>>> Funding for Fair 2021 is brought to you by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, and by -- >> Since 1911 EMC Insurance has partnered with local independent insurance agents to provide protection to our customers.

Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, EMC now serves policy holders through 20 locations around the country.

Count on EMC.

>>> Caring for pigs is not just an individual job.

It truly does take a village to put a safe, healthy food on your table and keep farming sustainable.

>>> Investing in a College Savings Iowa 529 account can give your future scholars financial support to pursue their educational dreams.

They grow up fast.

Learn more about planning for their tomorrow at CollegeSavingsIowa.com.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >>> Hi, folks, I'm Bill Riley and we're here at the State Fair again to gather as much of the goings on as possible in order to bring you another full hour of entertainment.

And, man, we've got an eclectic mix of stories to share.

A world-class group of musicians combine their talents and styles into an extraordinary concert.

It's Andy William and the Nebraska All stars.

We'll also showcase the micromini tractor pull and the cookout contest.

We've got home grillers bringing their best flavors to the Grand Concourse.

There's always something interesting going on at the Iowa State Fair and if you duck into the cultural center, you can take in the sights of some fascinating photography.

>> Every year when I come to the fair, one of the things I have to see is the photography salon.

The talent of your friends and neighbors runs deep and it's all on display here at the cultural center.

>> The photo salon is the competition where a photographer can enter up to four photos.

But they have to be from separate classes.

And I get asked every year, how do I get my photo in the fair?

And I always tell them, the key to a great photo is that it tells a story.

As you walk the exhibit this year, each of the 773 photos on display reveals their story to you.

>> There were more than 2,000 photos entered in this year's contest.

Of those, just a third of them are on display here at the fair and only 1 in 10 earned a ribbon.

It's a pretty big honor.

>> It's pretty stiff competition.

A lot of photographers like it that way.

It challenges them to be better year after year after year.

Next year's theme for on the road, the subject of the photo must be the road.

But it shouldn't just be the road.

It should be other things around the road, what drove you there, show us the world like we've never seen it before.

Normally we do print out a photo catalog book every year, but due to circumstances and everything from the last year, we decided to do it virtually.

That way, even the people who can't make the fair this year can go to the State Fair website and they can find it under the competition on the State Fair website and they can download the book and they can also see the first and second.

They have all the award winners listed as well.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> Because the way the judging happens, the judges don't really get to ponder over a photograph for a long time.

So it's got to have an immediate impact, okay?

So one of my first rules is, don't make the judge think.

It's got to be an emotional impact.

Boom, wow, look at this.

I wish I had shot that.

Fill the frame.

Make the subject obvious.

High contrast and don't make the judge think are my four rules.

I have a few more.

But those are the main ones that I like -- and those have served me well.

>>> This is 4H market swine show is a big deal.

It's such a big show, the top 800, standing room only to see the best of the best and sorting them is not an easy task.

♪♪ >> This will be one of the bigger fairs I've ever judged.

Some of the shows in Texas that I've done are similar from a size perspective.

But 1431 pigs in the show is one of the largest.

600 one day, 800 the next.

It will keep my feet tired and my mind busy.

>> This judge, who has done shows in 35 states, has a tall task ahead.

But he's up to the challenge and he's seen a good product so far.

>> So the first year we were off because of the pandemic, there was a lot more competition.

Kids had the opportunity to go outside and spend time with their family with their projects and do a lot more livestock stuff.

The depth was a lot deeper last year.

This year, the ability to go back and play sports and do other outside activities has showed the people that got very intense with this sport and this project got even better.

The kids that are at home or leaving here and want to get better, whether you were 10th or 3rd, when I started, showmanship was my only thing.

I had to watch and get better.

Paying attention and listening to those judges, finding a mentor, were all things I did to get better.

It took me from when I was 9 and getting seventh in class at the State Fair to my very last year to winning the State Fair of making progress every year.

So sounds corny, but never give up and find a team, find mentors that are going to help you get better.

