T-R FILE PHOTO Melbourne 4-H Club members wash their bottle calves during last year’s Central Iowa Fair. The annual event usually has 4-H, FFA and open class shows of agriculture animals such as cattle, horses, chicken and swine.

The schedule for the Central Iowa Fair is packed, and staff have been working hard to ensure the fairgrounds are ready for the annual event.

During the last two weeks before CIF begins on July 8, Central Iowa Fair (CIF) President Jodi Breniman said staff have cleaned the buildings, mowed the grass, rehung banners and more.

“We make the grounds look nice for everybody,” she said.

According to Breniman, planning for the fair began at the end of September.

“It takes several months to pull together everything the fair offers,” she said.

For residents who love the holidays and can’t wait for the season to arrive, this year’s CIF theme is Christmas in July. The theme was chosen because more people are observing the activity, it is something new and December is six months away. Activities related to the holiday theme begin on July 9 with Christmas ornament painting by Messy Missy’s. On July 10, there will be an animal costume Christmas parade. Santa and Mrs. Claus are slated to arrive on the grounds the afternoon of July 11.

“4-H clubs will also decorate wood spools, and there will be a Christmas tree decorating contest in the Activity Building,” she said.

Of course, a fair typically has plenty of kids and adult activities.

“We will have Kid Land activities with inflatables, spin art and yard games all four days,” Breniman said. “People can walk in and out of that all day.”

The CIF Youth Rodeo is scheduled for July 9.

Breniman highlighted the third annual Color Fun Run on July 8 at the race track.

“That occurs after we crown the Central Iowa Fair queen,” she said. “For the first 100 people who enter, they will get a free white T-shirt. Adults and kids have a blast running the race track, and afterward, the kids can go through the Zoops Fun Bubble Zone.”

On July 10, the Monster Arm Wrestling Tournament will be held. It is a weight class competition for men and women. On July 11 the Central Iowa Fair Care Show will be hosted, featuring all makes and models and giveaways, prizes and trophies for winning entries.

Also on July 11, a popular adult activity returning this year is the mud volleyball tournament. Breniman said teams have already begun to submit their participation. Additional teams should sign up by 11 a.m. that day, and the games begin at noon.

Concerts are a familiar feature of the CIF during the evenings. Clint Hilleman will be the first musician for the concerts scheduled. The winner of the 2024 Prairie Meadows Battle of Bands competition, Punching Pandas, will perform the second concert, and the final concert is country music singer Sammy Kershaw, whose song “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful” played on numerous radio stations in the 1990s.

Fair food fanatics will have 12 to 13 vendors to choose from, including Classic Kitchen, Lemonade Industries, Sno-to-Go, Fire on Wheels Pizza, Bubble Tea, Holy Grounds Coffee, Maria’s Tacos and Back Roads Eats and Sweets. Lucky Wife Wine Slushies will also be there, but only on July 11.

“We have all kinds of fair food,” she said.

Breniman said there is free parking at and free admission to the 2026 fair. She hopes the public will take advantage of the festivities during the four-day fair.

“We really want people to come out, have a great time and enjoy the fair,” Breniman added.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.