Adventure Pass Ending in 2025

Due to circumstances outside of our control, the Des Moines Public Library’s Iowa Adventure Pass service will no longer be available in 2025. Any reservation already made for 2025 will be honored, but we encourage anyone with a current reservation to print those passes immediately. Customers can make new reservations for passes that must be used by December 31, 2024. We hope to reintroduce the service at a later time, and we apologize for the inconvenience. 

State Fair "Butter" Sculpture Contest

Program Type:

Arts & Crafts

Age Group:

All Ages
Please note you are looking at an event that has already happened.

Event Details

Make a State Fair-style "butter" sculpture using yellow Play-Doh. Create your family friendly entry using current events, themes from your favorite book, movies/television, or clever puns! Cow sculptures welcome but not required.

A limited number of sculpture kits (suitable for ages 5 and up) will be available for pickup at the Central Library while supplies last starting July 1st. Kits will include one container of yellow Play-Doh and one sculpting tool.

How to Enter:

Email a photo of your sculpture to LIB-Marketing@dmpl.org by 5PM on July 23rd. Your entry must include:

  • Your full name
  • Any teammates’/ family members’ names
  • The title of your sculpture
  • At least one photo of the sculpture

Contest Guidelines:

  • All characters and items in your scene should be made using only yellow Play-Doh or another yellow clay. Entries with visible decoration on the scuplture(s) other than yellow clay will not be eligible for prizes. Backgrounds (which do not need to be made from yellow clay) are encouraged!
  • Limit one entry per person or family/team.
  • The two entries that get the most Facebook likes and staff votes will each be awarded four tickets to the Iowa State Fair!
  • By entering your sculpture, you give the Des Moines Public Library permission to share it online.

Key Dates:

July 1st – July 23rd: Sculpture Contest is open!

July 23rd: Deadline for submission.

July 26th – July 30th: Online voting. https://www.facebook.com/dmlib/

August 2nd: Winners announced!