♪♪ [ Cheers and Applause ] >> The biggest thing that I've noticed is there's been people who stayed home and felt sorry for themselves or felt like they were limited and people who dug deep, got better at what they were doing.

The fruits of their labor have shown, for sure.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> We are the national micromini tractor puller's association.

We're 1/16th scale pulling.

Everything is scaled down from the big tractor, down to 1/16th.

We pull seven different classes.

We run five-pound superstock, six-pound four-wheel drive.

The six-pound hot rod class, we'll pull 500 to 600 pounds.

We have a weight transfer sled.

Weight goes up as you go down the track until you get to the full track.

We steer them with this plastic box, you're allowed to keep them going straight but you're not allowed to keep them from flipping over.

There are a lot of guys who are fighting for points to qualify for the end of the year superpull.

A lot of guys like to come to the Iowa State Fair because they get to go to the fair afterwards.

It's a good time.

>> I started pulling in 1976 and I quit in '79, and I started back in 2000.

Since 2000, I've been pulling 21 years straight.

I'm probably the oldest guy here.

When we started in the '70s, we were geared really slow to pull a lot of weight.

And it took forever to get down the track.

As you'll see today, especially in the first class, it's like they're almost running down the track.

The engines have got faster, more RPMs, and it's more exciting than it was back in the '70s I guess.

>> I pulled when I was in high school and a little bit when I was out of high school and life got busy and I got back into it in 2001.

>> This is a tractor pull from 1984 here at the Iowa State Fair.

My name is frank Andrew and I was a judge for that day.

Jim Adams is the one who's pulling.

I do not remember how he did on that day.

35 years later we came back and we recreated that moment right here at the State Fair again.

♪♪ >> It's always fun to win, don't get me wrong.

But it's also fun to be with everybody, see what their lives are all about.

I never would have met any of these people if it wouldn't have been for micromini tractor pulling.

>> If you wanted to pull every weekend you could, between Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania.

If you wanted to drive, you could probably pull every weekend.

We're here for fun.

Might make a little money.

There's a lot of joshing between us.

Nobody takes anything real seriously.

Yeah, it's fun.

>>> Are you ready for another trivia question?

I got one for you.

The State Fair moved to these Des Moines grounds in 1886.

In less than six months, 50 buildings were built for the first State Fair held here.

What is the only one of those buildings that still remains?

Grandfather's Barn, Pioneer Hall, the Varied Industries Building, or Ye Old mill?

>>> Let's celebrate another decade of Iowa PBS's coverage of the fair with a look back at the 2000s.

♪♪ >> With fears about the Y 2K bug put to rest, we enjoyed a decade of television.

For us, that meant digital television and, of course, the fair was a part of it.

Iowa PBS was the first network in the state to broadcast live in high-definition with coverage of the Iowa State Fair parade.

At the fair, it was a time to take comfort in tradition and food.

>> There are 49 different items on a stick at the fair.

We're going to conduct the first ever interview on a stick.

Lindsay of Indianola, Iowa intends to heat her way through the fair.

>> The fair is not the fair without the contest and the big events.

But we've always been fascinated by the unusual, the serendipitous -- >> Pleased to meet you.

>> -- and the hard to find aspects too.

>> We're having fun at the fair.

>> Hey, guys.

Everyone at the fair, exhibit TORs, employees, 4H kids, they gave it their all.

And we gave it our all to help you appreciate how much work goes into the fair every single year.

>> The job is not done until the paperwork is finished.

♪♪ >> It's bright and early at the animal learning center where it's chore time.

These families are ready to learn and really looking forward to some snuggles.

Let's check it out.

Are you guys twins?

>> Yeah.

>> Do you know what, there's another set of multiples in this room.

What are these guys?

>> Triplets.

>> Aren't they?

What do they feel like?

>> So soft.

>> Are they so cuddly.

>> Yeah.

>> Have you ever done chores like this before?

>> No.

>> No, you haven't.

>> But my mom grew up on a farm.

>> You're learning everything that your mom did when she was little.

