WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE RECORD-SETTING 2026 IOWA STATE FAIR

What happens after the gates close on a record-setting Iowa State Fair?

Maxwell and Amy sit down with Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons for a revealing post-Fair conversation about an extraordinary 2026—and what the numbers, surveys and fairgoer feedback are already telling organizers about the future.

Parsons takes us inside the Fair’s massive post-event “critique book,” built from employee input, social media, emails and surveys from more than 4,000 fairgoers. The results include remarkably strong satisfaction scores, but also some growing pains: restroom capacity, traffic, parking, mobility scooters and the challenges created by increasingly large crowds.

Jeremy also explains the ambitious “125 for 175” initiative as the Fair prepares for its 175th anniversary in 2029, discusses the $19 million Swine Barn renovation, and reveals why more shade, seating and expanded use of the fairgrounds are becoming priorities.

Plus, hear the behind-the-scenes story of scrambling to replace a canceled Rod Stewart concert, why rainy days may actually beat extreme heat, what fairgoers say about affordability—and why Parsons believes the Iowa State Fair may be entering a new era of sustained growth.

As Jeremy puts it, 2026 proved once again: Nothing compares.