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.
I've only been on the job for a month and I'm already busy planning my first event – the annual Fairgrounds 5K.
Although it’s my first year, it is the 5K’s seventh! I’ve been brainstorming new ideas to keep the event just as exciting as the first year. Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with Chris Burch, the Director for the Des Moines Marathon. He gave me great feedback on expanding and making the Fairgrounds 5K a success. I appreciated his help.
This week I’ve been busy working on flyers, the race route, and a new shirt design. I even signed up to run a 5K of my own for inspiration!
If you like to run, walk, or just plain love the Fair, we encourage you to come out and support our event on November 3th to raise money for the historic and beautiful Iowa State Fairgrounds. It's a great opportunity to see the Fair in a different setting; without the hustle and bustle of the Fair. Again this year, we will have the 5K run, 1 mile walk, and Chase the Cow Kids' Run.
Online registration is up and running so be sure to sign up (before Oct. 21) to get the early registration price. For all the details regarding the seventh annual Fairgrounds 5K (volunteering, sponsoring, or participating), please check out the 5K page. Or, send me an email for any specific questions you might have. I will keep posting more details and new additions to the event as we get closer.
Here are a few photos from last year's event:
As the newest Blue Ribbon Foundation employee, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Drew Norton and I started last week as the new Communications Manager. I’d like to share a little about myself and my connections to the Iowa State Fair.
I am originally from Bloomfield, Iowa. While growing up in a small town, I spent several summers attending my local county fair and the Iowa State Fair. My first memory of the Fair was when I was ten years old and attended the LeAnn Rimes concert. What a wonderful opportunity for a little girl to see her first live music event in the Grandstand.
In the summer of 2011, I was the Public Relations intern for the Blue Ribbon Foundation. I had the pleasure of coordinating the “Iowan of the Day” program, Fair Squares, a much more. The Blue Ribbon Foundation internship was an incredible experience as a college student. Not only did I learn about public relations, marketing, and being professional but I also learned how important it is to work in an environment that you love. It was hard work but I enjoyed it every day.
After graduating Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, I took my first job in Mason City, Iowa. I was the Communications and Marketing Coordinator for United Way of North Central Iowa.
Only one week at the new job and I am already proud to say that I work for the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation. I’m looking forward to managing the newsletter, website, and social media materials. I have already started to plan the 2013 Fairgrounds 5K and I know that next year’s Corndog Kickoff will be just around the corner. In all honesty, nothing compares to working for the Iowa State Fair.
I'm excited to meet volunteers, BRF supporters, and Fairgoers. Please feel free to email me at Drew@blueribbonfoundation.org.
I know that I have big shoes to fill, but I am ready to give it my best!
The Iowa State Fair starts in less than one week! Where did the summer go? How is it already August? Time sure has flown by, but mostly because everyone on the Fairgrounds has been working extra hard these last couple of weeks. Early mornings and late nights are part of the job description, but the hard work truly pays off when you visualize it all coming together. Although the Fair has yet to begin, the Fairgrounds are teeming with concessionaires that will make your mouth water, golf carts zipping around, and tons of people. My favorite part, though, is the unbelievable amount of pride that the staff here has for the Iowa State Fair. Everyone has the mentality to make this year's Fair the best one yet, and I don't doubt that it will be! The public's enthusiasm for the Iowa State Fair is also a great pick-me-up. I love it when people come in to the office and share stories about why the love the State Fair or what they see, do, or eat every year. Their stories put a big old smile on my face, and it's fun to think about how we all participate in such a grand tradition!
See you at the Fair!
Kate
Well Iowa State Fair fans....we are one week away! I can hardly believe it. The to-do lists have multiplied and the traffic has picked up quite a bit. For not being very familiar with the fair, I was suprised at how quick the transformation was- from bare, to completely coming alive with people, tents, decorations, concessionaires and more. I drive through Grand Avenue every morning and there is always a line of people waiting to buy their tickets. But this is just the beginning! Pre-fair is only half the excitement. I'm going to take a guess and say that majority of Iowa natives come to the fair every year. It's a tradition. It's something they look forward to for months on end. Growing up in Nebraska, that's something I've never experienced. I know I've said it plenty of times before, but actually being a part of it is something I've been looking forward to since day one. I've realized in these short 4 months that the Iowa State Fair doesn't just "talk the talk," they without a doubt "walk the walk." All the hype is earned and deserved!! See you in a week!!
Carly
If you've been on University or Grand recently, you've probably noticed some increased traffic. And if you've gotten a peek down one of the open gates on the Fairgrounds, you've caught a glimpse of the beginning chaos. But isn't it exciting?!
There are food vendors set up all over the Fairgrounds in places once bare. There are workers racing around on golf carts to run errands and try to accomplish everything. The giant concrete ribbons are ready to be set out, the buildings are getting stocked, the Butter Cow is finished, and while all of this is going on, you can feel an exciting mounting tension that the Fair is only days away.
Yesterday, Kate, Carly, and I rode around the Fairgrounds and checked out where our merchandise booths will be and got a better idea of what was about to go down. While some of it made us very nervous, other things got us wide-eyed and thrilled. From hearing about all the delicious Fair food, all the fun performances, and all the must-see exhibits, it was safe to say that as nervous as we were, we were also very excited.
I hope that all of you out there are experiencing that same excitement of the upcoming Iowa State Fair. Can't wait to see you all there!
-Kristine
It seems as though almost every person that walks in our office this past week has asked "are you ready for the fair!?" And yes, we are! I'm definitely a "newbee" when it comes to the Iowa State Fair. But I can't help but be anxious and excited for when it finally gets here. As John put it, this is our harvest time. This is our time to shine and put on arguably the best fair in the country. Afterall, it is what everyone has been working for all year! There is nothing better than hard work coming together to merely make other people happy, and give them the best Iowa State Fair experience possible. I can feel the excitement everywhere!!
