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It’s Saturday night—and welcome to the grand finale of our Fair 2025 coverage.

I’m Bill Riley, and we’re wrapping things up with one last look at the fun, the flavor, and the friendly competition that make the Iowa State Fair so unforgettable.

Here’s a taste of what we’ve got coming your way tonight.

Sharp eyes take root in the weed identification contest.

Decadent desserts reach new levels in the elevated cheesecake competition.

And the bags fly in a fierce and friendly cornhole showdown.

But we’re kicking things off with an event that’s got power, precision—and a whole lot of pole climbing.

The Lineman’s Rodeo!

[Child 1] These guys are really, really fast and good.

(Music) [Lineman 1] Yeah, it's tricky.

[Chaz] At the state fairgrounds.

We're at Elwell Park.

Someplace we didn't plan on being nine months ago.

[Man 1] Yes, it is cool.

First time I think in Iowa that I know of that it's happened.

So it is a cool event.

[Tyler] A lot of people don't know what we do.

It’s turning the light switch on and off and sometimes you're a hero, sometimes you're a zero.

It's a big thing.

I guess.

[Tyler Rosonke] When you lose electricity, you can see the linemen come in the area again and get your power back on.

Then everybody lights up and it’s a good deal.

[Chaz Allen] Well, these guys rebuilt the state in eight days after the derecho.

I think they can put 29 poles in the ground in a .. make this happen.

[Tyler] These are brand new.. You know, in the field you can get some really nasty poles that, you know, gaffed up or broken at ground level kind of thing that you got to check all the time.

[Chaz] You got 12 teams of 3 and each team has a judge.

We have MidAmerican, Alliant, ITC, Prairie Energy, locals 55. locals 109, locals 204.

It's everybody.

I mean it's — and anybody that's part of a journeyman or an apprentice can be a part of this.

There is short poles over there for some apprentices to do activities.

The hurt man rescue.

[Lineman 1] It's kind of stressful trying to get every step right in a timely fashion.

[Teen 1] Is the body weighted?

[Man 2] Yes, I think it's 200 pounds.

[Chaz] And then the egg climb?

[Man 3] Yeah.

So basically they're going to climb up.

Once they get to the top, they're going to put the egg in their mouth.

Throw that bucket down.

Hang the new bucket.

Climb down with the egg in their mouth.

And they can't break the egg.

If they do, it's an infraction.

[Man 2] I'm assuming they're not boiled.

[Chaz] Then we have this where they—it's a two phase.

They move that line there and that line over there.

So they just flop them.

[Tyler] So as a climber, there's thre.. the climbers, one guy's the groundman that runs the hand line, sends stuff up, we send stuff down.

[Teen 1] So what are they covering for?

So then they can touch it.

The orange?

[Man 2] That's called gut.

And if you cover it so that it insulates you from contact.

[Chaz] And then we have this one where it's a change out.

They go up there and change that out when they're up in the air.

[Man 1] It’s very dem.. than you think to climb a pole and move, work around it and do the work.

[Child 1] There he goes, climbing the pole.

That's really, really, really cool.

He's real fast.

That guy's real fast.

[Chaz] I think the competition between the utilities is fun.

Bragging rights for a year.

But then the other thing about this is, is to showcase to the kids what these guys do.

[Child 1] I'm gonna be what this guy does when I'm older.

[Tyler] I got two boys of my own, a six and four year old, that want to be linemen too, and just inspires me to, I mean, let them become a lineman one day, you know, if that's what they want to do.

[Chaz] People take for granted what they do.

They're used.. doing this in 100 degree weather and 30 below zero.

This is an 80 degree day at state fair.

This is, I mean, it's still hot, but you know, when they're not under the gun, get everybody's power back on.

And I think the biggest thing that we talk about is these crews.

When they get sent to Florida, Louisiana, east coast, they're the last ones to leave because they're the best at what they do.

And that's, I think Iowa should be proud of that.

[Tyler] It's a brotherhood.

I mean, everybody supports each other.

I mean, that's a huge thing.

That's a lot of unions.

That's what it's about, you know, be your brother's keeper and support the union.

[Chaz] If you're a municipal utility, if you're a rec utility, any of the restaurants, they're part of this.

We want to grow this.

So that includes all.. come and compete in this.

We want anybody that's a lineman to sign up for this next year and make it bigger.

Hello, my name is Meaghan Anderson.

I'm an extension field agronomist with Iowa State University.

And we are here this morning at the Iowa State Fair Weed ID Contest.

All right, we got another competitor coming up.

Excellent.

