A window into agriculture or something like that.

[Woman 1] So we've done a couple different designs. We've done the traditional little cows a couple times. We did 3D-printed keychains one year, and then we've done hand-sewn little magnets, and now we're back to the traditional little butter cows this year.

Under this light, out of the rain. Enough out of the rain.

A good hiding spot is just a place where people are, like, overlooking. Just a place where people aren't, like, trying to find a cow. Look in the places where you least expect it. Look under things, behind things. The goal of it is just to make people happy.

[Woman 2] Love it!

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] There’s a reason the Butter Cow keeps showing up in our fair coverage. It's a unique tradition that’s very important to us. Sometimes though, you have to leave home to appreciate just how special something can be. This year, we traveled to Washington, D.C., to see how our very own Butter Cow has earned a place in a national conversation about American culture.

[Mary Savig, Curator-in-Charge for the Renwick Gallery] We knew there was going to be a butter sculpture, and almost as soon as I started talking to Sarah. When we talked to Sarah Pratt about the project and visiting her at the Iowa State Fair, we knew it was going to be a cow. Learning more from Sarah about Norma Duffy Lyon and how then Norma passed her butter and knife to Sarah, I think that story is exactly what we were trying to do for this exhibition, was to center these amazing stories.

And now Sarah is mentoring her 2 daughters, Hannah and Grace. Also, the cow is an icon. Everybody recognizes a giant butter cow. We knew that would be a hook for the entire show.

[Sarah Pratt, Butter Sculptor] I thought perhaps they would borrow some of my tools that I inherited from Norma, or maybe some of my research. And we just were in this conversation and I was getting really confused. The question that finally dawned on me was, how are we going to get this cow to D.C.? And I was, I'm sorry, what?

I was all on board immediately, but surprised in the best way possible.

[Mary] How hard can this be? We're going to build a refrigerated case and then you put the cow in the case. It was a lot more complicated than that. We had to do a lot of problem solving.

We are in a historic building. So we also had to think about how much weight the floor could have, where the electricity was coming from, how much noise there would be. The logistics that I had to help figure out were how to bring 800 pounds of butter to Washington, D.C. That is what I lost sleep over.

[Sarah] Another process that was new for me was having a sculpture up for a long time. Most of my sculptures are like 2 weeks max. We worked a lot on how would we maintain it? What would we have in place for a maintenance plan? Maybe there's some spots on the back of the udder, but it's like right on the edge of that shadow.

[Leah Bright, Objects Conservator, Smithsonian American Art Museum] I was an observer and a fan of the sculpture. And about 3 months, 3 or 4 months after it was completed, we started to notice some little dark spots appearing all over the surface. That's when I really jumped in, in a bigger role in the project.

[Sarah] We as Iowans and many other states that have this tradition hold it very near and dear. I just didn't know how it would be received in D.C., like if people would be confused or they'd be excited, and it is just a warm welcome. It's been really fun.

[Leah] The butter cow is such a perfect representation of the entire exhibition. As conservators, we are preserving the material components of artwork, but also are really passionate about preserving the stories and the histories behind them. Butter sculpture has such a fascinating and rich history.

[Mary] Since the show has been open, one of my favorite things to do is to stand in that gallery and have people discover the cow. 'Cause they're expecting a cow, but when they see the tail, when they see the veins on the udder, when they see how soulful the eyes are, they're really floored that this has so much character and so much detail.

That was really exciting to me, to be able to prove to people that this is really remarkable.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Blair Ryan]  Kids are often told to quit playing with their food, but in this competition, creativity is on the menu, and the plate is their canvas.

[Judge] This is so cute.

[Amy Doerring, Sponsor and Judge] I have always loved looking at Instagram and seeing the lovely plates that moms make for their kids for lunch, and I thought it was a fun activity for kids. My advice to kids would be to make plates with an art flair.

Ollie the Appetizer Owl. I like salami and cheese a lot, so this is what I used for my design. I chose to make an owl because they are cute and I draw them a lot.

The almonds make me feel like the owl is perched, and I can visually see a real owl in my mind. So I think a beautiful visualization of that.

[Blair] How many years have you been doing this competition?

[Amy] This is year 2, and we would like more people to be involved.

[Blair] What advice would you give these little creative food artists?

[Amy] I would tell them to start with something you like. And think of a great way of showing that. Tell us a beautiful story about what you're thinking about. Create dimension in it, not just flat, like foreground, middle ground, background. Maybe hide something in it that we look at and then we think later, “Oh my gosh, that's what they were telling us.” So be a great storyteller with food.

