Welcome to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation’s blog!
We are a non-profit organization with a mission to raise funds for the renovation and preservation of the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. Since our inception in 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $200 million through individual contributions, state appropriations, in-kind services, and corporate, federal and state grants.
Please follow our blog to learn more about our organization.
My name is Julianna Curtis, and I am privileged to serve as the Volunteer Relations Intern for the Blue Ribbon Foundation this summer. As a native Iowan, I have enjoyed coming to the Iowa State Fair since I was a young girl and am very excited to have a hand in the behind-the-scenes magic of this year’s Fair!
I have recently graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University (just a few miles outside of Des Moines…) where I majored in Business Management and played D1 tennis for the past four years. Tennis has allowed me to travel the globe and even brought my family to Tampa, Florida for about seven years. The sport also blessed me with many lifelong friends—in fact, just last year I brought my Argentinian friend to the Fair to gain a full-fledged experience of the Iowa culture and try her very first corndog, which she loved!
The warm climate and diverse experiences were great in Florida, but two years ago, the unique community of Iowa called my family back to our home state. It is this unique, family-like community that I am so thrilled to work with throughout the next three months. Whether it’s at the Corndog Kickoff or the Fair itself, I am eager to meet new people and interact with the over 600 volunteers that make my favorite event in the country so special.
Even at the young age of 10, I have always been a strong advocate for the Fair. When asked by a fellow competitor during a tennis tournament if I had ever visited Disneyland, which was near her hometown, I replied innocently by saying, “No I haven’t; have you ever been to the Iowa State Fair?” I assumed that she must have known this nationally-proven, well-known fact:
The Iowa State Fair was, and still is, the best Fair in the country.
My family and I next to our Blue Ribbon Foundation lamp post!
Summer is filled with family vacations, road trips and travel adventures. It’s an opportunity to explore somewhere new or visit your favorite getaway spot. Whether you live in Iowa or across the country, in August - All Roads Lead to the Iowa State Fair! The Blue Ribbon Foundation will celebrate our top-notch tourist attraction at the 2018 Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party on Saturday, July 7.
Pack your suitcase and follow your map because this event is filled with auction packages, entertainment and all of your favorite Iowa State Fair foods. Since this event is 50 days away, here are 50 reasons you should attend the 2018 Corndog Kickoff.
1. Root Beer Floats
2. Sno Cones
3. Kettle Korn
4. Purchase New Iowa State Fair Merchandise before the Fair
5. Fudge
6. Fair Squares
7. Winners Choice Raffle – Your change to claim a live auction package before the bidding even begins! Tickets are $100 each and only 100 will be sold. The winner gets to pick one of the first five live auction items as their prize.
8. Hot Beef Sundaes
9. Fireworks - Donated by Flashing Thunder Fireworks Spectacular
10. Funnel Cakes
11. Pork Chop on a Stick
12. Brisket Mac & Cheese
13. Bid to put your name on the Fairgrounds. You pick the name of the winding way from Grand Avenue to the stage area of Expo Hill. A sign with your designated name will be installed and grace the Fairgrounds for a year.
14. Mingling with other State Fair lovers
15. Chocolate Chip Cookies
16. Pop
17. Nut Rolls
18. Dining Delights - For a $20 donation, you can grad a mystery restaurant gift card as a prize. Want to feature your favorite restaurant, consider donating a gift card!
19. Iowa State Fair Quilt
20. Cotton Candy
21. Watermelon
22. 200+ Silent Auction packages
23. Beer
24. Gizmo Sandwiches
25. Pickle Dawgs
26. Photo Booths with complimentary 5”x7” photo commemorating the event
27. Music
28. Generous Volunteers
29. Corn in a Cup
30. Bill Riley Jr.
31. Bid on the 12’ Metal Rooster
32. Sky Glider Rides
33. Bid on a C. W. Parker 1930’s Era Carousel Horse
34. Caramel Apples
35. Corndogs
36. Iowa State Fair Queen
37. Spin the Giant Wheel for $5 and win a State Fair Prize
38. Wine
39. 30 Live Auction Packages
40. Turkey Legs
41. Sneak peek to the additions around the Fairgrounds – New Kum & Go Stage, updates to the milking parlor, updated street and sidewalks along East 30th Street
42. Spin Art
43. Wood Oven Pizza
44. Mountain Valley water
45. Bright Smiles
46. Blue Bunny Ice Cream
47. Bid on Concert Tickets to Reba, Sugarland, Florida Georgia Line and more!
48. Rags to Riches sponsored by West Bank – Purchase you $10 bandana at a chance to win a cash price. Last year’s winner took home $3000!