[Woman 1] I have a short attention span this morning.

[Woman 2] Yeah, it's some kind of grass.

So the Weed ID Contest is a long standing tradition at the state fair.

[Man 1] I did this as a joke.

I just wante.. and now I'm trying to fill it out.

It's not going well.

[Meaghan] It's a competition between anybody who would like to come try their hand at identifying weedy species that are found in the state of Iowa.

[Woman 3] I'm totally guessing.

[Child 1] It kind of looks like pumpkin.

[Meaghan] And so today we've got 35 of them here for people to identify.

We change it up a little bit every year.

And then after the contest is over on Friday morning, we'll put the weeds in the Ag Building so everybody can see them with their identities noted.

[Man 2] I thought this was what I thought that was.

Yeah, but it's not.

No, that's right.

[Meaghan] So since I know there's a lot of people that may be watching this at home and not able to see these plants up close, I thought you could maybe try your hand at identifying a couple of the species today.

And so we have two species here that both have kind of a similar look to them.

And they both have a special characteristic called whorled leaf arrangement.

And so that means that any node on the plant, they are going to have three or more leaves that all come off at the same place.

And so at first glance, they look really, really similar, but you have to look up a little closer to them.

All right, so maybe you thought about it and you figured it out.

25 right here.

This one with the hairs on it is called catchweed bedstraw.

And number 24 here, the one that has no hairs on it, and the pretty white flowers, that's a summer annual.

This one is called carpet weed.

Big pinky blue flowers that look kind of like trumpets.

[Child 2] Trumpets?

Instrument?

[Meaghan] Yeah.

Yeah, it's called a funnel form flower.

I think a lot of people have different definitions of weeds.

So many people would say that weed is just a plant out of place.

That's not necessarily the definition that I would use because weeds are sort of a special category of plants that share similar traits, right?

They can typically grow fairly aggressively.

They typically are very adaptable to lots of different areas.

They produce a lot of seed usually.

They may reproduce vegetatively, like below ground or above ground.

And so not any plant can be a weed.

They do share certain characteristics, but there is quite a bit of controversy over some species and whether or not they should be considered weeds.

Because some of these are edible, some of them may have medicinal properties, some of them are beneficial for things like pollinators.

Ow.

[Producer] Did you prick yourself?

[Meaghan] Yes.

It's not bleeding, but I definitely stabbed myself.

Generally, I consider all 35 of these to be weed species.

[Emcee] Heads up.

There we go.

Thank you, Riley.

[Blair Ryan] We're here at Pioneer Hall for a fair favorite, the Cow Chip Throwing Contest.

And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.

These contestants are going to fling dried cow manure chips as far as they can.

(Music) What's the trick?

How do you win?

[Julia Wearmouth] Well, if I say that, then they'll beat me next year.

So you just gotta find a chip that could really cut the wind and feels good in the hand.

(Music) [Blair] Okay.

We just wrapped up your first cow chip throwing experience.

You came all the way from Germany.

What inspired you to do this competition?

[Annika Bauer] Well, I've seen it on YouTube and on state fair TV, so I thought, I really I gotta do this, too.

It's very Iowan.

(Music) [Carey Lynam] You can't win if you don't try.

It's my first ..

This is my second time ever.

My friend was trying to tell me how to pick a cow chip.

Y ou know, obviously I didn't throw it right.

Didn't pick it right.

(Laughter) [Blair] Give us a tip.

Give us a trick to getti.. as you can.

[Tonie Curran Jr.] I.. doing, like, a baseball.

Or, like, for me, like baseball.

Like, for the gals, like softball.

But, like, if you're on the outfield, kind of back up and then chuck it.

[Emcee] Heather Hayter and Julie Thielen.

The.. Watch out!

34 for Ms. Pearson.

Sophie Davis.

She's gonna land her feet in sandals.

[Blair] I'm here with one special dude and very brav.. my stepson, Leo.

Leo, why are you entering the cow chip competition today?

[Leo Ryan] I think I can throw a baseball pretty good.

So why can't I throw a cow chip pretty good?

[Blair] Haylie, first of all, happy birthday.

How old are you today?

[Haylie] 12.

[Blair] And was it your birthday dream to throw dried cow manure on your 12th birthday?

[Haylie] Yeah, kind of.

I've been wanting to compete in this for a while.

[Emcee] That's a great throw, Buxton.

Nice job.

Go ahead.

There we go.

Heads up.

[Blair] What did you think?

[Luke Hummel] It was very fun.

[Quinn Hummel] It was fun.

