Fair 2024 – Tuesday, August 13

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(Music)

Welcome back to another evening of great Iowa State Fair highlights on Iowa PBS. I’m Paul Yeager in for Bill Riley.

It’s that time of year - when the population at the Iowa State Fairgrounds explodes to a level that most days exceeds the population of Davenport - Iowa’s 3rd largest city.

It’s also part of the fair’s mission to offer opportunities for individual growth to all involved. In tonight’s show we’ll see that happen in a number of ways.

like when we meet young people serving the fair as attendants and ushers. We experience the storied Mexican tradition of charreria and we’ll see literal growth in the pumpkin field.

Tonight we'll get started with an annual food competition that’s so big, they don’t just call it a contest, they call it the Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge. Some bakers have been trying for years, even decades to win it.

[Blair Ryan] We're here at the Elwell Family Food Center where the sweet smell of cinnamon is filling the air. Let's go check out the Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge where taste and texture take center stage. 

Good afternoon everybody. Welcome to the Great Cinnamon Roll Challenge of 2024. I'm Chuck Offenberger. 

[Jamie Buelt] Well it's very exciting and everybody always asks me, "Do you make cinnamon rolls?" and I'm like, "I do not." But I love cinnamon rolls and there used to be this iconic contest at the Iowa State Fair that was sponsored by Tones and that went away and there hadn't really been one for awhile and so I decided that it needed to come back. So last year it came back and then this year it's back with more than twice the money we had last year. 

[Blair] Well I was going to say, it's back with some force behind it because there are so many entries.

[Jamie] There are, there are. there's I was just told it's 80 or 90. 

[Blair] What goes into to a great cinnamon roll? Makes it not just good but great? 

[Jamie] It is about the dough. It's about the layers and how they're structured. The cinnamon, of course, you don't want a roll that doesn't have a lot of cinnamon in it. And just a good frosting. Not over-the-top frosting. A frosting that really is going to complement all that work you've done on the bread. And all that work you've done to put those wonderful delicious layers together.

[Judge 1] Mmmm, excellent dough flavor. Good filling to dough ratio. They've got a good browning but without drying out the dough. They did very well on that. Lovely aroma. Beautiful to look at. Caramel is hard to do because if the ratio isn't right with the cream and the sugar it can get almost hard in the pan. It's a trickier roll to make because the caramel can get too hard or it can make the roll too soft. To execute a caramel roll is very impressive. 

[Blair] Are you going to be judging and consuming all of the tasty treats today? 

[Jamie] I might a snuckin, as they say, as I walk through and then in the overall Chuck and I will go back and we'll taste all of the top rolls. So yes. 

[Chuck] First place in specialty rolls, Marianne Carlson from Jefferson. 

[Blair] How exciting. Tell us what you have won.

[Marianne Carlson] I entered the big cinnamon roll contest and I won 1st overall in the specialty cinnamon roll class. Then I got second overall in the whole contest with these rolls. And then I entered the frosted cinnamon roll contest and I got 4th overall with that. 

[Jamie] It's an art making a great cinnamon roll.

[Woman 1] How would I summarize Art Attack? Just happiness. It's a great place to come up here and relax. Parents come up and sit back and the kids can have a nice time. The kids make a great souvenir of the fair. 

[Kristie Ortiz] Every year I try and look for at least one or two different things that we've never done before. This year I'm going to have some small mirrors and set up a table and the kids can do their self-portraits. And see how those turn out. I think that'll be kind of a fun thing to do. 

[Stephany Yeakey-Hill] That's probably my biggest thrill is listening to screaming kids come in and then just walk away just thrilled to death. They weren't happy when they came and then they get in here and start doing stuff and they become very quiet and happy and joyous. I love hearing that.

(Music)

[Stephanie Jessen] Art Works is a collaboration of volunteers that have gotten together and created a experience of artists, of all art, and all abilities. This year the fair asked if we could move up to the Cultural Center so we could put all the arts under one roof. All 11 days we have performances, entertainment, art activities, spin art, movement, dance, interactive theater. 

We have an artivle similar to a carnival where we have balloon animals, puppet making, sock puppets, and butterfly making. All for 1 to 3 tickets. Tickets are only $1. Affordable family fun. We believe that there is the opportunity for the arts in everyone. We believe in the power of the arts and we know that arts are for all.

