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Hello everyone, and welcome to Fair 2026.

I'm Bill Riley.

And we're glad you're spending part of your Iowa State Fair with us.

Ask ten people why they come to the fair, and you'll probably get ten different answers.

More than a million people make their way to the fairgrounds every summer.

Some come to compete.

Some come to perform.

Some come for the food.

How about the livestock, the exhibits, or simply to spend a day with family and friends.

Over the next six nights, we'll explore all of it—from the traditions that have stood the test of time to the competitions, performances and surprises that make every fair a little different.

Tonight.

size really does matter as we meet the fair's biggest champions.

We’ll see who has something to crow about in the poultry building.

and, we’ll find out which patriotic new fair foods are worth adding to your must-try list.

But first, let's begin with the tradition that opens our coverage every year... the Iowa State Fair Parade.

[Paul Yeager] If you're going to kick off any state fair, it has to be with a parade.

The vehicles are all lined up.

The state fair is ready to go.

In fact, the queens are just about to start taking their place in the parade lineup as the streets of Des Moines fill up for the annual parade.

Just before everyone turned the corner to get started in the parade, we were able to talk to a couple of VIPs before to find out why they're in the parade and why the state fair is so special to them.

This year, Mindy, it's go big or go home, right?

We're on a big celebration.

What's the theme?

[Mindy Williamson] Yeah, the theme is Fair Spirit, and we're celebrating America 250 with that spirit.

And it's like a fair on top of a fair.

So you won't be able to miss that red, white, and blue at the Iowa State Fair.

[Paul] Russ and Terri Sleight are the grand marshals in the parade, and they've had a busy 40 years working at the Iowa State Fair.

They're grand marshals.

So Terry, the big job has been in the grandstand with security.

What's that family like there?

[Terry Slight] Oh, the best.

We've had some peo.. come back and worked with us for so many years, and it's like having a family reunion every year.

[Paul] 40 years puts you in the '80s when you started this?

[Russ Slight] 1980 was our first year.

[Paul] So who do you remember on the bill that year in the grandstand?

[Russ] The first night was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

[Paul] Riah Schrage was the 2025 State Fair Queen, and your reign is like hours away.

Sum up this year for me.

What's it been like?

[Riah] Oh, it's just been an absolute blast.

I've had the time of my life.

It's definitely— everyone always says it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I can testify that it's 100% true.

[Paul] You have to pick one event.

What was your favorite event as queen at the State Fair last year?

[Riah] I would probably say Getting to see all the new foods.

I'm a foodie myself, and so we did that whole big walk around.

I don't know if you're familiar with that, but it's a whole lot of fun.

And getting to award the new foods is truly special.

It changes their lives.

[Montel Butts] If you haven't been here before, it's an experience, something you would definitely need to come see.

It's very enjoyable.

There's so many different things to see, and it's a lot.

It's a lot.

[Blake Wheeler] This is the opening ceremony of the fair, I think.

[Paul] What is it about the fair parade that .. [Terri Joelson] Doing it every year after year, and the floats and the kids.

And at the very end, they have horses with beautiful gowns on, I've been waiting to see that for a few years.

[Montel] Honestly, the old-school cars.

I like this.

I like the cars and my daughter's dance.

[Paul] I know you're not quite in the shade, but you're close.

Is shade key for this parade?

[Kamiyah Kazeze] Oh yeah, it's really warm out here.

It's gotten a little bit of a breeze now, but it's still like every once in a while, so it's definitely hot outside.

So shade, yeah.

[Paul] Describe this parade to someone who's not seen it before.

[Kamiyah] The good parts of Iowa, like just everything.. cars, the dancers, things that you can do around town.

So it kind of gets you excited for everything that's going on around Des Moines during summertime.

[Ernie Barnes] I think people just love seeing the biggest or the best of anything.

It's the first day of the fair.

We're the first ones that do something like this.

[Emcee] This is Matt Boppy.

This boy was 6 years old on August 7.

He likes marshmallows.

It's his first time at the fair.

He likes to be brushed.

He plays with their dog and loves AC/DC.

Let's call it 920 pounds.

920 pounds.

This entry is exhibited by Scott Dietman.

Crossbred entry.

He's 6 years old.

He loves donuts and different types of feed.

He eats a 5-gallon bucket of feed every day.

Let's call that 980 pounds.

He weighs 980 pounds.

Entry is exhibited by Alan Francis.

They're from Winthrop.

He's a Yorkshire boy.

He's 5 years old.

He loves donuts.

He eats 17 pounds of ground corn a day.

His name is George.

Looks like a George, doesn't he?

1,072 pounds.

1,072.

This is exhibited by Tom and Terri Bell.

They're from Olin.

He's 2 ½ years old.

He loves marshmallows.