Oh, look at the fishies are going this, and then this school of fishies, this…

[Blair] Ryan, tell us the story about your plate and what you ended up creating.

[Ryan Barton, West Des Moines, Tie-First Place] Well, when I went to the Omaha Zoo with my cousins, I was in the aquarium exhibit. I saw little fish swimming around. And then when I came home and I realized, oh, the fair is coming up, I was like, why don't I do a fish place?

[Blair] So would you say you were an artist today, right, when you submitted your plate?

[Ryan] Yes.

[Blair] Are you an artist outside of the kitchen?

[Ryan] Probably not.

[Blair] That's okay.

[Amy] I love fireworks in the summer. It is a wonderful celebration of America. So this is— these are fireworks. Yes, they— she curled the strings on the celery, and that is wonderful.

[Blair] What plate did you enter in today's competition?

[Kepler Pienta, Iowa City, Tie-First Place] I entered the fire— the veggie fireworks.

[Blair] The judges were talking a lot about that. That was a big hit. How did you decide to do that?

[Kepler] Um, I want— celery doesn't automatically look like fireworks, but I wanted to add something that wasn't too big.

[Blair] Yeah.

[Kepler] So I thought that curling it and cutting it would help.

[Blair] It was genius. And you have a chef hat on. Does that mean you, you do more than just creative food work? You're a cook yourself?

[Kepler] Yes, I am. Yeah.

[Blair] What advice would you give other kids that want to enter into this competition?

[Kepler] I'd tell them to be themselves, be unique, and do whatever they want to do.

[Blair] That's great advice for adults too, isn't it?

[Kepler] Yeah.

[Blair] Yeah.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] FFA has a huge presence here at the Iowa State Fair where students get to show everything from old restored tractors to livestock, hoping for that blue ribbon. Here at the livestock pavilion, they get to be recognized by taking a victory lap. May we present the FFA Parade of Champions.

There are nearly 21,000 Iowa FFA members. This year, over 2,200 exhibitors brought nearly 9,400 projects to be judged at the Iowa State Fair. This parade highlights FFA students who competed in 14 divisions from ag mechanics to horses. This year, 15,000 55 FFA members from 35 chapters brought 64 exhibits for judging in the Ag Mechanics and Technology Show.

(On screen text:

Silas Harland 
Nevada 
Champion Restored Tractor 1960 and Later  

Trace Hol
Champion Restored Farm Equipment
Agri-Power at Eddyville

Bryce Roquet
Champion Large Metal Working
Agri-Power at Eddyville

Caleb Zuercher
Champion Small Metal Working
MFL MarMac

Alannah McKibben
Champion Computer Design
Marengo

Keegan Grundmeier
The Innovation Award Winner
South Hamilton

Colton Netolicky
Champion Medium Metal Working
Cedar Rapids Prairie

Keaton Good
Champion Tractor Restored by a Group
Interstate 35

Brodee Volesky
Champion 1959 and Prior Restored Tractor
Benton Community.
    
William Kroneman
Restored Tractor by a First-Year Exhibitor
Benton Community

Kendric Langreck
Champion Restored Garden Tractor
South Winneshiek at Calmar

There were 1,283 photographs that were judged this year.

Lane Rigdon
Grand Champion Overall Photo
Mediapolis)

This was the inaugural year for the Food Science Division. Judges saw 360 exhibits created by 67 students from 22 chapters.

Kristen Pettit
Overall Grand Champion
Vinton-Shellsburg

Addison Spencer
Food Science Sweepstakes Winner
Stanton

The Farm Crops Show had 56 participants from 19 chapters that brought 354 exhibits to the Iowa State Fair.

Ellen Olson
Reserve Champion Sweepstakes
Calamus-Wheatland

Caedyn Huston
First Place - Field Corn Division
Mid-Prairie at Wellman

Aubrey Olson
Champion Soybean Division
Forest City

Kacey Bailey
Reserve Champion Forages, Grasses and Legumes
Creston

Cole Stocker
Reserve Champion Bushel Basket
Albia

In the Horticulture Show, 525 exhibits were shown by 47 FFA members from 27 chapters.

Taylor Miller
Champion Jumbo Vegetable
Fairfield

The Floriculture Show displayed 681 flowers from 64 exhibitors across 30 chapters.

Ayla Gingerich
Reserve Award of Excellence
West Branch

Bristol Ward 
Champion Dahlia
Tri-County at Thornburg

Kayden McDonald
Grand Champion Gladiolus
Tri-County at Thornburg

Ellie Callahan
Champion Petunia
Mid-Prairie at Wellman

My name is Nora Pickhinke. I am the Iowa FFA State President for the year 2026-2027. The Parade of Champions is really a symbol of all the hard work that FFA members have put in throughout the year. You know, they're showing up every single day doing their chores, working with their animals, and also raising their crops, whether it be in horticulture or floriculture, so being able to be recognized in this parade is a huge achievement for them.