49. Most Importantly, Raise Money for Future Iowa State Fair Improvements!
Road trip to the Iowa State Fair and help us celebrate! Buy your tickets or become an event Patron today.
Here are pictures from the excitment at the 2017 Corndog Kickoff!
For the past 20 years the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation has partnered with Cookies Food Products to celebrate outstanding Iowans from across the state. Every neighborhood is made up of selfless volunteers dedicated to making big things happen. We work to acknowledge individuals that go above and beyond in their communities by being an Iowan of the Day at the 2018 Iowa State Fair.
Iowan of the Day winners receive:
• A day of recognition at the 2018 Iowa State Fair
• Accommodations at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown
• An introduction on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage
• Gate admission for four
• Four Grandstand show tickets on his or her day of honor
• $200 cash
• Use of golf cart for his or her day at the Fair
• VIP Parking
If you had someone come to mind that would make a great Iowan of the Day, please consider nominating them! “Start by just outlining things you know about someone who is deserving. Reach out to friends, family and community leaders for their input,” 2017 Iowan of the Day Chris Fox says, “Don’t miss an opportunity to get someone the recognition you think they deserve.” It’s that easy! Nominations and supplemental materials must be received no later than July 1, 2018.
Our office is getting more and more Corndog Kickoff auction items as the week goes by! Checkout our newest and latest items! Items come in all shapes and sizes with all types of uses including home décor! These will not disappoint at the Corndog Kickoff, held on July 7.
The C. W. Parker Carousel was built in 1912 operating in the Burnaby Village Museum at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. The carousel was the 119th machine built by C.W. Parker Company, earning is “Parker #119” nickname. The carousel, built by Charles Wallace Parker, toured Texas for two years with the Lone Star Circus before ending up in Happyland, an amusement part in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1936.
In 1989 the carousel was sold off horse by horse at an auction in New York. Local residents came together to save the carousel and formed the “Friends of Vancouver Carousel Society.” In May 1989, the Burnaby Village Museum agreed to provide a home for the carousel and the “friends,” led by President Don Wrigley, set about raising the $350,000 to purchase the machine. In 1990, the carousel was purchased. The pavilion, named the Don Wrigley Pavilion was completed in 1993 and the carousel was then named the Burnaby Centennial Parker Carousel. This horse will be featured in the Corndog Kickoff live auction.
Would this carousel look good in your home? Get your tickets today and participate in the live auction!
Macy Evans
I am Savannah Keitzer and I'm honored to spend my summer working as the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation Donor Relations Intern. The Fair has always been the highlight of my summer, and this year will be the best one yet since I will be spending over 100 days here!
My parents went on their first date at the Iowa State Fair in 1985 to attend an Alabama concert, and our family hasn’t missed a beat since. I joined the family in 1997, and was raised on my family’s row crop farm in Mediapolis, Iowa. Being raised in production agriculture and being an active member of both 4-H and FFA led me to Iowa State University where I am pursuing a degree in Agricultural Communications with a minor in Leadership Studies.
During my freshman year at Iowa State University, I served the Iowa FFA Association as the Southeast State Vice President and enjoyed traveling the state to meet professionals, students, and supporters of the agriculture industry. I developed a great love for the number one state in the nation, Iowa! This year, I interned for the Leadership Studies Program for the Vermeer International Leadership Program and serve as the liaison between Vermeer and Iowa State.
Nothing compares to my moments at the Iowa State Fair! Whether I am showing sheep alongside my sisters, racing down the big slide, consuming gallons of lemonade, or simply enjoying the presence of friendly-competition, joy, and sunshine; I am looking forward to my 20th Iowa State Fair. More so, I am looking forward to the lessons that will be learned, the memories that will be made, and a summer I will never forget.
Since 1997, the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation and Cookies Food Products have recognized exceptional Iowans at the Iowa State Fair for their hard work, involvement and loyalty to the great State through the Iowan of the Day program.
5 Years Ago:
In 2013, Paul Venner was named Iowan of the Day. He has spent countless hours volunteering at Regency Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Carroll and New Hope Village, being a member of the American Legion Post and mastering his own garden to donate his home grown produce to those in need.
