2024 Iowa State Fair Parade

[Travis Graven] Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 Iowa State Fair Parade. I'm Travis Graven in for Bill Riley tonight. I'm here with the lovely Charity Nebbe. And Charity, everyone eagerly anticipating the start of this year's Iowa State Fair. The energy around this parade route is fantastic.

[Charity Nebbe] Yes, it's so exciting to be here. Throughout the fair you should know that there are so many ways for you to watch, on YouTube, Facebook, iowapbs.org. And you'll want to be sure to bookmark that page because that's where you'll have access to all six nights of highlights from the Iowa State Fair and of course the talent show, as well. Right now, let's settle in and watch the Iowa State Fair Parade.

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[Travis] And we are kicking off the Iowa State Fair 2024 Parade with the traditional police escort coming to you down Grand Avenue in Des Moines. Starting at the state capitol, making their way through downtown.

[Charity] What a perfect night for a parade.

[Travis] It is gorgeous.

[Charity] I don't think we've ever had weather this good. Not in my tenure with the Iowa State Fair Parade.

[Travis] I am not going to complain.

[Charity] No. It's absolutely gorgeous. The streets are lined with people who are excited about the parade. And again, we have the Color Guard, the Honor Guard coming through with some classic Iowa State Patrol vehicles.

[Travis] Got to love that old, classic, Des Moines police car. Reminds me of the police officer in my hometown. He had lights just like that.

[Charity] Nice. Nice. And of course we've got our mascots Fairfield and Rosetta, the Iowa State Fair mascots. Always leading the parade every year.

[Travis] And we can get to know more about them in our nightly coverage on Wednesday night.

[Charity] The Iowa State Patrol is here with the colors. People are standing as they go past. Of course not only do they lead the parade, but every year along with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Des Moines Police Department, they help provide public safety to attendees at the Iowa State Fair.

[Travis] I was talking to Leo Landis earlier. That motorcycle, an old Kawasaki that the State Patrol has restored,that apparently they experimented with a little bit in the early 1970s. And kind of bringing that back to life.

[Charity] Nice. Often you can get up close and personal with some of these historic vehicles on the fairgrounds. I got to sit in one of the old Iowa State Patrol cars last year. It was pretty interesting.

[Travis] Hopefully not for something you did.

[Charity] I was in the front seat.

(Travis laughs)

[Travis] The State Patrol, of course, instrumental in providing safety and security for fairgoers, in conjunction with the Iowa State Fair Police and the Des Moines Police. So we thank all of them for their long hours and all the work that they put in to make the state fair a success and a safe place for all of us to go and to enjoy.

[Charity] And we do want to say a special thank you to the Iowa Genealogical Society for letting our mobile truck park in their lot again this year for the parade. We have the best seats in the house. They're always so generous to allow us to do that. And IGS is hosting a genealogy workshop series with Iowa PBS coming up this spring. If you're interested in researching your ancestry, watch Iowa PBS for further details about that.

[Travis] And here we've got the parade marshal for this year, Don Hummel. Don is the sheep superintendent on the fairgrounds. He's been serving the fair for 30 years. We had a chance to talk to him briefly before the fair parade started. 

And the governor, Kim Reynolds. The 43rd governor of Iowa, serving in that role since 2017. And her husband Kevin there riding with her on the back of that car. Followed by Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg. 

And the politicians keep coming.

[Charity] Yes, they do.

[Travis] Attorney General Brenna Bird who was elected to that post in 2022. Of course beating incumbent Tom Miller who had served in that role for about four decades. So she's still fairly new in her role as attorney general.

[Charity] And next up we have Mike Naig, Iowa's secretary of agriculture. He assumed the office in 2018.

[Travis] Getting all of the statewide elected officials here. The attorney general, the auditor, the treasurer, the ag secretary. And then we follow that up with Ruth Ann Gaines. Serves in the Iowa House of Representatives. And she represents the 32nd district on the east side of Des Moines.

[Charity] Some more law enforcement vehicles next. Polk County Sheriff's Office coming our way.

[Travis] That's a pretty cool car.

[Charity] A row of vehicles with their lights flashing in a jovial way. Lights flashing in celebration of...

[Travis] That's the way we like to see it.

[Charity] That's right, of the Iowa State Fair Parade.

[Travis] Then the Iowa State Fair Police following behind the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The state fair does have their own police force.

[Charity] We've got all of the law enforcement and politicians at least for now out of the way. And now we have the fair board members, they're blasting some tunes out there. 

♪♪ 

The Iowa State Fair Board consists of the governor, the secretary of agriculture and land stewardship and the president of Iowa State University. Two directors from each of six geographic districts and also secretary and manager and CEO Jeremy Parsons.

[Travis] See Jeremy sitting in the front of the trailer there. All the hard work's done at this point.

[Charity] That's right. That's right.

[Travis] At least that's what we like to think.

[Charity] Sit back, relax. No, I'm sure there's a whole lot that happens over the next week and a half or so.

[Travis] Yeah. The work is never really done I don't think. Jeremy is, I believe, in his second year in that role now.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] And he seems to be enjoying it thoroughly.

[Charity] He's living his dream. This has been his dream job for a very long time. 

All right, now we've got the Iowa State Fair Queen. Kalayna Durr is the 2023 Iowa State Fair Queen from Henry County. Of course she will continue to reign until the 2024 queen is crowned. and right behind her are the candidates.

[Travis] You think there's some jostling going on? I think it's a pretty...

[Charity] They look pretty cordial.

[Travis] A pretty respectful group of young ladies who are very accomplished.

[Charity] We may only have 99 counties, but we have 104 queen candidates because we have a few extra county fairs.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] And of course the Iowa State Fair Queen Coronation will be live streamed Saturday night, 7:00 p.m. on iowapbs.org, Facebook or YouTube. Judging is based on a lot of different things. Based on personality, attitude, leadership, citizenship, and contribution to their communities. There are a lot of really accomplished young people who are part of this court. Of course they're singing just a little bit of Rogers and Hammerstein.

[Travis] I love it.

[Charity] In 1964 the queen was elected by popular vote, and the prize was pretty good. It was an all-expense paid trip to the New York World's Fair and a $100 savings bond. I guess I don't know what queens receive now.

[Travis] I don't know what the prize is.

[Charity] I don't think it's that. That would be very good.

[Travis] Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's not a trip to the World's Fair.

[Charity] Probably an opportunity to do quite a bit of community service and public appearances and put it on your resume and your college application.

[Travis] Now we've got some trucks from the Des Moines Fire Department.

[Charity] Again, some celebratory lights on.

[Travis] And some very subdued sirens.

[Charity] Subdued sirens. I didn't know you could make a siren that soft.

[Travis] Yeah. I hear them go by my apartment downtown very frequently, and they don't sound like that.

[Charity] Not that quiet?

[Travis] They don't sound like that.

[Charity] The whisper sirens. Whisper mode. 

All right. My favorite part of any parade are the marching bands. So here is Southwest Iowa Honor Marching Band, put on by the Southwest Iowa Band Masters Association. So these are students from all kinds of schools in southwest Iowa, and they have to audition for a spot in this band. And I'm guessing that the flag twirlers have to audition for a spot, as well.

[Travis] I would imagine so. Marching band was always one of my favorite things to do.

[Charity] I think it's nice they don't have to wear uniforms when they march in the parade because it's usually very, very hot. 

♪♪ ♪♪

[Charity] They sound great. And look who's coming next, Iowa PBS. Oh my goodness, a double cartwheel. Very impressive.