They never weigh him, so we're not for sure what we're getting here.

He's a Duroc.

Let's call that 1,240 pounds.

1,240.

This boar is exhibited by Todd Schuler.

He's a 6-year-old boar.

They've used— he's a Chester-Hampshire crossbred.

He's a housebred boa.. used him for years.

He likes corn and eggs.

He's ate over $500 worth of eggs this summer.

The scale is bouncing.

By 6 pounds, he wins.

1,246 pounds.

Closest I ever remember in the 25 years I've been here.

So congratulations.

[Emcee] All right, well, ladies and gentlemen, let's give a hand to Abby Wilson.

The first big ram across the scale tonight.

Abby calls Shell Rock, Iowa, home, and that ram is named Judah.

It's an 8-year-old Columbia ram.

490 pounds is what Judah weighs.

So there you go, our first ram of the night tonight, Judah, an 8-year-old Columbia ram.

And we've got 3 from the Wilson family here tonight.

We got Ben coming up next.

Ben's going to be leading a 6-year-old Suffolk named Mr.

Lamb.

Mr.

Lamb comes across the scale at 476.

Our 3rd Wilson from Shell Rock, Iowa, Brooke Wilson.

And Brooke's got a 1-year-old Soulfolk named Little Man.

Came across the scale at 444 pounds.

And our next ram to come across the scale is going to be Little Guy Green.

Little Guy Green is a 1-year-old Suffolk, and Caroline Bill is leading.

Boy, I tell you what, we are getting close here.

440.

And our next ram will be a 7-year-old Suffolk.

His name is Rock.

Ronald and Aaron Collins will be leading Ronald across the scale.

Wow, 448.

And our next ram is going to be led by Ethan Bundt from Leon, Iowa.

That's down in Decatur County, or up in Decatur County.

Ed came in at 396 pounds tonight.

And our next ram is going to be a 3-year-old Suffolk named Big Bad Joe.

We'll see how Big Bad Joe is here tonight.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, there's your new leader right there.

His name is Big Bad Joe, a 3-year-old Suffolk from Mercer, Iowa.

Jim Fisher.

And Big Bad Joe weighed in at 568 pounds tonight.

So I told you that was a big ram.

Our next ram is a 6-year-old Suffolk named Dusty, and Dusty is going to be led by John Wilson.

Dusty weighed in at 448.

And Pete's going to be the next ram.

He's a 1-year-old Columbia ram, a 1-year-old Columbia, Mona Baker of corn in Iowa.

That's in Wayne County.

And this ram's name is Pete.

And Pete weighed in at 426 pounds tonight.

And again, our 10th and final ram is a 1.5-year-old Columbia.

His name is Richard.

And Richard weighed in at 372 pounds.

Our big ram is— Big Bad Joe.

Jim Fisher from Mercer, Iowa, weighing in at 568 pounds.

[Emcee] Yes, sir, there's a big old Big E, our Red Angus.

First bull to be weighed tonight.

Jakey Farms down in State Center, Iowa, Brett and TJ Goecke.

And Big E comes across the scale at 3,026 pounds.

Wow.

Whoo!

Well, there's Benny.

Holy cow.

Benny's a Simmental, calls Saylorville home.

And Benny came across the scales at 2,834 pounds.

So boy, let's give Benny a round of applause.

That's a good-looking bull right there.

And our 3rd and final bull of the night tonight is a bull named Ashland.

So let's give it up for this Black Angus.

Ashland makes his way from Indianola, Iowa.

Ashland looks pretty confident here.

We'll see how he scales.

And Ashland came across the scale, boy, just shy of our leader here tonight.

But Ashland came across the scale at 2,782 pounds tonight.

And if my math is right, I think Big E is going t.. Bull on display down in the cattle barn.

Big E, that big Red Angus, making his way here from State Center.

♪ ♪ [Charity Nebbe] Many of the most enthusiastic fairgoers love to come out on opening day of the fair.

We anticipate, we plan, but the weather doesn't always cooperate.

So what do you do at the fair when the heavens open up?

Do you have a backup plan for the rain, or are you just winging it?

[Audrey Reed] We are just winging it.

Trying t.. shelters on the way when the rain hits hard.

[Charity] Has the rain changed your plans at all?

[Anna Hancock] No, I just need to get a new pair of shoes now.

[Charity] You have several more hours before you're gonna have access to a new pair of shoes.

How are you feeling about that?

[Anna] I might take them off soon.

I don't know.

[Charity] My eye was caught by your distinctive poncho.

Some people here, a lot of people here today don't look like they were prepared for the rain.

You look like you were planning ahead.

Tell me about this poncho.

[Kyle Phillips] Well, I took the day off today, so we had to come today.

I feel like it's raining today because we're here, because I think this is the 3rd or 4th year in a row that we've come to the fair and it's rained.

