Iowa
Who needs a babysitter? Here’s 5 things to do with kids at the Iowa State Fair
Passengers on Iowa State Fair Sky Glider rain money to passersby
People riding the Iowa State Fair Sky Glider Sunday, August 15 sent money raining down to people walking through the Fairgrounds.
Stephanie Rayburn, Provided to the Register
End your kids’ summer with a visit to the Iowa State Fair and create memorable moments that will last a lifetime.
The Iowa State Fair offers a number of attractions for kids, many of which are free. So after you grab your fried treat, here are five different activities to bring your kids to at the fair this year.
Baby Animals
Introduce your babies to baby animals at the Iowa State Fair. Not only is this an adorable experience but it also makes for great photo opportunities. Children can watch baby chicks hatch, baby ducks slide or goats play in new playpens. The baby animal exhibit is located south of the Little Hands on the Farm area. Kids can also pet cattle, horses, pigs and sheep at the Hands On Barn Experience.
More: Ever heard of the Husband Calling Contest? Here are 5 bizarre Iowa State Fair contests
Kids in the Kitchen
Get your kids in the kitchen making healthy farm-fresh recipes at the Kids Can Cook area. Children ages 5 to 17 can work on their chef skills and learn about cleanliness, food handling and preparation. The kid’s kitchen is located in the east room at Maytag Family Theaters.
More: What’s the new Iowa State Fair logo? It’s not the one on social media
Free entertainment for kids
The fair doesn’t just have concerts for adults, there also is entertainment for kids at the Fun Forest Stage. Performances include interactive music with The Dollipops and a children’s magic show by The Chipper Experience. Kidz Bop will perform at the fair at 6 p.m. Aug. 18. Tickets are $20.
Pick a vegetable
Take your kids to The Garden where they can learn how vegetables grow. They can become a producer and harvest veggies that are then given to the Iowa Food Bank. The spaces are loaded with garden beds where the little ones can get their hands dirty. Children also can learn about sustainability at a special composting exhibit. The Garden is located north of Little Hands on the Farm.
Thrill parks
What’s a trip to the fair without enjoying some of the carnival rides? There are a number of kid-friendly rides for the whole family to do together.
Perhaps the most well-known ride for children is the giant slide, which parents can ride with their kids. Your screams might sound louder because there are microphones strung over the slide to amplify the sound. The giant slide is $3 per person and is located near Ruan Plaza.
Avoid walking around the fair and instead enjoy a ride with your child on the sky glider while seeing all the fair attractions. Riders taller than 48 inches can ride alone. It is $6 one way and $9 round trip. The sky glider runs east from Pioneer Hall to the entrance of the Thrill Ville and west from Gate 10 to Rock Island Avenue.
How much is a ticket to the Iowa State Fair? Where can I buy one?
You can buy tickets on the Iowa State Fair website.
Ticket prices at the gate and online during the fair are:
- Adult (ages 12 and up): $16
- Child (ages 6-11): $10
- Under 5: Free
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
Iowa
Iowa State football lands 2027 3-star linebacker commit Keaton Wollan
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on offense, defense development
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on how the Cyclones offense and defense is developing.
After securing multiple commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Iowa State football has landed its first defensive commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.
Keaton Wollan, a three-star linebacker out of Amery, Wisconsin, committed to the Cyclones on April 21. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker announced his decision on social media.
He chose Iowa State over other offers from Texas Tech and North Dakota State. He previously visited Ames in March, but he also took recent visits to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As a junior at Amery High School, Wollan was a two-way standout and earned all-state honors for the 2025 season. Defensively, he racked up a team-high 125 total tackles, including nine for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Offensively, he had a team-high 932 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 160 carries. He also caught 15 passes for 179 yards, and he was an impact player in the return game, logging more than 500 kick and punt return yards.
According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Wollan is the No. 93 linebacker prospect in the country and the No. 11 overall recruit in his class from the state of Wisconsin.
Wollan is the sixth player to commit in the Cyclones’ 2027 recruiting class.
Iowa State football 2027 recruiting commitments
As of April 21
- Gavin Ericson-Staton, OL | Lombard, Illinois/Montini Catholic
- Isaiah Hansen, RB | Newton, Iowa/Newton HS
- Koen Hinzman, OL | Hudson, Michigan/Hudson Area HS
- Will Slagle, OL | Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell HS
- Bryson Thompson, WR | San Antonio, Texas/Claudia Taylor Johnson HS
- Keaton Wollan, LB | Amery, Wisconsin/Amery HS
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
Iowa
Iowa DOT plans overnight I‑80 closure at northeast mixmaster
Avoiding common car crashes
Discover the common causes of car crashes and learn how to avoid them.
Prepare for more overnight closures at the northeast mixmaster as the Iowa Department of Transportation closes the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 and northbound Interstate 35.
Here’s what to know.
When will the Iowa DOT close the westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 ramp?
The westbound I-80 to northbound I-35 ramp will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning from April 21-24.
What’s the detour when the Iowa DOT closes the westbound I‑80 to the northbound I‑35 ramp?
During the closures, drivers wanting to go from westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 will follow a signed detour.
Instead of taking the closed ramp, motorists will stay on westbound I‑80, bypassing the northeast mixmaster connection. They’ll then exit at U.S. Highway 69, turn around, and head back east on I‑80, where they can connect to northbound I‑35 using the open portion of the northeast mixmaster.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Iowa
Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor commits to Big Ten foe
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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