Corndog Kickoff
Each July, Fair-lovers whet their Iowa State Fair appetite by attending the Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party. It is a fun-filled night complete with live entertainment, all of your Fair food favorites, and a variety of unique auction packages to satisfy any State Fair enthusiast.
The Corndog Kickoff began in 1997 and was first held in Pioneer Hall. The 460 attendees bid on 20 live and 43 silent packages, raising over $67,000 for the Iowa State Fair. Like the Fair itself, the Kickoff fundraiser has evolved over the last 20 years, and has grown to encompass over half of the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building.
Nearly 2,200 people come together each year to bid on over 30 live auction packages and 200 silent auction packages. To date, the event has raised a total of $8 million toward Fairgrounds renovations.
Save the date for the 2023 Corndog Kickoff slated for July 8, 2023! Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Thank you! Your support helped the annual Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party raise $797,000 for the renovation and preservation of the Iowa State Fairgrounds!
2,100 Iowa State Fair fans gathered for a night of fun, food and fundraising. The Blue Ribbon Foundation auctioned off 35 live and 291 silent auction packages for totals of $260,550 and $139,217, respectively. Patron contributions totaled $335,000. The remaining funds consisted of ticket and merchandise sales.