So these ponchos are getting a good workout.

[Charity] How do you feel about how much it's been rai.. [Isla Fancher] Um, I kind of like it.

[Charity] Do you?

[Isla] Yeah.

[Charity] What do you like about it?

[Isla] I just like that I get to, like, jump u.. in the puddles and stuff.

[Charity] Rides in the rain, that's a little bit tricky.

Have you had to change your plans a little bit?

[Ivy Jackson] Yeah.

[Charity] Yeah?

What do you think .. [Ivy] I don't know.

[Jeremy Parsons] As you can even see today, Iowans love their fair.

Whether it's rainy, whether it's hot, always plenty to do here at the Iowa State Fair.

[Charity] I noticed you're not wearing a poncho.

[Jeremy] No, I'm not.

This is, you know, when they say like when you put your snow shovel away, you know, then there's always a blizzard.

So I'm not going to wear a raincoat.

Because, right, that should work.

[Charity] I'm sure.

I'm sure it'll work.

[Jeremy] The fair is Iowa.

And, you know, what do they say?

Give it 24 hours and it could change.

And it'll be a beautiful day out here.

A little breeze will help dry things out.

But again, plenty of sidewalks, plenty of hard surface roads, plenty of buildings.

You won't drown, that's for sure.

[Charity] Ben, morning is prime time for mini donuts.

A lot of people plan on having mini donuts for breakfast.

With the rain this morning, did you see fewer customers?

[Ben Wondra] I mean, definitely people stay away, obviously.

.. out in a thunderstorm.

So for safety reasons, it's probably best that they delayed and came out a little bit later today.

[Charity] Can eating mini donuts keep you dry?

[Ben] It hasn't been proven, but I think so.

[Charity] When you saw that it was going to rain and rain hard this morning, did you have second thoughts about coming to the fair?

[Mark Kay] Oh, for a.. [Charity] And how have your plans changed?

[Mark] Not a bit.

[Charity] Not a bit.

You were planning.. and watch the world go by?

[Mark] Yes.

Yes.

For a while anyway.

Yeah.

[Anna Kay] I would have this over the 95 degree and no wind, you know?

So this is nice.

[Charity] Did you have to buy your poncho special?

[Aaron Kay] Anna had them ready to go.

[Charity] Nice.

[Aaron] We were prepared.

[Charity] What else is on the ag.. [Mark] Oh geez, who knows?

Probably look at the animals, find another spot to sit at, and just take it easy.

Eat some food, drink some more beer.

If you're someone who plans your fair day around what you're going to eat, you're not alone.

Every year brings a fresh lineup of new foods, and in 2026, many of them take inspiration from America's 250th anniversary.

Our very own Hayley Schaefer set out to see what all the buzz is about.

[Hayley Schaefer] Every year the Iowa State Fair has dozens of new foods for you to try.

This year there's 3 finalists vying for Best New Fair Food, and we have food vouchers.

So who's hungry?

Would you consider yourself an adventurous eater?

[Madilyn Jacoby] Probably not, but I do like to try new things.

[Hayley] Okay, so out of these 3, which one would you pick?

Porky Parm gnocchi or the ultimate mini apple pie?

[Madilyn] Porky Parm gnocchi.

[Hayley] Porky Parm gnocchi or the all-American scrambled egg roll?

[Madilyn] Gnocchi.

[Hayley] Gnocchi?

Okay.

All right, should we go try it?

[Madilyn] Of course.

[Hayley] Okay, let.. [Madilyn] Official taste test.

Mmm, that's so good.

[Hayley] What kind of flavors are you getting through?

[Madilyn] Definitely lots of cheese, kind of like parmesan, like an alfredo sauce almost.

It's really good, and I like the gnocchi.

The gnocchi is really soft.

What would you give a rating of a 1 to 10?

[Madilyn] 11 out of 10.

I love the pig.

That's my favorite part.

[Hayley] Do you have any regrets of not picking the egg roll or the pie?

[Madilyn] No, absolutely none.

This i.. [Hayley] Amazing.

[Hayley] Okay, so I'm gonna ask you about the top 3 finalists for the new fair foods, and you pick which one you think you're more excited for.

Porky Parm Gnocchi or the Ultimate Mini Apple Pie?

[Tony Dahlman] I'm gonna g.. [Hayley] The gnocchi or the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll?

[Tony] Uh, it's, uh, Winn and Sara's have won for 2 years in a row, so I think that's gonna be a good one.

So I'm gonna go with the egg roll.

[Hayley] The egg r.. [Tony] This is from Winn and Sara's Kitchen, the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll.

Yeah, it's the egg roll.

It has some nice crunch on the outside.

I like the scrambled eggs.

I like the cheese.

I like the sausage.