[Blair] Was it harder than you thought .. [Luke] No, it was easier.

Easier?

[Quinn] I don't know.

[Blair] Would they do cow chip tossing in Germany?

[Annika] No, I don't think so.

[Blair] Does it gross you out?

[Tonie] No.

At least it's not.

At least it's not a wet one, so they're all dry.

[Emcee] There you go, Thatcher.

[Julia] Just come and make the chips fly, you know, have fun.

That's what the state fair is all about.

[Emcee] Nice.

There you go.

Before we move on, we want to take a moment to honor Marion Lucas who served as the fair’s general manager and CEO from 1986 to 2002.

Marion passed away earlier this year, and tonight, we remember his life, his work, and the vision he brought to the fair.

[Reporter] Hey, welcome back to our live coverage of fair 98.

And every day we try to bring in a special guest.

And this is an especially big thrill for us to have our State Fair Manager, Marion Lucas.

Marion, thanks for coming over.

[Narrator] Marion Lucas was born in 1942 in Missouri, where he developed a lifelong love of agriculture.

Before moving to Iowa, he was a board member at the Montgomery County Fair and director of the Missouri State Fair for several years.

(Telephone ringing) [Woman] Blue Ribbon Foundation.

[Narrator] Marion's 16 year tenure as the Io.. manager was during a time that the grounds desperately needed a facelift.

By the 1980s and 90s, many buildings on the Iowa State Fairgrounds were in disrepair.

Marion oversaw the creation of the Blue Ribbon Foundation, which helped pay for renovations of existing buildings and construction of new structures.

[Jeremy Parsons] Marion was very visionary and I remember him telling the story of — he literally dreamed Pella Plaza, like what that area might look like.

And so, you know, Pella Plaza is part of his legacy.

The initial renovations of the Ag Building, the Administration Building, the Varied Industries Building, the Grandstand, you know, all of those initial renovations started during his tenure.

Some new construction here as well.

What we now call the Elwell Family Food Center was built as the Iowa Tourism Building.

[Marion Lucas] We're proud of what we've done and the response from the general public has been very, very positive.

[Narrator] Perhaps M.. demonstrating a deep passion and love for the Iowa State Fair.

[Jeremy] I truly am here because of him and he really infused in me the love of not only the Iowa State Fair, but really, he infused in me a love for fair management, for the career of running a fair.

One of the things I remember Marion telling me early on is, you know, you've got to get out and check in with the superintendents.

You've got to get in every building at the fair and be hands on.

Not necessarily to micromanage, but just to know what's going on and more than anything, show those hard working fair-time employees that they're appreciated.

[Reporter] What do you enjoy most about the fair?

[Marion] Oh, I think, probably, I enjoy seeing people having fun.

You know, the fair is probably the best people watching place in the state.

Not that I watch a lot of people certainly, but seems like I'm busy doing other things.

But there's so much here for a fairgoer to see and do.

And it's kind of delightful to see the smiles and expressions on people's faces when they go to the petting zoo or to the milking parlor, whatever it might be, you know, and this is Iowa's fair and Iowans seem to really enjoy it.

When they enjoy it, I enjoy it.

[Jeremy] He loved the fair, and he loved the people that put on the fair.

And I think it just goes back to those relationships.

You know, I hear a lot of people that still talk very fondly of Marion.

They've been involved with the fair for a long time, and obviously that feeling was because Marion made them feel important while they were here at the fair.

[Narrator] Marion will be missed, but his legacy will continue to live on throughout Iowa State Fair history.

[Nash Roe] My only rule is, however we do it, no basic cheesecakes.

The perfect cheesecake, in my ey.. the perfect amount of sugar, a little bit of salt.

A cheesecake, for me, it's smooth, it's very creamy.

It's not cracked, because a cracked cheesecake means it's dry.

And that's something I'll be looking for today.

Just some sort of topping.

If it's fruit, if it's cookie dough, if it's brownie.

Obviously looking for elevated flavors.

Everything's homemade.

From what I've seen so far, we've got, like, top tier chocolate, elegant brownie.

And I'm like, you wouldn't find that in, you know, even Cheesecake Factory, any of those stores.

So the creativity is a huge thing.

[Karen Hardisty] Super excited.

I've been practicing cheesecakes for the last couple years now.

And then I entered the fair last year for the first time, and I was disappointed there was no cheesecake competition.

So I was very excited this year when there was a cheesecake competition.

Right now, I'm kind of in my cheesecake.. [Nash] It was a clean cut, which is already a good sign.

Overall, really, really, really good.

This is definitely an elevated dessert, exclamation point.