(Music)

[Gabrielle Spain] I love to see people's expressions when they see the artwork. I mean, that's another reason why I do it, is to bring enjoyment to others. I enjoy it and I love to see other people find enjoyment in the art. And then maybe encourage them. Whether they be adult or children, encourage them to try out the arts and experiment with it.

This is the Art Fair at the state fair. What sets us apart, makes us different from all other artists and all other vendors, is the fact that we're teaching art. We have demos. Please look at your programs because every day there's one to two demos that each artist has two hours to teach their craft. If they're interactive, you actually get to sit down and practice the art you get taught how to do it. 

That's not just during the 2-hour demo. The entire time we're here, the whole idea is for people to be able to come up meet Iowa artists and be able to learn about that artwork and how to do it, ask any questions about it, and that's what set us apart. We're more about the teaching and the enticing and the encouragement and the uplifting of the art itself.  

(Tires crunching across gravel)

I am a pit loader operator for Wendling Quaries, doing about 5,000, 6,000 ton a day.

You're Davis County Sheriff Dave Davis. 

[Dave Davis] Yep. 

You ever forget your name? 

[Dave] No and nobody else does. But I think every sheriff in the state of Iowa knows me. There goes my phone. 

I work at MacKay Mitchell Envelope Company here in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I've been an employee there — well when I retire here, 43 years 6 months. 

[Dave Miller] You meet people all over the place that go, "I know you don't I?" and I'm like, "No." "Yeah you're the guy that won the state fair, aren't you?" and it's like, "Oh yeah." 

I would sooner take anything to the state fair than any other show. 

[Dan Boelman] I am the only professional poison ivy plant remover in the state of Iowa. I kind of have an interesting side hustle. I am a giant pumpkin grower. I've been growing these giant pumpkins since 1994. I've gotten 1st place at the Iowa State Fair. 2017. One can look up a particular seed. You have all the past genetics. You can look up the progeny of this pumpkin. Pumpkins that were grown from that particular seed, most growers will share seeds with you for free. It all starts with one of these, as opposed to like a pie pumpkin or a jack-o-latern pumpkin. These Atlantic giant seeds are bigger, they're thicker and it's quite a process to germinate them. 

[Pete Caspers] These plants are ready to go outside. It starts with the weight and then it goes with the grower's last name and the year. The state record is 2,424 pound Caspers 22. That one, I hope I'm the one to beat it. It did take us a long time to get to 1,800 in state of Iowa. 

This is one type of microryza. It'll carry all the nutrients. Once I get that dusting the roots will make contact with that after I water. The plant's going to go opposite of the first true leaf. For the state fair, since we're picking them early, I'm just hoping I can get it to about 1,500 pounds. 

[Producer] In a week and a half it could look like this?

[Marty Schnicker] Yes, that quick. As a growing community everybody's always trying to help you. Every year I still do this because everybody loves giant pumpkins. Everybody here wants to go and see what Marty did at the state fair. 

These Atlantic Giants, that's going to actually have a little baby pumpkin on it. Once the sun gets a little sunlight on them they pop open and take the male blossom and just open it up. You can see it just covered in pollen. We beat the bees anyways. Once I get it pollinated, I'll just take one of these guys' tendril off the plant and...

It's just a matter of pollinating and see who's going to take. But it looks good right now. It's really taking off nicely. This will be my state fair one. It's off to the races. 

[Dave Davis] One thing that we try and do is vine-bearing. It's supposed to make them roots just go everywhere. More of that you got, more water more nutrients you got. So try and push that pumpkin. 

I'm just like a little kid at Christmas time and I know my little granddaughter, she's getting excited seeing these things grow for the state fair. 

You need to have an inch, inch and a half a week at least, on these plants and that's probably over 900 gallon for 1,000 square feet. 

The heaviest I've grown was 1,235 pounds. I won the state fair back in 2015.

There's nothing that grows as fast as them. I mean, they're just totally amazing. 

Measuring every 5 days really helps motivation and then you go out there and it's like, "Ooh, you did better than I thought." 

It's all experimental. We're all trying to find the newest thing, the newest way to make these things do what they do. you get those genetics in it to get the next magic seed to grow the next world record, Everybody's got a shot.

[Paul] Be sure to join us on Thursday night to see how the great pumpkin growers did at the state fair contest. 

Pioneer Hall has been a lot of things since it was built in 1886 - a poultry building, an employee dormitory and a storage facility. These days it serves as a portal to the past; a place for fairgoers to experience the old way of doing things. 

