When the Iowa Craft Beer Tent first came to the Iowa State Fair in 2011, owner Scott Carlson wasn’t quite sure how they’d pull it off.
“You know, when we first opened up, we were a smaller tent by quite a bit. We didn’t know what we were doing because we hadn’t done anything like it yet,” he said.
Scott and his team were only a few weeks into planning when they got a call from the Iowa Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), offering to send volunteers to pour beer in exchange for the tips.
“I said, ‘Sounds like a great deal,’ and we went from there. It was a no brainer. My cousin’s child had cystic fibrosis, so the cause meant a lot to me personally,” said Scott. “Working with CFF was great, but as we grew we quickly realized there are so many other charities that could benefit as well.”
So, ever since, the Iowa Craft Beer Tent is run entirely by volunteers at the Iowa State Fair — benefitting a new organization every few years. Their fundraising efforts have been so successful that the tent sponsored two local charities this year: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and IOWA Service Dogs.
Over the course of 10 days, the volunteer crew raised more than $20,000.
The volunteers behind the tap
In true “Iowa Nice” spirit, the volunteers that work the tent during the fair are both dedicated and enthusiastic. Some never miss a year. Others work 10+ shifts in one go. But, regardless of if they’re a veteran volunteer or a newbie, it’s said that after one year you get hooked.
Volunteer Deb Pape said, “We weren’t able to volunteer the first year but still wanted to check it out. When we got to the tent, I looked at my husband and said, ‘Never again will we miss the other side of the counter!’ We just love it.”
And she’s never regretted it. “It’s so exciting. The tent is always changing, always evolving. We got a volunteer shirt early on with all the breweries on the back — if they did that today, I don’t think they’d fit!”
"The happiest place at the iowa state fair"
The space has grown to include ciders, wine slushies, non-alcoholic beers and more, as well as host a pop-up merchandise store. The beer tent moved to a new spot in 2021 to accommodate the growing popularity.
See how we worked with the Iowa Craft Beer Tent to upgrade their new facility.
After resizing, relocating, repaving and revamping, the Iowa Craft Beer Tent is now the largest concession stand at the fair. There’s live music, a stage (where we recorded an episode of Growin’ with Owen), and enough taps to showcase 246 beers from 58 breweries.
But the tent is about way more than just beer. It’s a centralized spot of Iowa community pride. From the companies involved in its construction, to the passionate volunteers, to the breweries themselves and, of course, the organizations supported each year are all from the great state of Iowa.
Or, as Scott puts it, “There are a lot of reasons why we’re known as the happiest place at the Iowa State Fair.”
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