Ooh.

The lemon is very vibrant.

It smells amazing.

Okay, now that meringue is delicious.

[Kortnee Stewart] I love to bake.

I bake all the time.

It's kind of a meditation.

The kitchen is calm and warm, and everything smells good and tastes good.

And making a cheesecake is just, like, the most time you can spend in the kitchen.

So it makes me the happiest.

[Nash] In the past, I've judged things, and it's not always based on score.

I really like that one.

This is the most detailed recipe I have ever seen.

I mean, this is, like, so descriptive.

I really like how the crust has, like, a gingerbread taste to it.

It's got those warm spices in there.

It actually tastes really, really good.

[Kortnee] I want to do something different.

I want to do something that seemed like it should be at the fair.

It's a sweet corn ch.. polenta cake.

So cornmeal cake with lemon.

[Nash] This is definitely elevated because I feel like I already know, like, cookie dough.

[Karen] Inside the cheesecake is chocolate chips, and then homemade cookie dough.

On top is chocolate ganache, and then I made a cookie dough frosting for the top, and there's little chunks of brownies and chocolate chips on top.

There's a lot going on.

It's very rich.

[Nash] Wow.

This is going to be such a hard decision.

First overall goes to Karen Hardisty from Waukee, Iowa.

It's got everything.

Pretty much a perfect, elevated cheesecake.

[Karen] This has been a lot of fun and happy to win.

[Hayley Schaefer] You might think of Cornhole or Bags as something you do for fun while tailgating before the big game.

But it's something the competitors at t.. Fair take very seriously, or at least some of them do.

(Music} What are we doing here today at the fair?

[Cody Kinna] So we've got the bring your own partner doubles Cornhole Tournament.

They've done it a few years past and they invited us to come host it this year.

So, very excited about that.

[Hayley] How many people are competing here today?

[Cody] Somewhere around 50 teams registered.

[Hayley] Talk me through.

How does this tournament work once we get going?

[Cody] It's round robin style.

So you'll play four rounders games and then from there we're going to put you in your own bracket based on your performance .. Makes it a little nicer for your novice players to be able to come in and play more novice players.

And then the big guys get to fight the big guys.

We've got everything from Charlie Barr that's gonna be showing up.

He's our ACL house pro.

We sponsor him every year.

He's great.

Something to watch.

But we also have our guys, what we call social.

They might show up and drink a little more beer than the other guys, but th.. And we've got a lot of guys in that gap in between.

[Hayley] What do you enjoy about competing here at the Iowa State Fair?

[Charlie Barr] Be honest.

The people, the competition, it's crazy.

I mean, you get locals and you have ACL pros here.

It's just a competition, really.

I mean that and it's just a good time here.

[Hayley] And what's your stra.. [Charlie] Today, mainly just have fun.

I mean, the wind's always great, but having fun's the most important part.

To me, the atmosphere is awesome.

I mean, there's a lot of people here who probably don't play as competitive as us.

And they sit and watch and the whole tournament.

To me, hopefully they grow their game.

[Hayley] Tell me about the rules and scoring of Cornhole.

[Cody] You get four bags.

One bag in the hole is 3 points.

One bag on the board is 1 point.

You're gonna throw alternate of your competitors.

So they're gonna throw one, you're gonna throw one, and then it's cancellation scori..

So if you both have one in the hole, it's gonna cancel out to a zero score.

[Hayley] Awesome.

And how ha.. continue to grow over the years?

[Cody] It's gotten to be quite huge.

Now they're giving out scholarships for all that stuff.

It's not that little backyard game you play around the campfire anymore.

[Hayley] I've decided that I'm gonna give it a try.

Today I am here with Zach, and he is gonna be teaching me some tips and tricks on how to properly throw a beanbag.

I do not know how.

So I'm coming to you for advice.

Do you think you can help me?

[Zach Burns] Maybe a little bit?

[Hayley] Maybe.

So if I ..

So how do you do it?

[Zach] This is what's called a ..

This is how I grip it.

So you wanna, like, put your thumb up top like this.

[Hayley] Okay.

[Zach] Kind of scrunch it down.

It makes, like.. wings.

[Hayley] Okay.

[Zach] And then I always grab the pellets or t.. [Hayley] Okay.

[Zach] And then that's how I grip it.

Kind of the m.. important part.

But it's really however you feel comfortable.

[Hayley] Should I give it a try?

[Zach] Oh, there you go.

[Hayley] Okay.

There we go.

[Zach] What I try to do is get the bag to spin like this in the air.

[Hayley] In the air.