(Music)

Hi, I'm Barry Groh. I'm from Ankeny, Iowa. Working at the Print Shop and Pioneer Museum at the Iowa State Fair. 

If you want to just roll that back that' be great thank you 

You're welcome. 

I grew up in the printing business so I have kind of a passion for this. I've been doing it for two years and I enjoy showing people about the old printing. I think it's really really important that people learn about that. 

This is an old hand press. It's about 160 years old. Civil War type of thing. At that time when each town had a newspaper, they would hand set individual letters to create the front page of their newspaper. And it took a long time to be able to do that. Once they got that done they would put ink on it, put paper on it, put the the pad for even pressure over the top of it. If you think about if you're if you lived in a community with 500 subscribers you had to do that 500 times. Then when you were all done with the 500 times you had to take all your individual letters, put them back in the drawer and then reset for the back side of that page. So very very time consuming. 

This puts the pressure on it. 

Okay. 

[Keith Ahrens] Vintage printing is amazing. It's kind of a dying culture. Everything's digital nowadays. Not a lot of things are mechanical much anymore. It's interesting to kind of see how the the mechanics of it all works. I think keeping the history of it alive is really important. 

[Barry] We have some great equipment here. We're trying to get more and more of it working so that we can we can show different things every year. There's always a lot of interesting things that go on in the newspaper. When I was growing up and I got started in this very early because my dad came back from the World War II and he bought a newspaper in Thornton, Iowa. So when I was born I became cheap labor. One time I was I was working and I was sweeping floors and dad said, "Hey come over here." He said, "I just got some perfumed ink." And I go, "Oh let me smell it." And he brings it up and I had a black nose for like 3 days. 

[Crystal Holmes] I like the older stuff. Like all the history. It's nice, you know? It's like where we all came from and how everything has changed over the years. 

[Keith] My grandmother married uh a Tribal Indian, an author, Tim Diago. He was a tribal newspaper leader in South Dakota. They wrote for anybody really, but mostly for any of the Indians in in South Dakota. My grandmother has always been in media. 

[Barry] Printing has always been important. It's changed the world. Changed our country and that's why I have a passion for this.

[Abby Brown] The Charros and Escaramuza are performing at the Elwell Family Park and it is a beautiful display of Mexican culture.

(Music)

[Juan Pina] We have the two of the drill team for the girls, which is called Escaramuza. That's a female part of this Mexican sport, which is huge in Mexico. And it's huge in the states, too. I think it's in 19 states already in the in the United States. 

[Abby] Okay.

[Juan] So we have the honor to be here today. Thank you to the Iowa State Fair for having us. Give us the opportunity to show you some of our culture and roots. We see some of the dancing horses for Mister Macedo. And the Charros. Charros is the only Mexican sport for Mexico. We have a young Charros, first generation of Charros born in Iowa. We started this about 17-18 years ago with one team or two. Now it's 8 teams in the Des Moines area. We're really proud to to see that growing so much and see those kids getting the passion for this, because this is really a big passion to do this. 

(Music)

[Indalecio Macedo] This one, it's a Friesian horse. He's a 6 year old. We do Alta Escuela with him, which is a high school training. It's elements of dressage, which is a passage,  piaffe and throws.

(Horse neighs)

Yes. And a Spanish walk. 

[Abby] Is that when he's picking his feet up super high? 

[Indalecio] That's right. Spanish walk. 

[Abby] Okay. And what are some of the other movements that he's performing?

[Indalecio] He did a little bit of passage and piaffe and Spanish walk and throws.

[Abby] And what's your job when you're riding? Do you tell him what to do?

[Indalecio] Of course. This is body language more than pushing him to do things. My body is telling him to do it a little bit. So he has been very sensitive on his back, same as the rein. So when I move a little bit with my hand and with my body, he understands right away what I want.

[Abby] So, yes, you're a great team.

[Indalecio] Yes. Thank you.

(Crowd cheering)

(Music)

[Abby] So tell me about the Escaramusas.

[Cynthia Pina] Escaramusa is a Mexican traditional sport. We ride side saddle, so you are controlling your horse with the rein and your one leg. You're not using both legs like a man that uses both legs to control their horse.

(Music)

[Abby] Tell me more about the family tradition of it.