>> Yeah, pretty much.

>> Do you think maybe you'll be a farmer someday?

>> Yeah.

>> You're a farmer today, aren't you?

>> Pretty much.

>> Emily, what is going on today?

>> This is Cuddles and Snuggles Chore Time in the animal learning center.

This is our first year doing it.

We're superexcited.

We have 15 families per time slot.

They had to sign up before the fair.

It was $40 and they could bring up to six members of their family.

They could come in here and help with the chores and meet our vets and get to snuggle some of our babies and see what it takes every day to take care of these animals.

They learn that not only do we care about them, but every farmer across the state of Iowa that we get to represent here cares.

>> Tell me what brings you out today?

>> Margaret loves maybe animals and she's never been to a farm before.

>> The State Fair is the perfect opportunity for you guys.

Margaret, do you have a favorite animal?

>> I love llamas!

>> Do you know what animal this is?

>> A chick.

>> Do you have a favorite animal?

>> Yeah.

>> What is it?

>> It's a chick.

>> What does it feel like?

>> It feels really soft.

>> What are you holding?

>> A goat.

>> What's his name.

>> Copper.

>> We have leaders here at the animal learning center.

Tell us what's happening here this morning.

>> This morning we have families come in and we bring everyone in to learn about the animals and get a hands-on activity and we do chores and teach everyone >> Did you count all the piggies in there?

How many do you think are in there?

>> One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 11.

>> That's a lot of brothers and sisters, isn't it?

Can you make the silly sound that the pigs make?

That's perfect.

That's it.

The chores are all done.

But the snuggling will go on.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> I would like to introduce you today, Andy Williams of Cuba.

He has assembled a Stellar cast of musicians.

The original musicians from all over the world!

Panama, Venezuela, Mexico and America, USA!

Please help me make some noise and bring some tribute to Andy Williams and the Nebraska All Stars!

♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ >> I think it's important to celebrate Latino culture because it's beautiful and this music is beautiful.

I have been bewitched by it since I was a much younger man and I'm really delighted to have the opportunity to play with musicians of this caliber here in the Midwest and Nebraska and Iowa.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> So I got two roles, I'm going to tell you the secondary role, I'm the bongo player.

My primary role is to be the crazy one of the band and cheer people up and sometimes get in trouble by Andy.

♪♪ ♪♪ >> I hope that when people listen to the Latin All Stars, I just want them to have a good time.

There's not a moment that everybody on stage isn't having a blast.

We all love playing with this group and I think you can see that as we're playing.

Everybody is dancing, everybody is just having a good time.

And I think I want people to, more than anything, just share in that positive energy with us.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >>> This is unusual.

I judge county 4H fairs and numbers of exhibits have been down the state that way.

We see it here.

People are picking and choosing a little more selectively.

I'm actually filling in.

I'm judging a couple of other contests later in the week and I'm -- my co-author are writing a book called "baking blue ribbons."

But since I was here to tell a little bit more about this amazing story about Laura Higgins who brought back this recipe in memory of her sister.

It's a special story.

And I'm honored to be here to bring back kind of the inaugural Higgins memorial gingerbread house contest.

>> Rules for this contest are make a gingerbread house.

Kits should not be used.

So they create this all on their own and they're going to be judged on the structural integrity.

>> What's the percentage on that?

>> 35% on the creative design.

And 30% on attention to detail.

>> So, Laura, when they were growing up, her older sister was 8 years older than her and she taught Laura how to cook and bake.

And their favorite thing was building gingerbread houses.

And Laura, herself, when she moved here and came to the State Fair, she was immediately attracted to the gingerbread house building contest and then after many years, the Iowa State Fair gingerbread house contest no longer existed.

Laura kept the tradition going with her own family.

She asked to bring the contest back in honor of her sister.

It's superspecial for Laura's family and it's just really neat that it meant that much for her to bring it back.

>> Having a little discussion about this one because we wonder if this is supposed to be the Butter Cow at the fair.

Notice there's a rope line and we have a cow back there that looks like it's rather butter-colored.