[Zach] And so how ..

I just turn my wrist, and as I get past my leg, I let go and flick my fingers towards the board.

[Hayley] So kind of like that?

[Zach] Yes, just like this.

[Hayley] Okay, we'll see if I can do that.

Contests and competitions are at the heart of the Iowa State Fair.

Let’s see who some of the winners are.

(Music) We’ve reached the halfway point of tonight’s show, which means it’s time for a quick break.

But we’re just getting started.

Coming up.

1,000 paper cranes, a symbol of peace, carefully folded and on exhibit at the fair.

Then we’ll head over to Pioneer Hall, where the Polka Club of Iowa is keeping tradition alive, one joyful step at a time.

And of course, we’ll celebrate the hard work and heart behind this year’s 4-H and FFA Sale of Champions.

We’ve still got plenty of state fair magic ahead—so stay with us, right here on Iowa PBS!

[Travis Graven] Butter cow or big boar?

[Man 1] Butter cow.

[Woman 1] Butter cow.

[Man 2] Big boar.

[Man 3] Butter cow.

[Woman 2] Butter cow.

[Travis] Mr. Legs Contest or .. [Man 2] Is there a Mullet Contest?

We're gonna do Mullet Contest.

[Woman 1] Mullet Contest.

[Woman 3] Mr. Legs Contest.

[Woman 4] I don't like mullets, so I have to go with the other one.

Sorry.

[Travis] Go big on food or go big on rides?

[Woman 5] Food.

[Woman 4] Food.

[Woman 2] Food.

[Man 3] Food.

[Woman 3] Maybe the food.

Cause it's just so weird sometimes.

It's so odd.

[Travis] Giant Slide or Ye Olde Mill?

[Woman 5] Giant Slide.

[Child 1] Giant Slide.

[Woman 1] Oh, Giant Slide.

Yes.

[Man 1] Giant Slide.

[Man 3] Do the Giant Slide.

[Woman 3] Ye Olde Mill.

[Travis] Would you rather milk.. [Woman 4] Drive a tractor.

[Woman 1] Milk a cow.

[Man 1] Drive a tractor.

[Man 3] Drive a tractor.

[Woman 3] Tractor sounds easier for some reason.

[Woman 2] Drive a tractor.

[Travis] Concerts or tractor pulls?

[Woman 3] Tractor pulls.

[Man 1] Tractors.

[Man 2] Concerts.

[Woman 4] Concerts.

[Woman 1] Oh, tractor pulls.

[Travis] Livestock barn or art exhibit?

[Man 1] Livestock.

[Woman 1] Livestock barns.

[Man 2] Livestock barn.

[Woman 4] Art exhibits.

[Man 3] Livestock barn.

[Woman 2] Art exhibits.

[Travis] Cow chip throwing or rubber chicken thr.. [Man 2] Cow chip throwing.

[Man 1] Rubber chicken.

[Woman 5] Rubber chicken throwing.

[Travis] Husband calling or hog calling?

[Woman 1] Uh.

Oh.

Husband calling.

Welcome back, everyone.

One of the most lighthearted— and downright adorable— traditions at the fair is the Kids’ Joke Telling Contest.

The stage is small, but the personalities are big and the punchlines?

Well, you’ll see for yourself.

[Girl 1] What school sells ice cream?

Sunday school.

[Boy 1] Why did the pig go to the pharmacy?

So he could get some oinkment.

So he could get cured.

[Producer] So where did you come up with your joke?

And have you ever done this competition before?

[Boy 1] Well, I just thought of my joke one day because I'm like oinkmint.

I just thought oinkmint when I was at the pharmacy.

[Girl 2] Why was Cinderella bad at soccer?

Cause she kept running away from the ball.

[Girl 3] What do you call a sleeping bull?

[Emcee] I don't know.

What?

[Girl 3] A bulldozer.

[Boy 2] So the cow walks into the butcher shop.

The butcher says, “Nice to meat you.” [Boy 3] How did pickles celebrate their Iowa State Fair?

[Emcee] How do they celebrate?

[Boy 3] They relish the moments.

[Girl 4] Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?

Just in case he gets a hole in one.

[Grayson Van Soelen] I have done it before and I really wanted to do it again because it was really fun.

[Boy 4] What is the biggest pencil?

[Emcee] I don't know.

[Boy 4] Pennsylvania.

[Girl 5] Why did the rooster go to KFC?

To see a chicken strip.

[Boy 5] If Santa Claus was a cattle farmer, what would he be called?

A jolly rancher.

[Girl 6] What do you call a bear with no teeth?