[Adriana Soto] We're trying to create, you know, bring our roots from where we're from, so that even though they're born here, they know where we came from. And then they grow with that roots and they can teach generation by generation. And that's why we get involved in one way with the kids so that they can develop this and they can keep the traditions.

(Music)

Awesome, is this your first time? 

Yes.

All right, Caden and Stella here will take care of you. 

My name is Noah Altenhofen. I'm one of the grandstand usher superintendents. We are in charge of roughly 150 high schoolers from all across the state of Iowa. Our main jobs are to make sure they're safe, they're taken care of and they have an understanding of what their roles are here as ushers and free stage attendants. 

My name is Ally Blanchfield and I am one of the co-superintendents for the FFA ushering program at the Iowa State Fair. FFA ushers and then along came free stage attendants after that. We have been at the Iowa State Fair and working since 1950. So 2025 will be the 75th anniversary of FFA members working in this capacity at the Iowa State Fair.  

They've done a variety of things over the years but our main jobs now are to work at the Grandstand shows each night of the fair. And then also work at the gates to hand out programs. 

[Noah] Ushering at the state fair, I think there's no other place like it on the earth. Because you're up here for 11 days with people from all across the state, all different backgrounds, all different interests. And you don't have those clicks or niche things that happen in school where you have cool kids, popular kids, nerdy kids. At the state fair none of that stuff matters. You have a beautiful chance to spend time together with people from all across the state. 

[Caden Roe] Being an FFA usher at the fair is, I'd say, a life experience, game changing. And it just kind of builds you up as a person with your confidence. And kind of gets you out there. A lot of FFA kids come from smaller towns so when they come to the big state fair with multiple different people. It kind of brings them out their shell. They find their voice. They find their dominance. It kind of helps them for their future life successes. 

[Woman 2] One thing I want to mention is that this is a job. Okay? And this job is a privilege. It is not a right. You did apply for this program and you were accepted into this program, and there were people that were not accepted. Okay? 

[Ally] We used to have over 300 applications back when I was an usher. I was an usher from 2014 to 2017. But now we have right around 200 so we still have to turn a few kids away. 

[Noah] Honestly, the best thing to make a good usher is someone who's willing to get out of their comfort zone. And it doesn't matter if they're a shy kid whose comfort zone is talking to a new person for the first time or someone who's more outgoing and their comfort zone might actually be how to manage large groups. Both sets of those people and everyone in between can make a great usher.

This is an usher shirt. These are our shirts that we wear while we are doing our professional duties at the fair. 

[Noah] Every usher will be in a yellow t-shirt. So a lot of people acknowledge that that is a person of importance. 

The sea of gold is something that a lot of people have probably seen. 

[Ushers] We are the ushers! We are the ushers!

A lot of people do clap and holler and say woo. 

[Caden] My most favorite part is when we're walking down to the Grandstand. We walk down the hill and we all march and sing our little chant. I just think that's just kind of cool, when everyone steps off to the side like we're important people. That's pretty cool.

Ushers are typically the first faces that people see when they come in. We encourage kids — and our job is — to go up to people and talk to them. Ask, "Hey, do you need help with your seat? Can I help you find a bathroom? Can I help you find whatever?" 

It shows people that we are there to help them and that they're able to come talk to us if they need help. 

[Caden] If we were just a regular high schooler were to walk up, people would probably be like, "Get out of my way." But when we put on that yellow shirt you know people know what we're there to do. They know we're there to help. Like we have a little bit more authority and they kind of stay clear. I feel like their personality changes when they're talking to a usher compared just to a regular high school kid. The shirt definitely changes the perspective people have on you.

[Stella Sayers] Being in FFA usher at the fair is just one of the most incredible experiences that I have ever gotten myself personally. You just meet so many good people that you didn't know were out there. And it builds you as a person. The leadership skills and everything like that. So I would just say it is a very incredible experience.

[Paul] State Fair time is the perfect opportunity to show off your talents. And folks just like you take part every day. Let’s check out the results.