It's just a good, good combination of flavors.

It's nice and easy to carry around the fair, so I think it's definitely deserving of being a finalist here at the Iowa State Fair.

[Hayley] Are you hap.. what you chose out of the 3 .. [Tony] Oh yeah, no, I like this.

[Hayley] So I was told that you actually review fair food.

So what do you rank them?

[Tony] I give them ribbons.

I grew up as a 4-H'er, so I give them either a purple, blue, red, or white ribbon based upon what I think of them.

[Hayley] What color ribbon wou.. [Tony] Oh, this is purple ribbon quality right here.

This is good food and I like it a lot.

[Hayley] Have you tried any of the new foods yet?

[Bethany Jensen] Not yet.

[Hayley] So first we'll have the All-American Scrambled Egg Roll or the Mini Apple Pie.

[Bethany] Uh, go apple pie.

[Hayley] And then, okay, Mini Apple Pie or the Porky Parm Gnocchi?

[Bethany] Apple pie.

[Hayley] So Mini Apple Pie.. [Bethany] That sounds great.

I gotta go cinnamon ice cream first.

Yes, I'm gonna go right through the middle.

It's nice and steaming with the cinnamon ice cream.

It's really good.

It's got cinnamon sugar on the top.

Wow.

Apple pie filling, nice crispy dough.

Delicious.

Would recommend.

[Hayley] Are you happy with your choice out of the other 2 options?

Are you happy you took that to the end?

[Bethany] I am, especially now that the sun's coming out and it's getting hot.

This is perfect.

[Hayley] Well, it's not in contention for the best new fair food this year.

Over the Top has a sweet treat called Sweet Americana that's America 250 themed.

3 scoops of ice cream, 3 different flavors.

Let's get it for somebody.

Would you guys like to try some ice cream?

Um, sure, yeah.

[Girls] Um, sure, yeah.

[Hayley] Well, there's 11 new foods featured this year at the fair.

There's always the classics you can count on as well.

So for me, I think it's about time for a corn dog.

[Teri Cadman] Anybody who is a resident of the state of Iowa can enter.

We have a range from professional artists to first-time submitters of their artwork, and there is a wide range of pieces that have been accepted from a variety of skill levels and artistic talent.

We have several categories.

There are acrylic and tempera is one category.

We have mixed media, hand-pulled prints, fiber art, drawing.

Oil painting, watercolor, pastels, sculpture, glass, and pottery.

There's pretty much something for everybody's taste, from whimsical to very serious, technical work.

It's a nice opportunity for anyone to be accepted into the fair, and whether you are a seasoned artist or just starting out, you do have the opportunity to get accepted.

Simply getting accepted is an honor, because not everyone gets juried in.

For our jurors, it's really up to the juror in what they're looking for, and that can vary from year to year, just depending on what they like, if they're more drawn to technical or if they're more drawn to creative outlets of expression.

You may not get in one year, but don't let that stop you from entering the next year because the jurors change every year and you just never know what they're gonna pick or what they're drawn to.

This year's Best of Show is a non-traditional piece.

It might surprise some of our visitors, but it's a wonderful piece that is very expressive and has a story behind it.

And I believe that's one of the reasons why the jurors were drawn to it.

It was pretty much unanimous right off the bat.

I think it highlights the talent across Iowa in the art world.

So people may be surprised by just the variety and the talent of all of the ages that we have in the show.

And I hope a lot of people come and see it.

[Blair Ryan] Who said roosters only get to have fun at sunrise?

In this competition, roosters get 15 minutes to make as much noise as possible, and the rooster that crows the most takes home the win.

The crowd was having a clucking good time.

[Emcee] 3, 2, 1, begin!

♪ ♪ ♪ (Crowd cheering) (Rooster crowing) Okay, and there goes Jerry.

[Helena Hayes] 15 minutes of time.

We had 10 roosters compete, and whoever crowed the most in 15.

(Rooster crowing) Top breeds that tend to be great crowers are Old English, Rhode Island Reds, and Leghorns.

And our top two crowers today were both Leghorns.

(Crowd cheering) [Blair] All right, things were getting a little wild in the crowd today, so we decided to take a break.

And I hear all bets were on.

Tell me about this bet you guys have been placing.

[Nolan Moore] So we came in here and we sat down, and originally Andrew thought it was a human crowing contest.

So he thought he was going to be participating, but then wh.. roosters involved, we each picked one and we put a drink ticket from the craft beer tent on it.

And I chose Tim.

[Andrew Millsop] I chose Jerry.

[Emcee] Okay, starting now, whoever .. our 2026 Rooster crowing champion.

Here we go, the heat is on.

(Crowd cheering) (Tim crows) [Nolan] I did end up getting the beer ticket at the end of the day because, you know, overall Tim performed better.

