DES MOINES, Iowa, August 23, 2026: Some of Iowa’s youngest performers are getting their biggest moment of the summer as the Bill Riley Talent Search reaches its championship round Sunday at the Iowa State Fair.

The championship show is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The event is part of the fair’s final day, giving the long-running competition a prominent spot on the closing-day schedule.

The competition is the 66th annual Bill Riley Talent Search, a tradition that has showcased young Iowa performers for decades. The program features contestants from across the state competing in categories that include music, dance and other performance talents.

Three Senior Finalists Set for the Championship Round

Three Senior Division performers, all between the ages of 13 and 21, advanced to the championship round following the semifinals.

The finalists are 16-year-old Sebastian Gearhart of Urbandale, 17-year-old Ava Kloppe of Cumming and 17-year-old Bella De Haan of Pella.

Gearhart is scheduled to perform a piano solo, while Kloppe will present a contemporary solo and De Haan will perform a piano solo.

The Senior champion will be selected during the championship portion of the competition.

Young Sprout Champions Will Also Take the Stage

The championship show will also feature six Sprout champions. Unlike the Senior competitors, Sprout contestants ages 2 through 12 do not continue into the final Senior competition. Instead, six Sprout champions are selected during the semifinal rounds and then featured in the Championship Show.

The first two Sprout champions announced this year were 10-year-old Faith Eugenia Scott of Johnston, who performs a violin solo, and 11-year-old Lucy Smid of West Des Moines, who performs a jazz dance solo.

Their appearance gives the championship show a broader family entertainment component while highlighting young performers from different parts of Iowa.

A Statewide Search That Begins Long Before the Fair

The Bill Riley Talent Search is not simply a competition held during the Iowa State Fair. It begins months earlier with qualifying events held throughout Iowa.

Nearly 100 local qualifying competitions are held across the state before performers reach the Iowa State Fair. The strongest contestants then move through seven days of preliminary competition before the semifinal and championship rounds.

The structure gives young performers an opportunity to compete on increasingly larger stages while bringing talent from communities throughout Iowa to the state fairgrounds.

A Tradition Dating Back to 1959

The competition traces its roots to Bill Riley Sr., an Iowa broadcaster and longtime State Fair personality.

Riley first became involved with talent performances at the Iowa State Fair in the late 1950s. The first Bill Riley Iowa State Fair Talent Search was held in 1959, beginning a tradition that has continued for more than six decades.

Riley became known as “Mr. State Fair” and remained associated with the talent search until his retirement in 1996. His son, Bill Riley Jr., took over the competition the following year.

The stage associated with the competition now carries the Bill Riley name, further preserving the family’s connection to the Iowa State Fair.

More Than $22,000 in Prizes

The competition also carries a significant financial incentive for the young performers.

More than $22,000 is scheduled to be awarded across the Senior and Sprout divisions combined.

For the finalists, however, the championship represents more than prize money. The event provides a chance to perform before Iowa State Fair crowds and gain recognition after progressing through local and statewide competitions.

Why the Championship Stands Out on the Fair’s Final Day

The Bill Riley Talent Search offers a different kind of spotlight from the Iowa State Fair’s major concert lineup.

While headline performers can draw large crowds and widespread entertainment coverage, the talent competition centers on Iowa residents who have worked their way through a statewide qualification process.

That local angle makes the championship particularly suited to a human interest story. It combines young performers, hometown pride, a decades-old Iowa tradition and the final-day excitement of one of the state’s biggest annual events.

The Iowa State Fair runs through Sunday, August 23, making the championship one of the final major opportunities for fairgoers to see Iowa’s young talent before the grounds close.

The Next Generation of Iowa Performers

For the young finalists stepping onto the stage Sunday, the Bill Riley Talent Search represents the culmination of weeks of competition and years of practice.

Whether the spotlight falls on a pianist, dancer, vocalist or another young performer, the championship gives Iowa’s emerging talent a chance to perform on one of the state’s most recognizable stages.

As the 2026 Iowa State Fair reaches its final day, the Bill Riley Talent Search is offering a fitting closing chapter: a showcase of young Iowans who have earned their place in the spotlight.