The exhibiter didn't tell us that.

But we're presuming this is the Butter Cow at the fair.

>> These were both so beautiful and such detail and this is our second place finisher, this goes to Brenda Cline from Pella.

It is gorgeous.

And we really loved it.

And then moving on here, our first place finisher, Rose Ridgeway of Johnston.

The structure is really good.

And the way that every single piece of cereal had to be placed.

The timing it took.

These are beautiful.

Thank you so much and congratulations.

>> Congratulations to everyone who has participated in a contest this year.

Here are some results.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> That first half of the show really flew by.

We hope you're having as much fun as we are.

Meet us back here for more in-depth Iowa State Fair coverage only on PBS.

>> See more of Iowa PBS online.

Subscribe to Market to Market on YouTube.

Connect with us on all of our social networks at IowaPBS.org/social.

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>>> He was bigger than boxing.

>> I am the greatest.

>> He was larger than life.

>> Who is this guy?

>> He was a revolutionary.

He was a ground breaker.

>> Ain't nobody going to stop me.

>> A story of victory, defeat and determination.

>> The price of freedom comes high.

I have paid, but I am free.

>> "Muhammad Ali."

>> Coming to PBS.

>> I'm Bill Riley.

One of the most entertaining traditions at the State Fair is the talent championships.

We'll cover the magic, excitement and fantastic talents of young Iowans from across our state.

Prepare to be impressed.

Tune in Sunday night at 8:00 for the Bill Riley Talent Championships only on statewide Iowa PBS.

>>> Some amazing talent was showcased ton Riley stage today.

Here are the acts moving on.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >> Tune in to Iowa PBS Sunday, August 22nd at 8:00 p.m. for the talent championships.

>>> Welcome back, everyone.

The Iowa State Fair is famous for its food.

But it's not just the food vendors.

Some home cooks fire up their grills and win awards for their dishes right here on the fairgrounds.

♪♪ >> Cooking a beef chuck.

>> Working on some beef rib eye.

>> Apple wood smoked pork bellies.

>> I really look for the technique that the cook is using and trying to look at what they're trying to accomplish and did they succeed?

>> We talk about passion when we cook all the time.

You can taste passion.

When the food has that extra one ingredient, maybe they brushed it with Coca-Cola on their ribs or whatever.

It's the twist that takes it to the next level, that's what we're looking for.

♪♪ >> I got a jalapeno on some of them.

>> I came up with this and tried it out with family and friends and we're here today.

>> It's a very versatile meat.

It doesn't have a lot of fat in it.

It's very healthy.

It's tender.

I sear it first.

Total of 35, 40 minutes.

>> Secret sauce to make it sweet too.

>> Okay.

♪♪ >> As lean as that is, I'm surprised as how juicy it is.

Even with all of the additions that you made in there, this recipe is a little bit more resilient from the things that you added to it.

>> The higher you go, the more it's going to start drying out.

>> Sausage on the bottom.

Cream cheese.

A little bit of onion.

>> When you get that cook on the bacon exactly right, I know a couple of people who might be stealing that idea.

Iowa sushi now.

>> It's really tasty.

>> And I was surprised at how tender -- you said it's smoked sausage on the bottom there?

>> It's a Brazilian steak.

Most people grill it like a steak.

I'm smoking it like a brisket.

I smoked it up to 200 degrees, wrapped it in butcher paper and let it render out.

>> Really good flavor.

It's permeated into the beef beautifully.

>> More successes to come.

>> This flavor is brilliant.

>> Let's crown a champion of the 57th Iowa Farm Bureau cookout contest.

>> Sean Parker.

Congratulations.

>> The Avenue of Breeds has changed locations this year, but its mission is still the same.

To teach fairgoers about the diverse animals raised here in the state.

>> We have over 60 different breeds of animals that come from -- that are raised here in Iowa between sheep, horses, pigs, goats, we have an elk, fish, chickens, and so my kids take care of them but it's also a learning opportunity for the public to be able to understand about livestock here in Iowa.

