Who Will Claim the Title of Iowa's Top Grocery Bagger at the Iowa State Fair?

DES MOINES, Iowa – Get ready to support your favorite grocery bagger at the Iowa Best Bagger Competition during the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 9. This fun and free event is a highlight of the fair, showcasing baggers as they race to expertly pack groceries while ensuring nothing gets squished or broken.

Best Bagger Contest (2022)

The annual Iowa Best Bagger Contest, hosted by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, takes place annually at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The competition will begin at 1 p.m. on the stage of the Susan Knapp Amphitheater, located on Grand Ave., east of the grandstand and midway just past the Animal Learning Center on the north side of the street. 
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Each year, around 200 spectators come out to support their local baggers in this entertaining contest. It’s a chance to see Iowa’s top baggers showcase their skills and compete head-to-head.

“The Iowa Best Bagger Contest is an event fairgoers and grocery lovers alike look forward to each year,” says Michelle Hurd, President of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. “It’s not only a fun spectacle but also an important display of the ethos at work in grocery stores across the state, building employee morale, striving for excellence in service, and promoting Iowa’s grocery industry as a growing and exciting industry in which to work.”
 
This year’s contest will highlight 16 participants through three preliminary rounds, culminating in a final showdown featuring the top six baggers from the earlier heats.

Competitors will pack identical grocery orders, each containing up to 40 commonly purchased items, into reusable bags. They’ll be judged on how well they balance the weight of the bags and their bagging speed, but proper item arrangement and individual style will also be scored.

Top contenders will earn cash prizes, with the champion receiving a trip for two to the National Best Bagger Contest in Las Vegas, where they could win a grand prize of $10,000.

Audience members also have a chance to win gift cards by answering grocery industry trivia questions.

Sponsors of the 2024 Iowa Best Bagger Contest include the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Coca-Cola, Cylinder Express, Dupey Equipment, Frito-Lay, and Iowa Food & Family Project. Prize contributions come from Hiland Dairy, Keurig Dr Pepper, Cookies Food Products, Fareway Stores Inc., and PepsiCo.

All non-perishable items used in the competition will be donated to the Food Bank of Iowa.

The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is a nonprofit association that conducts programs in education and public affairs on behalf of its members, which are independent and chain grocery stores, convenience stores, food wholesalers servicing Iowa, service providers, food brokers and manufacturers.