It recognizes all of the hard work that they've put in throughout the year, and it just gives the crowd a minute to kind of recognize all of that hard work and just see what they've accomplished throughout the year.

Carter Thompson
Reserve Champion Dahlia
West Branch

Alannah McKibben (Carried by Avary Helmichs)
Reserve Champion Petunia
Marengo (carried by Avary Helmichs)

Destina Moyle
Reserve Champion Rose
Mid-Prairie at Wellman

Averi Janecek
Reserve Champion Zinnia
Mid-Prairie at Wellman

The Rabbit Show hosted 52 exhibitors from 35 chapters with 361 exhibits.

Rochelle DeLaCruz
Best in Show
WACO at Wayland

Kaylee Six
Reserve Best in Show & Champion Six Class Breeds
WACO at Wayland

Ella Peterson
Reserve Champion - Six Class Breeds
Stanton

In the Poultry Division, there were 43 exhibitors from 29 chapters who brought 298 exhibits.

Preston Von Stein    
Grand Champion Overall Market Bird    
Bondurant-Farrar

Alina Goldie    
Grand Champion Breeding Stock    
West Marshall at State Center

Maddie Tygrett    
Reserve Champion Breeding Stock    
West Branch

Collin Hansen    
Grand Champion Market Broiler    
Audubon

Gavin Lihs    
Reserve Champion Market Broiler    
Bondurant-Farrar

Emma Lihs    
Reserve Champion Overall Market Bird    
Bondurant-Farrar

Sage Hoksbergen    
Champion Laying Pen    
Twin Cedars

Maddox Weigelt    
Reserve Champion Production Pen    
Collins Maxwell

The Avenue of Breeds is in its 48th year. Students from the North Polk FFA chapter at Alleman take care of 96 different animals.

Jaycie Monson     
Avenue of Breeds - Mini Horse    
North Polk at Alleman

Beckett Anderson    
Avenue of Breeds - Chianina    
North Polk at Alleman

In the Swine Show, nearly 1,100 exhibits were shown in 3 divisions. On its own, the Market Swine division had 282 exhibitors from 132 chapters who brought 610 animals to the fair for judging.

Charles Ploeger    
Supreme Champion Breeding Gilt    
Kingsley-Pierson

Hollynn Rieck    
Reserve Champion Breeding Gilt    
Creston

Peyton Salazar    
Grand Champion Registered Breeding Gilt    
Columbus

Kale Schmidt    
Reserve Grand Champion Registered Breeding Gilt    
Northeast Goose Lake

Wyatt Huisinga    
Grand Champion Live Carcass Pig    
Kingsley-Pierson

Jillian Woodruff    
Grand Champion Market Hog    
Central Plains at Gowrie

Oliver Grings    
Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog    
Wilton

In the Sheep Show, there were 779 exhibits across 3 divisions. In the Market Lamb division alone, judges saw 362 animals brought by 191 exhibitors from 103 chapters.

Eli Johnson    
Grand Champion Carcass Lamb    
Bedford

Emma Wedeking    
Reserve Champion Carcass Lamb    
North Butler at Greene

Olivia Kelley    
Grand Champion Commercial Ewe    
Harlan

Paityn Peterson    
Grand Champion Market Lamb    
West Marshall

The Beef division had a total of 298 exhibits. In just the Breeding Beef Show, there were 243 animals from 106 chapters exhibited by 213 Iowa FFA members.

Bryce Steffens    
Champion Window A Performance Beef    
North Fayette Valley at West Union

Macy Tiedt    
Reserve Champion Window A Performance Beef    
Waverly-Shell Rock

Kambree Schwager    
Champion Window B Performance Beef    
Easton Valley at Preston

James Vandevanter    
Reserve Champion Window B Performance Beef    
Riverside at Oakland

Brady Greiman    
Reserve Champion Window C Performance Beef    
Hudson

Emett Fisher    
Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer    
Albia

Grant Hoffmann    
Reserve Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer    
North Scott at Eldridge

Hunter Kress    
Champion Maintainer Heifer    
AC/GC

Madison Nicoletto    
Champion Lim-Flex    
Moravia

Alex Ver Ploeg    
Champion Simmental Heifer    
Pella Christian

The Dairy Cattle Show saw 83 animals brought by 30 exhibitors representing 17 chapters.