10 Years Ago:
In 2008, Margo Fox was recognized at the Iowa State Fair by being named Iowan of the Day. Margo dedicated a significant amount of time supporting the Iowa National Guard. Through her efforts, she helped hundreds of families adjust to having loved ones serving across seas. She also organized send offs and homecomings of troops, as well as sending packages to soldiers. Margo also volunteered with the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation by setting up booths, selling water and merchandise and driving shuttles.
15 Years Ago:
In 2003, Kay Robinson spent her State Fair day as the Iowan of the Day. Kay managed a part-time job and volunteered numerous hours for American Red Cross, Iowa Council for International Understanding and sewing bib overalls for newborns at Iowa Lutheran Hospital. Kay worked relentlessly and many people benefitted from her good deeds.
As you can tell, these individuals really worked to benefit their community and were very deserving of a special day at the Iowa State Fair! Currently we are searching for more individuals that exemplify these characteristics and more! Nominate someone in your community that continually goes above and beyond today!
Macy Evans
What’s happening with the Blue Ribbon Foundation?
If you haven’t already, check out the Foundations spring newsletter. We shared important information on how you can be a Blue Ribbon Volunteer, how you can contribute to the Foundations mission at the Corndog Kickoff, how you can nominate someone for Iowan of the Day, and details about Planned Giving and Birdies for Charity.
This spring the newsletter featured Accu-Steel in the donor profile for their continuous support of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. Jason and his wife Alison, owners of Accu-Steel, donated a hoop-structure building in 2017. This hoop structure stores the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition center’s arena footing when not used in the building. The family is proud supporters of the Iowa State Fair. “The Iowa State Fair will stand the test of time. As technology evolves and people change, the Iowa State Fair will continue to hold the traditions that were created when it first started, and be a place for special gatherings and lifelong memories,” says Jason.
The Iowa State Fair preparation is in full swing as new projects include the John and Emily Putney Family Cattle Barn, the restrooms at the Administration building, the milking parlor, the Grandstand and East 31st Street.
What was the Blue Ribbon Foundation doing 10 years ago?
Construction was taking place on the outdoor arena and stalling barn east of the Swine Barn. The project replaced the arena west of the Horse Barn. Now the barn has 188 stalls. The project finished just in time for 2008 Iowa State Fair!
In the spring of 2008, planning for the Corndog Kickoff was in full swing! The patron program was included in the newsletter as well. Along with that, the newsletter shared opportunities to get involved and be a Blue Ribbon Volunteer through the Farmer’s Market, the Des Moines Art Festival and of course the Iowa State Fair.
Highlighted in the spring issue was Carl’s Concessions. Kirby and Carla Wood got involved in the Blue Ribbon Foundation through the Corndog Kickoff as concessionaires, offering their famous Gizmo Sandwich to attendants at the 2008 Corndog Kickoff. Still, to this day Carla donates to the Corndog Kickoff with her Gizmo Sandwiches.
What was the Blue Ribbon Foundation doing 20 years ago?
In the spring of 1998, everyone was celebrating a new generation of tractors! In honor of the historical relationship between the Iowa State Fair and John Deere, the Blue Ribbon Foundation was granted the exclusive rights to produce 3,500 limited edition John Deere 4010 collector tractors. The 1/16 model of the 4010 was the second series produced exclusively for the Blue Ribbon Foundation by Ertl Collectibles. With only 3,500 little tractors being produced, you can only imagine how fast those sold!
Susan Terry, party committee chair for the Corndog Kickoff, appeared as the donor profile in the newsletter. “I have never had more fun working harder than I did on the Corndog Kickoff,” said Susan. “In raising money for last year’s event, I found that people responded more positively to donating for the Iowa State Fair than any other organization I have been involved with. People have an affection for this institution that is unlike anything else I have ever experienced.”
It is so refreshing to look back on newsletters and see not much has changed, the Iowa State Fair will always be a longstanding tradition that we, as Iowans are so proud of! The Blue Ribbon Foundation thanks the donors that helped shape our organization, from 20 years ago into what it is today. We look forward to growing with our current and future supporters.
-Macy Evans
Well, this is not the spring many of us were hoping for! Hopefully mother nature changes her mind and leaves the snow behind! No matter what the weather is like, we continue to be closer and closer to the Iowa State Fair with every day that passes!