[Faith Maiello] Rooster crowing was like one of the hot tickets of today.

And I've also never seen a rooster, like, in real life, so I had to.

[Blair] Well, this is a big day.

Did it exceed your expec.. [Faith] It was electrifying.

The competition between Tim and Jerry was, like, insane.

[Helena] Poultry.

This is his amazing bird.

Give him a round of applause for raising it.

Good job.

Congratulations [Blair] I'm with Bart, and he has Tim, the winning rooster of the day.

How did you train him to, to come into first place, to get first place?

[Bart Price] He's just a white Leghorn, and they're born to crow.

[Blair] So it's his breed?

[Bart] Yeah, yeah, they just, they're just natural.

[Blair] He's napping in your arms right now.

[Bart] Yeah, he's tired.

[Blair] Worn out?

Will he be taking the.. off?

[Bart] Well, maybe.

No matter what your interest is, chances are there's a contest for it at the Iowa State Fair.

Here are some of today's blue ribbon winners.

♪ ♪ Well, we’ve covered a lot of ground already, but there’s plenty more to see from the fairgrounds.

Let’s take a short break, and when we return we'll meet the feathered contestants competing for the title of Prettiest Bird.

We'll shuffle up for one of the fair's most popular card tournaments and we'll kick up a little dust at the PRCA Pro Rodeo.

So don’t go far.

We’ll be right back with all that and more from the Iowa State Fair right here on Iowa PBS.

[Hayley Schaefer] So tell me, what is your must-do when you go to the Iowa State Fair?

What do you enjoy?

[Boy 1] Uh, walk around.

[Woman 1] I love the 4-H building because I want to see all the kids' 4-H projects that they've worked so hard on.

[Girl 1] Little Hands on the Farm.

[Ladies] Butter cow!

Go big yellow!

[Boy 2] Eat lots of food.

And what do you enjoy about that?

[Boy 2] It's comforting.

[Man 1] I'm a big foodie out in Des Moines, and the fair is always just a creative source for just delicious food.

[Woman 2] I have to get a pork chop on a stick because I'm a farm girl.

[Man 2] Six glazed giant donuts all together.

[Woman 3] I have to get a gyro because I'm Greek.

[Girl 2] I like going on fun spinning rides.

[Girl 3] Slide.

[Boy 3] I like to go on the Ferris wheel.

[Hayley] And what do you like about the Ferris wheel?

What makes it fun?

[Boy 3] Because it goes up high .. [Girl 4] It's my birthday.

[Hayley] So you’re celebrating your birthday here?

Okay, and what are you gonna go do for your birthday?

[Girl 4] So I went on a lot of rides, and now I'm gonna milk a cow.

[Man 3] Big bull, big pig, and a butter cow, an.. [Bill Riley] Welcome back, everyone.

We’re continuing our look at Fair 2026, and there is still so much to discover.

For exhibitors in the food department, the fair begins long before the gates open.

Months of preparation, practice, and patience go into creating the entries that fill the Elwell Family Food Center each year.

Tonight we’ll meet a dedicated competitor whose annual fair tradition begins in the garden, continues in the kitchen and reflects decades of passion for his craft.

[Narriator] When you wander through the aisles of the canned foods on display at the Elwell Family Food Center, you’re likely to see one name more than 100 times—Rod Zeitler.

For 25 years, Rod has competed in nearly every canning class that the fair offers, such as jams, jellies and pickles.

He's a familiar face at the Elwell Center and he's also earned national attention.

More than 700 of his canned goods and ribbons are currently on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

We caught up with Rod in July in his Iowa City kitchen to see what it takes to be a Blue Ribbon winner.

[Rod] There are 183 classes that I enter.

I've done 162 of those 183.

I have 21 left to do.

So the plan today is to can pineapple and also peach jelly.

The first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to slice my pineapple.

The most important thing is not necessarily the exact inch or the like, but that they be consistent.

[Narrator] Rod's attention to detail is a key ingredient to his success.

In the canned fruits division, appearance is worth 60% of the judging criteria.

[Rod] Canning is certainly a science, but it's also an art.

I don't know how Del Monte does pineapple, but I'm sure it's not like this.

[Narrator] He's an expert now, but Rod will be the fi.. tell you that it took many years to find success.

[Rod] I didn't win at the beginning, but the important thing is I didn't give up.

[Narrator] Now, with thousands of ribbons to his name, Rod is likely the winningest canning competitor at the Iowa State Fair.

[Rod] I'm especially proud of.. Arlette Hollister Food Supreme Sweepstakes Award for exceptional culinary skills and his knowledge.

I don't know about the culinary, but I'll take the knowledge.

[Narrator] It's worth mentioning that Rod can spend upwards of 1,000 hours in the kitchen on his entries every year.