Harmonica — Adult Division

• 1st Place - Craig Mackaman, Ankeny 
• 2nd Place - Chris Myers, Boone and K.P., Runnells
• 3rd Place - Carol, Des Moines

Harmonic — Youth Division

• 1st Place - Gus Major, Des Moines 

Piano Playing — Adult Division

• 1st Place - Jason McNeely,Knoxville 
• 2nd Place - Fr. Kevin Emge, Grinnell and Ty Stephany, Broken Arrow, OK

Piano Playing — Youth Division

• 1st Place - Charles Smith, Ottumwa 
• 2nd Place - Addie McNeely, Knoxville 
• 3rd Place - Carlee Smith, Laurel

Accordion — Keyboard Division

• 1st Place - Brett Feuring, Carson 
• 2nd Place - Patrick McFall, Papillion, NE
• 3rd Place - Trudy Scott, Cedar Rapids

Accordion — Button Division

• 1st Place - Patrick McFall, Papillion, NE

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — 3 Pound Pro-Stock

• 1st Place — Jeff Netcott
• 2nd Place — Rob Hendrich
• 3rd Place — Steve Jones
• 4th Place — Jim Adams
• 5th Place — Frank Andrews

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — Pound Pro-Stock

• 1st Place — Brad Romer
• 2nd Place — Jim Adams
• 3rd Place — Jared Dodge
• 4th Place — Rob Hiendrich
• 5th Place — Brad Romer

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — 2 WD

• 1st Place — Jim Adams
• 2nd Place — Terry Corey
• 3rd Place — Bill Vote
• 4th Place — Kevin Keech
• 5th Place — Frank Andrews

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — 5 Pound Super Stock

• 1st Place — Jim Adams
• 2nd Place — Brad Romer
• 3rd Place — Kevin Keech
• 4th Place — Kevin Keech
• 5th Place — Ross McGrew

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — 4x4

• 1st Place — Mike Corey
• 2nd Place — Terry Corey
• 3rd Place — Gretchen Corey
• 4th Place — Frank Andrews
• 5th Place — Gretchen Corey

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — Unlimited

• 1st Place — Mike Corey
• 2nd Place — Terry Corey
• 3rd Place — Terry Corey
• 4th Place — Jim Adams
• 5th Place — Brad Hiendrich

Micro-Mini Tractor Pull — Semi

• 1st Place — Brad Romer
• 2nd Place — Terry Corey
• 3rd Place — Rob Hiendrich
• 4th Place — Jim Adams
• 5th Place — Duane Newman

It’s time for a very short break but when we come back ...

We'll check out some of the creative activities happening in the  Cultural Center. We’ll meet some folks who are passionate about Iowa products and we’ll revel in the royal tradition that is the State Fair Queen Contest.

So stick around for more state fair fun on Iowa PBS.

[Abby Brown] What superpower would you want at the fair? If you could have one? 

[Child 1] I probably want flying so that I could see everything at once. 

[Abby] Graham, if you had a superpower at the fair, what would it be? 

[Graham] Teleport. 

[Abby] Ooh. Where would you go? If you could teleport? 

[Graham] To get a corn dog. 

[Abby] Finn, if you could have a superpower at the fair, what would it be? 

[Finn] To run faster and then go to the slide and slide down it. Super fast. 

[Child 2] Hmmm... teleportation. 

[Abby] Ooh. Why would you teleport? 

[Boy 1] So I can go to places really fast. Like if I want to go somewhere, I could just go. 

[Abby] If you could have one superpower that would make the fair super fun, what would it be? 

[Child 3] Teleport. 

[Abby] Yep. 

[Child 4] Fly. Because I wouldn't have to walk at all. 

[Abby] Same. 

[Child 5] I wish I could fly. 

[Abby] Why would you want to fly? 

[Child 5]
I could see all the rides in the whole atmosphere. 

[Child 6] Mmmm ... Flying. Super speed. Super shake. 

[Paul] Welcome back, everyone, to our second night of Fair 2024. Over the decades, thousands of young women have sought the coveted title Queen of the Iowa State Fair.

The contest is celebrating its 60th anniversary - so before we introduce you to the 104 contestants who are competing for the crown this year, we'll take a moment to reminisce.

[Woman 3] I'm sure we shouldn't keep them in suspense any longer. The queen is Karen Kleen from Humboldt County.

[Emcee 1] And it's a pleasure now for me to introduce the queen from Mills County, Lisa Ann Plumb. The queen, Mills County.

[Emcee 2] Cherokee County, Lindzy Jones. 

[Emcee 3] Emily Cline, Muscatine County.

[Emcee 4] Abby Menke. 

[Janet Holt Trentmann] They had to say my name two or three times because I didn't believe it. I don't want to step out and make a fool of myself. And finally I thought, I think that is my name. And then I saw my parents in the audience, my mother waving. Oh, it must be me. 

