1990-1999

The 1990 Fair was another 12-day event. The 10,000-squarefoot Iowa Tourism Building (now the Elwell Family Food Center) debuted and Grandstand tickets were sold statewide through Ticketmaster for the first time. Three Grandstand performances sold out: Kenny G with Michael Bolton, Alabama with Clint Black, and Bob Dylan. A little-known country singer named Garth Brooks fi lled in as a replacement for Ricky Van Shelton. Brooks returned to the Grandstand in 1991 and 1993. In the final tally, total attendance soared to nearly 874,000.

To raise funds for critical Fairgrounds repairs, adult gate admission was raised from $4 to $5 for the 1991 “Blue Ribbon Fun Fest.” An Enormous Equine joined the jumbo livestock judging contests. The Fabric and Threads Department hosted the first Grand National Afghan Show. More than 700 crocheted, knitted and cross-stitched masterpieces were on display. Nearly a mile of sidewalks were replaced prior to the Fair, thanks in part to statewide Fairgoer’s contributions.

In 1992, the Fair reverted to its previous 11-day schedule with plans to gradually move the dates up one week. The first World Barrow Show was held; $1,000 went to the top hog. Fan Fair was redesigned, allowing contributors to have the first opportunity to purchase Grandstand tickets. The Cultural Center displayed a 24-foot replica of the U.S. Capitol constructed out of more than 250,000 Lego building blocks.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation, the Fair’s fundraising arm, was established in 1993 with the goal of raising millions of dollars for renovation of seriously deteriorated buildings and facilities. The Fair followed on the heels of a catastrophically wet year throughout the Midwest. Record flooding pounded the area, leaving the city of Des Moines without water for 12 days. Garth Brooks sold out his Grandstand performance in 19 minutes. Despite heavy rain and overflowing storm sewers during the Fair’s final weekend, the sixth consecutive attendance record - more than 893,000 - was set.

In 1994, Mother Nature was much more cooperative. The Blue Ribbon Foundation’s efforts were beginning to pay off in visible facility improvements, including the rebuilding of Grandfather’s Barn, external repairs to the Administration Building and rehabilitation of the Agriculture Building. The talk of the town – and the country – was Duffy Lyon’s 400-pound, life-size butter sculpture of Garth Brooks, with Tom and Roseanne Arnold’s Foods Department Loose Meat Sandwich competition coming in a close second. Martin Mull and Comedy Central filmed a farce on the grounds. Sunliner Trams began to provide convenient transportation from the north parking lot. Grandstand sell-outs included Reba McEntire and George Strait. Previous attendance records were shattered for the seventh consecutive year with a total of more than 913,000 attendees.

Despite record levels of humidity and suffocating heat, nearly 790,000 visitors attended “The Fun and Only” 1995 Fair. For the first time in Fair history, two Grandstand shows were canceled (due to performer illness) and an auto race was rained out. Daredevil motorcyclist Robbie Knievel turned the last day of the Fair into one of the best attended day ever with his death-defying 180-foot jump over 20 vehicles. The Fair ventured into the internet scene with a temporary web site.

Bouncing back in 1996, the Fair scored its highest attendance ever - a whopping 918,000. A spunky new theme, “Let Yourself Go,” encouraged Fairgoers to kick up their heels at Iowa’s favorite summertime event. Celebrating Iowa’s Sesquicentennial (150th birthday), Duffy Lyon amazed visitors with her butter sculpture of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.” More than $4 million worth of improvements were made to the Grandstand, Ye Old Mill (an original “tunnel of love” amusement ride) and Riley Stage. The picturesque Pella Plaza, featuring flags from all 99 Iowa counties, was added as well. Tragically, two concessionaires were found murdered in their camper on the Fairgrounds. Family members were subsequently convicted for the crime. The Fair’s widely popular web site – iowastatefair. org – became a permanent fixture on the world wide web.

The Administration Building received a much-needed interior overhaul in 1997 to the tune of $1.8 million. Murals were added to Ye Old Mill in response to Fairgoer’s requests. The nearly two and a half tons of seats removed from the Grandstand during renovation were recycled into black lawn edging. Stand-out Grandstand attractions included The Wallflowers, ZZ Top and Little Richard in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion. A record number of exhibitors and entries was tallied with nearly 14,000 exhibitors showing more than 46,000 entries. Attendance was at an all-time high of 946,239.

In 1998, Fairgoers clamored to see the Dixie Chicks on one of the free stages. Motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel returned to the Fair and jumped 15 Kenworth semis lined up on the Grand Concourse. Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey, parents of the famous septuplets, and their daughter Mikayla led the State Fair Parade. Leona Ashman of Oskaloosa became the first female Fair Board President.

In June of 1999, Steer and Stein restaurant, located across from the Administrative Building, burned down but was rebuilt in time for the Fair. Nearly perfect weather (daily highs around 70 degrees), strong-selling Grandstand shows and Duffy Lyon’s 40th anniversary butter sculpture of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” all contributed to the record-breaking attendance figure of 969,523. Martha Stewart spent a day at the Fair taping an episode for her television show. A record number of county queens (92) vied for the State Fair Queen title. The 1999 Fair was the most profitable in history.