[Rod] Look at that, guys.

It fits like a charm.

[Narrator] Rod retired from his career as a physician in 2022, but even while he was working, he made time to can.

[Rod] Ha!

Look at that, we got them all.

Sort of like a jigsaw puzzle.

[Narrator] It can be laborious, but to.. [Rod] I get satisfaction from it.

Oh, to see that you've accomplished something.

In the work I did, you know, I dealt with a lot of sick people, and it wasn't always clear I was accomplishing— I did, but this is more immediate than some of the things I did in my work.

[Narrator] Of course, for a pastime this intense, the home has to support the hobby.

At Rod's house, canned goods can be found in nearly every empty space, including the bathroom and living spaces.

The main pantry, though, is in the dining room.

[Rod] This is my primary s.. brother is a farmer, Fred, and he came into this room and he said, “Hey, Rod, you got a lot of weight in this room.

I don't know whether your floor can handle this.” [Narrator] Rod also has an impressive garden in his backyard where he sources many of his ingredients.

[Rod] So, this is my herb garden.

It looks pretty good this year.

I have one of my tomato plants.

I have about 60 black raspberries through here, but they're about done.

I have a grapevine over there.

I have my own elderberry bushes.

[Narrator] By now you're probably thinking, that's a lot of work, and Rod agrees.

He announced this year that he'll be scaling back and will only concentrate on a few of his favorite classes from now on.

[Rod] It takes a lot of time.

I'm not getting younger.

There are other things I can do, you know.

I— it'll be nice just to not have to go through what I go through.

[Abby Brown] The poultry building is full of lots of birds being judged by experts on all sorts of different traits.

But today, the fairgoers are judging six special birds on their beauty.

They're competing for the title of prettiest bird.

♪ ♪ ♪ Diana, tell me about the prettiest bird contest.

[Diana Dahir] Well, this is for fairgoers.

Here we give them an option out of six birds to pick the best bird that they think is the prettiest.

[Abby] Okay, and wha.. [Diana] Well, to me, I like color.

The big birds are hard to get into condition, so for me it's something big and beautiful.

[Abby] How many entries are there?

[Diana] We have about 700 birds here today.

[Abby] All in the prettiest bird contest?

[Diana] No, for the prettiest bird it's only six.

We have a pheasant, we have a buff Orpington large fowl, we have a pink color-dyed Silkie, we have a Snowy Call duck, which is a small duck.

And we have a Sumatra.

[Abby] And I understand we have ladies and gentlemen participating today.

How do we know the difference in who usually presents as prettier?

[Diana] Okay, so generally the male is a lot more colorful, but the biggest sign just by looking at them is the male single comb, or, the comb type is a lot bigger.

[Abby] And how many people do you think will do some judging or voting?

[Diana] In the past—we will probably have over 2,000 voters.

This runs from 11 to 3 today only.

And so at 3 o'clock, we will tally up all the tickets.

[Abby] What is the prize if you are rewarded the prettiest bird?

[Diana] The Iowa State Fair has donated a plaque to give for that honor, and we will put ribbons up to the 6th placing just so that people know where their bird placed, because often people will come back and review and see how their vote turned out.

[Abby] Yeah, well, bragging rights, right?

They're noisy, aren't they?

[Diana] Yes, they are.

[Abby] What makes a chicken so pretty?

[Girl 1] I think the color of the feathers, if it has good coloring.

[Woman] My husband voted for that little duck because he said it looks the most like our dachshunds.

[Abby] Okay, fair enough, that's a good reason.

What are you thinking?

[Woman] I am leaning toward the buff orpington because I think as an example of his breed, he's just pretty stunning.

[Abby] Are you voting for a pretty chicken today?

[Boy 1] Yeah.

[Abby] Which one are you gonna vote for?

[Boy 1] I really like the black one because it's my favorite color.

[Abby] Are you gonna vote for a pretty chicken?

[Girl 2] I like the pink.. [Abby] Would you mind sharing?

Who did you vote for?

[Girl 1] I voted for the duck, that one.

[Abby] Well, tell me why.

[Girl 1] I liked it because it was smal.. then I liked the head because it was a pretty color.

[Abby] That's a good reason to vote for a duck.

[Woman] I appreciate the fancy chickens.

It's my favorite thing at the fair every year.

[Abby] Do it.

[Joshua Heyer] I'm proud to say that this would be the first annu.. Iowa State Fair.

So the game is actually a fairly fast-paced game.

It will involve 4 players.

You will separate the deck of cards from 52.

You'll actually go down to 24 cards, and you're gonna play 9 through ace.

We will deal 5 cards out to each player, and there will be 4 cards in the blind.

The top card in the blind will be flipped up, and that is ultimately what is identified as trump.