[Travis] Abby Brown. Always delivering on the cartwheels. And we'll be out at the fair, of course, bring you all the stories and with our usual booth in the Varied Industries Building. Stop by and see us, say hello.

[Charity] Yeah. Please do. I'll be at the booth on Sunday from noon to 2:00. So please, please stop by.

[Travis] Mark that down. Hope it's weather like this, it's going to be a busy day.

[Charity] Absolutely. We've got more royalty here from the State Center Rose Festival.

[Travis] The Rose Festival celebrating the history of the rose garden in State Center.

[Charity] And now, Submarine Veterans of Iowa. And they're pulling -- of course we get to see the veterans and members and their families. But then they always pull a model of USS Iowa SSN 797. It is the 4th U.S. Navy ship to bear Iowa's name, but it's the first submarine to be named after the hawkeye state.

Now we've got dancers.

[Travis] That's one thing the state fair parade delivers on, is dance troops.

[Charity] Absolutely.

[Travis] You can never have too many dance troops.

[Charity] This is Vibe Dance Creations from Des Moines, 65 dancers here. Apparently they've been working on their routine all summer long. We're excited to see it.

[Travis] If I could bottle up a little bit of their energy, I'd be in good shape. And they do that for blocks and blocks and blocks.

[Charity] Yeah. They're just getting started. But again, it's about ten degrees cooler than usual.

[Travis] Now we've got the Schmidt's Family Farmall.

[Charity] That's a good looking tractor.

[Travis] One Farmall pulling a small trailer.

[Charity] Oh, it's not just one Farmall.

[Travis] There's another, yes. The Farmall was first introduced in 1923 and was designed to be tall and narrow so the farmer could see around the engine and avoid plowing plants.

[Charity] Now, if you can't make it to the fair or you can't make it every day, we have you covered. For over 50 years, Iowa PBS has been showcasing the best of the Iowa State Fair. You can tune in each night next week, Monday through Saturday, at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. to see the fair like you won't see it anywhere else right here on Iowa PBS.

[Travis] We've got the central Iowa Model-A Club. You hear the signature horns. Almost a purr.

[Charity] Yes. We see a lot of cars in this parade. This is my favorite collection of cars that we get to see in this parade. And I'm always astonished by how these vehicles have been restored, but also that they continue to run. I mean, I know a lot of work has gone into it. But clearly these machines were built to last.

[Travis] And you see them driving down the highway.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] So (horns honking) that's good. It's good that they've got a beautiful machine that's fully restored but that they can get out and enjoy it. It's not just on display somewhere.

[Charity] Absolutely. Of course, these were the cars that transformed life in America. Coming off of assembly lines and affordable for many, many working families. They cost between $385 and $1,400. Top speed was 65 miles per hour. And the tires popped every couple miles.

[Travis] That's why there's a spare tire on the back of all of them. 

Now coming down the road we have the Des Moines River Valley Antique Tractor and Engine Club of Webster County.

[Charity] Green tractors. We've seen some red tractors. Now we've got some green tractors.

[Travis] We've got to mix it up, represent all of them. That one --

[Charity] says it was rescued from rust. That's right. It's still running.

All right. More dancers, Travis. This is Dance Avenue. 

♪♪ 

Tumbling and dancing. 

♪♪

[Travis] One thing I'm not very good at is dancing.

[Charity] Yeah? Well, a couple years ago I got to do a feature for Iowa PBS on line dancing.

[Travis] I remember that.

[Charity] I got to demonstrate to the state how bad I am at line dancing. I like freestyling a little bit better.

[Travis] Leave it to the professionals.

[Charity] Yes. Oh, I wish I could have.

[Travis] Iowa Optimist District Governor Marge Hopkins of Burlington. Optimists International was established in 1971 to create a more optimistic future for young people through innovative service programs.

[Charity] We see Simpson College. Simpson College, of course, in Indianola.

[Travis] The Storm. And on the back of the truck is Jay Byers, the president of Simpson. Somewhat new in his role there as well.

[Charity] You know, it's not unusual for the Iowa State Fair to try to set world records. Did you know, Travis, that the Iowa State Fair hold the "Guiness Book of World Records" for the largest corn-hole tournament set just a couple years ago in 2022 with more than 700 people. The previous record was held by an organization in San Diego with 444 people. Completely amateurish.

(Travis laughs)

[Travis] I had kind of forgotten about that. I remember now that they did that.

[Charity] All up and down the grand concourse, wasn't it?

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] I'm Sure there's some excellent corn-hole being played. You know, that's become a professional sport.

[Travis] Oh, yeah. ESPN. They cover it like a regular sport.

[Charity] I caught it on television when we were on vacation. I thought wait, what? And some colleges are starting their own teams and scholarships are being offered. It's a whole thing. 

Let's talk about food. Are you -- do you try the new foods at the fair?

[Travis] I had the pleasure of helping judge the -- so there are 84 new foods this year.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] And the fair staff narrowed them down to, I think there were 11 semifinalists. And then we judged those and narrowed it down.

[Charity] And so, you were one of the judges?

[Travis] Yes. I had the pleasure of tasting all 11 of those semifinalists, and then we voted and narrowed it down to the top three that will be voted on by fairgoers as the new fan favorite fair food for this year.

[Charity] Gosh, as a judge, I suppose I can't ask you what your favorite was because you have to -- there's probably a contract that you sign to remain impartial. 

[Travis] I don't want to -- I'm probably going to be partaking in several of those foods at the fair this year. So I don't want to offend anybody ahead of time.

[Charity] Sure, sure. If you wanted to try all 84 of them, it would cost you about $900. And you would have to eat more than seven.

[Travis] Not to mention all of the calories and everything, you know.

[Charity] But you walk so much at the fair. Really fair calories, fair calories don't count.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] This is our 2nd set of bagpipes in the parade today. That's fun. 

♪♪

[Travis] A very difficult instrument to play.

[Charity] And I can't imagine trying to play it on the whole parade route. 

We've got the Daughters of the American Revolution here now, the Iowa society. An all-woman Color Guard with four flags. The U.S. flag, Iowa flag, Betsy Ross' 1776 flag, and the America 250 flag. 

♪♪ 

And of course we've got some cosplay, revolutionary cosplay. That's the proper terminology for that? Right?

[Travis] I believe so.

[Charity] The Daughters of the American Revolution promotes patriotism, preserves American history, and supports education through various programs and activities. And it is a lineage-based organization founded in 1890. So its members need to be descended from individuals who aided in achieving American independence during the Revolutionary War.

[Travis] Excellent organization.

[Charity] Excellent wigs.

[Travis] They brought the costumes for sure.

[Charity] Bonnets, everything you need. 

Des Moines Public Schools. We've got Superintendent Ian Roberts. School board members, representatives from all five Des Moines public high schools. It is Iowa's largest school district.

[Travis] Can you name the five?

[Charity] I cannot. I am not from Des Moines. Travis, can you name the five?

[Travis] Roosevelt, East, Lincoln, Hoover, and North.

[Charity] Good job. And of course Des Moines Central Campus, as well.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] 30,000 students, nearly 5,000 teachers and staff in more than 60 schools. Of course we love our public schools.

[Travis] Alot of students and teachers and support staff. Make it all happen. I would suspect that there are some of those public school students who are going to be doing some work out at the fairgrounds the next week and a half.

[Charity] I am sure. And speaking of Des Moines Public School students, we've got Des Moines East Marching Scarlets.

[Travis] The oldest high school in the Des Moines metro. 

♪♪ ♪♪

[Charity] East High Scarlet's football team and cheerleaders are coming next. Hard to believe that it's almost football season.

[Travis] Eastside pride. They take the state fair very seriously.

