“Iowa nice to a T” says fairgoer who lost his wallet at state fair

DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s been three days since the fairgrounds shut down for the 2024 season, but the Iowa Public Safety Office is still working to get lost items back to owners.

“Right now we get a lot of items turned in, a lot of bank cards, letter driver’s licenses, a lot of cell phones,” said Randy Jones, the Director of Public Safety at the Iowa State Fair.

One man had lost both his keys and wallet while attending the Ne-Yo concert on Saturday night.

“So they popped off fireworks, and I went to one of those food stands to get something to eat and when I went to pay, I didn’t have my wallet,” said Anthony Johnson of Des Moines. “Then I reached in my pocket and didn’t have my keys either. So I didn’t have a way home. I couldn’t get in my car. I couldn’t pay for anything because I didn’t have my wallet.”

Johnson retraced his steps to see if he could find his lost items, but couldn’t. When he returned to the food vendor he apologized and said he couldn’t pay, but the worker just gave him the food for free without question. Johnson ended up getting a ride home from someone who allows fairgoers to park on their front lawns, the nice individual let Johnson hop in his car as he led them to his place.

The next day Johnson came back to the fairground and strolled over to the lost and found to see if the wallet and keys were located.

“So I was like, you know, I’m just going to try it as like, there’s no way, no way in the world all of these people are at this place, that my wallet shows up,” said Johnson “The nice lady Roxie (in the public safety office) and I tell her my name and stuff and she was making sure it was me and she gave it back and everything was in it. Like my money, my I.D., nothing was missing. It was amazing.”

Johnson had $200 cash in his wallet untouched along with a social security card he had just replaced still sitting safe in his billfold.

“That’s definitely Iowa nice, that is Iowa nice to a T right there,” said Johnson.

Randy Jones with the Iowa State Fair was glad to hear about Johnson’s story and hopes more people can be reunited with the large amount of items still at the fairgrounds.

“We encourage people to keep reaching out. If an item when they call lost and found an item wasn’t here, wait a couple of days, call us again because we’re still doing a lot of cleanup out here on the fairgrounds. Items are still being found, laying in a ditch, laying on the ground in the streets. And they’re still being brought down here to us,” said Jones.

People are able to find the Public Safety Office near Gate 11 which is right by E 30th and Grand Avenue. If you want to call ahead of time the number is 515-401-1614.

The lost and found holds items for 30 days and if they aren’t claimed those items go to different local organizations that need them.

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