A gummy bear.

[Boy 6] Why is there only 239 beans in Irish bean soup?

[Emcee] Gee, I don't know.

Why?

[Boy 6] Because one more would be too farty.

[Boy 7] Knock knock.

[Emcee] Who's there?

[Boy 7] You.

[Emcee] You who?

[Boy 7] Yoo hoo.

Come and catch me if you can.

[Girl 7] What did the mom cow say to the calf?

[Emcee] I don't know.

What?

[Girl 7] It's pasture bedtime.

[Girl 8] Why did the man go to the dentist after he lost a dog?

[Emcee] I don't know.

Why?

[Girl 8] Because he had a loose canine.

[Girl 9] I asked my sister if she was born on a highway and she says, “No, I don't think so.” And I say, “Cause that's where most accidents happen.” [June Jorgensen] It's very fun.

And everybody that's competed in is really nice and I just like to.

[Producer] So do you think you'll ever do this joke or the contest again?

And why?

[June] Yes, I probably will because it is really fun and I have some jokes up my sleeve.

[Yoko] When you see one crane made you are like, “Okay, well, that's pretty.

Maybe I’ll learn it sometime.” When you see 1,800 cranes hanging, that volume will first help you to feel like, “Wow, this is something different.

A lot must have gone into the effort together.” [Narrator] Yamanashi, Japan, Iowa's Japanese sister state recently sent Iowa 1,000 origami cranes as a gift to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the relationship.

In response, the Japanese American Society of Iowa launched the Cranes of Friendship, a project that encouraged Iowans to make 1,000 origami cranes to match Yamanashi's gift.

Workshops were held across the state and they exceeded expectations.

Once the paper cranes were collected and strung together, they were displayed at the 4-H Exhibits Building for people to see and enjoy.

[Yoko Tanaka] 65 years is the longest sister state relationship in the United States.

Good evening.

Konnichiwa.

Japan has the culture of gift giving.

The cranes were always used for happy occasions.

It was a symbol of something happy or something to celebrate.

Best wishes for other people.

The crane was providing an opportunity for people to get together, to be united, to unite people throughout Iowa through sharing something cultural together.

[Class Instructor] It's good if you hold it gently with both of your thumbs.

[Yoko] I teach the same way, but none comes out the same way.

It is fun for me to see how it comes out.

When I string them, first I lay out and see the colors of the paper and I want to make sure that it is balanced and it looks pretty to each other.

They can come back and track, see which tag is theirs, and they can probably see which one was theirs as well.

That's what I can do to help the cranes to shine when it is displayed.

At the beginning, I didn't think that we can just display the cranes at a fair where so many people will have a chance to see the cranes.

I had the opportunity to work with people from 4-H and they were very understanding, supportive, and they kind of took us in under their wings.

Presentation of 1,800 cranes from Iowa plus 1,000 cranes from Japan.

That will be eye catching.

And then people may wonder, what is this about?

And then that will be a great opportunity for us to explain origami and cranes.

And this project can—I am hoping that brings a lot of tiny pieces of happiness.

Behind the Blue Ribbon takes you behind the scenes of the Iowa State Fair, where we meet Eric Campbell and the family behind Campbell’s Concessions.

Fueling fairgoers with their famous corn dogs and lemonade.

[Eric Campbell] Each one of t hese stands have a different name.

This one is Little Train.

This one is Slide.

This one is Bird's Nest.

And then my other ones over there, that's Double Bing Corn Dog in front of the Grandstand.

The tenderloin stand there is on Rock Island.

And we know exactly where they go to the foot pretty much.

I've been doing this since I was born.

I was actually — my birthday is on August 10 — I was four days old when I was here.

So, the fair was a l.. hot dog sticking semi at four days old.

So, I've pretty much been out here my whole life, I guess.

I started in the cafe at nine years old bussing tables.

And I probably worked here for two to three years.

And then I moved to, I think, the hot dog sticking room and then I went to a stand by the time I was thirteen, fourteen.

Busy working?

Or hardly working?

[Woman] Yes.

(laughter) [Eric] Campbell's Concessions basically starte..

It was Little's Concessions back with my great-grandparents, Katie and Phil Little.

If you're related to us, you work.

There's not a lot of option.

Even if you don't think you want to work, you're still working.

We're going to make you work one way or another.

We'll find a spot for you.

All three of my sons, they've only known this.

They've been working since they were little.

They've lived out here.

Nobody gets to just skip over one job just because they're related to Eric Campbell or whatever.

You're going to change grease just like everybody else.