Kade Meyer    
Overall Champion Guernsey    
North Fayette Valley

Kade Meyer (led by Macy Rose)    
Junior Champion Guernsey     
North Fayette Valley

Brody Courtney    
Reserve Junior Champion Guernsey     
Decorah

Mclane Mormann    
Junior Champion Holstein    
Edgewood-Colesburg

William Sadler    
Junior Champion Brown Swiss    
North Fayette Valley

Lindsey Henry    
Senior Champion Holstein    
Montezuma

Kaden Recker    
Senior Reserve Champion Guernsey    
Cedar Rapids Prairie

And in the Horse Division, there were 76 entries exhibited in 330 classes shown by 46 members from 30 Iowa FFA chapters.

Savanna Saylor    
Champion Western Type Halter    
Wilton

Toby Doane (assisted by Kaylee Lacey)    
Champion Mule     
Sigourney

Congratulations to everyone who participated this year.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] Some competitions have been part of the fair for generations. Others are brand new. Here's a look at some of today's ribbon winners.

(Text on screen: 

Backgammon

Experienced Division
1st - Jed Rebelsky, Van Meter
2nd - Kosta Lekkas, Urbandale
3rd - John Kalachnik, Johnston

Less Experienced Division
1st – Abigail Rawson, Cedar Rapids
2nd - Geri Derner, Ames
3rd - Cindy Shelley, Grimes

Youth Division
1st - Ben Wieland, Des Moines
2nd - Alice Burtnette, Clive
3rd – Anna Wieland, Des Moines

Harmonica 

Ages 17 and over
1st - Topper Gulick, Des Moines
2nd – Kurt Soderstrum, Boone
3rd - Chris Myers, Boone

Ages 5 to 16
1st - Gus Major, Des Moines
2nd - Ellie Menz, Adel
3rd - Owen Menz, Perry

Quilting

Quilt of Valor
1st - Myra Houser, Ankeny
2nd - Tari Canny, Roland 
3rd - Tamara Watts-McPhail, Ankeny

T-Shirt Quilt 
1st - Amy Miller, Oskaloosa
2nd - Lynn Johnson, West Des Moines 
3rd - Connie Vanwyk, Pella

FFA Food Science

Pies
1st - Addison Spencer, Stanton
2nd - Bridget Castle, Vinton
3rd - Olivia Klingenborg, Dike-New Hartford

Appetizers & Snacks 
1st - Kirsten Pettit, Vinton-Shellsburg
2nd - Katelyn Schaul, Springville-Lisbon
3rd - Addison Spencer, Stanton

Champion Auctioneer Contest
1st - Justin Steward, Clarence
2nd - Chantz Davidson, Orient
3rd - Dylan Webb, Osceola

Euchre Tournament
1st - Kyle Pritchard, Johnston
2nd - Lee Crock, Mechanicsville
3rd - Rod Vance, Johnston
)

[Bill Riley] We've still got plenty more to discover, but first we need to take a short break. When we come back — Charity Nebbe pulls up a chair for a conversation with Iowa farmers. We'll meet talented horsewomen competing for the title of Cowgirl Queen. And we'll watch young athletes flip, fly and tumble their way across the competition floor. So stay with us. We'll be right back with more highlights from the Iowa State Fair on Iowa PBS.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Brooke Kohlsdorf] How many seats are on the Sky Glider?

[Man 1] 270.

[Woman 1] Uh, 100.

[Man 2] 200.

[Boy 1] Probably 150.

[Brooke] How many seats are on the Sky Glider?

[Boy 2] Probably like 151, somewhere in there. 
[Brooke] You just had to beat your brother, right?

[Boy 2] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brooke] How many seats are on the Sky Glider?

[Boy 3] Uh, probably like 152.

[Woman 2] 500.

[Woman 3] 100.

[Woman 4] Mm, 120.

[Woman 5] I'm gonna say like 112.

[Man 3] 347.

[Woman 6] 75.

[Man 4] I'm gonna guess 105.

[Man 5] 115.

[Man 6] 203.

[Woman 7] I was gonna say 220.

[Man 7] 200.

[Man 8] I'd say like 150.

[Brooke] 150? Okay, well, it's actually 91, so you were, you were close.

[Woman 4] What?

[Brooke] Yeah.

[Man 6] 91?

[Brooke] I know.

[Man 3] Wow.

[Brooke] Yeah, but you were, but you were close.

