DES MOINES, Iowa — The Variety Star Playground at the Iowa State Fairgrounds is now open for all kids, no matter their ability.

The playground was finished just in time for the start of this year’s Iowa State Fair. It was honored at the opening ceremony for the fair.

A significant reason for the playground being built so quickly was an email sent to the fair board at the end of last year’s fair.

Kinsley Hagerman, age 7, and her family came to the fair last year and wanted to play on the former playground. However, due to a physical disability, Kinsley was unable to get to the slide she was trying to play on.

“She tried real hard to get to that slide, and there was that rock wall on there,” said Kinsley’s mom Amy Hagerman. “She goes, ‘Mama I can’t do it,’ Then I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s see if we can as parents try and help you up.’ And it was not going to be a safe option. So she was rating playgrounds for the summer and she’s like, ‘Mom, I rate this one a zero out of 10,’ and that’s a lot coming from a 7-year-old.”

After the fair, Amy sent an email to the fair voicing their accessibility concerns with the playground. Within a couple of weeks, Amy said the fair responded and validated her concerns and said that they were taking action.

The Iowa State Fair partnered with Variety Star, a local children’s charity, to make the $700,000 remodel, making the playground more accessible, replacing the rock wall with a ramp, and adding other accessible equipment in the park.

The project was done just in time for this year’s fair, and Kinsley was an honored guest to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremonies of the Iowa State Fair along with Gov. Kim Reynolds.

“We were surprised and we were so excited and we had no idea it was going to be ready for this year, and then I found out and it was just awesome,” Amy Hagerman said.

The Variety Star Playground is located just north of the MidAmerican Energy Stage and is open year-round for kids to use, no matter their abilities.