Going into his 37th year, Lies, with his quick-witted banter, left the audience laughing throughout Friday’s show as they gathered underneath shade to beat the July heat at the State Fair.

“The very first year, the State Fair manager – a guy by the name of Jerry Iverson – saw me at a county fair. He said, ‘Young man, would you like to come to the State Fair?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to sometime,’ and he said, ‘How about in four weeks?’ At 14 years old, I was able to negotiate with fair managers and started doing it – continued to do it. Thirty-seven years later, we are the longest running entertainment at the North Dakota State Fair and we’re happy to be here again this year,” Lies said during his Friday show.

During his show, he said the “animal athletes” go through a special training process and are rewarded at the end with a sweet treat of cherry-flavored Kool Aid.

There are two sets of races during his show. During the second race, audience members get a chance to “bet” on a pig. At the start of the show, viewers are given numbered tickets and are encouraged to place half of the ticket in a container that corresponds to the colored sash on their pig of choice. At the end, a ticket from the winning colored container is drawn and the winner earns a special prize.

Angie Reinoehl/MDN Pig racing is a full family affair. This year Daryl Lies’ daughter and grandchildren are in attendance at the North Dakota State Fair. From left to right are Stella Rebel, Samantha Rebel, Daryl Lies and Sharlotte Rebel.

Lies strives to be an example for FFA students by showing them it’s possible to make an income doing what they love. He hopes to spark an interest in the entrepreneurial side of agriculture and on occasion, FFA students will take the time to assist with the show.

Over the years, Lies said, his daughters have helped on and off at fairs across the country and always help during the State Fair. This year, alongside his daughter and young grandchildren, Lies has three generations of family pig racers at the fair.

Lies finished his performance by addressing the audience once more.

“Come on back. See us again. I tell you what, I hope you enjoyed the racing pigs, but most of all, everyone, we hope you enjoy your 2024 North Dakota State Fair,” he said.