Flashback to 2002 and 2012: What was going on?
May 2, 2022
It seems that every year brings something new to the Iowa State Fair. Of course there is always new Fair foods to try, new exhibits to check out, or new merchandise to take home with you. But many years there is something bigger too. Perhaps new events spark your interest, there is a new competition to check out, or a new building is added to the Fairgrounds that you’ve got to go in. It can almost be hard to keep track of. Our quarterly newslettercan help you keep track of what is going on! We are excited for our supporters to receive our Spring 2022 Newsletter this month. To commemorate, let’s check out what the newsletters of 10 and 20 years ago were excited about.
What was happening in 2002?
20 years ago, in 2002, big changes were coming to the Blue Ribbon Foundation! Former Iowa State Fair CEO Marion Lucas had retired and moved off the Fairgrounds, allowing for the Blue Ribbon Foundation to move in to its current location in the Earth Home, just north of the Fun Forest. Before this move, the Blue Ribbon Foundation had been located in downtown Des Moines in the Ruan Center.
What was happening in 2012?
10 years ago, in 2012, the Blue Ribbon Foundation was busy planning the 16th annual Corndog Kickoff. The theme for 2012 was “It’s a Sweet Thing!” How fun! In 2012, the Blue Ribbon Foundation was also hard at work on the new endowment program, Our Fairs Future. Donors to the fund were designated as a member of the Champion’s Circle, and were recognized around the Fair in a variety of ways. This program still exsists today, check it out to learn more about planned giving and how you can help the Iowa State Fair.
What is happening now?
Now, just to wrap things up, I’ll leave you with a sneak peek into the 2022 Newsletter! The 2022 Spring edition of the newsletter includes an update on the T.A.G. Team project, and a bunch of exciting project updates. These updates include some big ones, like the Alliant Energy Landing and the Elwell Family Park, and some smaller scale ones, like replacing a section of the Agricultural Building roof.
Some things stay the same.
While each issue had their differences, some things do stay the same. In all of the issues, the Blue Ribbon Foundation announced their Iowan of the Day search, talked about the annual Corndog Kickoff, reached out for volunteers, had a few mailbox notes, and welcomed their summer interns!
Laura Noehren, Sponser Relations Intern
