08/24/2026
I signed my dad and myself up to show dahlias at the Iowa State Fair before the July 1 deadline.
A few weeks later, he said, “Wouldn’t it be great to get a ribbon? Not everyone gets that opportunity.”
From that moment on, my goal was to help make that happen!
Over the next few weeks, despite living 3.5 hours apart, we talked dahlias, bugs, and bloom grooming. Two days before the show, he wasn't sure he'd have much to enter. But when I arrived at my parents' house the day before the fair, his little dahlia patch was full of beautiful blooms ready for their big moment. Nice work!!!😊
Dad entered five dahlias in his first-ever show, and his Brian R was named Best Novice Bloom in Show.
I also heard the judge say - that novice bloom mite just be best in show (but note, only open divisions were able to win that)
The next morning, I asked him what it felt like to be an Iowa State Fair Champion.
He smiled, laughed, and said, “Wonderful. I'm taking the day off.” 🤣
Oh, and yes, I showed eight fab blooms too. We both received 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons in our classes.
The ribbons were pretty special, but showing dahlias with my dad for the first time, in what was also our first Iowa State Fair dahlia show, was the ultimate
🌸A heartfelt thank you to Floriculture Superintendent Barry and all of the volunteers at the Dahlia Show. They were absolutely fantastic, kind, welcoming, and so helpful throughout the day.
🌸A special thank you as well to the other exhibitors who generously shared their knowledge, offered staging tips, answered questions, and simply took the time to talk dahlias with me. As a first-time Iowa State Fair dahlia exhibitor, I appreciate you...'Iowa Nice' I'd say.
It truly was an all-around wonderful day filled with beautiful blooms, friendships, plenty of learning, and memories I'll cherish for years to come. 🌸🏆❤️