[Man 3] So like 1/3 of it.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] Welcome back, everyone. I’m Bill Riley. America's 250th anniversary is woven throughout this year's Iowa State Fair. Across the fairgrounds, special exhibits and displays invite visitors to reflect on our nation's history, and Iowa's place in it. Let's take a look at a few of the unique exhibits helping mark this milestone.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Mindy Williamson, Iowa State Fair Chief Marketing Officer] So we have our fair this year, and then we have like an extra fair on top of it. So we are doing all sorts of America 250 competitions and contests, and then we have some displays that you can take time to reflect on the 250 years that America has been around. So we are standing in the America 250 flag display.

There is a flag for every year that we have been a country. And as you'll see, you know, there are a few with a few less stars, and then there are a few with all the stars that we have today.

So you can walk through the display, you can enjoy it during the day. In the evening we have a light, and then we also have an art display by an Iowa artist, a metalwork display at the bottom of the hill as well.

So our new legacy sculpture is in Ruan Plaza, and it is a metalwork intricate sculpture, and it was through a request for proposals, and we chose Dan Perry. He is a professor at UNI, and it was just installed just a week before the fair. So if you get a chance to check it out, it's a permanent display that you'll get to enjoy fair time and non-fair time.

The Spirit of '76 display is in our Hall of Law, or what used to be the Hall of Law, now called East Marketplace. The East Marketplace is on the lower level of the Grandstand, and it is a place where you can sign the Declaration of Independence, where you can take the citizenship test and see how well you score.

There are some cutouts of some of our forefathers, a history lesson in itself.

We have a new Veterans Memorial Walkway. It's a permanent display. It's in the first phase. So there are markers for each conflict where there was an Iowan involved, and you can go through and reflect on those. It starts with the Daughters of the American Revolution, a marker that they paid for and that they dedicated here at the Iowa State Fair.

Year two, next year, will involve individual bricks. I think people are very excited to celebrate America 250, even though the 4th of July was actually the celebration. But we have heard lots of great comments. People love seeing the red, white, and blue extra that we have this year.

And I know those competitors, I've heard from them that they're trying extra hard to win that commemorative Red, white, and blue America 250 ribbon. Thank you.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Charity Nebbe] Raising livestock, planting and harvesting crops, mending fences. We all know that Iowa farmers do a lot. But what does a day in the life actually look like? At the Animal Learning Center, Farmer Chats give fairgoers the opportunity to hear it straight from the farmer's mouth.

[Bob Quinn, WHO Radio] How many turkeys do you suppose are raised in the state of Iowa?

[Tye Rinner, Washington]  The state of Iowa raises about 12 million turkeys a year.

[Bob] How many turkeys live in your barn?

[Tye] I start 7,000 birds in a barn. Every 9 weeks I get 14,000. I fill 2 different brooder houses. So in a year's time, I'll raise about 74,000.

[Charity Nebbe] This is the first year for Farmer Chats. Where did the idea come from?

[Emily Wynn, Education and Outreach Manager] Yeah, Farmer Chats came that we wanted something that's like customer-facing for farmers that love to provide the animals here in the Animal Learning Center. So it's a good time to come and just listen and figure out what farmers are doing across the state of Iowa and realizing that they feed us, but they're also feeding the world, and they are loving what they do every single day.

[Bob] You're a member of the Iowa Turkey Association?

[Tye] Correct, I am the current vice president.

[Bob] Current vice president of the Turkey Federation. So if you see Ty walking around here, he is your expert.

[Charity] In modern culture, there's a pretty big disconnect between our understanding of what food is and where it comes from and how it's produced. So do you feel like the fair is a real opportunity to educate people about where their food is coming from?

[Tye] Oh, absolutely. I mean, anytime we can put in front of people what agriculture does, I don't care where it is, But yeah, people are interested in where their food comes from and hear the story of any farmer. I don't care who it is.

[Bob] How long do you feed those turkeys before they end up in the grocery store?

[Tye] It's about 134 days.

[Bob] 134 days.

[Tye] When I get them, they're like 0.15 pounds, or they measure them in grams at the hatchery. And they're about 48 pounds when I sell them.

[Bob] So you raise all toms. How do you know you got a tom turkey?

[Tye] You trust that the hatchery sent you tom turkeys.

[Bob] So it's sorted at the hatchery for you?

[Tye] It's sorted at the hatchery.

The equipment has changed a lot. My dad's old barns were all manual thermostats, and now I've got a computer that runs my barn that controls the temperature. And even my own father kind of looks at stuff I do like, “Gosh, you're lazy.” And I'm like, “No, Dad, it's more efficient, you know, and it keeps the barn drier.”

[Bob] I think my dad would have stopped at, “Gosh, you're lazy.”

[Charity] Why do you think something like this is important?