Their day starts at 5:30 a.m. bright and early and they are cleaning pens, cleaning waters, exercising animals, cleaning the aisles and then at 9:00 we open up and they are stationed around.

We have a station with a scavenger hunt, we have kids kind of stationed around just kind of talking about the different breeds that we have and then at 8:00 we close and we do it all over again.

Clean pens, exercise animals at the end of the night.

Call it a night at about 10:30.

Everything that we learn in the classroom during the year, this is where we implement it and see it firsthand.

In terms of proper care of animals, how do we properly feed animals, what are some of those behaviors that we may see in different species and breeds of livestock, how do we interact with the public and teach them about what it is that we do and why it's important and how it impacts their lives.

It's interesting because all of these breeds do come from -- they're raised here in Iowa with breeders from Iowa.

It's a great opportunity for people to see the diverse indication it is in Iowa and how we use these animals in different ways.

It's important for people to see how diverse Iowa is in terms of live stock production.

We get people from all walks of life.

Many different continents and states.

It's a great opportunity for my kids to also meet people that maybe don't have any idea about what we do here in Iowa in terms of livestock production.

♪♪ >> If you're interested in visiting the avenue of breeds, it's open from 9:00 to 8:00 throughout the fair.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ >> There's a lot of different countries represented here in the Midwest now with people that have moved here for the quality of life.

And I just think it adds so much richness to our life here that I am absolutely thrilled that different Hispanic cultures are coming to the forefront and being able to be recognized this way.

♪♪ >> Besides the Latin culture, music in all cultures is healing, music is peace.

Music is happiness.

Music is joy.

Being a veteran, music keeps me from prescription because of deployments and things like that.

Music is the natural healing jam that we have available to our ears and all of our senses every single day, every moment of our lives.

I'm very happy, I'm very proud to really be part of this.

>> I actually have a Latin background as well.

My mom was born in Chile and I didn't encounter Cuban music in my childhood.

As I've been a part of the band, I've learned a lot and had a lot of conversations with these guys about Latin culture and the various facets of and the reality of it is, not only in this country but I think everywhere, there's a tendency to think of Latin culture as monolith, something like that looks like one thing and it's not that.

Something like this, where there's a tremendous amount of Cuban influence, but a lot of our band members are from non-Cuban places, members from Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico, it's a good reminder, I think, that the best form of creativity and expression is always made by community of people with diverse interests and backgrounds.

And that's why I'm happy to be with this group.

Those sorts of celebrations of Latin culture show how diverse it is.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Speaking Foreign Language ] ♪♪ ♪♪ >>> It's time to the episode trivia question.

The State Fair moved to these grounds in 1886.

And in less than six months, over 50 buildings were built for the first State Fair held here.

What is the only one of these buildings that still remains, Grandfather's Barn, Pioneer Hall, the Varied Industries Building or Ye Old Mill.

It's Pioneer Hall and it's really an amazing story.

The state of Iowa purchased 262 acres from Calvin Thornton in 1886.

By September, over 50 buildings had been hastily constructed for the first State Fair on these grounds.

The only one that still remains, of course, is Pioneer Hall.

Man, she sure is a beauty.

Let's learn about a much newer building at the fairgrounds and it's a sweet one.

It's the State Fair cookie building.

>> My grandmother baked chocolate chip cookies and she made them for the -- us kids in the neighborhood.

And so we really called her the cookie lady.

My mother acquired the recipe from my grandmother and when my wife came into the family, my wife acquired the recipe and she made cookies for our family.

It never, ever -- it wasn't in anybody's mind that it would ever become something commercial.

♪♪ >> I'm a concessions and exhibits coordinator, I work with our food vendors, merchandise vendors, exhibiters both inside and outside.

I also oversee the Barksdale State Fair cookie operation.

It was 1993, Joe and his wife Virginia decided to venture into the chocolate chip cookie business.

And based on a family recipe, they started selling cookies that August for that State Fair.

