Stock Show Report: Campustown Showdown Brings Cattle, Fashion, and Community to Iowa

Campustown Showdown Founder Christian Calliham shared a sneak peek, explaining how the upcoming Iowa stock show evolved from its sister event, the Aggieville Showdown in Kansas.

AMES, IOWA (RFD News) — The second annual Campustown Showdown will feature a mix of cattle showing, a fashion show, local vendors, and live entertainment, all centered around connecting consumers with producers.

Event founder Christian Calliham joined Wednesday’s Market Day Report for a sneak peek, explaining how the idea grew out of his original Aggieville Showdown in Kansas.

“After several years of being in the Aggieville Showdown, we’ve really seen this mission of connecting producers and consumers come to life, and we thought, why not expand our mission to another land grant institution town?”

In his conversation with RFD News, Calliham shared how the event will celebrate beef producers while also creating opportunities for the public to learn more about livestock.

“We also have a new segment this year, brought to us by the Iowa Beef Industry Council as we work on our mission to really bridge the gap between producers and consumers. Consumers can actually go on our socials and our website and ask questions that are topics of theirs and they will answer them on stage.”

The event will also feature a Grand Drive in the heart of downtown Ames, with the goal of bringing agriculture to the Iowa State University community.

The Campustown Showdown, set for April 24 and 25 in Ames, Iowa. More information can be found on the event’s website.

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Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


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