[Emcee 5] Jacqueline Ehrlich.

[Jacqueline Ehrlich] It's been such a surreal feeling. I'm still kind of in shock from Saturday night. I'm so honored and excited to represent this Iowa State Fair. 

[Narrator] In the long history of the Iowa State Fair, queen contests have come and gone. In 1922, for example, more than 6000 young women entered the queen competition, likely attracted by the prize of $1,000 in gold. And in 1964, the queen was elected by popular vote of the fairgoers. 

[Janet] Leadership, poise, being able to talk, for one thing. And do they present themselves well, 

I'm Patty Dobson. I'm from Grand Junction, Iowa, and I'm representing Greene County. I'll be a senior at East Greene High School, and I plan to go on and become an architect. 

[Janet] I was queen 54 years ago. I was in charge of it for 13 years, and I was a judge for a couple of years. It's hard to choose the state fair queen. It's extremely difficult because the more you get to know the gals, the more you realize that each one has something special about them. And it's a very difficult job for the judges. 

[Emcee 6] Brenda Johnson, Polk County. 

[Emcee 7] And to Mary Ann Fox and Mary Ann Fox's family. Your lives have changed tonight. I can promise you that. 

[Narrator] Following coronation, the queens keep up a busy schedule of interviews and public appearances. 

[Man 1] Lisa, one of the duties of the fair queen is to answer dumb questions from the media. 

[Emcee 8] Will you walk down the Runway one more time to receive the applause of your subjects? 

[Narrator] Because representing the fair is an experience only a select group of women share. A queen's reign coming to an end is also a new beginning.

[Kalayna Durr] So after you hand down your crown as state fair queen, you get referred to as the vintage queen. So it's just amazing getting to be part of a group of women that support each other no matter what. My advice for the 2024 state fair queen is to just be yourself. There's nobody better to be than your true and authentic self. Stick to your beliefs and what you believe in and make your own mark.

[Paul] And now, let's head over to the Riley Stage for the coronation of the 60th Iowa State Fair Queen.

[Hailey Swan] We are so excited for all of you to get to meet these wonderful county fair queens. Today we have represented, 79 members of 4-H, 77 members of FFA with a combined GPA of 3.69. How about it, Iowa?

As a former Iowa State Fair queen of 2018, I am absolutely honored to still get to be a part of this long standing tradition. Getting to see each year a new set of county fair queens, wonderfully representing Iowa, is truly a treasure.

[Amanda Cook] So there are 104 county fair queens this year. Some of the counties actually have more than one county fair, like Black Hawk, for example. They have two county fairs in their county. So that's how we end up with 104, even though there's only 99 counties. 

[Jerry Parkin] Well, should we head over and start introducing the queens? 

[Hailey] I say let's do it. 

[Kalayna] They are definitely nervous. I for sure was last year. I know the whole week can be very stressful, but yet so amazing. And I'm sure a lot of them are very tired.

(Music)

The first award we're going to present tonight is the Alumni Award in honor of Julie Wolterman. And this year's winner is Marley Larson from Marion County.

Your Personality Plus goes to. Libby Trewin, Franklin County.

And your outstanding leadership goes to Olivia Hanson from Benton County.

And your 3rd runner up is Jada Litterer from Floyd County.

Our 2nd runner up is from Sac County, Nora Pickhinke.

And your 1st runner up goes to Lauren Long from Appanoose County.

Our 2024 Iowa State Fair queen. And she comes from south central Iowa representing Clarke County, Elli Blackford.

[Elli Blackford] There's just so much excitement, so much emotion. As you can see, it's truly a little girl's dream being fulfilled. There's just a so — such a surreal moment and so much family and friends. And these girls are just the absolute greatest. So I'm from Weldon, Iowa, in Clarke County. My parents are Ty and Dee Blackford, and I couldn't be more thankful for them. 

[Producer] What are you gonna do next? 

[Elli] I think we have got a lot of packing, but before I head home, I'm going to get a pickle dog for sure. 

[Paul] The Riley Stage was the place to be for talent today! Here are the performers advancing. Nice job everyone.