[Charity] Yes, they do.

[Travis] Kind of an unofficial East High class reunion of sorts. The first Friday of the state fair every year.

[Charity] Is it unofficial?

[Travis] Well --

(Charity laughs)

[Charity] It seems very official to me. It's east side night. You got to know it.

[Travis] I think it is. I think it's pretty official.

[Charity] There's the football team.

[Travis] They probably have started practice I imagine, or maybe not. Maybe even close I'm sure.

[Charity] I bet they have. Out there do something two-a-days. And again, appreciating the cool weather.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] Now we've got the Central Iowa Mini Club. Mini Cooper owners that reside in central Iowa have all gotten together.

[Travis] There's a club for everything.

[Charity] There is. And there's Waldo. I've been wondering where Waldo was.

(Travis and Charity laugh)

[Travis] Look no further.

[Charity] Absolutely.

[Travis] Not very well hidden.

[Charity] There we go.

[Travis] All different kinds of varieties.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] Styles. Guess I didn't realize there were that many types of Mini Coopers.

[Charity] So as part of our state fair coverage this year, we have asked some questions of fairgoers. So, I'm going to ask you some of these questions. What would be your dream Iowa State Fair food?

[Travis] Oh, boy. That is -- is that something that isn't at the fair already I assume?

[Charity] Yeah, I'm making up these rules. Yep. I've got an answer to this. And I -- you can take this idea and run with it because my family is not going to do it. I've tried to get my family to start this business. We need fried hand pies at the state fair.

[Travis] Oh, yeah.

[Charity] I think fried hand pies would go like gangbusters.

[Travis] They're a big thing now.

[Charity] Yeah, yes. So but I've never had a hand pie at the fair.

[Travis] Now you've mentioned it, so someone probably is going to --

[Charity] I hope so. I'm trying to be the change I want to see here, Travis. All right.

[Travis] What would you like in your hand pie?

[Charity] I mean, I love fruit pies.

[Travis] Okay.

[Charity] Fruit pies are fantastic. So, you know, and they're fried. 

If you could take one animal from the fair home with you, what would it be and why?

[Travis] Oh, I think maybe one of those really gigantic rabbits.

[Charity] Oh yeah? They look very snuggly.

[Travis] Yeah. Seems like that would be -- certainly not the big boar.

[Charity] No, I don't have the facilities for the big boar.

[Travis] And my budget wouldn't allow for the grocery bill.

[Charity] I do think I could squeeze a llama or two into my household.

[Travis] You have a little more space than I do.

[Charity] Let's see. If you could have a superpower, what superpower would make the fair better?

[Travis] Self-cooling.

[Charity] I was going to say the same thing. We won't need it this year.

[Travis] No.

[Charity] There goes Miss Iowa. And Miss Iowa Scholarship Organization, a car caravan of Miss American opportunity titleholders including Miss Iowa and other local titleholders from across the state.

[Travis] Style, service, scholarship, and success. Representing the four points of the Miss America and Miss America's Teen crown. And those two young ladies were -- I guess we've got more than two.

[Charity] We do. We have quite a few.

[Travis] They keep coming. But Miss Iowa and Miss Iowa's Teen will compete for the titles of Miss America and Miss America's Teen in Orlando coming up this winter.

[Charity] Every year Miss America awards more than $5 million in tuition scholarships for young women nationwide, and millions more in-kind through local, state, and national events. And their crowns are on point.

[Travis] Point being.

[Charity] The operative.

[Travis] Yes. Do you suppose they've practiced their waves for the parade?

[Charity] You know what, I think a lot of young people actually practice those waves quite a bit.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] And I never was a princess or a queen or a miss of any kind, but I have been known to do a princess wave.

[Travis] You never know when you might need one.

[Charity] You've probably tried it out.

[Travis] I will admit that I have practiced a wave a time or two, yes.

[Charity] Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist. Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist.

[Travis] Not necessarily a pageant wave, if you will.

[Charity] All right.

[Travis] But just, you know -- there are certain things you need to know what you look like doing.

[Charity] That's right. That is right. That is 100% true. 

So Travis, if you could go to the fair with anybody other than me, who would it be and why?

[Travis] Oh, boy. That is a good question.

[Charity] I think it can be anybody throughout history, living or dead.

[Travis] You know, I think it would be really entertaining to go to the fair with Oprah Winfrey. Because I think --

[Charity] That would be exciting.

[Travis] I would think she would just be, you know, just looking one direction to the next, amazed at everything.

[Charity] Good answer.

[Travis] And might be a little bit shocked and appalled by some of the things.

[Charity] Would it -- I mean, that's part of the fair. 

[Travis] But also that would be somebody who would draw some attention.

[Charity] Oh, you want to be the center of attention. Yeah.

[Travis] You got to make a scene.

[Charity] All right. That's why you've been practicing your wave.

[Travis] That's exactly it.

[Charity] I think honestly I was thinking about my dear departed friend Evelyn Birkby who was part of the Kitchen Clatter radio program at KMA Radio. She wrote a column for 60 years in the Shenandoah newspaper which changed names a couple times. And I met her when she was in her 90s. But I would have loved to be able to the fair with Evelyn Birkby. I think that that would have been a hoot.

[Travis] That's a very, very good choice.

[Charity] And if I could have gone with Evelyn and Oprah, I think that would have been ideal.

[Travis] Well right now we are seeing a whole wide variety of VW vehicles.

[Charity] I just saw a really well-preserved Westfalia go past. I'm so envious of those camper vans. They're so cool. And you just can't get your hands on one.

[Travis] I had a college professor who drove one, and she was an adventurer. She also had a kayak strapped to the top of it.

[Charity] My gosh. Living the dream.

[Travis] Slept in the back end from time to time.

[Charity] In the parking lot of the school? No?

[Travis] Might have. I don't know.

[Charity] Looks like a lot of fun out there. 

(Horn honks)

[Travis] a blast from the past.

[Charity] We talked about the new foods at the fair this year. There are some new events this year, as well. I know that I get to one of them. The Glass Blowing by Hot Glass Academy, which is near First Church. I'm excited about that. I get to do a feature for our fair highlights show. So I get to take you there.

[Travis] We'll all get to go along with you.

[Charity] That's right.  The All-Iowa Fair View Farmers Market next to Grandfather's Barn. So after you eat 3 or 4 fried items, then you can go and get some roughage.

[Travis] Buy a vegetable or two.

[Charity] That's a great idea. Kids can cook demonstrations in the Maytag Family Theater this year. There's a Cowboy Boot Camp north of Little Hands on the Farm. I hope we're doing a feature about that.

[Travis] I wonder what that entails.

[Charity] I don't know. But I need to learn to lasso. It's been on my bucket list.

[Travis] Oh.

[Charity] For a long, long time. Look at that pop-up on that camper. That's awesome. That's so cool.

[Travis] Very well preserved.

[Charity] And more llamas this year. Llama Love, Hooves on Adventure. I'm not sure what that is, but I'm all in. I'm 100% there. And a goat playpen and farmer bullpen. You can meet a farmer in the Animal Learning Center. And oh, my gosh, the Animal Learning Center is my favorite place at the fair.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] Now it's even better.

[Travis] Always something fun and interesting going on there, no matter when you visit throughout the fair.

[Charity] And always something adorable.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] So many cute, cute babies. Speaking of babies, this is one of my favorite bits of fair history.

[Travis] Fair history, yes.

[Charity] Yes. The fair used to have healthiest baby contests. So children were judged by their weight, their appearance, their disposition. A lot like the livestock judging that still goes on today.

