Iowa will host a fall festival spanning the State Capitol grounds in Des Moines as its signature event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced.
The “America’s Harvest Festival,” set to be held in October, will highlight Iowa’s agricultural roots while featuring historical reenactments, music, entertainment, food and handcrafted goods from Iowa vendors.
“The event will bring to life the people, innovations and agricultural achievements that have made our state essential to the country’s independence, strength and prosperity,” Reynolds said during a Wednesday, July 8, media conference outside of the Iowa State Capitol. “It honors generations of families who are deeply connected to our land and their legacy in caring for it.”
The festival was first announced in December by state officials who deemed “America’s harvest” the theme of Iowa’s contribution to the yearlong celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary. The Iowa event will take place from 1 p.m. to sunset Oct. 24.
Reynolds created a task force, led by Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, in November to oversee Iowa’s celebrations for America’s 250th birthday.
Iowa’s plans are taking place alongside nationwide plans for America250, a yearlong celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial.
“The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is about more than reflecting on how we got here, it’s also a moment to ask ourselves, what does it mean to be an American today?” Cournoyer said. “In Iowa, we show these answers to these questions in the way we raise our families, tend our land, serve our neighbors and show up when things get hard.”
Events to mark the country’s birthday have taken place across the state since the beginning of the year and will continue until the end of November. A full list of events can be found at america250.iowa.gov.
Choose Iowa, the state’s marketing program to encourage the purchase of Iowa-grown and produced agricultural products, will be showcased during the festival, Naig announced noting the event takes place at the end of harvest month.
“America’s Harvest Festival really does allow us to gather again and maybe put a bookend on this year of celebration,” Naig said. “It rightfully recognizes and highlights the important role that Iowa has played in agriculture, in American agriculture.”
The festival, which will be free and open to the public, will be funded through a public-private partnership. Leaders from sponsor companies and groups, including Hy-Vee, Fareway and the Iowa Farm Bureau, flanked Reynolds as she signed an official proclamation establishing the event.
Caesars Entertainment and Growth Energy have also committed to sponsoring the festival, Reynolds said.
“Iowa has given America powerful examples of that pioneering spirit, from Roswell Garst, who used agriculture to open conversations that politics could not, to Norman Borlaug, whose work helped launch the Green Revolution,” Marty Schwager, executive director of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, said. “Both understood what farm families know well: food is common ground, and the ability to feed people is the foundation of peace, stability, and opportunity.”
Rapid Response Politics Reporter Maya Marchel Hoff can be reached at mmarchelHoff@usatodayco.com. You can find her on X (formerly Twitter) at @mmarchelhoff.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa to host harvest festival to celebrate America’s 250th birthday
Reporting by Maya Marchel Hoff, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Maya Marchel Hoff, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
