Iowa Public Television

Fair 2008

Episode #3904

Turkey Calling Contest/Duck Calling Contest - At Pioneer Hall not only do contests recognize old arts and crafts, they showcase skills we still use. Hunters still call turkeys and ducks. And Peter Hamlin was there to hear them calling. Side Roads - What you "gotta" love at the Fair - Paul Berge is on another Side Road at the Fair. Our intrepid reporter is combing the Fairgrounds looking for just exactly what you "gotta" love at this year's Fair. Wood Chopping Contest - It takes a sharp ax, strength, skill and very good hand eye coordination at the Wood Chopping contest. Peter Hamlin is at Pioneer Hall. 4-H Swine - We're back in the ring at the Swine Barn, this time with the 4-H exhibitors. They're showing their pigs and demonstrating what they've learned about showing animals. And they're making us all proud again. Food Judging - Favorite Food My Mother Prepared - Cooking is both an art and a science. But it's even more than that. It can also be about family traditions and nostalgia. At the Elwell Family Food Center they're judging "Favorite Food My Mother Prepared." Cookout Contest - The contestants arrive early to set up their grills and prepare their tables. It's the Cookout Contest at the Iowa State Fair. It's one of Peter Hamlin's favorite contests; Peter loves to eat and talk. Belgian Horse Show - Weighing more than a ton, the Belgian is considered one of the strongest horse breeds. And their power and grace are obvious. Enjoy their gleaming coats, braided manes and shining harnesses as the Belgian team and four-horse hitch classes compete at the Livestock Pavilion. Beard Growing Contest - Many contests at the Fair are about measuring things - how far you can throw something, how long does it take you to run somewhere pushing something. So it should be no surprise that they have the rulers out and are measuring beards at Pioneer Hall. A Master Artist in Wood - Meet Bob Kroese of Pella . He's an award-winning, nationally recognized artist in wood. And anyone who has seen the wood carving contest winners at the Cultural Center has seen his work. Outhouse Races - The course is short and intense; the competition can get really dirty. And Fairgoers really seem to enjoy the Outhouse Races on the Grand Concourse.