[Travis] To think that there was a time when that was acceptable. I don't think we could do that nowadays.

[Charity] No. But in the early 1930s, Roy Halston Frowick was deemed the healthiest city boy at the fair. There must have been a healthiest country boy too. He was a Des Moines native and as an adult his career took off as a hat designer. Jackie Kennedy wore one of her hats to an inauguration. Other celebrities wore his fashions including Elizabeth Taylor, Betty Ford, Lauren Bacall, and Liza Minnelli. That's what the healthiest city boy can do. That's incredible.

[Travis] Maybe we ought to bring that back.

[Charity] We ought to really identify young people with incredible potential.

[Travis] And the Mid-Iowa Trail Riders Association. Serving riders in the Midwest region with their off-road motorcycle club.

[Travis] We've got some Shriners coming our way. The Zag-a-Zig Shrine Altoona. Very, very old organization, the Shriners. Back to 1872. The whole goal of having fun and helping kids.

[Travis] I remember when they used to drive those fun little cars and vehicles in parades.

[Travis] I'm suprised we're not -- we may see some yet. They're up there. They're coming our way. Oh, it looks like there's a spin on that. They've got different -- wait for it. We're getting ahead of ourselves. We're too excited. I've always wondered how long do you have to be a Shriner before you get drive one of those things?

[Travis] I'm sure it's a coveted position within the organization.

[Charity] I'm sure it is. Probably very competitive as well.

[Travis] Boy, I don't know that I've seen these before.

[Charity] No, it's like a giant tricycle or like a big wheel. A motorized big wheel.

[Travis] Just like big kids playing on their big wheels.

[Charity] Absolutely.

[Travis] You want to go join the state fair parade and play around on this big wheel for several blocks through downtown? Sure.

[Charity] I think they're having fun. That's my official take on it. Oh, my goodness. We've got more interesting vehicles coming our way too.

[Travis] And clowns.

[Charity] And clowns.

[Travis] I think you would call those clowns anyway.

[Charity] Yes, I think that's fair. I don't think you're being derogatory. I think when they got dressed for the parade they intended to be clowns.

[Travis] That's what they had in mind? I hope so. I just had a moment there like, "I don't want to be offensive if that's not what they're going for."

[Charity] No, I think you're perfectly safe. Wow. They've really upgraded the Shriner vehicles.

[Travis] They've got big vehicles.

[Charity] Yeah. Will wonders never cease, Travis?

[Travis] I imagine it's work to transport those all around. They do various parades throughout the region.

[Charity] Yeah. Oh, my goodness. They just squealed to a stop and I was envisioning accidents. But no, these are professionals. It's perfectly safe, ladies and gentlemen. Now we've got a calliope. That's great. Shriners bringing their A-game today. 

♪♪

[Travis] Just don't see a calliope on a regular basis anymore.

[Charity] They're not so common anymore. 

I think we had a breakdown.

[Travis] I think we did.

[Charity] Well fortunately there's a tractor with a tow rope ready.

[Travis] They're prepared. Something tells me maybe this has happened before.

[Charity] So there are some big anniversaries at the fair this year.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] The Sky Glider is 50.

[Travis] One of those must-do things at the fair.

[Charity] Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Travis] It's cheap, and you get a great view.

[Charity] And it's hard to imagine the fair without the Sky Glider. Now of course, in my lifetime, your lifetime, there has not been a fair without a Sky Glider. So maybe that's what makes it so hard to imagine. But it's just iconic. Absolutely iconic. The queen contest is 60 this year.

[Travis] I almost thought it might have been older than that. Kind of surprised.

[Charity] Remember earlier we were talking about how in the 1964 it was a popular vote?

[Travis] Oh, yes.

[Charity] That was the first one. That was the inaugural queen contest. And Bacon Buddies is 5. Maybe that's not a big anniversary. Little Hands on the Farm is 20. A whole generation of kids have grown up with Little Hands on the Farm. 

More dancing. 

♪♪

[Travis] MADE Dance Studio. They are committed to providing excellence in dance. Training dancers ages 2 through 18. 

♪♪ 

See any 2-year-olds out there? Pretty young.

[Charity] They're doing great. Oh, there's a 2-year-old on the trailer for sure.

[Travis] It's a long parade walk for a 2-year-old.

[Charity] Next up we have the Iowa Juneteenth Association. Iowa Juneteenth provides education in African American culture and history, the king and queens's's names are Edwin and Kim Jones. Iowa Juneteenth observance has been in existence for 30 years. And of course it recently became a national holiday, and many more people are celebrating Juneteenth and spreading that important history.

[Travis] Learning the history, yes.

[Charity] We were talking earlier about the Animal Learning Center, my favorite place at the fair. So in 2017, as an example year, 5 lambs, 13 calves, 33 goats, 101 piglets, and 172 chicks were born in the Animal Learning Center during the Iowa State Fair. That is why you absolutely have to go to the animal learning center out at the Iowa State Fair.

[Travis] It's integral to the mission of the fair, as well. Connecting people, educating people about food sources and where things come from. For a lot of -- especially city kids, you know, they don't get a chance to be out on a farm. And this might be their one and only exposure to farm animals and that kind of environment.

[Charity] Well, and you've got to go walk through the barns, too. Whatever's there. You know, it's always changing. It's a different group of animals, you know, it's always changing. You get to see the horses. You get to see the cattle. You get to see the llamas and the sheep and the goats.

[Travis] It's always fun seeing the kids, the families that are hanging out, you know, they're there day in and day out.

[Charity] Yep.

[Travis] For the fair, and putting work into getting their animals ready and making sure everything is just right for that competition.

[Charity] Have you ever participated in any fair contests?

[Travis] I have not. I have covered many a contest. You know, the cow chip throwing is one that I don't have a desire to do.

[Charity] And you haven't been trained, so you probably shouldn't just jump into it.

[Travis] I don't think I have quite the pristine legs to do the Mr. Legs contest.

[Charity] Yeah. Your beard is very short.

[Travis] Nope, I covered that one year and I didn't match up to everybody else.

[Charity] The yelling contest seemed like something that you could jump into maybe without a whole lot of practice.

[Travis] That I could do.

[Charity] The mom calling. That might -- maybe you're old for mom calling. Turkey calling, duck calling, husband calling, rooster crowing, chicken calling, hog calling, lots of yelling opportunities at the fair.

[Travis] Uh-huh. All up at Pioneer Hall. And it's always very entertaining.

[Charity] You were talking about cow chip throwing, though. There are some impressive records.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] The men's Iowa State Fair cow chip throwing record was -- is, still stands, at 180 feet. And that has been standing since 1992.

[Travis] That's a long way.

[Charity] Scott Pope set a bar that no one has been able to --

[Travis] I assume that is Scott Pope of WHO, formerly of WHO-TV. I know he used to do that.

[Charity] Yeah? I bet he trained for it. The women's Iowa State Fair cow chip throwing record was set even longer ago, in 1982, by Pam Sufga, 146.7 feet.

[Travis] That's pretty far.

[Charity] I think that's very, very good.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] So is it like throwing a discus? Is there a --

[Travis] there are different methods.

[Charity] Uh-huh.

[Travis] The real key is -- they come out with a box of cow chips. And you have to kind of go pick out your chip. So that's where it starts. You got to  pick the right chips.

[Charity] Okay.

[Travis] Almost like, you know, picking vegetables at the grocery store. You got to kind of feel them around.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] See if they're really hard or soft and how heavy they are.

[Charity] I just need to comment, there are so many great puns for Cy, Cy the cyclone, Cy the Cardinal. Fire Cy'd Pizza. I hadn't seen that one before. I need to add that to my notebook of Cy puns. I'm always looking for those personalized license plates.