Sprouts Semifinalists

• Piano Solo — Marianne Rose Scott, 11, Johnston
• Lyrical Dance Solo — Lucy Smid, 9, Des Moines
• Bull Whip Demonstration — Luke Justice, 11, Urbandale
• Jazz Dance Solo — Aria Lane, 12, Mount Pleasant
• Piano — Ryker Stock, 13, Urbandale

Senior Semifinalists

• Contemporary Dance Solo — Jordan Formaro, 17, Des Moines
• Lyrical/Contemporary Dance Solo — Ava Kloppe, 15, Cumming
• Dance Solo — Emma Strayer, 14, Davenport
• Vocal Solo — Maggie Kaup, 17, Grinnell

Don’t forget, we’ll bring you the Talent Championships here on Iowa PBS Sunday, August 18 at 8pm. 

[Paul] It takes strong and steady hands to harness the power of a chainsaw; The carvers are in a new location this year on Expo Hill - and it’s fascinating to watch.

(Chain saws buzzing)

[Gary Keenan] I love carving, so if I get into my zone, I love doing that. I'm going to carve a sitting pig. With the Iowa fairs, we always include some livestock. 

And when the pandemic started and the fairs were canceled, I'm thinking, "Oh, my God, I'm going to be unemployed because fairs are a significant part of my income." But then when the Iowa State Fair was supposed to be going on four years ago and the derecho hit, my phone and my email just blew up. 

(Chain saws buzzing)

The emerald ash borer is killing ash tree after ash tree after ash tree. And I get a call virtually every day on an ash tree. 

(Chain saws buzzing)

Well, in carving standing tree trunks, they are mostly commissions with what the customer would like. Animals are the most popular subjects. 

(Music)

All my adult life, I appreciated art, but especially sculpture. And I look at sculpture and I'd say, "What's the big deal? I know I could do that. That wouldn't be hard to do." And it turns out it's called aphantasia. You're born with it. To see in your mind that subject relatively clearly and then transfer that into the wood. That negative sculpture aspect depends heavily on me. 

(Music)

Got two college degrees. I'm grateful for that. I love doing that this though. I think I was born to work with my hands and be creative. I haven't had an art class since 9th grade.

[Paul] The FFA Market Swine Show brings out the best animals in the top pork producing state in the country. Let's meet three of the competitors. 

Hi, my name is Tommy Janssen. I'm 18 years old. I'm from Wellsburg, Iowa, and I am showing some crossbred barrows at the state fair this year. 

[Paul] What's special about being in the ring? 

[Tommy] It's just kind of an exhilarating feeling. I mean, you're out there competing, you've done all this hard work, and now you're just trying to show your best project. 

[Paul] Each animal is different. What is the characteristics of this one? 

[Tommy] This one is just definitely the stoutest one that we have. I mean, he's the one that is definitely super big chested, and with those features, he's gonna go a long ways. 

[Paul] Tommy, you just came out with a purple ribbon. What's that mean to you? 

[Tommy] Yeah, it's pretty cool feeling. All this hard work that I put in through the summer and spring to actually have some success at the state fair. It's a pretty cool feeling. 

[Paul] You're going to college to be a livestock judge. So what do you look for in a judge, and what is it you want to do as a livestock judge? 

[Tommy] I'm going to Lakeland to be on the judging team, and I think it's going to be a cool experience. But for me, I think, definitely stay consistent with what you pick, especially when you're judging. And just be fair to everybody, and you'll go a long ways. 

I'm Tate Linton. I am 22 years old from Hinton, Iowa, and I exhibited the champion division one crossbred barrow at the Iowa State Fair. 

[Paul] What's that mean to you to say that? 

[Tate] It's a lot. It's a good feeling. It's about 6 or 7 months of just straight headaches, so it means a lot when you come here and get it done. 

[Paul] And what's the name of your pig? 

[Tate] Nasty Nate.

[Paul] Nasty has a sign here that says, "don't touch." He bites. Is that accurate? 

[Tate] Yeah. I was tired of everybody coming and petting him because he kept getting up. So I figured I'd put up a sign to leave him alone. 

[Paul] You admit it, you're an old guy here. Does age have a little something to do with your poise in the ring? 

[Tate] Yeah. You know, once you get a taste of this. You just want to keep coming back and coming back, and you want to do better and better. So it's hard for me to give it up. 

[Paul] Do you enjoy competition? 

[Tate] Oh, yeah. We got a pretty high strung competition family. 

[Paul] You had some really good reactions with people after the win. What did that mean? To have people coming up like you just won an Olympic gold or something? 

[Tate] It's exciting. Like I said, it's 6, 7 months of you just busting every day trying to get everything looking right, and you come here and anything can happen within a week. So we're pretty excited. 

