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.
It has been an exciting couple of days in my communications world! The Foundation is getting ready to launch a new website sometime before March 1 and I received the first build out proof of the new site! So exciting! I can’t wait for it to make its debut- it is going to be great for both the Foundation and our loyal supporters. A nice, clean look, plus easier navigation to find just what you’re looking for. Since I can’t contain myself, I will give you a sneak peek of the new homepage:
Wow! What a great start to 2012! I never thought I’d be sitting in my office with my screen door open listening to kids play in the Fun Forest in JANUARY!! I even went to lunch without a coat! If this weather is any prediction to what kind of year it is going to be, then I'm ready for a great one!
Well, after another great holiday spent with family and friends we are all back at work, and for me, it seems busier than ever! Everyone assumes that we are slow this time of year, but there are plenty of projects that need work all year round, or those that are getting started in preparation for the Fair. Currently I am working on the "winter" newsletter, conducting intern interviews and gearing up to start planning the Corndog Kickoff. In addition, we are getting ready to launch a new giving program, Our Fair's Future, improving our online donation process as well as redesigning our website!
I am excited for 2012 and all that it will bring. Keep checking in with us here at the Foundation as we will have a lot of new and exciting things to share in the upcoming year.
December is here which means Thanksgiving is over, Black Friday madness has come and gone, and it is time to think about Christmas and everything that goes along with it. It seems that Christmas season has entered with a bang, and we kicked off December with a fresh blanket of snow to welcome it in.
As I've spent the past week decorating around the office and home, there have been a lot of things on my mind involving the holidays. As someone that is recently engaged, one of the biggest things on my mind is incorporating a new family into my holiday routine. That means extra family gatherings to attend, more holiday treats to bake, and most of all, more presents to buy.
I often have a hard time thinking of fun and meaningful gift ideas for the ones that I love. As someone who grew up with a passion for the Iowa State Fair, I always loved collecting items that reminded me of those wonderful 11 days in August. This year, when thinking about gifts for that Fair lover in your life, head over to our online Iowa State Fair merchandise store and give them something that will help them remember their favorite memories of the Fair all year round.
Happy Holidays from all of us at the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation!
I’m not a huge fan of winter, but, if it’s going to be cold outside, it might as well snow! I snapped a couple of shots this morning as I came into work…it’s a little different from the scene you’re used to seeing in August!
Also, here’s a quick recap of the end of the Fall since we’ve been out of touch:
December is already flying by and the holidays will come and go before we know it! Be sure to check out the great State Fair merchandise we have for sale in our online store if you still have some shopping to do!
Help make this year’s 5K one for the books and sign up today! For the 5th anniversary, my goal is to have at least 500 participants…and we need your help to do it! By adding a one mile walk and a kids’ run we hope we can get some more people to join us. It’s a great way to get some exercise, plus see the beautiful Fairgrounds in the off-season. And, for you serious runners, we are going with RFID timing this year – the most modern timing system available!
Besides the good feeling you’ll get from helping out the Fair, participants also receive a long sleeve t-shirt and goodie bag with their registration fee. Sign up soon to get the discounted rate of $20; the price goes up to $25 starting October 22nd. Race day registration is also available for $30.
Check out this year’s shirt:
Oh, and did I forget to mention door prizes and refreshments after the race? There are so many reasons to join us on November 6, so don’t miss out! For all of the details about the event, be sure to visit our website.
The past couple of days, the Fair and Foundation staff as well as the Fair Board, have been meeting to review the 2011 Fair and to look ahead to 2012. In looking back, we quickly realized how many things we’ve accomplished in the past year. From adding Kids Zone, to new, fun activities featuring the Butter Cow, we hope we’ve been able to enhance the Fair for each and every one of you!
One project in which only phase one was completed for the 2011 Fair is Expo Hill. Were you at the Fair to see our progress? If not, here’s what it looked like:
Now that the Fair is over, phase two can begin! We are envisioning a stage area that will feature a solar powered cover. We will also be adding another walking path on the northwest side (right by the Foundation office!) for another access point.