[Tye] Where else are you gonna have a better display of agriculture than right here at the state fair? I mean, my wife is a schoolteacher and, you know, when she asks the kids once upon a time, where does your food come from? Well, they all thought it came from a grocery store.

And she was teaching ag in the classroom and gave them that idea that it, you know, starts as an egg, you grow the bird, and it becomes your next sandwich. You know, they're just awestruck by this idea. This is the best building ever. See a baby and then see the finished product. You have it all here.

[Bob] Thanks for joining us today. Thank you.

[Tye] You're welcome.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Cowgirl 1] I started riding when I was about 5, 6 years old. What has kept me riding over the years has been, you know, the joy of it, the bond that keeps getting stronger and stronger between me and my horse every year. It's super fun and I love doing it.

[Cowgirl 2] It is just a fun contest. I believe it should just be all friendly and everyone should just support each other. It's just such a tradition.

[Chris Sommers, Announcer] This is the 2026 Iowa State Fair Cowgirl Queen Contest. We'll have 105 exhibitors tonight. They come from all over the state.

[Eric Moorman, Gate Steward] The Cowgirl Queen Contest is junior and senior age divisions, 10 to 15 and 16 to 26. Each of those groups, we have 3 preliminary classes. So the judges will pick the top 5 from each go-around to come back into finals held at the Richard O. Jacobson Arena here at the State Fair.

(On screen text: Junior Cowgirl Queen Finals)

You're trying to show the judge that you've got the brokest horse in the pen and you're the best rider. So the ones that sit up straight and don't move, that is what you're looking for. That's the top standard.

[Kailor Lown, 2025 Junior Cowgirl Queen, North English] I've competed for 3 years, all in the junior division, and last year as a third time, I won it, and it was just, it was a great experience.

(On screen text: Aubrey Rozycki, 2026 Junior Queen Attendant - Cumming)

What I focused on in the arena, keeping my posture straight, keeping my horse connected and out of the bridle. You gotta keep that bond with your horse.

(On screen text: Ellie Schmitt, 2026 Junior Queen Attendant - Rockford)

Whatever I feel, he also feels. All the hard work really paid off in the end when I heard my number.

(On screen text: Kaylee Wuebker, 2026 Junior Queen Attendant - Rockwell City)

Horses, you know, it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of patience. You might have a bad ride, or you could have a really good ride one day, but you're gonna have both in your life, and you know, you gotta stay dedicated to get to those good days.

(On screen text: Grace Myers, 2026 Junior Queen Attendant - Runnells)

(On screen text: Francesca Wong, 2026 Junior Cowgirl Queen - Des Moines)

[Francesca Wong, 2026 Junior Cowgirl Queen] I have worked so hard to get here. I have put in the hours. I have gone to the barn when people are out partying, when people are hanging out with friends. I've always put this sport first. The horse I'm riding is Baby, or she's a Dancin' in the Dirt. I got her 3 years ago, and she has been the best thing that's ever come into my life.

After our big competition, she will now be going back into the ring to be competing for senior. with my very good friend Lola Speck. I know her and Lola have what it takes, and she'll be a good girl for everything she does.

(On screen text: Senior Cowgirl Queen Finals)

[Eric] From what I've seen over my 15 years here, it's created a lot of good horse people down the road. It's just a tradition, and we have judges that want to come and judge us because it's such a big, big thing. It's homegrown in Iowa. I think in the '70s it started. There's actually a Cowgirl Museum up here on the grounds.

So we've had some of the past winners come back and be judges.

[Chris] We have former queen contestants that are riding at the Division 1 collegiate level. We've also got ladies that are now professional horse trainers. Some have become veterinarians. Some show on the Women's Professional Rodeo Association level. It just doesn't stop here.

[Elivia Papcun, 2025 Senior Cowgirl Queen, Norwalk] So my first time competing in this competition was in 2017. I believe I was 11 years old. I just remember how excited I was. And then I went on to compete 7 times. I made the finals all 7 times, and I was in the Queen's Court top 5 3 of those times. And then I ended up winning the Junior Queen in 2022 and the Senior Queen in 2025.

(On screen text: Rylee Mauss, 2026 Senior Queen Attendant, Grinnell)

I've really put a lot of time into my sport and what I do. I've even made it to Division 1 equestrian, which has been a huge honor.

(On screen text: Kennedy Cheney, 2026 Senior Queen Attendant, Dallas Center)

And I'll be going into my sophomore year at Texas Christian University, TCU.

(On screen text: Vivian Brown, 2026 Senior Queen Attendant, Des Moines)

I would say some advice I have for contestants in the Cowgirl Queen Contest would be to just really go in there with a lot of confidence, good horsemanship, preparing yourself, making sure that your horse is in the bridle following you, listening to you.