[Travis] Oh, yeah.

[Charity] Yes. I just as an aside had to point that out. 

You were giving me some pointers, Travis, on how to participate in the cow chip contest. You pick the right chip.

[Travis] Yep. You got to the pick the right chip. And then, you know, then it's whatever works for you.

[Charity] Okay.

[Travis] You might have a little side arm. You might throw it overhand.

[Charity] All right. Well, I'll think about it. Give it some thought.

[Travis] You'll have to practice.

[Charity] I will. I will. You know, they used to have the rolling pin throwing contest.

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] Of course, now they throw rubber chickens. I think it's funny that it took someone throwing a rolling pin through the windshield of a police car to realize that that contest was super, super dangerous.

[Travis] Yeah. I would have thought it might have hit a person.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] Right? But no, it went through the windshield of the police car, and they were like, "Enough of that. Let's switch to rubber chickens."

[Charity] Got some puppets, El Chato Puppet Show. 

Now MidAmerican Energy marching past. Through the bubbles that came from the puppet show.

[Travis] They of course have the windmill up on the fairgrounds. Always cool to see those up close.

[Charity] Absolutely. The record for the longest beard, since yours doesn't measure up, Travis. Mine doesn't measure up either. I'm not trying to denigrate your beard.

[Travis] I don't want a long beard.

[Charity] Neither do I.

[Travis] Not that I'm trying and not succeeding.

[Charity] But this record is pretty amazing. 39 inches long.

[Travis] That's -- I mean, that's --

[Charity] That's 15 years of growth.

[Travis] Over 3 feet.

[Charity] That's -- wow. And it's still going. It was just over 39 inches last year, who knows? I don't know how quickly those things grow.

[Travis] That's a thing. If you establish, you know, you make your mark as having the longest beard --

[Charity] Right.

[Travis] Unless somebody just hasn't competed, how do you dethrone that person?

[Charity] You could get someone from out of state, a spoiler. But that seems like someone who has committed and deserves to reign as champion for as long as he wants to grow that beard.

[Travis] And collect the $5 and blue ribbon at the fair.

[Charity]  Think of the pride, okay? 

[Travis] That goes on the LinkedIn profile?

[Charity] Absolutely. LinkedIn profile.

So of course we are in a presidential election year, and we've had some pretty incredible visits over the years. You go way back, we've had Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden. Ronald Reagan, of course, used to broadcast from the fair as sports director for WHO Radio in the 1930s. Although I don't think he visited campaigning. I don't think that was a -- I don't know. I mean, it was already a thing. If Jimmy Carter came in '76. What do you think the scene will be like this year? Iowa's not considered to be in play. So, we probably won't see presidential visits.

[Travis] Last year was leading up to caucuses.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] So all of the candidates on the Republican side were there. You never know. It is a place with 100,000 people, give or take, on a daily basis. And if certain presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate wanted to pop in for part of a day and mill around the fairgrounds, it would not shock me.

[Charity] Well, I know the new democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was at the fair last year.

[Travis] He was, yes. We had him on Iowa Press right before he headed to the fairgrounds that day.

[Charity] And he, of course, goes to the Minnesota State Fair every year.

[Travis] We won't talk about that.

[Charity] Speaking of rivalries.

[Travis] Yes. The Central Iowa Tractor Club. Antique John Deere, Oliver, International, Ford, and Allis-Chalmers tractors. The club will have a display and parade on the Grand Concourse at the fair which will be featured in our Friday night highlights show next week. Broad representation for everybody. People are very particular about their tractor brands.

[Charity] Yes, it's true. It's true. We have got more dancers now. Charlee's Elite School of Dance coming our way. 

♪♪

Then we have our Li'l Miss Iowa youth program. 

[Travis] Charlotte Harris and Junior Miss Iowa 2024 Cruz Shipp.

[Charity] Now the Steps of Hope Iowa, remembering loved ones lost to the drug epidemic. On those banners, each banner has 150 people who were lost to substance use in our country. Raising awareness today.

[Travis] Really puts it in perspective to see that many faces upon those banners.

[Charity] I'm sure many of the people with Steps of Hope have been personally affected by this loss as so many Iowans have.

[Travis] Kingdom Living Iowa. A nonprofit --

[Charity] -- addiction resource community. They offer sober living and a program of action and social events. 

And somebody's got a puppy.

[Travis] They know how to woo the crowd.

[Charity] That's right.

We were just talking about the presidential election.

[Travis] The politics at the fair.

[Charity] That's right. The Iowa Democratic Party. First party chair is Rita Hart.

[Travis] The parties always have booths in the Varied Industries Building, and you see a lot of the candidates wandering around the fairgrounds.

[Charity] And of course you can always learn something at the soapbox, no matter what your politics are. It's fascinating to hear what different people who choose to speak at the soapbox have to say.

[Travis] And really this year the congressional races are kind of a marquee races here in Iowa, the four congressional districts. We don't have statewide races, we don't have a senate race. So it's state house races and the four congressional seats.

[Charity] More dancing. AT & Co Dance Studio.

So it will be interesting with the weather forecast, I just need to talk about this. Is this the seventh time I've brought this up, Travis?

[Travis] There's not too many times you can bring it up.

[Charity] The weather forecast this year is crazy. It's so lovely. I have never seen a fair forecast like this. I'm going to say unprecedented. We are living in unprecedented times. We've had a hot, volatile summer so far. But apparently it's just going to be absolutely lovely for at least the first week of the fair. So, go. Go.

[Travis] That might translate into heavily attended days.

[Charity] Yes. So it will be interesting to see if we can set an attendance record this year. The records -- the record. Second Saturday of 2022, 128,298 people at the fair.

[Travis] That's a lot.

[Charity] Yes. That's larger than the city of Davenport. All on the fairgrounds, all at once. And how many funnel cakes that day I wonder. So many.

[Travis] Funnel cakes and corn dogs.

[Charity] Yep. 

[Travis] And lemonades.

[Charity] The Iowa Jeep Club is coming our way now. And the Korn Patch Klowns just went by, and they're working the crowds. So we may see a clown or two along with some Jeeps.

[Travis] The Iowa Jeep Club is based out of Ames. And they're not Jeep exclusive. They accept all four-by-four vehicles for membership.

[Charity] So, we were talking about how many corndogs. 1.6 corn dogs are sold every second at the Iowa State Fair. 1.6 corn dogs per second.

[Travis] That's a lot. This is probably blasphemy on this broadcast, but I've never been a big fan of corn dogs.

[Charity] Are you kidding me?

[Travis] I love corn bread.

[Charity] What is not to love about a corn dog?

[Travis] I'm just not a fan of hotdogs.

[Charity] All right.

[Travis] A couple years ago I tried a rattlesnake corn dog because it was a new item. And it actually tasted pretty good. It was almost like a brat. Like a sausage.

[Charity] Okay. All right.

[Travis] That was better than a hotdog in my mind.

[Charity] Well, you know, the thing is if you don't love corn dogs, it's okay because there are so many other fried foods. Many of them on sticks. So you don't have to be exclusive to the corn dog.

[Charity] What is your -- is a corn dog your go-to thing?

[Travis] Oh, no. I'll tell you, I'm not sure if I should say. Should I say what my favorite fair treat is? It's a classic, Bauder's peppermint ice cream sandwich is my favorite fair treat. 

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] That is my must have every year. 

We've got the Polk County Republicans now coming our way.

[Travis] My favorite fair food has been a grinder.

[Charity] Okay.

