The finalist has a chance to win up to $5 million
CLIVE, Iowa (July 19, 2024) – We now know the names of the 20 contestants who will compete on a live lottery game show at the 2024 Iowa State Fair with a chance to win up to $5 million.
Iowa Lottery players made more than 67,000 entries into the lottery's "Fair Fever" promotion that will conclude with the game show on opening day of this year's Iowa State Fair. The 20 players who beat the odds to become game show contestants are:
Craig Bergman, Cedar Rapids
Jolene Murray, Cedar Rapids
Michelle Cerwinske, Nashua
Mary Olin, Des Moines
Margo Fox, Johnston
Dawn Petersen, Colfax
Kristine Frye, Des Moines
Timothy Roberts, Ottumwa
Nicole Gulick, Des Moines
Scott Stewart, Waterloo
Ryan Habeger, Algona
Steven Stout, Indianola
Gerald Johnson, Iowa City
Christine Tatman, Orange City
Gerald Kennicker, Dubuque
Rodney Tucker, Des Moines
Tamara Mcmahon, Council Bluffs
Jeff Weiland, Dubuque
Steven Moore, Urbandale
David Wesley, Des Moines
Earlier this year, the Iowa Lottery and Iowa State Fair celebrated the release of the "Iowa State Fair" scratch game, the first lottery product to be named for the Fair, Iowa's largest event.
Players who didn't win instant prizes on their Iowa State Fair scratch tickets could enter them into the lottery's Fair Fever promotion for a chance to be one of the 20 game show contestants or win concert-ticket prize packages for the Iowa State Fair Grandstand.
The promotion's final drawing date was Thursday, including selection of the game show contestants.
The live game show is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 on the Grand Concourse in the heart of the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Through a series of games, the contestants will gradually be eliminated until just one remains.
Each contestant will win at least $10,000 and the finalist will take home at least $500,000 with a chance to win up to $5 million.
The Iowa Lottery currently is finalizing plans to award a number of prizes to those watching the game show. Details will be available soon about that added fun for audience members.
It has been more than a decade since the lottery has given away a prize of this size at a live event. The last time was in 2012, when the lottery held a live game show on the final day of the Iowa State Fair and a retired Des Moines police officer won the top prize of $1 million.