Print at Home Tickets Offer Convenience

DES MOINES, IA (07/05/2012)(readMedia)-- "Nothing Compares" to affordable family entertainment at the Iowa State Fair, August 9 - 19. For Fairgoers planning ahead, the State Fair Ticket Office will open July 9 and is offering discounted tickets for admission, rides and more. Or purchase online and choose the print at home option for an even easier way to get admission tickets.

Advance Admission

Save up to 30 percent off gate admission with advance admission tickets, on sale through August 8 or while supplies last. Adult admission tickets are just $7 in advance (regularly $10), and children's admission tickets are only $3 in advance (regularly $4). Fairgoers can print advance admission tickets at home when purchasing them online at iowastatefair.org. This fee-free option is easy and convenient. Tickets may also be purchased at participating Hy-Vee and Hy-Vee Drugstores, Dahl's Foods and Fareway Stores. Tickets are good any one Fair day. Children 5 and under are admitted free every day.

Fair Play Packs

These value-packed kits are good any Fair day and are perfect for employee incentives or Fair-loving families! Fair Play Packs are available at the State Fair Ticket Office or online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies) through August 8. Three different packages provide visitors of all ages with plenty of food, fun and entertainment. The three packs include :

• Ages 12 and older, $19 (up to a $29.50 value): Includes one adult gate admission; one Giant Slide or Ye Old Mill ride; one Sky Glider ride; one Snakes Alive, Butterfly House or Train Exhibit admission; one Area 51 - Scare Zone admission and five $1 food and beverage tickets.
• Ages 6-11, $18 (up to a $28.50 value): Includes one child gate admission; one Giant Slide or Ye Old Mill ride; one Sky Glider ride; one Snakes Alive, Butterfly House or Train Exhibit admission; one midway ride; one pony or camel ride and five $1 food and beverage tickets.
• Ages 5 and under, $15 (up to a $24.50 value): Includes one Giant Slide or Ye Old Mill ride; one Sky Glider ride; one Snakes Alive, Butterfly House or Train Exhibit admission; one midway ride; one pony or camel ride and five $1 food and beverage tickets.

Punch Cards

Buy a convenient Punch Card with 11 days of adult Fair admission for just $77. Each punch is good for one admission to the Fair. Cards may be used by individuals or families. Punch Cards may only be purchased through the State Fair Ticket Office or online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies).

Zipline Tickets

Experience the Fair's new zipline. Buy two tickets (regular single tickets $7) for $10 and save $4. Available at the State Fair Ticket Office or online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies). Must be purchased by August 8. Available while supplies last.

Midway Savings

Save on the midway with a Midway Play Pack - a set of five midway ride tickets for only $13. Each ticket is good for one ride. Available through August 8 at the State Fair Ticket Office or online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies). Or purchase a Midway Mega Pass wristband, good for unlimited mechanical rides any one Fair day from open to close including weekends. Mega Passes are $25 (does not include gate admission) and are available through August 8 at the State Fair Ticket Office, online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies) or statewide Walgreens and Des Moines-area Hy-Vee stores.

Food Tickets

Buy a set of five $1 food tickets good for food or beverage purchase at any Fairgrounds concession, excluding the midway. Cost is $5 per set, and they may be purchased through the State Fair Ticket Office or online at iowastatefair.org (5 percent processing fee applies).

Fairtime Savings

Enjoy these special offers only available during the Fair. Visit iowastatefair.org for rules and details.

• On Opening Day, August 9, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., enjoy free gate admission with the coupon from the Sunday, August 5 Des Moines Register or the Wednesday, August 8 Des Moines Register full page Hy-Vee ad.

• Save with half price gate admission after 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

• On Older Iowans' Day, August 15, gate admission is just $7 for Fairgoers ages 60 and over.

• On Extreme Sunday, August 19, take advantage of half-price admission all day and free parking for carloads of five or more in the Fair's north parking lot.

• During the Fair, purchase a midway wristband any weekday for unlimited mechanical rides from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wristbands are $25 and are available during the Fair at midway ticket booths only.

• Purchase two zipline tickets for $12. Regular price single tickets are $7.

The State Fair Ticket Office, located in the Administration Building on the Fairgrounds, is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Online orders placed after 4 p.m. on July 27 will not be mailed but will be held at will call. Walk-up orders will be available until August 8. Cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard or Discover are accepted. All offers good while supplies last.

Fairgoers can enjoy an even bigger benefit when buying early: advance admission tickets have a coupon for a free small Potato Olé® at participating Iowa-area Taco John's. Coupon expires 9/30/12. See store for details.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

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GALENA?Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery, at the hand of winemaker Christine (Chris) Lawlor-White, was honored with 19 awards, including the prestigious Governor's Cup for its Vineyard Rosé produced from Illinois-grown fruit, two Top Awards for Wines from any Appellation and seven "Best of Category" designations at the recently held 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.

Sponsored and coordinated by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA), the Illinois State Fair Wine Competition was held June 25-27, 2012 at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield where nearly 400 local wines (266 commercial entries) were presented to the panel of twelve judges.

Galena Cellars had five varietals that received a double gold award (consensus gold when all judges award the wine a gold medal) and were also rated best in their category for their Blackberry, Vineyard Rosé, Eric the Red, Daffodil and Traminette wine.

In total, Galena Cellars earned one Governor's Cup, two top-awarded wines from any appellation designations, seven best of category awards, five double gold, one gold, eight silver and two bronze awards.

"We are excited and honored to receive these awards, and are especially proud of our Illinois-grown grapes and fruit," said winemaker Chris Lawlor-White.

According to IGGVA, in total, the commercial competition awarded 40 gold medals, 99 silver medals and 87 bronze medals. A ceremony and public tasting of the award-winning wines will be held Tuesday, August 14^th at the Illinois Wine Experience during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.

