August 6, 2025
[West Des Moines, IA] Step right up! For the fourth year in a row, VAEZR Studio is putting a high-tech twist on corn dogs and carnival rides, bringing immersive, interactive experiences to the 2025 Iowa State Fair that are anything but average. This year’s lineup is packed with AR-powered murals, animated coloring adventures, cookie-themed WebAR games, and AI-powered gamified learning.
The Iowa State Fair runs August 7–17, and VAEZR’s experiences are sprinkled all across the fairgrounds like powdered sugar on a funnel cake.
Power in Motion – A 40-Foot Interactive LED Experience
Lighting up the Mid American Energy booth once again…this show-stopping 40-foot immersive LED wall that responds to every move you make. Created in partnership with MidAmerican Energy, this installation blends large-scale digital art with cutting-edge computer vision, including image segmentation and body tracking, to create a living, reactive canvas. As visitors walk, wave, or dance in front of the wall, vibrant visuals shift and flow in real time, transforming casual passersby into part of the art itself.
The goal? To help MidAmerican Energy draw a crowd and spark conversations, proving that when technology and creativity connect, the result is pure energy.
Coloring Outside the Lines – and Then Watching It Move
Location: Southwest Corner, Varied Industries Building
Back by popular demand (with even more wow!), VAEZR and the Iowa Food and Family Project are turning crayons into cinemas. Welcome to the Animated Coloring Barn, where imagination doesn’t just run wild, it dances across the screen.
Grab a farm-themed coloring sheet, unleash your inner artist, then scan it in and watch your creation spring to life on a giant screen, mooing, growing, and trucking its way from field to fork. This year make sure you also check out our process animations that show an easy to understand visual experience of how Iowa Food makes it to your table. Think: coloring book meets Pixar, with a healthy dose of corn-fed curiosity.
There is More Than Meets the Mural
Locations: Jacobson Exhibition Center + Fairgrounds-wide Selfie Stands
You guessed it – VAEZR’s Experience Mural is back! This is a signature part of what we’re known for at the Iowa State Fair. These interactive installations have become a go-to stop for fairgoers looking for something unexpected and unforgettable.
This year, they’re bigger and better than ever, with two massive AR-powered murals on the Jacobson Exhibition Center and a series of Selfie Stands placed throughout the fairgrounds. Each one uses WebAR technology to transform static artwork into lively, animated moments, all through your smartphone, no app required.
Created in collaboration with Lashier Graphics, these experiences blur the line between public art and playful tech, turning a simple stroll into a shareable story. Whether you’re snapping a selfie or stumbling onto a mural that moves, these experiences are designed to delight, surprise, and stick in your memory long after the fair is over.
At VAEZR, creating moments people remember isn’t just the goal, it’s our trademark.
The Science of Play – Learning that Moves You
Location: Iowa 4-H Building
Looking for a game you can play hands-free? Head to the Iowa 4-H Building to try “Anemia,” VAEZR’s AI-powered, gamified learning experience that puts computer vision to work for education. No controller? No problem. Players use only their head and hand movements to navigate the game, learn about biology, and explore how technology can make science feel more like play than homework.
It’s part STEM lab, part arcade, and 100% proof that learning can steal the show.
“We’re not saying our games are better than fried Oreos—but they do leave a lasting impression,” said Luke McDermott, Director of Experiential Services. “When learning feels like play and tech feels like magic, that’s when it really clicks.”
Crunchtime Returns: No Crumbs, All Fun
Location: Barksdale Cookie Booth
Ready to munch without the mess? Crunchtime is back at the Barksdale Cookie Booth, where visitors play a face-controlled WebAR game built by VAEZR. No app needed, just a smartphone and your best cookie-chomping face. Dodge peppers, catch milk, rack up points, and learn fun facts about Iowa’s most iconic cookie in this fast-paced snackable game.
It’s quirky, quick, and guaranteed to put a smile (and maybe a chocolate chip) on your face.
“We think of the fair as the ultimate stage for interactive storytelling and experience marketing,” said McDermott. “If you can capture attention between a butter cow and a bucket of cookies, you’ve created something worth remembering.,” said McDermott. “We’re not just showing up at the fair, we’re helping brands and stories come to life in ways that are interactive, memorable, and made for the moment.”
Catch VAEZR in Action August 7–17
From AR to AI, coloring to cookies, VAEZR’s experiences prove that learning, engagement, and marketing can go hand-in-hand (and sometimes hands-free). Visit the fairgrounds and see how we’re turning tech into tradition, one experience at a time.
For sneak peeks, live updates, and a behind-the-scenes look at our work, follow along @vaezr.studio or visit www.vaezr.studio.
The Iowa State Fair, running from August 7-17, 2025, will feature a range of interactive experiences from VAEZR Studio for the fourth consecutive year.
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