Leaving Legacies, One Brick at a Time

It was a rainy Monday morning. The wind was gusting, the birds were huddled in their nests, and the leftover smell of pigs from the World Pork Expo hung in the air. Seems like a dreary start to the week stuck inside, right? Not for the Blue Ribbon Foundation staff! The drizzly weather couldn’t stop us from getting outside and creating lasting memories for people throughout the Fairgrounds.

Today, we continued our quest to restore the Fairgrounds by laying engraved bricks along the walkways found in front of various Fair landmarks, such as Ye Old Mill, the Agriculture Building, Pioneer Hall, and the Cattle, Horse, Sheep, and Swine Barns—to name a few. Although it looked like we had dug our hands and feet through a mud pit by the time we were done, the day was a success with 142 new bricks in the ground.

Would you like to leave a permanent legacy and commemorate your and your family’s love for the Iowa State Fair? You can invest in your own personalized brick through the Blue Ribbon Foundation’s Buy a Brick program! We offer both standard bricks and special logo bricks that can be engraved with the inscription of your choosing. The next deadline for ordering a brick is September 15, and we will place your brick within the grounds this fall. To order, visit our website at the link above and secure your new Fair legacy before the craze of the Corndog Kickoff and the Iowa State Fair begins!

Not a brick person? You can also check out other ways to support the renovation projects and Fairground improvements through our many giving programs, such as Trees for the Fair, Growing our Future, or “Shine On.” The Corndog Kickoff is also a great way to show your support while enjoying the foods of the Fair, so remember to reserve your tickets today!

Now that the bricks are laid and the clouds are clearing up, it looks it will be a pleasant week after all. Plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors (perhaps take a quick nap…) and continue our Kickoff preparations! Check out the pictures below to see some of today's handiwork here at the Fairgrounds:

Julianna