I am beginning to organize and prepare for the Iowan of the Day program at the Iowa State Fair. If your father, mother, grandparent, neighbor, or just anyone you know, exemplifies characteristics that make them a true Iowan, nominate them! This includes going above and beyond in the community, being loyal, dedicated and hard working. If they receive the honor of being Iowan of the Day they will get $200 cash, four admission tickets for one day at the Fair, four grandstand tickets, hotel accommodations and more! We are taking nominations until July 1st, so do not hesitate to submit a form!
Each day I come to work, I can leave saying I learned another new way to donate to the Blue Ribbon Foundation! The Blue Ribbon Foundation is participating in The Principal Charity Classic’s Birdies for Charity fundraiser. Iowans have the opportunity to support organizations like the Blue Ribbon Foundation by raising funds through Birdies for Charity, by either making a one-time flat donation or a pledge of $0.05 or more for each birdie made by Champions Tour players. The Blue Ribbon Foundation will receive 100% of our collected donations and a 10% match on all pledges made through the program.
There is only three full weeks left of classes at Iowa State, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working full time, enjoying the sunshine (hopefully), meeting the other interns, and of course the Iowa State Fair! Make sure to mark your calendars for August 9th through the 19th and I will see you there!
-Macy
If you are like me right now, you find yourself day dreaming of the warm sun, cool lemonades and the 2018 Iowa State Fair! Have you ever participated in a contest at the State Fair? If you are thinking about earning yourself a blue ribbon, consider participaing in the Concrete Statue painting contest.
Individuals, clubs and companies are welcomed to participate. Simply complete the application with your proposed design by Monday, April 2. Judges will select applicants to pick-up the statue, paint it, and return the statue to the Fairgrounds. After the Fair, the statue is yours to keep!
The Blue Ribbon Foundation has painted a statue for the last three years and as a fundraiser - they have each been auctioned off at Woodcarver’s Auction, held on the last Sunday of the Fair. Have you ever attended the Woodcarver's Auction? Mark your calendar for Sunday, August 19 at 3:30 pm in the John and Emily Putney Family Cattle Barn’s Penningroth Media Center. Proceeds from this auction benefit the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and restore the Fairgrounds for years to come.
This is your opportunity to get creative and show your love for the great Iowa State Fair! As I wrap up another week of staying busy on the job, I can’t wait for the rest of the interns to join me on this journey as Iowa State Fair is quickly approaching. It is about 3 weeks until finals, and I have a lot of studying to do between now and then. I am more than ready to start working full time at the Blue Ribbon Foundation office.
-Macy
Check out the Blue Ribbon Foundation's previous concrete statues:
As I finish up my second week on the job, I cannot help but feel excited for what lies ahead leading to the 2018 Iowa State Fair! I have jumped in, head first and started working on several projects that I will be organizing this summer.
This week I started organizing a gift card activity that will be featured at this year’s Corndog Kickoff. New for 2018, the Blue Ribbon Foundation is creating “Dining Delights” – a restaurant gift card activity. For a $20 donation, attendees will grab a mystery gift card as their prize. I'm seeking restaurant gift card donations with a value of $25 or higher to highlight restaurants across the state. Email me if you have an idea or would like to donate a gift card. For those of you that haven’t already, make sure to mark your calendars for this year’s Corndog Kickoff on Saturday, July 7. I can’t wait to see the items that will be auctioned off this year.
My main project throughout the entire summer will be to assemble the Iowan of the Day program. I am eager to meet Iowans across the state that exemplify the characteristics that make Iowa a uniquely special state. Do you have an outstanding volunteer in your community that deserves to be celebrated? Nominate them today!
I find myself learning something new every day. For the many of you Amazon shoppers, I have great news! Did you know you can donate to the Blue Ribbon Foundation just by shopping on Amazon? Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to a charitable organization of your choice, and you can choose the Blue Ribbon Foundation! For every new customer to make their first donation, Amazon is tripling the donation to 1.5%! Every penny helps continue the long-standing tradition of the great Iowa State Fair. Shop at smile.amazon.com to see for yourself.
As the Public Relations Intern - writing, posting and designing will keep me very busy! I am excited to keep learning and see where this journey will lead me as I challenge myself throughout the summer.
-Macy
