Blue Ribbon Bar & Eatery

08/27/2026

Now that the dust has settled... A salute to the heartbeat of Blue Ribbon Bar & Eatery: Our people! Without each and every person who contributes - Blake building things, Bruce ensuring our cooling systems are top-tier, Donny constantly adjusting electrical for our needs... The kitchen staff, the bartenders, the wait staff, the bar-backs, the clean-up crews. It takes a village and we have the best village out there!

We know we are missing some people in our photos. If you have a photo to share of your favorite Blue Ribbon employee (or positive feedback about an employee), drop it in the comments below! Let's give these hard working people their flowers for another unbelievable Iowa State Fair! 💙

08/24/2026

The fair might be over but the fun is not! We have several more openings planned:

🚘 Sept 11th - Car & Bike Night
🏈 Sept 12th - Iowa vs Iowa State game
🏍 Oct 9th - Final Car & Bike Night of 2026
👻 Oct 16th & 17th - Halloween Fun

Check back for more details on each event including menu offerings.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for our open dates! Details for open times will be posted in the weeks prior to each event! Save this post so you can reference it easily!

What events are you looking forward to?
Who is ready for the ?

08/23/2026

The FINAL DAY of the best fair ever! 2026 Iowa State Fair you have been good to all of us. Our last lineup of live music will be:

- JOSHUA SINCLAIR from Noon to 3PM
- Justin Elliot from 4 to 7PM
- DJ Nick Nystrom 3 to 4; 7 to close!

Last Day! Let's make it a great one!

08/23/2026

Day 10 was good to us...

🎂 Two birthdays in the house - one was an 11 year old first time fair-goer!
🎸 Casey Muessigmann and team gave us a heck of a final show for the '26 fair! We appreciate you guys!
🎵 DJ Nick Nystrom kept the energy high all day
🎸 Decoy played all of our favorite songs from Jimmy Eats World to Zac Brown Band
🎧 DJ Parker Lau had the dance floor packed
🍻 We found Timmy! and got his photo... check it out

What a wonderful final fair Saturday together! Let's make Sunday the best day yet!

08/22/2026

Get to Blue Ribbon Bar & Eatery on this FINAL Saturday night of the 2026 Iowa State Fair! Regardless of what happens in the Grandstand this evening for the concert, we have you covered with the best DJs - DJ Nick Nystrom & - cold beer, great food, and Blue Ribbon vibes! Get here before the concert and stay for a while after! 🙌💙🍻

08/22/2026

We have LIVE MUSIC every day! Today, Saturday August 22nd, we have:

- from 2 to 5PM
- DJ Nick Nystrom from 5 to 7PM then again after Decoy
- Decoy (Trio) from 7 to 10PM

Stop by and listen to some great music!

08/22/2026

Day 9 of the 2026 Iowa State Fair is in the books!

✅ Matt Weis of Ankeny was our Calf Fry Eating Contest winner
👑 Several birthdays in the house, including Becky from Altoona!
💙 Haywire-Wally and Kim had their last 2026 fair performance at Blue Ribbon
😎 MicDrop Entertainment took over the DJ booth
🎸 Casey Muessigmann / Muessigmann Entertainment wrapped up our evening with another great set! They will be back again tomorrow!

08/21/2026

We have LIVE MUSIC every day! Today, Friday August 21st, we have:

- Haywire-Wally and Kim from 4 to 6PM
- DJ Russell Davis from 6 to 7:30PM and 10:30PM to Close
- Casey Muessigmann from 7:30 to 10:30PM