You're going to set the stands up.

You're going to put your sleeves and roll them up just like everybody else.

Working with your family and you normally don't g.. time with them.

Now, do we call it quality time a lot ..

I don't know.

They laugh about it.

You can watch the full Behind the Blue Ribbon documentary anytime at IowaPBS.org It all comes down to this— tomorrow’s the big day!

Here are the young Iowans who advanced in today’s final round on the Riley Stage.

(Music) Be sure to watch the Talent Championships, S.. August 17 at 8pm on Iowa PBS.

Next, it’s one of the most awe-inspiring sights at the fair.

Percherons and Clydesdales are massive horses with a presence that stops people in their tracks.

Let’s go to the Jacobson Exhibition Center and see these gentle giants in action.

[Noah Levy] The Percheron and Clyde shows, we actually show across four days.

We're starting this evening, which is Thursday at..

This year we're really excited because it's the national shows for both of those breeds.

So the Percheron national show is here for the fi.. 2018.

And the Clydesdale national show is still with us, has b.. with us for several years and should be with us for another two to three for sure.

We have exhibitors from all over the country.

It's an interesting balance in that we definitely have some Iowa born and bred hitches that are here, but we also have several long distance hitches, even Canada.

(Music) These breeds, they're impressive, they're amazing.

Just being near one, I mean, gets everybody excited.

It's awesome to be able to have our fairgoers come through these barns, see these horses up close, and get a feel for the animals that built this country.

[Kevin Pelonero] When you see the open six horse hitch, we have the wheel team there steering the wagon.

We have the swing team that's supposed to help the wheel team a little bit.

And then you have the lead team on the front and they guide all of them around.

I look for individual teams working together and then them to look all as one unit.

Equal headsets.

The more motion the better.

And stride for stride.

So each team should be in the same stride as his mate.

(Music) [Stacie Lynch] The National Percheron Show is being brought back to the Iowa State Fair after seven years.

Last time we were here was 2018 for our World Percheron Congress.

And also we were here for the Na.. 2018 as well.

This year it was voted by our board of directors to bring it back to the Iowa State Fair just because of the wonderful environment that's provided to us.

[Kevin] In the Mare Percheron 6, what I generally look for in the mare class is some of the same criteria as in the open, except the mare should be a quality brood mare as well.

She's the next generation.

So I want something with a little more foot, a little more bone.

Soundness is a key role.

[Noah] So if you're looking to identify a Clydesdale versus a Percheron, really what you need to do is look at their feet.

We call it the feathers.

It's the hair around their hooves.

Most of the time it's white, but that's a good indication you're not looking at a Percheron.

A Percheron does not have feathers around their hooves and is mostly dark in color, usually black.

And so whenever you're in doubt, look at the hooves.

And if it has white feathers on it, you're generally looking at a Clydesdale.

There are the breeds that have feathers as well.

But for those a t the fair this weekend, that's your biggest key.

[Kevin] The unicorn classes is a wheel team on the wagon and then one horse in front, spike horse, the unicorn.

It's generally a showier front horse on the unicorn.

It's a little bit challenging to drive, to try to keep them in the center, but it's a fun class to do.

[Stacie] I'm drawn to the Percheron breed because of their kindness.

They're a gentle giant.

Just as you hear over and over again with draft horses.

[Emcee] Your national champions in the Open Unicorn, entry number 147, Blue Ribbon Days.

[Raymond Helmuth] The biggest thing I always want to see is that the horse is willing and able and forward into the hand for the rider.

And sometimes for the younger.. a little challenging because they just don't have the leg strength or the horse takes up a lot of leg and they don't have a very long leg.

Maybe.

I would say m.. classes is to see the effort the rider and the horse are putting in together.

Everything that the rider's asking for, the horse's willingness to give it to him, and that they're just really having a good time together.

(Music) [Tim Westemeyer] We come here every year to the.. State Fair.

There's probably anywhere from 20 to 30 people.

And we'll dance in front of the crowd, the people, and we'll do our polkas, waltzes, and maybe a foxtrot or two.

And then we try to get people involved also, if there's kids out there, we'll go up and ask them if they would like to come out and participate.

It looks complicated.

People always watch our feet as we're dancing, and they think it's really hard.

But if we go through and tell them how to do their steps and everything and then walk them through it, they usually.

We have good luck pretty much with that.

Polka dancing originated in Europe and mainly in the Czech Republic.

Back then it was Czechoslovakia.

And a young Czechoslovakian gal, she come up with a step, and she would do a one and a half step.

It's one step forward, followed by two short steps.

