Sometimes big changes start with a small but powerful voice. For the Iowa State Fair’s newest attraction, that voice belonged to eight-year-old Kinsley.
Last year, Kinsley - who lives with special needs - visited the Fair’s playground, only to find she couldn’t climb to the top. Her parents, Amy and Micah, watched as she turned away for the first time from a play space she couldn’t access.
“We thought about it, prayed about it, and then we decided to reach out to the fair,” Amy recalls. “With her disabilities, she learns to adapt, and she tries, and this was the first playground she had to walk away from.”
The Hagermans sent an email explaining the need for a more inclusive space. The Fair’s response was immediate: “You’re right.”
“Our playground was not accessible to all,” said Peter Cownie, Executive Director of the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation. “We want everything to be accessible to all here at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.”
From that moment, the idea took root. The Blue Ribbon Foundation reached out to Variety for our expertise in building inclusive playgrounds. Thanks to the generosity of our incredible donors, the project moved from vision to reality in record time.
Now, the Variety Star Inclusive Playground stands as a vibrant, agriculture-themed space where children of all abilities can play side-by-side - complete with ramps, smooth surfaces, and sensory-friendly features. On Opening Day, Kinsley was one of the first to test it out, racing up the ramps and sliding down with her dad.
“It was just great that she was validated and we were heard,” Amy shared.
Because one child spoke up, no child at the Iowa State Fair will ever have to walk away from the playground again - rain or shine.
