Day 2 fun at the Iowa State Fair while beating the heat

Date:2025-08-09 10:02:47 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

DES MOINES, Iowa — Day two of the Iowa State Fair brought the heat, but that’s nothing new to Iowans in August. Still, organizers and officials wanted to make sure everyone was staying safe.

Fair officials gave these tips to fairgoers: drink water, use sunscreen, pace yourself and use a buddy system.

The Des Moines Fire Department said they had a few dehydration situations on Friday, but nothing critical or serious.

The fairgrounds have ten buildings with air conditioning and several trees and benches in the shade. That’s how people paced themselves, taking breaks when needed.

There are also 17 water fountains on the grounds, seven of those are water refill stations.

There are also two first aid stations, one across from the Pork Tent, the other in the service center on Grand Ave.

Everything you need to know about the 2025 Iowa State Fair

Some young fairgoers maybe found the best way to stay cool: the splash pad.

Still, officials want everyone to stay cool and safe.

“Whenever you’re coming out to the fair, come prepared,” Devon Sadler, Des Moines District Fire Chief, said. “Wear comfy shoes, bring some shade of your own if you can, but be prepared. Go to the state fair website. Look at their map. They have all the cooling centers; they have all the water refills centers there. And just set yourself up for a great day because it is beautiful out here. And if you can avoid meeting one of us, that would be great. Although we do love the interactions, just we want it on your terms and not something else.”

Meanwhile the Red Cross of Iowa is also trying to keep people safe. They have a booth in the Farm Bureau Park offering free hands-only CPR training Friday, Saturday and August 13.

“By doing compressions, just starting compressions is really a great step for the person in survival. And then we do a demonstration to our swishy guys. We also can call it a community response CPR. It’s when someone is not trained and standing there who doesn’t know what to do,” American Red Cross Central Iowa Executive Director Leslie Schaffer said.

They’re also trying to reach people who aren’t from the metro area.

“These are people who are living out in rural areas where response time may take a while,” she said. “And so being able to do those compressions and ensure that immediate rescue is underway or emergency response is underway, is really important. So being able to do this in rural areas is especially important.”

Friday night the heat will continue as East Side Night brings in thousands. Parker McCollum will be on the grandstand.