[Travis] Now the stand that I used to go to is not there anymore unfortunately. But there's one place you can get them on the fairgrounds.

[Charity] So it's a -- a thing that I didn't know until I started going to the fair with Iowa PBS is that for people who go early in the morning, there are some sort of off-menu items that you can get for breakfast at various places.

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] And I know that I haven't gone early enough in the morning regularly enough to have a favorite. But I know that members of the crew have their breakfast places. That's just a little bit of the fair that you don't get to see unless you have some sort of behind-the-scenes connection.

[Travis] Yes.

[Charity] Which is fun. And of course, there are so many things going on in the fair. There are hundreds of people who have behind-the-scenes connections.

[Travis] There are people throughout the night and early morning hours. Yeah, they've got to get their day started. Or end their day with breakfast.

[Charity] I do try to sample various things during the fair. So I try to try some of the new things. But I have a sweet tooth. Speaking of sweet tooth, we've got the Iowa Honey Producers. Little honey lemonade is a wonderful thing to get when you're at the fair. We got some honey-related royalty here. The Iowa Honey Queen.

[Travis] I've always wanted to get in one of those suits and do that.

[Charity] My husband and I dabbled in beekeeping briefly. It's pretty interesting. It's a lot of work.

[Travis] I can imagine.

[Charity] But the results are worth it. Keeping those smokers going. 

Food Bank of Iowa next. Doing some great work. Providing food support to 700 partners in 55 counties in Iowa.

[Travis] And they've been really, really busy in the last year or two. So, unfortunately, a lot of need out there. 

Well, we all have tried and true snacks that complete our state fair experience. We've talked about a few of them. But each year I can't wait to try new foods. There are 84 of them. This year's list is as yummy as ever. And I don't know about you, but if someone asked me it step on a scale at the state fair so they could announce my weight over a loud speaker, I would probably run the other direction.

[Charity] Yep.

[Travis] Not something that I want or need out there. But the big animals at the fair are proud to take home awards for being heavy. Tune in for those features and more on Monday night's state fair highlights program at 9:00, only on statewide Iowa PBS. 

We've got more dancers coming. DMI Dance Force. They're getting people pumped up.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] 250 dancers.

[Charity] My goodness.

[Travis] This is their 19th state fair parade. Pros.

[Charity] Nice. Got some good moves out there, too.

So many.

[Travis] They keep coming. And coming and coming.

[Charity] That's great.

[Travis] How long do you think it would take you to walk all 450 acres on the Iowa State Fairgrounds?

[Charity] I'm positive I've done it in a day before.

[Travis] I don't know.

[Charity] I could be wrong.

[Travis] I don't know, I'm not sure how this is calculated.

[Charity] I know that there was one day I was at the fair, I was wearing a FitBit back then, and had over 25,000 steps. 

[Travis] But it would take a long time. 5,400 minutes supposedly.

[Charity] Wow. All right.

[Travis] I wonder if that literally means like going back and forth over every inch of the grounds.

[Charity] I don't know. I don't know. But I did -- there was one year that they did state fair 5k during the fair. Like there had been a state fair 5k outside of fair time, and I don't know what the status is of the state fair 5k now. I ran that one year during the fair. Boy, that hill -- those hills. You know? It's --

[Travis] It's surprising. 

[Charity] It's surprising.

[Travis] You forget about them.

[Charity] Yeah. We got to that really terrible hill that, you know, we got to run down that. But we had to run up through the campground. It was neat to run on the campground, but that was all uphill.

[Travis] Always going uphill.

[Charity] All of it. Absolutely. 100%. It's hilly.

[Travis] We had a chance to talk to Mindy Williamson before the parade began. Mindy's the marketing director at the fair. And she talked to us about some of the new, exciting things that you might catch at this year's fair.

[Abby Brown] Mindy Williamson is the marketing director for the Iowa State Fair, and I'm always so excited to hear from you particularly. What are you most excited about?

[Mindy] I'm really excited about all the free things we have this year. We sort of doubled up all that free entertainment. So there's more kids activities, we have two live shows on the Jacobson lawn. We have a Cowboy Boot Camp, we have Kids Can Cook. We have more strolling acts this year. So all that sort of fun, free, family entertainment is doubled this year.

[Travis] That is fantastic. So as we're walking around the fair, what's new to see and look at?

[Mindy] Cowboy Boot Camp is brand new. It's up by Little Hands on the Farm. So Little Hands' 20th year for that, if you've been through that, pop over to Cowboy Boot Camp. It's like gold panning and things like that. Kids Can Cook is new. Also we have lots of fairgoer comforts. So more picnic tables, more shade, more and better restrooms. So all the things that make the fair comfortable.

[Abby] Fantastic to hear. Now I know there's something for every single person at the fair. Tell me exactly what that looks like in numbers.

[Mindy] So we love numbers at the fair. You know, we're like 1.1 million people come to the fair. But we have about 3,000 activities over 11 days. So that's why our daily program is like multiple pages of information. So we have about 58,000 exhibitors who come in for those livestock shows and other things. So you can see their projects on display. You can try those zany, crazy contests if you want to. So there's pretty much, you're exactly right, something for everyone.

[Charity] We know you love watching the fair on Iowa PBS, and we know that some of you spend so much time at the fairgrounds that you miss our nightly coverage. But you don't have to miss it. You can watch all the fair fun anytime, anywhere. Check iowapbs.org/fair, the Facebook page, the YouTube channel and PBS app on all of your smart devices. And of course you can tell all of your out-of-state friends and family that they don't have to miss the Iowa State Fair either. The 2024 Iowa State Fair, anytime, anywhere only with statewide Iowa PBS. 

[Travis] And we know that there are people from out of state who get their state fair fix with Iowa PBS.

[Charity] Absolutely.

(Horns honking)

[Travis] I think these trucks are trying to outdo you.

[Charity] Yes. We've got the National American Miss Queens now. A pageant with a goal to grow confidence and teach real-world skills. 2024 National American Miss Iowa State Fair Queens, Kelsey Style, Landry McKinney, Hadley McKinney, Vanessa Koelling, Norah Lipovac, and Kaylea Anderson. More crowns, more sparkly dresses. More waving. 

[Travis] It would be fun -- going back to the state fair queen, wouldn't that be a fun job to have during the fair?

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] To be the queen? They get to go be part of so many events and activities. And be so involved all across the fairgrounds.

[Charity] I will confess, Travis, that I actually prefer to work at the fair as opposed to just go as a civilian to the fair because, you know, working for Iowa PBS, I have license to ask anybody any question. And I just -- I love that experience. I love getting just a little bit on the inside at the fair. It's a whole lot of fun. Of course I feel like everybody's so open and friendly at the fair that even if you didn't have a microphone you really could ask anybody anything. Just do it politely.

[Travis] Indeed.

[Charity] They're probably willing to share.

[Travis] A lot of very talkative people. Happy to have a conversation.

[Charity] Yeah. So you know, over the years I was talking about how if you go early in the morning to the fair, there are different things that you can experience. One year I got to cover the grilling competition.

[Travis] Oh, they start really early for that.

[Charity] My goodness. Some of them had been there since 1:00 in the morning. They have a rule that you can't go before 1:00 in the morning. But that was so interesting. Talk about a great time to be able to just ask anybody any question.

[Travis] Oh, and they love to talk about their craft and artistry, if you will.

[Charity] My goodness. They have so much. So much to say about what they do. And it's so interesting -- the variation. Some people come with a pretty simple setup, and they want to tell you about the kind of wood chips they use in their little smoker. Then, you know, other people come with like a $50,000 barbecue rig. We mentioned of course the Iowa State Fair queens, and earlier we spoke with the 2023 Iowa State Fair queen. Let's find out what she had to say. 