(On screen text: Taylor McCreedy, 2026 Senior Queen Attendant, Atlantic)

(On screen text: Lola Svec, 2026 Senior Cowgirl Queen, Cumming)

[Lola Svec, 2026 Senior Cowgirl Queen] I rode in the Juniors in 2021. I did that for one year and I won it right away. So that was really exciting to kind of have like a full circle moment of I've won the juniors and now I've won the senior queen. And it's just really, it's a great feeling. So this is Baby.

I've been riding her for 3 or 4 years now. What makes this night really special is that she won the junior queen with Francesca about an hour earlier. And it's just so great for us to both be crowned in one night. It's just, it's so nice. My long-term goal is to become an equine vet, possibly end up back on the show circuit, and really just kind of give back to the community that raised me.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] Every performance tells a different story, but they all have one thing in common—months of practice leading up to this moment. Here are today's advancing performers.

Join us for the Talent Championships, Sunday, August 23 at 8 p.m. on Iowa PBS.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] Horses have always been an important part of Iowa's agricultural story and of the Iowa State Fair. This year, the Iowa Horseman's Hall of Fame has a beautiful new home, giving fairgoers a fresh way to discover the people, horses and traditions behind that legacy.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Robin Taylor, Assistant Director, Blue Ribbon Foundation] With the renovation of the horse barn that we've been doing the last 2 years, the location of the Horsemen's Hall of Fame was getting taken for restrooms. So we came up with a new location, a new idea for it that would actually catch the eye of a lot more people throughout the year.

So we have this large panel that represents horses that are part of the Horsemen's Hall of Fame, the Saddlebred and the mules and the draft horses, and then all of the names of the people that have been inducted since the 1960s.

[Deb Yount, Altoona] My grandfather started the Horsemen's Hall of Fame in 1958, and so it's sort of a legacy to be part of it. My grandfather was involved in it, my father, my uncle is inducted into it, and then also I'm inducted. So it's a long legacy process that you feel like you're keeping the legacy going, that you are contributing to the horse world.

[Robin] The horse shows draw so much attention during the fair, especially the large hitches that come in. And then since it had been here for so long, it was hard to say, hey, we're changing this and you can't, you can't be here anymore. It was very much a living, breathing part of this horse barn.

[Deb] Yeah, I think it's just the recognition again of the contributions that all the individuals have made. And then also just showing the name. You know, when they first put that up last year, I was here during the state fair during the society show and several people are going up and reading the board and saying, “Oh, I remember this person, I remember that person,” because these are people from all over the state of Iowa and either from Creston or Burlington.

And so I think people recognize, “Oh yeah, I remember this person was in the horse world,” “I remember this person,” “Oh yes, I had this person shoeing my horses.” And so it's a great recognition for individuals that still participate and promote the horse world in the state of Iowa.

[Robin] One of the neat things about this too, as a change, is it used to be that everything was just written on paper and in a binder. Well, now we have a QR code that you can scan and it takes you to the fair's website where you can pull up and you can see a photo if we have one, and then a biography of the inductees. So you can learn more about what their passion for Iowa's horse industry is.

Sometimes you lose, especially with our somewhat more urban society and people that come to the fair, they don't have that connection back to the livestock and even the horses. There's a lot of hobby horses, but this brings it more to the forefront.

And even as I was doing the research for this, just how large the horse industry is in the state of Iowa. And how many people really have a passion. I would say horses quite often are like dogs and cats. They are part of your family because they do have personality, and this is a great way to showcase that.

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Abby Brown] What could be more joyful than a cartwheel? Well, a cartwheel contest, of course! But the tumbling competition is also strength and flexibility and athleticism and so much more than cartwheels. I'm with Robin and Dawn today, of the tumbling competition. Tell me what the tumbling competition is.

[Robin Brown, Pella Gymnastics] We have between 250 to 300 girls.

They come from all over the state of Iowa, and they come here and we do a tumbling meet.

[Abby] What is tumbling?

[Dawn Goodwin, Pella Gymnastics] Tumbling is all different skills. You can do back walkovers, front walkovers, roundoff back handsprings, cartwheels. We do it all here.

[Abby] Wow, it sounds a lot like gymnastics, so what is the difference?

[Robin] Tumbling is on a mat where gymnastics has the vault, the beam, the uneven bars, and the floor.

[Abby] You're the judge for today.

[Todd Crouse, Judge] I am, yes.

[Abby] And what makes you qualified to be a judge here?

