30 Days to the Fair: Iowa State Fair CEO Previews a Record 2026 Season – Jeremy Parsons – 07/13/2026

One Month Out: CEO Jeremy Parsons joins the show 30 days before the 2026 Iowa State Fair opens, sharing that fairground campsites and food concessionaire setup begins roughly two weeks prior, in late July. America 250 Programming: This year's fair features a "fair within a fair" celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, including a display of 250 American flags near Pioneer Hall, a special exhibit from the State Historical Society of Iowa and Living History Farms, and nightly drone shows. Comfort Upgrades: Forty new benches, an additional shaded seating area, a new park-and-ride pickup from Southridge Mall, and a new entrance off University Avenue are all new for fairgoers in 2026. Behind the Scenes: Parsons describes the roughly 80 full-time staff, 300 seasonal workers, and up to 1,500 fair-time employees — plus thousands of volunteers — who make the 11-day event possible. Plan Your Visit: Daily schedules, the full list of 84 new foods, and fair planning tools are available at iowastatefair.org. The 2026 Iowa State Fair runs August 13–23 in Des Moines. Iowa Catholic Radio will have a booth near the Riley Stage throughout the fair. #IowaStateFair #IowaStateFair2026 #DesMoines #StateFair #Iowa #America250 #CatholicRadio Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.