[Abby Brown] Kalayna Durr is fair queen from 2023. You've been busy for a whole year now. Tell me what you've been up to.

[Kalayna] Yes. This year I have had the opportunity to travel to nearly every corner of the state visiting fairs and going to events, meeting fair queens, fair board members, people from the community. It's been an amazing experience.

[Abby] So your reign is going to round out here this week. What does that mean to you?

[Kalayna] Yes. So this year has just been amazing. You know, obviously meeting everybody and making my own mark on the program. You know, really getting the word of agriculture out there and the importance of it. And making it known that you don't have to be the one to wear dresses and heels 24/7. You can be the girl in the barn and showing cattle and sheep 24/7, you know? So it's just been amazing getting to get that message out there and kind of trying to make my own mark and own image on the fair queen experience, as well. So it's definitely a bittersweet feeling to hand down the crown, but I can't wait to see what the new girl gets to do with it.

[Charity] And of course we will show the crowning of the Iowa State Fair queen. You can find all this coverage that we're doing at IowaPBS.org. You don't have to miss a moment.

[Travis] No.

[Charity] We've got some tricked out vehicles here. Rollers Only. Midwest Invasion. Car club founded in 1988, an international family with chapters throughout the world. Low riders are lowered within inches of the pavement. Driven as rolling work of art.

[Travis] Sometimes you see some of these vehicles driving around town and you wonder how in the world they managed to get from point a to point b without dragging over a curb or a bump or something.

[Charity] We were talking about some new things at the fair. They're also moving things around. So, there's a new location for the chainsaw carvers. They are moving to Expo Hill. And the Art Fair will move to the Cultural Center courtyard. So you want to visit all of it. I love the Cultural Center. That's another one of my favorite spots at the fair. Always something interesting. And people just like -- their skills are so incredible. And talk about people who are more than willing to answer your questions. You can always learn something. I love the wood turners and the ceramics, all of it.

[Travis] You get to see things that you don't necessarily see for often in other places. Like the massive doll houses and -- you know, some of the other types of art and wordworking and things that really takes a lot of skill, like you say. But just don't see it on a daily basis. It's great that they are able to display their work there and everybody take it in and enjoy it. 

Sober Soldierz fosters and facilitates meaningful connections between struggling veterans with compassion, authenticity, and grit. Another organization doing very important work.

[Charity] You can't go to the fair without seeing the butter cow. I think that's maybe the compulsory thing at the fair. Don't you think?

[Travis] I would say that's probably the one attraction that stands above everything else that people say, "I have to see that while I'm there."

[Charity] Yes. Now sometimes I don't stand in line.

[Travis] No, there's no need to stand in line.

[Charity] You can just stand on the other side of the line and look over people's heads.

[Travis] Never stand in line. You don't need to be right up next to the glass window. You can see just fine from three or four feet back.

[Charity] That's also my feeling. 

[Travis] I think we're helping people out.

[Charity] That's right.

[Travis] Tips.

[Charity] You get your free egg, and you go and look over people's heads. You stand if line for the egg.

[Travis] Oh, yeah. But again, I think that's something that a lot of people do, that's on their to-do list is get that free egg.

[Charity] Absolutely. Now another great part of the Iowa State Fair is witnessing the incredible talent of young Iowans. It seems like every year the competition gets better and better. And of course you can see it in person if you're at the fair, but if you can't make it to the Bill Riley stage, you can watch the 2024 Iowa State Fair Talent Championship on Sunday, August 18, at 8:00 p.m. right here on Iowa PBS. And you're going to be spending a lot of time at the talent show this year.

[Travis] I will be there for the talent show several days. Yes.

[Charity] That's fantastic.

[Travis] And the championships. So excited about that.

[Charity] Yeah. It will be fun to see you as part of that, Travis.

[Travis] That's another thing that -- I'm always amazed every year at the wide range of talent.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] You know, it's not just vocalists, not just certain types of dancing. Sometimes you see people doing things or playing an instrument that like -- oh.

[Charity] I think this a fun fact that people know, but it bears repeating that the butter cow is not just melted down or tossed away at the end of the fair. That butter is frozen and stored and can be reused for up to ten years.

[Travis] And I have heard on good authority that after a while it does have a certain smell.

[Charity] Really? This is shocking. Shocking to learn. I'm shocked to learn it.

[Travis] So bravo to Sarah Pratt for being holed up in that refrigerated case for days on end.

[Charity] Right.

[Travis] Creating the butter cow and sculpture.

[Charity] The whole sculpture is always incredible to see. And it's always fun to see what special sculptures are created every year. The first butter cow was at the fair in 1911. So this is a very old tradition. But the tradition of sculpting butter goes back further than 1911. A woman named Carolyn Schott Brooks was an artist who became famous for sculpting butter. In those days before refrigeration, transporting, exhibiting, and preserving her work was incredibly challenging. She created her work in a flat, metallic, milk pan, and then set it in larger pans of ice. And where do you get the ice? Where did the ice even come from? Had to be harvested in the winter and stored -- you have to be committed, absolutely committed.

[Travis] Earlier in the parade we saw Don Hummel who is this year's parade marshal. Don is the sheep superintendent at the fair. Been serving the fair for over 30 years, and we had a chance to catch up with him before the parade.

[Abby Brown] Don Hummel is this year's Iowa State Fair parade grand marshal. So Don, what led to that distinction?

[Don] I had worked several years for other superintendents there, and when Tom Corey ran for Secretary of Agriculture he called me and asked if I would do it.

[Abby] Okay, you have a rich and strong and long history at the fair. How many years is this?

[Don] This is 31 years for me as superintendent.

[Abby] Okay. It doesn't start here. I know you do work at home, too. Where is home, what do you do there?

[Don] Home is Elk Horn, Iowa, and I substitute teach now. I retired from Iowa State University. I kind of like working with kids. So I get back to it that way.

[Travis] What an honor to be tapped grand marshal of the state fair parade. 

Libertarian Party of Iowa. That checks off all of our state political parties for the parade.

[Charity] We were talking earlier about how calories don't count at the fair which is mostly true. But in 2017, do you remember the pork almighty?

[Travis] I don't.

[Charity] I don't either. But it had the highest calorie count -- 1,800 calories. It was a 32-ounce soft drink with a bowl on top filled with fries, pulled pork, queso, and barbecue sauce, and it weighed 4 pounds.

[Travis] Oh. Imagine walking around the fair after consuming that. You know, I thought -- and I don't know what the calorie count is, but I frequently have been told that the turkey leg is high in calories.

[Charity] Yeah?

[Travis] You would think that it's Turkey and it should be good for you.

[Charity] So, I was wrong earlier. I got ahead of myself. Now we've got the low riders. The rollers only. Some of these cars are dancing in front of us here. Think of the hydraulics necessary for this kind of action. That's incredible.

[Travis] Want to go look inside and see what kind of control panel they have.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] Oh, boy. That Cadillac is doing a number.

[Charity] You know, I think about all the things that can break down on my car. And then you add in this hydraulic system.

[Travis] Imagine you get in that position and you -- you're stuck. 

[Charity] I can think of a lot of driveways you can't get in. That's pretty fun. They're having a great time. Oh, my goodness, wow.

[Travis] Obviously something they enjoy and a fun hobby.

[Charity] Absolutely. And so much creativity, you know. It's an art. 

[Travis] They're conversation pieces.

[Charity] They are definitely conversation pieces.

[Travis] People love to talk about their cars from old to new. They're not cheap, though. A lot of money invested in these.

