Aug 13 - 23, 2026 | Days | Hours | Min
Fair Spirit
August 13-23, 2026
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During the Fair, The Kitchen, located in Maytag Family Theaters, is a popular demonstration kitchen for anything from cuts of meat to barbecue, cake decorating, charcuterie and cooking with honey. From November through April, watch for interactive, educational and fun cooking classes for all skill levels. Learn from local experts, using local products.
Start your Christmas morning with magic in this festive Kitchen class on Thursday, December 11 in the Maytag Family Theater on the Iowa State Fairgrounds at 6 p.m. Learn how to prepare delicious make-ahead dishes including scones (cranberry orange and cinnamon apple), an egg bake, potato sausage, and hot cocoa. Enjoy samples during the class and every participant will take home a jar of hot cocoa mix and a four-pack of take-and-bake scones.
Christmas Morning Magic with Chef Andrea Love
Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 6 p.m.
(Ninety-minute class; limit of 30 participants per class)
Cost: $55 per person
Participants will take home recipes, tips and tricks, a jar of hot cocoa mix,
and a four-pack of take-and-bake scones.
Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 2 p.m.
(Two-hour class; limit of 30 participants per class)
Class is open to adults or children over 12 years; water will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorite beverages
$75
Learn how to craft the perfect charcuterie grazing box and pour your own candle at a hands-on workshop on Sunday, November 16, at The Kitchen in the Maytag Family Theaters on the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Filled with a variety of meats, cheese and other fun delicacies, this workshop is sure to give you everything you need to know about creating the perfect grazing box from getonboarddsm. You’ll also enjoy making your own 15-ounce candle with By Wisteria. With over 30 different fragrances and a wide variety of flowers, dried herbs, dried fruits and spices, you will create a one-of-a-kind, custom candle to take home.
The Art of Sourdough with Gretchen Wilson
January 17, 2026, at 10 a.m.
(Two-hour session)
Cost: $55 per person
Elevate your baking with a hands-on class that will teach you how to create a basic loaf of artisan sourdough bread! Class will last two hours, and will cover mixing dough, stretch and folds, coil folds, bulk fermenting, shaping, cold retard, scoring, baking and taking care of your starter. Each step is not complicated, and soon you’ll be blessing your family with healthful, scrumptious bread!
Each participant will leave with written recipes and instructions, a free loaf of sandwich sourdough bread and a free jar of proven sourdough starter! There will be items to sample such as discard crackers, artisan loaves with inclusions, donuts, and cookies. We’ll also be sampling a sourdough pizza made with discard that bakes during the class.
Registration opens December 9, 2025