>> People who came to the fair, they loved the cookies.

And even with the free trailers and the cookies equipment inside the varied industry building, that made four bakeries on the ground.

And, again, the lines were long.

And we felt bad about it, but we was making all we could make.

I got a call from administration.

Joe, we got a spot for you to build a building.

Oh, my goodness.

>> The baking facility that we're in today is 48 feet wide by about 112 feet long.

It is segmented into about three different sections and what it does is increases our production capacity.

For the last several years, customer demand has begun to exceed our production supply.

With this new facility, we're able to produce 35,000 cookies every hour out of our ovens, coupled with two cookie droppers, our semiautomated machine.

Everything combined more than capacity that we had across the street in the Varied Industries Building location, as well as the trailers.

In 2019 Joe Barksdale and his family announced that he was gifting the chocolate chip cookie business to the people of Iowa through the Iowa State Fair.

So we, the State Fair, took over ownership and responsibility and daily management of that in December of 2020.

>> My wife and I, we decided that we would give the cookie business to the people of Iowa.

We could have sold it.

It was worth quite a bit of money.

And we don't really want to take and sale it to Sam Johnson.

It will be Sam Johnson's cookies or whatever.

And so we talked to the administration and they said that they would build a building and the Barksdale name would be on the cookies and the building for as long as it's here.

My family is very proud of that.

Very much so.

>>> I'm here at Thrill Zone and this is the home of the most terrifying and extreme rides at the Iowa State Fair.

And I can only assume that I was given this assignment because who is more extreme than me?

I'm here with two of the gentlemen who are operating this terrifying ride behind us here.

Tell me if I go on that ride -- and that's a big if -- what am I in for?

>> You're in for a fabulously fun time.

>> Is there ever a person who goes on this ride and does not scream their head off?

>> Never.

[ Laughter ] >> That's not possible.

>> All right.

Have you done the ride?

>> Yes.

And would I do it again?

Most definitely.

>> All right.

That's a good endorsement.

I might do it.

We'll see.

>> Once you do it, you're going to like it.

>> You think I'll come back for more?

>> Yes.

Most definitely.

>> Will she or won't she?

♪♪ [ Screaming ] [ Screaming ] >> This is kind of peaceful.

I could just stay here.

♪♪ [ Screaming ] ♪♪ >> I am back on the ground safe and sound.

My legs are a little bit shaky.

I would say that is 50% awesome, 50% sheer terror, and 100% extreme, just like me.

I think I may have had enough thrill to last me for the whole fair this year.

>>> Here's another opportunity to relax and feel as if you were there at the fair.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >>> Hey, that was a blast.

And I'm ready for more.

How about you?

We'll be back tomorrow night.

Until then, you can explore our website and our YouTube channel as well as our Facebook and Instagram pages.

To stay in touch with that State Fair frame of mind.

There are so many ways you can engage with us about our amazing State Fair, any time and anywhere.

Here's what we'll be showcasing tomorrow.

The governor's charity steer show, some very talented K-9s, and the cow chip throwing contest.

Thanks for joining me, everyone.

We hope you'll rest well tonight, knowing that we're working so far to bring you that State Fair joy once again tomorrow.

Until then, I'm Bill Riley.

Have fun at the fair.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ >>> Funding for Fair 2021 is brought to you by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.

And by -- >> At EMC we're committed to improving the communities we serve and the schools within them by donating our time, money and resources.

And by supporting the education of those pursuing a career in the insurance industry.

Count on EMC.

>>> I'm Kevin Rasmussen, and I'm a pig farmer.

We feel a deep responsibility to protect our environment and ensure sustainability.

I think it's important to share Our story and that others know that we're always striving to do better.

>>> Investing in a College Savings Iowa 529 account can give future scholars financial support to pursue their educational dreams.

They grow up fast.

Learn more about planning for tomorrow at CollegeSavingsIowa.com.

>>> Tonight's programming has been brought to you by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation.

If you'd like to see more programs like tonight's show, donate to IowaPBS.org.