Each July, Fair-lovers whet their Iowa State Fair appetite by attending the Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party. It is a fun-filled night complete with live entertainment, all of your Fair food favorites, and a variety of unique auction packages to satisfy any State Fair enthusiast.
The Corndog Kickoff began in 1997 and was first held in Pioneer Hall. The 460 attendees bid on 20 live and 43 silent packages, raising over $67,000 for the Iowa State Fair. Like the Fair itself, the Kickoff fundraiser has evolved over the last 20 years, and has grown to encompass over half of the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building.
Nearly 2,200 people come together each year to bid on over 30 live auction packages and 200 silent auction packages. To date, the event has raised a total of $8 million toward Fairgrounds renovations.
The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation cooked up significant fundraising success at the 2025 Corndog Kickoff Benefit Auction and Fair Food Grazing Party. The July 12 “Stir It Up” event raised a total of $889,713 toward improvements of the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Iowa State Fair supporters gathered for a night of food and fun in the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building to raise money for various projects around the Fairgrounds. The Blue Ribbon Foundation auctioned off 31 live and 316 silent auction packages for totals of $335,500 and $121,784, respectively. Patron contributions totaled $381,300.
Save the date for the 2026 Corndog Kickoff slated for July 11, 2026! Doors open at 6:30 PM.