Sounds of the Season

December 7, 2016
drewnorton's picture
By Drew Sniezek
Typical sounds this time of year include holiday music, commotion in the kitchen and soon enough while hear giggles of children playing in the snow. I’m sure students and teachers alike are counting down the days until the holiday break from school. Everyone deserves a few days off from work to celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends. 
 
The sounds I hear around the Iowa State Fairgrounds are a bit different. Today on the Fairgrounds I hear - construction, the maintenance department setting up for upcoming events, and Fair-lovers stopping by the Administration office. 
  • The current construction on the new Midway area is still going strong. Crews are working daily to have the space ready to go by summertime. New pavement, updated utilities, and extended water/sewer lines are continuing to take shape.
  • With craft sales, livestock shows, and dinosaur displays – the Fairgrounds’ buildings are booked this month. The maintenance department does an excellent job of setting up, tearing down and making sure these events go off without a hitch.
  • The Administration Building has a steady flow of customers stopping to purchase 2017 Fair gate admission tickets, Hairball concert tickets (Reminder: Hairball will perform in the Jacobson Exhibition Center on February 3) and the featured quarter zip sweatshirt. All great ideas for Christmas. 
 
There is another set of sounds coming from the Blue Ribbon Foundation office - packaging merchandise items to ship, shuffling of internship applications and 2017 Grandstand concert artist music. 
  • There are hats, shirts, collectibles, etc. available in the State Fair Store online. You can also purchase items at our office. We are located in the Earth Home (under the wind turbine, by the Cultural Center and Fun Forest). We are open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. (Who wouldn’t want a butter cow shirt, butter cow bobblehead or butter cow earrings?!)
  • Popular again this year is the gift of an engraved brick on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. I’m happy to put together a gift card explaining your brick donation to the Fair Fan on your list.
  • Summer internship applications are due December 31. Please help us spread the word to current college students. The Foundation would like to hire 4 interns with focuses on public relations, event planning, volunteer management and business. Students can join our face paced environment for the summer.
  • The Iowa State Fair will announce the first set of Grandstand concerts for the 2017 Fair on Friday. Purchase great seats to one of these concerts by joining Fan Fair. For each $150 contribution made to the Fan Fair program, you become eligible to purchase 2 Grandstand show tickets during a special presale. The first presale will be Monday, December 12 at 10:00 am through Tuesday, December 13 at 10:00 pm.
 
With so much going on in the month of December, the Blue Ribbon Foundation is reminded again how thankful we are for each and every donor that makes our special “sounds of the season” possible.  Thank you!
 
The Iowa State Fair has this quarter zip sweatshirt avialble for sale. 
 
Gina, Sponsorship Director, during the Fair with 2016 interns, Audra and Kelsey.
 
 
The engraved brick on my desk. Engraved bricks on the Fairgrounds are popular Christmas gifts.