“Hometown Hawkeyes” is the theme of a new University of Iowa exhibit at this year’s Iowa State Fair. Life-sized photos of Hawkeye alumni living and leading in Iowa cities will grace the exhibit’s walls to highlight how they are contributing to the vibrancy of Iowa life and culture.

In addition to the “Hometown Hawkeyes” theme, the UI will share its excellent educational programs, research, and athletics Thursday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 18, in the William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.

Daily drawings for Hawkeye football tickets and other UI athletics events will be held. Various Hawkeye merchandise will be sold for fans of all ages, and there will be plenty of giveaways such as Hawkeye football posters and temporary Tiger Hawk tattoos. More than 200 UI faculty, staff, students, alumni, and I-Club members will volunteer at the exhibit.

Standout former Hawkeye athletes and coaches will be available to meet fairgoers. Among those scheduled to appear are Dan Gable, Olympic wrestling champion and legendary Hawkeye wrestling coach; UI Athletics Director Gary Barta, Hawkeye broadcaster Gary Dolphin, former basketball players Bobby Hansen and Duez Henderson, wrestler Mark Ironside, and football players Brad Banks, Craig Clemons, Scott Helverson, and Mike Humpal. A full schedule of alumni athletes will be announced before the fair.

Herky and UI cheerleaders and dancers will be at the booth from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10 and 11 and Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and 18.

Visitors can learn about some of the programs and services at the UI at several exhibits at the UI booth. See the full schedule at this link: www.uiowa.edu/statefair/exhibitors/schedule.html.

Hancher and the Iowa Flood Center will have an exhibit of their “Living with Floods” project that involved students and citizens from several Iowa cities affected by floods of 2008 and 2011. Chef Robert Lewis, author of The Happy Diabetic, will offer samples of great-tasting foods for people with diabetes and those who want to improve their eating habits, thanks to the Department of Internal Medicine and its research program on diabetes.

The State Hygienic Lab at the UI will celebrate “50 Years of Saving Babies” through newborn screening programs. The Carver College of Medicine will offer people a chance to perform simulated laparoscopic surgery, the College of Pharmacy will offer information for bone health, the College of Public Health will have a fun photo booth, and the College of Dentistry will have a display titled “Does Soda Pop Cause Cavities?”

Children will be able to participate in Department of Chemistry experiments, fair-goers will be able to meet and greet UI students involved in Dance Marathon, International Programs will feature “Carnaval in Iowa,” and the University of Iowa Press will have books for and about Iowans, with a special appearance by Iowa author Kurt Ullrich, whose latest book will be published by the UI Press.

Other exhibitors will include the University of Iowa Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, Old Capitol Museum, the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, the College of Education’s assistive technology program, the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, the Departments of Communications Sciences and Biology, and the UI Facilities Management organization.