Good morning, Des Moines.

At the Iowa State Fair on Aug.

13, a three-year-old ram — nicknamed Big Bad Joe — weighed 568 pounds and broke the local record, and its owner said the animal is under review for a Guinness record while more of its sheep family will be on display later this week.

Iowans showcased their turkey call skills at the 2026 Iowa State Fair contest held at the fairgrounds.

The winning calls can be heard for a taste of creative local tradition.

The Iowa State Fair opened on Thursday, Aug.

13 in Des Moines amid stormy weather with tornado warnings and flooding causing several rides and events to be rescheduled — fairgoers came prepared with umbrellas and ponchos to attend.

At the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, Aug.

13, Atlantic farmer Todd Schuler’s pig Zoomer won the Big Boar contest by six pounds over Olin’s pig Red, a finish that surprised contest officials. The close outcome marks one of the fairest contests in recent years.

Today, the Iowa State Fair runs a full schedule amid expected showers with a big pumpkin weigh-in at 9 a.m. and ugliest cake judging at 1 p.m. The scheduled Rod Stewart performance was canceled due to medical issues, and ticket refunds (via original payment methods) are underway.

Winners of the ladies' chicken calling contest were crowned today at the Iowa State Fair opening.

Contestants delighted the crowd with creative clucks — a fun showcase of local talent at this annual event.

On the first day of the 2026 Iowa State Fair, youth duck callers were crowned champions in the contest that highlighted local talent and the art of duck calling.

At the Iowa State Fair, winners of the youth rooster calling contest were announced — young competitors delivered their best wake-up calls in a unique local challenge.

Singer John Waite will perform at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand today at 8 p.m. after Rod Stewart cancelled for medical reasons, and the free show includes a drone display and fireworks at 10:15 p.m.

Oakridge Neighborhood held a graduation ceremony on Aug.

11 for youth from three summer employment programs in Des Moines + participants shared work experiences and received certificates from program coordinators.

Iowa Libertarians nominated new candidates to appear on the November ballot after previous nominees were removed due to ballot-access disputes; Des Moines-based Jacob Heard will run for the 3rd District seat and Clarion’s Charles Aldrich for lieutenant governor, and a new bylaw change (effective until 2028) allows the party to fill ballot vacancies.

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