Choose Iowa at the 2025 Iowa State Fair
Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food Contest
The Choose Iowa Fair Food Contest celebrates fair food menu items made using ingredients sourced from Iowa! Fairgoers will be invited to vote for their favorite fair food featuring Iowa ingredients during the Iowa State Fair until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13. The food stand with the winning Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food will be recognized on August 15 when the Iowa State Fair’s Best New Food is announced. A map showing all the food locations featuring Iowa ingredients will be posted on the Iowa State Fair website and mobile app.
Entries in the Choose Iowa Favorite Fair Food Contest
- All-Beef Hot Dog - Smokey's Grill
- The Butcher's Donut - Destination Grille
- The Butter Cow Tornado - Dairy Zone
- Chuckie's Pork Tenderloin - Chuckie's
- Cinnamon Crunch Apple Taco - Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association
- Fairgrounds Fiesta Wonton - Cluckin' Coop
- Gizmo - Carl's Gizmo
- Grinder Ball - The Bacon Box
- Ham Salad Sandwich - The Snack Box
- Honey Lemonade - Iowa Honey Producers Association
- Iowa Bratwurst - Stockman's Inn
- Italian Sausage Grinder - Hagar's Hoagies
- Jalapeño Cheddar Craft Link on Stick - Watcha Smokin?
- Lamb Wrap - HoQ
- Milk - Barksdale's State Fair Cookies
- Nitro Cup - Nitro Ice Cream
- Pork Chop on a Stick - Iowa Pork Tent
- Raspberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt - The Dairy Goodness Barn
- The Regular Biscuit - Biscuit Bar
- Rib-eye Steak Sandwich - Cattlemen's Beef Quarters
- Scotcheroo Ice Cream Shake - Over the Top
- Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich - Old West Roadhouse BBQ
- Steak/Pork Tip Dinner - Kinnear's Steak and Pork Tips
- Strawberry Cheesecake Roasted Pecans - The Nut Farm
- Sweet Granny's Apple Delight Sundae - Applishus
- Sweet Swine Stack Attack - Bubbly Bar & Bistro
- Fruit-Melon Cup - Beattie's Melon Patch
- Whole Lamb Burger - Fresh American Lamb (Iowa Sheep Industry Association)
- Wonder Bar - Wonder Bars
- Yield of Dreams - Iowa Craft Beer Tent
The Kitchen: Choose Iowa Presents...
In The Kitchen, Choose Iowa is curating the 1 p.m. presentation every day featuring Iowa ingredients and chefs Choose Iowa will present cooking demonstrations and food presentations daily at 1 p.m. in The Kitchen inside the Maytag Family Theatre Building. The Maytag Family Theatre Building is located on the Grand Concourse between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) building and the Barksdale Cookies building. Over the 11 days, the line-up will feature Choose Iowa members as well as Iowa culinary professionals. Find the whole lineup for The Kitchen on the Choose Iowa Facebook page.
- Thursday, August 7, 2025 – Lamb & The Home Garden
- Friday, August 8, 2025 – Pork to Plate
- Saturday, August 9, 2025 – Dill Pickle Lemonade
- Sunday, August 10, 2025 – BEEF, Through the eyes and taste of the Caribbean
- Monday, August 11, 2025 – Edible Flowers and Creative Ways to Use Them
- Tuesday, August 12, 2025 – Bread, and Cheese, and Wine, Oh My!
- Wednesday, August 13, 2025 – Sweet Corn Beyond the Cob
- Thursday, August 14, 2025 – Perfect pairings with artisanal honey and specialty cheeses
- Friday, August 15, 2025 – Bringing Bison to the Table: Everyday Ways to Enjoy an American Icon
- Saturday, August 16, 2025 – Meal prepping with chicken: Making the most of the whole bird
- Sunday, August 17, 2025 – All-Iowa Shrimp Boil
Choose Iowa Day at the Blue Ribbon Kids' Club
Choose Iowa and Hansen Dairy will be at Kids’ Club on Friday, August 8 at 10 a.m. Get ready to meet a farmer and learn what a dairy farmer does each day. Did you know it only takes 48 hours (2 days) for milk to get from the farm to the grocery store? There may even be some butter making! Kids' Club meets at the Fun Forest Stage, southeast of the Agriculture Building.
Coloring Calendar Awards Ceremony
Some of the most talented student artists in Iowa will be honored for their artwork’s inclusion in the Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar in a ceremony to be held Tuesday, August 12 at 10 a.m. on the stage in the Agriculture Building. If you are looking to pick up your own calendar copy, stop by the Iowa Department of Agriculture’s booth in the Agriculture Building while quantities last.
Choose Iowa in the Agriculture Building
When you stop in the Agriculture Building to see the world-famous butter cow or to get your egg on a stick, look for the Choose Iowa banners in the center of the building. Fairgoers can visit a photo booth and get a free “Picture Yourself in Iowa Agriculture” photo after selecting from numerous fun ag backgrounds. There will also be information banners about Iowa agriculture with fun facts about commodities and products produced in Iowa. Fairgoers can also pick up a free commemorative Choose Iowa cup and a free Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar while supplies last.
Choose Iowa on Tap
Try out the new Yield of Dreams corn lager at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent. The beer represents a partnership between Choose Iowa, Iowa Corn, the Iowa Brewers Guild, Confluence Brewing Company, and Confluence Distribution.