Iowa
Ever heard of the Husband Calling Contest? Here are 5 bizarre Iowa State Fair contests
ROYYYYYY! IRRRR-VIN! See, hear the Husband Calling Contest at the 2023 Iowa State Fair
Contestants compete in the Husband Calling Contest at the 2023 Iowa State Fair. And it’s a 95-year-old who takes the blue ribbon.
Zach Boyden-Holmes, Des Moines Register
The Iowa State Fair is known for unique fried foods and the biggest livestock competitions, but there are also a number of weird contests that bring out people from all over to show off their legs, beards, mullets and more.
The Iowa State Fair kicks off Aug. 8 and runs through Aug. 18. Across those 11 days there are a number of different contests to watch or take part in. Here are some of the quirkiest competitions that are must-see traditions at the Iowa State Fair.
Mr. Legs Contest
Grab your short shorts because you need to show off all the leg you can in the Iowa State Fair’s Mr. Legs competition. Categories range from the thinnest leg to the hairiest. Contestants get on stage to flex or strut their stuff in this body-positivity competition. Some even go as far as taking their pants off to strut around in their underwear.
The Mr. Legs Contest starts at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 10.
More: Iowa State Fair tickets, parking and more: Your guide to 11 days of fun
Best Pigtail, Ponytail, Braid, Mullets and Mohawk Contest
Don’t forget to make a stop at your local barber before coming to the Iowa State Fair because competition is stiff for the best Pigtail, Ponytail, Braid, Mullet and Mohawk Contest. Contestants of all ages are judged on who has the best hairdo. Each hairstyle has a different standard that contestants are judged on including length, creativity, and originality.
The first division of the competition will start at 4 p.m., Aug. 18.
Turkey Calling Contest
Leave your mouth calls at home because the Iowa State Fair does turkey calling the old-fashioned way. Contestants of all ages can show off their turkey calling skills and it is far more than your average gobble.
Many of the contestants competing hunt turkeys for recreation and use their experience to inspire their sounds. With the right throaty shrill, you might find yourself taking home the gold for the best gobble.
The Turkey Calling Contest will start at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 8.
Best Beards Contest
The best beard is exactly what it sounds like. Beard lengths go head to head to determine whose facial hair is the longest. Some contestants spend years growing out their beards for the Iowa State Fair.
Past winners have had beards that are more than 32 inches long going all the way to their belt line. Judges come by with a yardstick to determine who has the best beard.
The best beard contest is at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13.
Husband Calling Contest
Possibly the most memorably weird contest of them all at the Iowa State Fair is the Husband Calling Contest. Spouses line up one-by-one to release the pent-up anger they have against their husbands. Contestants belt their husband’s name at the top of their lungs.
During the 2023 Husband Calling Contest a 95-year-old wife took home the blue ribbon, but all of the contestants had unique holler worth hearing.
The Husband Calling contest will start at 10 a.m. Aug. 16.
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 (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said it responded to 206 calls for service after another weekend winter storm Saturday.
From 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, ISP said it covered 88 crashes, with 74 resulting in property damage.
Officials said one person died and 13 others were injured.
The patrol had 118 motorist assists.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
See Iowa DOT snowplow camera capture moment SUV rear ends plow
An Iowa DOT snowplow was hit while clearing snow along Iowa Highway 60 in Sioux County on Nov. 29, 2025. The crash was caught on the plow’s cameras.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.
Drivers should expect slippery conditions.
Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.
The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.
The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.
Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?
Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:
- Milton: 4.5 inches
- Parnell: 4.5 inches
- Norwalk: 3.8 inches
- Badger: 3.5 inches
- Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
- Carroll: 3.2 inches
- Buffalo: 3.2 inches
- North English: 3 inches
- Winterset: 2.6 inches
How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?
The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
How much snow did Iowa City get?
North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.
Roads across the state are covered in snow
The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.
“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.
More snow followed by frigid temps
A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.
(This article has been updated to include new information.)
CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.
Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.
The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.
Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.
Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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