[Paul] What are you thinking about when you're in the ring? 

[Tate] Don't mess up. Don't get my edges, do my figure eights, and make them look the best I can. 

I'm Sadie Fredricks. I'm 20 years old from Indianola, Iowa, and I'm showing a crossbred market barrow today. 

[Paul] Just one? What's that like? 

[Sadie] Just one. So we just won our class 2, division 2. So we have to go back in for the division drive and see where we go from there. 

[Paul] I think you said work needs to be done, but nobody's ever happy with everything. You got to be happy with what just happened, though. 

[Sadie] Yeah, I'm definitely happy with winning my class, but I want to keep winning, so we just got to make sure we can keep playing today. 

[Paul] And you've shown at the fair before? 

[Sadie] Yep. I've been shown at the state fair for several years now. 

[Paul] What makes a successful show? 

[Sadie] Just the hard work you put in at home. It's really what you do behind the scenes. 

[Paul] Do you know when the judge looks at you or doesn't look at you? That's a key that you may have just won?

[Sadie] Well, it kind of depends. Sometimes they're looking at you, but they're going to place you low. Sometimes they're looking at you and they're going to place you high. So you really never know what's going on inside their head. 

(Music)

[Melissa Doty] We're at the Iowa State Fair at the first inaugural farmers market.

[Linda Brewer] The first day of the fair, and it 70 degrees and sunny, it's beautiful. We're near the campground, so when people come in and out during their day to go to their campers, it's an opportunity for them to buy produce. There'll be different vendors on different days here throughout the fair, from 9 to 7. People seem very appreciative to the idea of having a farmers market and for those people who have come and planned to stay the whole two weeks, the opportunity to buy some meat or something for a snack or for a lunch, it's a great opportunity. And then I'm sure they didn't bring enough produce to last for two weeks, so it's a good chance for them to buy some produce and to help out the kids that have the garden. 

[Emma Lihs] We've had the opportunity to grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruits of all sorts. Being able to come full circle watching people buy our produce after we've picked it. And it's a fulfilling feeling to be able to say that, "Yes, I put in the hard work during plant science class." And all of our proceeds and leftover produce goes to the Food Bank of Iowa. Such a wonderful way for us to be active in our community. 

[Melissa] People are excited to get local produce. They obviously have grocery stores around, but they actually get to meet with the farmer and know exactly where their product came from. I would say our favorite thing about the farmers market is just educating all of our customers on what we do, what it takes to get it from our farm to the table. 

[Daryl Doty] You know, the state fair is obviously, people are here having a good time, and they love the state fair. People are excited. They're happy to be here. And it's just fun as a fun environment to talk to people. 

[Linda] We give samples of our product, and that's a real opportunity — that people taste it and see what the quality is and what it tastes like before they purchase something. And it kind of opens the door to talking to them about where they live and what kind of things they would be interested in buying. And those things are great opportunities for us to tell our story.

(Music)

They have the wine experience now. And then we've got a new establishment, Bubbly. And then we have a Parlo Pizza. 

[Ron Dunker] We're camping at the Iowa State Fair, and so we were walking down and saw the new addition to the fair, which is the farmers market. The vendors were very engaged and talking about their product. Spending time with the people of Iowa, but also just getting together with your family, just enjoying each other.

[Paul] And that wraps up our coverage for tonight. We’ll be back with you tomorrow night and for the rest of the week. In the meantime, we’ve got State Fair fun ready for you whenever you want it.

We’re celebrating fairs past and present on our website, our YouTube channel and the PBS app, as well as our Facebook and Instagram pages. There are several ways you can engage with us about our beloved state fair ...anytime, and anywhere. Check it out.

Back at the studio they’re already working hard on tomorrow night’s show. And we’ve got some fair fan favorites in store for you.

We’ll indulge in the sweet sounds and outstanding talent at the Fiddlers’ Contest. Then we’ll celebrate the accomplishments of the FFA in the Parade of Champions. And of course, no collection of state fair traditions would be complete without the butter cow.

The fair offers us a chance to come together to celebrate our achievements like only Iowans can. And it’s such a thrill for us to bring it all to you. 

We can’t wait to see you again tomorrow night for more highlights from the amazing, the incredible, the glorious Iowa State Fair. Right here on Iowa PBS.

Until then, I’m Paul Yeager in for Bill Riley. Have fun at the fair!