IGGVA, established in 1992, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the viticulture and enology interests of Illinois through information exchange and cooperation among Illinois grape producers and vintners.

The Illinois wine industry has exploded in recent years, growing from just 12 wineries in 1997 to nearly 100 today. During this time, the acreage devoted to grape production has grown at a tremendous rate, and today Illinois is consistently among the top 12 wine-producing states. Today the Illinois wine industry creates a direct economic impact of more than $319 million annually on the Illinois economy.

Galena Cellars Vineyard, established in 1990 in rural Galena, Illinois, is home to 22 different specialty grapes, many of which are hybrids developed by universities throughout the country in an effort to create a vine and grape with the hardiness needed to grow in this region. The vineyard is open to the public April through November for tours, tastings and special events. Galena Cellars also offers tasting rooms, wine patios and gift shops in downtown Galena and Geneva, Illinois.

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2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition Results for Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery

Category	Wine	Vintage	Award
Hybrid Blush/Rosé	Vineyard Rosé	NV	Governor's Cup, Double Gold (Consensus Gold?all judges awarded a gold medal), Best of Category
Traminette	Traminette	2011	Top Awards for Wines from any Appellation + Double Gold (Consensus Gold?all judges awarded a gold medal) + Best of Category
La Crosse	Daffodil	2011	Double Gold (Consensus Gold?all judges awarded a gold medal), Best of Category
Marechal Foch	Eric the Red	2010	Top Awards for Wines from any Appellation + Double Gold (Consensus Gold?all judges awarded a gold medal)
Blackberry	Blackberry	2011	Double Gold (Consensus Gold?all judges awarded a gold medal), Best of Category
Sparkling, Carbonated	Frizzante di Muscat Canelli	2010	Gold
Seyval Blanc	Seyval Blanc	2011	Silver
Chardonnel	Britt White	2011	Silver
St. Croix	Vineyard Red	NV	Silver, Best of Category
Interspecific White Blends	General's White	2011	Silver
Interspecific White Blends	Oktoberfest	2011	Silver
Flower / Vegetable	Rhubarb	2012	Silver, Best of Category
	Late Harvest Riesling	2011	Silver
Flavored Dessert	May Wine	2011	Silver
Interspecific Red Blends	Vintage Red	2011	Bronze
Other Fruits	Cranberry	2011	Bronze

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Temperatures to Rise Over 100 Degrees; Governor Encourages Visits to  Cooling Centers, Wellness Checks

CHICAGO - July 5, 2012. With temperatures throughout Illinois at historic highs and surpassing 100 degrees for several days this week, Governor Pat Quinn again urged Illinois residents to take precautions to stay safe and cool. The Governor also encouraged residents to visit cooling centers and to check on family members and neighbors who are vulnerable to hot weather, including the elderly and children.

"Illinois is experiencing record-high temperatures and it is critical that people take the necessary steps to stay safe and cool during this extreme heat," Governor Quinn said. "We are all in this together and people should regularly check on their children and elderly neighbors and relatives to make sure they are safe, hydrated and keeping cool."

Governor Quinn and the Illinois Department of Public Health are encouraging Illinois residents to be conscious of and responsive to signs of heat-related illnesses. Symptoms of may include headaches, skin that is hot to the touch, increased body temperature, loss of consciousness, seizures and irregular heartbeats.

The Illinois Department on Aging also encourages relatives and friends to make daily visits or calls to senior citizens living alone. When temperatures and humidity are extremely high, seniors and people with chronic health conditions should be monitored for dehydration and other effects of extreme heat. Additionally, seniors should eat lighter meals, take longer and more frequent rests, and drink plenty of fluids.

To stay cool, avoid illness and prevent heat-related injury or death, people should increase their fluid intake but avoid drinks with caffeine, alcohol and sugar; decrease strenuous activity; and remain in air-conditioning when possible. In addition, people should avoid prolonged outdoor activity and visit the state's cooling centers if needed.

More than 120 cooling centers are open around Illinois, in order to help those without air conditioning find respite from the heat. The cooling centers are located at Illinois Department of Human Services offices throughout the state, as well as at Illinois Tollway Oases in the Chicago area. Cooling centers are open to the public during regular business hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Illinois Tollway Oases are available 24 hours/day.

For more information about cooling centers, call the Illinois Department of Human Services hotline at (800) 843-6154, or visit KeepCool.Illinois.gov for locations. For information about heat preparedness and cooling centers, visit the Ready Illinois website at Ready.Illinois.gov.

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July 5, 2012

BETTENDORF, Iowa - Nonprofit organizations in Scott and Rock Island counties are invited to nominate their top volunteers for the 2012 Quad City Caring Awards. The awards are presented each year by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend to honor a select group of volunteers who have demonstrated their commitment to the betterment of our community.

This year, five volunteers will be honored. One of the awards will be given to a young volunteer under the age of 21.

"Nonprofits depend on volunteers," said Susan Skora, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. "These generous people give the community something very valuable - their time and hard work. Recognizing them for this gift is one of the happiest events of the year."

Nonprofits are encouraged to submit their nominations. A citizen committee of community leaders will select the winners. Each nonprofit that nominates an award recipient will receive a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation in honor of the winner.

Quad City Caring Award winners will be recognized at the Community Foundation's Annual Celebration on September 25, 2012. The event will be held at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf.

Nomination forms are available at the Community Foundation office, or on the website www.cfgrb.org. Completed forms must be submitted by Aug. 10 to the Community Foundation, 852 Middle Road, Suite 100, Bettendorf, IA.

To learn more, call 563-326-2840 or visit www.cfgrb.org.

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