And polka is basically what came about for that.

We're celebrating our 50 years as being a dance club.

It started out in 1976 by a guy named Dwayne Pickleman out of Urbandale, Iowa.

And then they started raising money for charities.

[Jean Helm] We like to dance.

We do ballroom dancing and everything.

But this is our favorite.

The polkas and waltzes are our favorites.

(Music) [Dennis Havran] When you get in your 80s, you j.. sit around.

You got to get up of.. (Music) My dad was Czech, and my mother was German.

[Jean] And I'm Italian, and I grew up in southern Iowa, and we did do polka dances down there and also square dancing and everything.

It's a really good exercise.

(Music) [Tim] I think a lot of it's about heritage.

..

I'm mostly German.

My wife is Czech, and we get along good because of that.

But we dance to our heritage.

The German music is more oompa oompa, you know, with the duba and all that.

And the Czech has got instruments, you know, like band instruments and stuff.

[Craig “Kurt” Boldman] This group here were the New Jolly Germans.

The name actually came from the Old Jolly.

The original Jolly Germans were from New Ulm, Minnesota.

[Saxophone player] One, two, one, two.

(Music) [Kurt] We're a German, what they call Blaskapelle.

Brass band, trombones, flugelhorns, tubas.

Then you have the wood, you have the woods.

You know, they have the clarinets and the saxes.

I love to see the young people become involved, whether they're playing an instrument or dancing.

I think it's important that we teach our kids these social dances.

(Applause) [Paul Yeager] The door is open.

It is time for one of the .. events at the Iowa State Fair.

It is the Sale of Champions.

It's the grand champion.

It's the reserve champion headed to the highest bidder in front of a standing room only crowd.

First into the ring is Klaire Shanks from Colfax with her Grand Champion 4-H Market Steer.

Let's see how she does.

$100,000.

It's Chloe Rogers from Iowa City with your Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Steer.

Chloe's steer goes for $75,000.

That's a new record.

Brock Bowman from Glidden now with the Grand Champion 4-H Market Heifer.

Brock looks on.

$100,000.

That's a new record.

The Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Heifer, owned by Andrew Arkema from Sully.

Sold.

$44,000.

Time to switch gears.

Hollynn Rieck of Creston to the ring now.

This is your Grand Champion 4-H Market Hog.

Bidding.

Bidding.

Sold.

$36,000.

On to Joe Stien from Watkins and his Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Hog.

Sold for $31,000.

Now to the FFA Champions.

This is Grant Petty of Atlantic, and his 4-H Grand Champion FFA Market Hog.

Quite the honor and quite the price.

$40,000.

Now the Reserve Grand Champion FFA Market Hog.

Caleigh Lewis from Center Point storming to a $52,000 sale.

That's another new r.. Market Lambs into the ring now.

Here's Carsen Noonan with her Grand Champion 4-H Market Lamb and a $30,000 sale.

A record.

That's the fourth of this sale.

Lindsey Williams from Mabel, Minnesota, with her Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Lamb.

Looking good there, Lindsey.

$8,000 sale.

Here's Waylen Gemberling from Lohrville and his Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb.

Sold.

$48,000.

That's an all time record sale for this species.

This is Sawyer Morrical from Clarion and her Reserve Grand Champion FFA Market Lamb.

Sawyer looks on as the bidding continues.

$17,000 in that sale.

On to the meat goats.

Brody Moeller is in the ring.

This is his Grand Champion 4-H Meat Goat.

That's a grand price of $22,500.

Kyra Struve and her Grand Champion FFA Meat Goat.

Let's see how she and.

$22,000 sale.

Another new record.

On to the birds.

This is Lillie Lauzon from Guthrie Center with her Grand Champion 4-H Market Broilers.

Great looking birds and great price of $11,500.

Here is the final sale of the day.

Sage Voegele is selling her winning pen of her four Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Broilers.

Sage's sale $6,000.

Great day here for a sale total of $643,000.

Congratulations to all of our winners, bidders and those who benefit from this sale.

It’s been a joy sharing the sights, sounds, and stories of the 2025 Iowa State Fair with you—but the fun doesn’t end here.

The fair lives on online.

To relive your favorite fair moments, head to our website, our YouTube channel, and the PBS App, plus our Facebook and Instagram pages.

We’ll keep the State Fair spirit alive wherever you are, whenever you want.

Thanks again for joining us on this wonderful Iowa State Fair journey.

It’s an honor and a pleasure to be a.. long standing tradition.

For all of us here at Iowa PBS, I’m Bill Riley, we hope you had fun at the fair!

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