[Todd] Well, I have some experience in judging college level. Oh. And so I just come here just because it's a fun time.

[Abby] When the girls and boys come up today to compete, what are they going to be doing? How does this work?

[Todd] They'll have set routines to do, and then they will do those routines, and we will judge to make sure that they can do it in the order and with presentation. We're looking for form and technique. The technique is like if they're going to do a forward roll, if they have their knees together, that they're not using their hands to get up. So there's a particular technique for every skill.

[Abby] What do you anticipate the skill level to be like here at the Iowa State Fair?

[Todd] It's going to be more basic. More recreational. But some of the kids, they are more experienced. They'll maybe be from a dance studio or a gymnastics club.

[Abby] And of course, the hype level is going to be off the charts though, right?

[Todd] Very much. Very much. It's exciting.

So if I'm doing flips today and I have really pointed toes and a big smile, and really strong arms, what might I win?

[Robin] Well, you will get this nice shiny medal.

[Abby] What does it feel like when you're running down the mat?

[Child 1] Excited.

[Abby] Lillian, what are you doing today?

[Lillian] I'm gonna do my state fair routine.

[Abby] Oh my gosh, your state fair routine! And we're at the tumbling competition, so what's in your tumbling routine?

[Lillian] We have like cartwheels and handstands.

[Abby] Really? How do you do a cartwheel?

[Lillian] What?

[Abby] Leona, what are you doing today?

[Leona] Uh, I'm gonna do my state fair competition.

[Abby] Ooh, what are your tricks?

[Leona] Uh, cartwheels. Um, the scale hold into handstand rollout, and those are my skills.

[Abby] Wow, that sounds really hard. Was that hard to learn?

[Leona] Yeah.

[Abby] Have you been practicing all summer?

[Leona] Yeah!

♪ (Graphic transition) ♪

[Bill Riley] That brings us to the end of tonight's highlights, but we've still got three more nights to spend together at the Iowa State Fair.

And if you'd like to revisit any of tonight's stories, or catch something you missed, we've got plenty of ways to do that whenever it's convenient for you.

From contests and concerts to livestock and traditions, you can find all of our Iowa State Fair coverage wherever you connect with Iowa PBS—anytime you'd like to watch.

Tomorrow night we'll dive into one of the fair's most popular educational exhibits. We'll visit the last remaining church food stand on the fairgrounds. And we'll see who measures up at the Beard Growing Contest.

Thanks for joining us tonight.

The Iowa State Fair has a wonderful way of bringing together people who share the same interests and welcoming the rest of us to be part of it. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night. 

Until then I’m Bill Riley. Have fun at the fair.

♪♪ (Credits rollup on screen) ♪♪

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
Josh Buettner
Andrea Coyle
Travis Graven
Deb Herbold
Emily Kestel
Colleen Krantz
Kelsey Kremer
David Miller
Rachel Mummey
Carissa Stockel
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
Lucas Thompson
Clarissa Stockel
Luke Garcia
Philip Blobaum

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
Matt Clark
Danny Engesser
Abby Friedmeyer
Randy Garza
Gavin Jensen

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

Master Control
Jim Quint
Jason Walerius

Programming & Operations Manager
Matt Weesner

Director of Communications & Marketing
Caryline Clark

Executive Director & General Manager
Andrew Batt

Copyright 2026
Iowa PBS
iowapbs.org

[Announcer] Funding for Fair 2026 is provided by:

Pella Windows and Doors help bring your home to life for more than 100 years. Pella has been dedicated to building a brighter future in Iowa communities. Pella Corporation is a proud supporter of Iowa PBS.

With our Iowa roots and Midwestern values, Farmers Mutual Hail is committed to offering innovative farm insurance for America's farmers, just as we have for six generations. Farmers Mutual Hail, America's crop insurance company.

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.

Since 1929, Wellabe has offered insurance solutions to help people protect their health and financial well-being. Wellabe strives to empower people to be well, well prepared and well protected. Learn more at wellabe.com.

(On screen text: Vermeer. What you love about the fair... Vermeer is proud to support. Learn more at vermeer.com. Vermeer Equipped to do more.)

Welcome to Iowa, where you can explore parks, wander countless trails, and experience history, culture, and art. Travel Iowa.

At Iowa Corn we know that corn is more than just a crop. It fuels our cars, feeds our livestock, and is in over 4,000 products on your grocery store shelves. Iowa doesn't just grow corn. Corn grows Iowa. Learn more at IowaCorn.org.

Banking in Iowa goes beyond transactions. Banks work to help people and small businesses succeed, and Iowa Banks are committed to building confident banking relationships. Iowa Banks your partner through it all.