In other news, I am proud to announce the 10 Iowan of the Day recipients that will be honored at the fair this year. We have a wide, and certainly unique, array of winners from all over the state. I truly believe they are top notch selections that deserve every bit of this award. A special congratulations to the following winners:
Cole Mace of Estherville
Steve Leinen of Panama
Sharon Juon of Waterloo
Dean Kluss of Clarion
Keith Sash of Gladbrook
Shirley Stout Frederiksen of Chariton
Beth Titman of Boone
Paul Venner of Breda
Jack Finneseth of Jefferson
Ellen Lemke of Bedford
Hello everyone!
RAGBRAI is coming through Des Moines! And they're takinng a little bit of the State Fair with them.
Yesterday, Kate and I got the chance to head downtown to promote the Iowa State Fair to the riders there. They got to spin the wheel at our booth for a State Fair prize. We offered everything from hats, magnets and postcards to State Fair cookbooks and tickets to the 2013 Fair. For me, I always got very excited whenever someone won tickets. Because what an awesome win! I think most everyone that did was also pretty excited, and who wouldn't be? It was a great feeling to be able to share and give something as great as the Iowa State Fair, especially to some who had never been there before.
This morning, the RAGBRAI route is coming through the grounds. Riders are enjoying Fair food at the stands along Grand Avenue and stopping to get on the SkyGlider. They're touring the Fair Museum and curving around the Ag Building to head over to Walnut, passing by our buildings. Although they're not filled with the exciting exhibits, fun animals, and live shows that bring the State Fair to life in August, I hope they still get a feel for what this place is all about and hopefully come back to experience it.
I always find it interesting when Iowa natives haven't ever gotten to experience the State Fair. It's such a historic place, so representative of who we are, where we've been and where we're going as Iowans. From 4-H exhibits, healthy competition, and agriculture to food, amusement rides and performing acts, there's nothing quite like this place and the heavy, contagious atmosphere that pervades these grounds for those 11 days in August.
Of the three interns here this summer at the Foundation, I have some more Fair experience and memories, so I'm very excited for Carly and Kate to enjoy everything that is about the descend upon the grounds in just two weeks (INSANE!). And that goes for anyone experiencing the State Fair for the first time whether they're long time Iowa residents or journeying to this great state from far away like the Pennsylvanian riders that stopped by the State Fair booth yesterday downtown. Truly, nothing compares to the Iowa State Fair.
Until next time!
-Kristine
As you can probably guess, things are picking up around here and at a rapid rate. We had yet another incredible Corndog Kickoff, raising nearly $416,000 and setting another new record up from last year. A huge thank you to anyone that was in attendance, made a bid, volunteered, sold food, cleaned up and the list goes on. We simply could not do it without all the working parts!! As an intern, I was exposed to a whole new level of event planning. We hope you all had a "grand" time and your night was completely worthwhile!
On another note, fair time is quickly approaching!! There were landscaping crews outside this morning laying mulch, vendors are starting to set up and the Iowa State Fair employees are coming to work earlier and leaving later. As Robin said this morning, it smells like Fair (literally and figuratively). There is a lot to be done until then! But as we learned after the Corndog Kickoff, we will reap the benefits in the end. And much of that is just being able to provide millions of people with some of the best hospitality around. Being able to say you work for one of the best fairs in the country is pretty cool in itself. There's no doubt in my mind that Happiness IS the Iowa State Fair!
I hope you're saving up your appetites for Fair Squares and something on a stick!
CG
Hello everyone!
Here at the Blue Ribbon Foundation Office, we are still reeling from such a GREAT Corndog Kickoff! And we only have you to thank. We're pleased to announce that we raised over $416,000! All of those proceeds will go to benefit, restore, and preserve our historic Iowa State Fairgrounds.
To those who bought tickets to the event, to those who bid on auction pacakges and bought them, to those who volunteered their time to work at the Kickoff, to the concessionaires who donated their time and food supply, and to everyone else involved with the Corndog Kickoff 2013, we are entirely grateful and cannot thank you enough. We truly have some wonderful people who are on board with us to keep our wonderful Fairgrounds alive and thriving for the future.
Now that the Kickoff has ended, however, we definitely haven't put on the brakes! We are now in Fair mode and looking forward to those great 11 days that are quickly approaching. Can't wait to see you all there!
Until next time,
Kristine
It's a new month! And an exciting one at that. We are now less than two weeks away from our annual Corndog Kickoff benefit auction. It's hard to believe it is already July and I have been here for over 3 months. Things are surely picking up as both the auction and fair get closer. Sending out tickets, lining up volunteers, tracking Iowan of the Day nominations, radio interviews and putting the final touches on decorations just to name a few! But that hardly puts a dent in everything that has been accomplished and will be accomplished within the next month. I like to joke around with my teammates about people that complain about being "bored." Boredom is a great gift in the eyes of student-athletes, because it rarely happens! I would imagine everyone working at the state fair this time of the year can relate. We have so much to keep us busy!! But it will be rewarding nonetheless.
As I mentioned eariler, the days of putting together the Corndog Kickoff decorations are drawing to an end. This past Friday, Kate and I spent the day painting and assembling the center pieces. It was a nice change of pace to be out of the office, in the beautiful weather and enjoying a full day of intern bonding. Allyson's husband and daugter Kendall (who is adorable, I might add) even came for lunch. I've never seen the kid cry, even when I held her! ;) Overall we are ready for another action packed week at the Blue Ribbon Foundation. I hope you all have safe and happy Fourth of July!!
Until next time
CG