[Charity] Absolutely. Although the thing -- this would be more fun to see them if the sun had already gone down because they've got interesting lights on a lot of them as well.

[Travis] Yeah.

[Charity] I wonder how many garages we have in Iowa that do this kind of work.

[Travis] I bet more than we might imagine.

[Charity] I think so. I would guess that you're right.

[Travis] Oh, my goodness.

[Charity] Oh, dear. Wow. One wheel off the ground. All the way down the road. Impressive. 

I was talking about fairgrounds early in the morning which that's an interesting time of day to be there. I don't tend to stay late. But I know that for a lot of people nighttime is the time at the Iowa State Fair.

[Travis] And if you have the -- you know, like me, I don't live too far from the fairgrounds really. And so doesn't take long to get there. And actually if you go at 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening on like a Tuesday or Wednesday, that's a pretty good time to be at the fair, as well.

[Charity] Things kind of clear out a little bit.

[Travis] Yeah. 

You can visit the Iowa PBS booth in the Varied Industries building. Step into the shows we produce and air on Iowa PBS with photo opportunities for the whole family, including a tribute to our larger than life red companion, Clifford the Big Red Dog. It wouldn't be Iowa PBS booth at the fair without Clifford the Big Red Dog. And we'll have foldable fans to give away each day. You don't go wrong with a fan giveaway at the Iowa State Fair. One of the most coveted things.

[Charity] It's true. Talk about technology that has improved over the years. In my early days at the fair, you were lucky if you got a piece of cardboard stuck on a big tongue depressor. Right? And you do still see a few of those. 

[Travis] It does the trick.

[Charity] Foldable fans, wow. Just wow.

[Travis] They last a little longer.

[Charity] They do.

[Travis] Do you go to any grandstand shows at the fair?

[Charity] I don't. I'm such an early to bed person. I'm so deeply committed to it.

[Travis] A couple of the first concerts I ever went to were grandstand shows at the Iowa State Fair. Back in my country music days.

[Charity] Yeah.

[Travis] Vince Gill and Pam Tillis and George strait.

[Charity] Nice. 

[Travis] That tells you how long ago that's been.

[Charity] Although not necessarily. Because you know, sometimes some older acts do show up.

[Travis] Yeah, they come back.

[Charity] But no, so many really extraordinary musicians have been there over the years. A whole lot of fun. I do often catch the free shows.

[Travis] That's a big draw for a lot of people. They do have really good free entertainment time. A variety of stages.

[Charity] Absolutely. But yeah, I do like home and in bed no later than 10:00.

[Travis] That's why you're an early morning state fairgoer.

[Charity] I suppose if you did live close enough to the fairgrounds, you can go in the morning, enjoy that early morning time, and then take a nap. And then you can get back when the party's really hopping.

[Travis] Iowa PBS is always trying to bring you more ways to get involved with our Iowa State Fair coverage. Like us on Facebook for live coverage of the action, and follow us on Twitter, now X, for up-to-the-minute updates. We're also on Instagram and Snapchat. Giving you a behind-the-scenes look and some extra fair fun. So follow us on all of those social media platforms for your favorite, for a little extra state fair coverage.

[Charity] It's fun to look down the street, see the skyline here in Des Moines and the sun is getting low. Here we've got Zachary Freedom, singer-songwriter.

♪♪ ♪♪

[Charity] Got a cornfield on this truck.

[Travis] And a massive drone. Look at that. That does some very important field work.

[Charity] I'm sure that it does. Precision agriculture.

[Travis] Farming is a very sophisticated thing these days.

[Charity] It is.

[Truck Loudspeaker] Shout out to PBS.

(Cheers)

[Travis] We got a little shout out.

[Charity] Yeah. From Landus Farmer Owned Cooperative.

Did you know that you can also be a part of Iowa PBS' online state fair coverage? You can share your favorite fair photos at IowaPBS.org/fair, or if you post to our public gallery your photo could be featured for all fair fans to enjoy. 

And here comes my favorite part of the parade, Travis. Escaramuza Amazonas del Bajio. 100 years ago women of the Mexican revolution performed prebattle maneuvers on horseback, kicking up clouds of dust to give cover to military counterparts in combat. And these women came to be called carmuzas which loosly translates to skirmishishers. And this tradition has turned into something so beautiful. I know that the people who train and ride these horses put a whole lot of effort into what they do.

[Travis] They make it look easy. But we all know it's not.

[Charity] And I love the costumes.

[Travis] Uh-huh. Lots of color. And you can't have a parade without horses. Not in my opinion.

[Charity] I always think it's a little bit of a shame that it comes so late in the parade. But I understand why.

[Travis] Yeah. For the sake of all of those dance troupes.

[Charity] Absolutely. Got some Dia de los Muertos make-up on young people in a trailer.

[Travis] Look at those dresses.

[Charity] Yep.

[Travis] And always good music.

[Charity] Yeah. 

♪♪ ♪♪

[Travis] And we can see on the screen there it's Escarmuza Flor de Alcatraz. An all-female side-saddle drill team. 

♪♪ 

We'll see them again in a moment. We're seeing a lot of pageantry here. Different elements coming together.

[Travis] They've got a lot going on. And the ladies on the horses are accompanied by males charros carrying the U.S., Iowa, and Mexico flags. Still coming down the street behind them.

[Travis] And Iowa PBS is covering the Charros' performance at the fair. You can see it in our highlights program on Tuesday night. Four shows are free at the Iowa State Fair this year.

[Travis] That is a big deal.

[Charity] That's awesome.

[Travis] I've tried to go to horse shows before and didn't realize you had to pay for them. I think a lot of people will be pleased that they can pop in and watch a horse show.

[Charity] This horse is beautiful. It's a dancing horse.

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] There is the flags they were talking about.

[Travis] Boy, they have -- look at that horse in the middle. Dark hair and all the gold accents.

[Charity] Yeah. This is why you stay until the very, very end of the parade. Because the best is yet to come. And see, I was talking about how I want to learn to lasso. These young people are so far ahead of me with their lassoing skills. Maybe they could give me some lessons.

[Travis] Now, is there something particular that you are looking to lasso?

[Charity] I'd be happy with a fence post. You know, maybe I need to think this all through and make a more solid plan.

[Travis] Yeah. Some of those little guys, they've got it mastered.

[Charity] Yeah. Great. Awesome. 

♪♪ ♪♪

[Travis] And there's more. 

♪♪

Group of Iowa women sharing their love of horses. And of course promoting their Mexican heritage through female driven team horsemanship.

[Charity] Riding into the sunset in downtown Des Moines. Wow. These horses are so skilled. Just imagine the kind of training that goes into that.

[Travis] I've only ridden a horse a couple times.

[Charity] And did you do it side saddle while the horse was dancing?

[Travis] No. I certainly did not.

[Charity] Something to add to your bucket list, as well. Once I master lassoing, you can work on that.

[Travis] Okay. That sounds like a deal.

[Charity] It's so wonderful to see so many of these groups celebrating their Mexican heritage. Iowa is an increasingly diverse state and it's really beautiful to see these expressions of pride and different cultures. Our diversity makes us stronger.

[Travis] Uh-huh.

[Charity] What a gorgeous night for a parade. It has been such a joy to be here tonight for the Iowa State Fair Parade.

[Travis] Gets me excited for the fair.

[Charity] I am very excited for the fair. Travis, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

[Travis] Thank you for having me.

[Charity] Thank you so much for watching. You can find a great deal more at IowaPBS.org, and you can watch on Facebook and YouTube. We hope to see you at the fair.

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