The objective of the game then is you and your partner are trying to get 3 tricks or more, and your opponents are trying to get 3 tricks or more.

So it's kind of more complex.

It's high card, but then also you have jacks that are involved, which are really your left and your right trump.

So initially it's a little bit confusing just talking about it, but once people are able to see the cards played out, they usually are pretty able to quickly understand the game and follow along after playing a couple of hands.

[Woman 1] Oh my God!

[Man 2] I had 3 of them too.

We weren't really going to get bamboozled, but I didn't know you had left-right.

[Joshua] You know, I think first and foremost, I really want to highlight that, you know, that we're doing today is playing Euchre.

But I think the why behind it is more importantly, it's fellowship, bringing a group of people together with something that they know and understand.

But ultimately, they're going to be able to make those connections to, hey, do you know so-and-so from such-and-such town?

[Woman 2] So do you play much euchre then?

Are you from Michigan?

Is that right?

[Woman 3] I'm from Illinois.

[Woman 2] Illinois, okay.

[Woman 3] I don't play a lot.

[Woman 2] Yeah, you do good.

[Joshua] That's really powerful for that to be at the Iowa State Fair and have that connection sitting at a table with somebody that maybe you've never met before, but the commonality is the game of Euchre.

Yo.. for the next 2 or 3 hours, we're going to be able to join each other in fellowship and through the game of Euchre.

[Woman 4] But like the last 15 years, we've been playing 6-card bid euchre.

[Man 3] So we just happened to learn about this tournament tonight.

My mom's over here at the other table.

[Woman 5] Very social game.

Yeah, definitely you should try it out.

I met my boyfriend playing euchre, so you can't get better than that.

[Woman 6] We were taught by our folks, our grandparents, and, you know, it was a legacy thing.

You started with Euchre, moved up to Pinochle and Bridge, and we've learned cards, you know, from all— from everybody in our whole family plays.

So it's really fun.

[Joshua] I guess I would first give credit to the Iow.. Fair for allowing this event to happen.

I think they kind of are not a fixed mindset.

They're growth, and they're willing to look and consider different opportunities, hence why this is actually happening.

And I would actually encourage those viewers this similar path.

You know, if you've never played Euchre before, come out.

Everybody here is friendly and they want to grow the game, so they would encourage people to come out and participate and maybe show up a little bit early next year for the second annual and sit down with a number of people, and we'll be able to show you how to play the game.

For every young performer on the Riley Stage, the Iowa State Fair is a chance to share something they've worked hard to perfect.

Here are today's advancing acts.

♪ ♪ See who takes home top honors at the Talent Championships, Sunday, August 23 at 8 p.m.

on Iowa PBS.

The Iowa State Fair is a place where young people can showcase what they’ve worked on all year, but raising and showing animals is about much more than what happens in the ring.

Paul Yeager heads to the swine barn to meet some FFA students and find out what they take away from the experience.

[Paul Yeager] The Swine Barn.

It is a very busy place at the Iowa State Fair.

We have shows for 4-H, but today it is the FFA Swine Show.

And when you are the top hog-producing state in the nation, you darn well know who gets into the ring and wins is a pretty big deal here at the Iowa State Fair.

What'd you win today?

[Nicolas Vogel] Champion Duroc Market Hog.

[Paul] That's a pretty big deal.

How'd you do it?

[Nicolas] Just went out there and showed him the best I could.

So, Jillian had to show her other gill in the other ring, so I just figured I'd help her out and show Buddy.

[Paul] Had you spent much time with Buddy before today?

[Nicolas] Yeah, I see Buddy about every day.

[Paul] Judges always say confidence is a big part of showing.

Do you agree?

[Nicolas] I agree, yes, it is.

I got all my.. the sports I play, like football and basketball, and so I think that really helps on showing pigs, the more activities you do outside of showing pigs.

[Paul] How many years have you shown at the fair?

[Lydia Bleeker] It's gonna be 7 now.

It's still very frightening and nerve-wracking, but also just take a deep breath and take it all in.

It's so much more exciting, and it's such a cool experience.

[Paul] Tell me about t.. even come to the fair.

[Lydia] So every single day from the beginning of May or even July when they're first born, they get hours and hours on hand on day, walking them, washing them, hanging out with them, touching them, all of the above, going to exhibitions with them, extra shows, getting them used to the ring.

It's countless hours.

[Paul] I had another shower tell me that poise comes from athletics and helps give you confidence.

Do you translate the two as well?

[Lydia] Yes, for sure, bec.. so high energy.

But if you can just take a deep breath and understand that it's just a game and it's love, it's the love of the game that makes it so much more exciting.

[Paul] And when you say game, do you really mean show or do you mean an actual athletic event?

[Lydia] I would say both.

Like, this is an industry and a game, but it's— you're a player in both.