We’ll also be adding additional solar cooling benches and other features.
If you’re out on the Fairgrounds this fall, take a walk up to Expo Hill. The new walking path makes it easy to get to the top of the hill. Once you’re up there, you’ll notice that Expo Hill provides a wonderful view of the Fairgrounds and the Des Moines skyline. It’s worth the walk!
We hope that you enjoy the changes we’re making to the grounds to make your Fair experience even better! And don’t forget to sign up for the Fairgrounds 5K where you’ll get a current view of the progress!
Now that the Fair is all wrapped up, it’s pretty quiet around here. Partly because it just not as busy and partly because we lose half of our staff…aka our much appreciated summer interns. Just when they get the hang of the everyday craziness of the Fair, they leave us to finish their senior year, only hours later.
For those of you who follow our blog, you can vouch for how great our interns were this year. They each posted once a week to keep you up to date on Foundation activities, and quite frankly its making my job difficult to keep up on my postings now that they’re gone. A special thank you to our three amazing interns Drew, Kristen and Trista for their hard work this summer!
Allyson, Emily, Drew and Trista pose with volunteer Andy Schlumbohm at the Corndog Kickoff.
Kristen and Drew on the last day of the Fair.
Trista and Kristen all dressed up for the Kickoff.
If you know of any hard-working, motivated college students in their junior year, who love the Fair, be sure to send them our way! We are looking for spring and summer interns to help us plan for the 2012 Fair. A full description of the available positions can be found here. The deadline is December 31, 2011.
As a previous Foundation intern myself, I can attest to the quality of the internships we offer. Interns will have a one of a kind experience and learn a lot of skills along the way. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email.
It’s officially the first day of Fall! There are so many things I love about the fall – jeans, boots, sweaters, the beautiful colors, ISU football games, the countdown to Christmas…the list goes on and on! At work, it’s a time to catch our breath from the Fair and get geared up for the year ahead. First up on the calendar, the Fairgrounds 5K!
I have never been a runner, but I am so excited for the 5K this year! My husband and I started running this fall and I’m finally starting to complain less and embrace the feeling of confidence when I complete our runs, especially when we move up the miles each week. Though I won’t be running in it because of my obvious event coordination obligations, I am still thrilled to be offering this opportunity to others!
Since we are entering our fifth year, we decided it would be fun to add a couple of new events to our 5K. In addition to our 5K fun run, we have added a one mile walk and a kids’ run! We will also have the newest timing system that’s available, RFID timing. Basically it is like chip timing, but instead of a chip you turn in a the end of the race, it is a small device located on the back of your race number that can be kept or thrown away. We’re also working on beefing up our prizes and giveaways, so be sure to sign up!
Registration includes a race t-shirt and goodie bag. Plus, you get to experience the Fairgrounds in the off-season and help raise money for the renovation and preservation of the Fairgrounds! Visit the Fairgrounds 5K website for sign up information as well as details for all of the events.
Check out a couple of pictures from last year’s race as well as our newest mascot for the 5K!
Runners approach the one mile mark.
Fairfield and Rosetta pose with some participants.
Now, introducing the newest addition to the Fairgrounds 5k, our cow mascot (yet to be named)! This year we will debut our “Chase the Cow Kids’ Run” where children 1-11 will chase the cow to the finish line!
The cow mascot for the "Chase the Cow Kids' Run"
We hope you all enjoyed the 2011 Iowa State Fair! Here are a few of our highlights!
Babies in the Animal Learning Center
Fox's Sean Hannity broadcast his show live at the Fair and drew quite a crowd!
On a rainy day we sell more ponchos than water!
Older Iowan Idol contest on Older Iowan's Day
I got to participate in Llama Limbo!
Draft horse show in the Jacobson Center
The Budweiser Clydes were on display the first weekend of the Fair.
On the last night of the Fair, Foundation staff all went down the Giant Slide together!
Blue Ribbon Foundation Fair Staff
