Visitors pick up posters at the ISU exhibit at the Iowa State Fair (larger image). Photo by Christopher Gannon.
AMES, Iowa – If you’ve ever wanted to climb to the top of the Campanile for a noon concert or go inside the huddle with the Cyclone football team, you can have that experience at Iowa State University’s exhibit at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.
The “Catch the Cyclone Vision” exhibit will feature a series of 360-degree videos highlighting unique campus experiences. In addition to the Campanile and Iowa State football spring game, visitors can go behind-the-scenes of the Fashion Show, stroll across central campus, tour the butterfly wing at Reiman Gardens, blow glass at the Student Innovation Center with the Gaffer’s Guild, go out into the field with ISU researchers and walk across the stage at Hilton Coliseum for commencement.
“We have a beautiful campus that’s nationally recognized for its outstanding landscape architecture. Visitors to the state fair will have the opportunity to experience that beauty as well as go places and see things unique to Iowa State University,” said Angie Strotman, branding and marketing manager.
Visitors will use their smartphone to scan the QR code that will be displayed with information about each experience. The exhibit will be open to fairgoers in the Varied Industries Building from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the fair, Aug. 8-18.
Cy, Iowa State’s iconic mascot, will appear at the university’s exhibit between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Aug. 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. Visitors to the exhibit can pick up Cyclone football posters and receive free waterless temporary Cyclone tattoos. The University Book Store will offer a variety of Cyclone merchandise, gifts and apparel for sale in the exhibit. And visitors can take photos of the Big 12 championship trophies for wrestling and men’s basketball tournament and individual trophies for NCAA champions David Carr, wrestling, and Sydney Willits, track and field.
4-H at the fair
Look for 4-H youth activities and displays each day in the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building. Headquartered at Iowa State and available in all 99 counties, 4-H emphasizes hands-on learning in agriculture and natural resources, leadership and civic engagement, communication and the arts, healthy living, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
From livestock shows, to a runway fashion show to educational presentations, 4-H will host multiple activities each day of the fair. As part of STEM Day at the Fair (Aug. 18), 4-H, the ISU M2I Lab and the Iowa Space Grant Consortium will launch a high-altitude balloon around 11 a.m. on the Grand Concourse. Check out the full schedule of 4-H youth programming at the fair.
ISU students care for every fair animal
For more than a decade, a small and dedicated group of fourth-year veterinary students have played an integral role in animal health at the state fair. With guidance from College of Veterinary Medicine clinicians, the students examine and treat animals in need while working with owners and in view of the public.
"It gives our students the basic skills and the most variety they will see in a rotation during their fourth year," said associate clinical professor Rachel Friedrich, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. "They go down the Monday before the start of the fair and are there throughout to take care of any health issues that pop up."
The number of veterinary students expanded from four to six this year as they also help collect urine samples for random drug testing, assist with the farrowing display in the Knapp Animal Learning Center and ensure proper paperwork for every animal. Fourth-year veterinary students Carly Bates, Hope Dohlman, Chelsea Harris, Adam Steffensmeier, Megan Thomas and Keith Wolverton may work with animals ranging from pigs to sea lions during the two-week rotation.
Morgan LaViolette, College of Veterinary Medicine student recruiter, will give a series of presentations at Vet Camp, an educational, hands-on learning program aimed at encouraging fourth- through seventh-graders to learn about animal health and what it's like to be an animal doctor.
Dan Grooms, the Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine, will show a steer at the Governor's Charity Steer Show on Saturday, Aug. 10 (4:30 p.m., Livestock Pavilion).