[Paul] Tell me about the pig that was in the show today.

[Sam Janssen] He's been good all summer.

We jackpotted him during the spring, and he won on the York Barrows, which is the division he was in, and he won that top 5 a few times, and he did really well for us the whole summer.

[Paul] What do you think about when you're inside the ring?

[Sam] I don't know.

I just try to think about different things, like keeping my hand off the pig and trying to make him go and use his strengths to go ahead and beat the other ones in the class.

[Paul] Are you— d.. [Sam] Oh yeah, I play baseball, I've played basketball in the past, and I'm in FFA.

[Paul] So tell me about the athletics transition to showing in the ring.

Any sim.. [Sam] For sports, you have to practice every day, and it's the same thing.

You wake up, you go to practice with the pigs, and you just gotta balance it, and you gotta find the right times to do both things and do that.

[Paul] What's the best thing about showing at the Iowa State Fair?

[Sam] I would just say, getting .. don't get to be with the whole year.

Like, the friends you make with, like on showing jackpots and county fairs and stuff.

You don't get to see during the rest of the year.

You just get to hang out with them for like a full week, and it's fun that way.

[Emcee] Do we have any rodeo fans in the house here today?

♪ ♪ [Roger Mooney] In the sport of rodeo, we're— we have evolved into the entertainment industry, the entertainment business, and whether you're 6, 66, or 96, we've got something for everybody.

You've got a seat, but you'll only need the edge, 'cause we're gonna slide you out.

[Emcee] Stroke this, stroke this, Big Daddy Long Stroke this!

[Roger] The good part about a rodeo is, you know, we said old, the new, the past, the present, the future.

You'll never see a rodeo in the United States that's not about God, family, and country.

So we'll start with red, white, and blue, those who served.

We're proud to be an American.

After our opening pageantry, we'll go to the bareback competition.

[Emcee] Rodeo fans, are you ready?

[Cooper Williams] The bareback riding's where all they have is a rigging, basically a suitcase handle they run their hand into, and it's all they got to hold on with, with one hand.

[Roger] We have 2 bucking horse events, the barebacks and the saddle broncs.

Saddle broncs is the cornerstone event.

Barebacks are more wild and woolly.

One hand in the rigging and let the feathers fly.

It's good watching.

♪ ♪ ♪ Steer wrestling are the gentle giants of professional rodeo.

Usually they're a little bigger, a little stouter, a little stronger.

They jump off the world's fastest athlete, the American Quarter Horse, going 35 miles per hour, grab ahold of the horns.

The name of the game is track 'em down, turn 'em around, and throw 'em down.

And I promise, it's no mama's boy sport.

You better grit your teeth.

[Emcee] The nod of approval.

The footrace is on.

Knocks him down.

He'll have to back out of it and then roll over, make do.

And our judge in the field said he did not clear the legs.

[Cooper] I'm the pickup man.

Pickup man is a cowboy out there that helps the cowboys get off the bucking horses and help escort stock out of the arena.

If there wasn't any of us, the cowboys would have to jump in the dirt without a ride back to the chutes, and the cattle wouldn't have any way to get chased out.

My favorite part of the rodeo would have to be just the whole rodeo, like everythi.. I've lived it, I love it.

I live for the weekends we get to go to the rodeos.

You get such a tight circle of people that you get to be great friends with and turns into more of a family.

[Roger] The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association is— we're proud to be here.

172 years of the Iowa State Fair.

And when it comes to rodeo, we bring 150 years of the Old Wild West inside the 21st century arena.

[Cooper] The state fair has been a staple for everybody that's lived in Iowa for as long as I've been alive.

And getting to be here in front of all these people that maybe have never seen the rodeo get to come to the state fair and watch it, it's pretty exciting.

[Roger] Cowboys, cowgirls, and you, broncs, bulls, and beauties.

And it all happens in a 2-hour package.

It's a lot of fun.

Well, that's our first night at the fair.

And if tonight proved anything, it's that there are countless ways to experience the Iowa State Fair and we've got plenty more to share in the nights ahead.

If you'd like to watch any of tonight's stories again, or catch up on something you missed, we've made it easy.

♪ ♪ ♪ Find all of our Iowa State Fair coverage wherever you connect with Iowa PBS.

No matter where you are, we've got the Fair waiting for you—anytime.

On tomorrow night’s show we'll meet the young women competing for the title of Iowa State Fair Queen.

We'll experience the color, pageantry and horsemanship of the Charros.

And we'll step inside the cooler for a look at one of the fair's most iconic traditions — the Butter Cow.

Thanks for spending part of your evening with us.

We'll see you tomorrow for another hour of highlights from the Iowa State Fair.

Until then, I’m Bill Riley.

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Pella Corporation is a proud supporter of Iowa PBS.

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