(Iowa Capital Dispatch) The Iowa Pork Producers Association plans to have a “1776 Pork Chop Salute” at the Iowa State Fair this summer to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
On Sunday, Aug. 16, 1,776 fair goers can snag a free Pork Chop on a Stick from the Iowa Pork Producers Association tent beginning at 11 a.m. as part of the organization’s recognition of the nation’s anniversary and pork producers.
“Just as the country reflects on 250 years of history, Iowa pig farmers continue a tradition of producing safe, wholesome pork while strengthening their local communities and supporting one of the state’s most important industries,” the association said in a news release.
Iowa Pork Producers Association’s Pork Chop on a Stick is a traditional food at Iowa State Fair, and the association’s grills are famously manned by high-profile politicians.
Dave Moody, a Story County pig farmer and Pork Tent committee member, said the “pork chop salute” is the association’s way of thanking fairgoers and “celebrating the farmers who raise high-quality pork every day.”
“The Pork Chop on a Stick™ has become one of the most iconic traditions at the Iowa State Fair, so it’s only fitting that we use it to help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,” Moody said in the news release.
State fairs have been a central point of the America 250 celebrations, starting with the Great American State Fair hosted in Washington D.C. over the Fourth of July holiday.
According to the Iowa Pork Producers Association, it sells tens of thousands of pork chops each year at the fair. This year, the applewood-smoked pork will be available at the “Chop Shop” next to the Pork Tent on the east end of the fair’s Grand Concourse and at the Iowa Chop Shop’s new location next to Barksdale’s State Fair Cookies. Previously the chop shop was located near the swine barn.
The first 6,500 fairgoers to purchase a beverage at the pork tent can also take home a free, America 250 and pork themed cup.
The Iowa State Fair begins Aug. 13 and runs through Aug. 23 in Des Moines.
Photo: Volunteers flip pork chops and ribs at the Iowa State Fairgrounds during the World Pork Expo June 4, 2025. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
