Benton, Iowa counties prepare for RAGBRAI’s 50th anniversary ride

RAGBRAI will wheel through Benton and Iowa counties Friday, July 28, and organizers in pass-through towns are ready to welcome cyclists to their communities. Belle Plaine, Marengo and Amana will be in the spotlight as riders travel from Tama-Toledo to Coralville on day six of the 50th anniversary of the ride.

Belle Plaine

As a pass-through town, Belle Plaine officials expect peak times for riders on Friday, July 28, to be from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Riders will enter town from the west on Highway 21, continue east on 13th Street, south on 9th Avenue, west on 12th Street and south on 7th Avenue to exit town.

Food, beverage and other vendors, as well as restrooms, bike parking and tables, will be located largely in Belle Plaine’s historic main street district.

Marengo

Marengo serves as the meeting town on the July 28 leg of the trek, where riders will stop for a midday meal and connect with their support teams. Although the projected number of riders seems to change daily as the days count down, the town expects to welcome approximately 40,000 cyclists, says MarenGo Executive Director Corriene Daly.

“We’re expecting riders as early as 8 a.m. with the biggest rush around 11:30 a.m.,” she notes.

Volunteers are still needed for parking, traffic control and trash pickup. Daly encourages people to visit the Marengo Community Development site, Go-Marengo.com, to sign up for volunteer positions.

Also needed are volunteer shuttle drivers willing to pilot their golf carts to ferry riders and their support teams to and from staging areas at the Iowa County Fairgrounds and Lions Park, to Iowa Valley High School for freewill donations. Daly suggests interested golf cart owners add a donation drop box to their vehicle to cover their gas expenses.

A visit from the University of Iowa mascot Herky the Hawk and a professional DJ service will round out the day’s festivities.

Cyclists will enter Marengo from the west on Highway 212. They will proceed east on South Street, north on Court Avenue to North Street, then east to Eastern Avenue/M Avenue, where they will turn north and continue to Amana.

Bus and support vehicle parking will be at the Iowa County Fairgrounds and Lions Park. Drivers of those vehicles will enter Marengo from the west on Highway 6. When leaving town, they will go south on M Avenue to reach the overnight stop in Coralville.

In Marengo, vendors will set up on the street on Court Avenue between Hilton Street and Main Street. This will allow businesses owners in the area to use the sidewalks in front of their shops as they wish. Daly reports a total of 35 food, drink and apparel vendors will be selling their wares.

Visit Go-Marengo.com for an interactive Google map showing water filling stations, toilets, storm shelters and sag wagon sites, or search for MarengoRAGBRAI2023 on Facebook for the latest updates.

The town’s logo and theme, “Together we can MarenGo further on two wheels,” reflects MarenGo Community Development’s support of its businesses and the planning strategy aimed at providing business owners a financially positive experience with this year’s ride.

Amana

The official route out of Marengo takes riders along F15 Boulevard and onto Highway 220 via West Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, through downtown Amana and on to Homestead as they head east to Iowa City.

Organizers anticipate the bulk of riders to begin arriving in the Colonies around 10:30 a.m. with the last few folks moving on to Oxford at 3 p.m. Most activities will be held in the heart of main Amana between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Main Street from the four-way stop (220th and Highway 151) will be closed from 10:30 a.m. until most of the bicyclists have left town. Bikes will be routed from the Amana four-way stop east down Main Street (220th Trail) to the corner by the Market barn/Visitor Center. To exit town, they will be directed south past the Market Barn and onto H Street in Boy’s Town. Officials advise residents of Boy’s Town this will be a very busy day in their neighborhood.

“If you have plans, appointments or obligations during this day (July 28) please plan accordingly, as there will be delays due to the riders,” officials note.

Stacey Colledge, Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau director reported road closure barriers will be placed at the east side of intersections of 220th Trail and Hwy 151, as well as at H Street and Hwy 151 at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 28, and taken down after the riders have left town. Uniformed Iowa County Sheriff’s deputies will be positioned at these intersections from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

According to the Des Moines Register, this year they are expecting as many as 50,000 riders.

Colledge adds it’s important for Amana and East Amana residents to plan accordingly and for merchants and employees in Amana to be aware of the road closures.

Also, H Street in Amana from Highway 151 (the residential street behind the Ronneburg and Ox Yoke Inn) will be closed at that time as well.

“We encourage all our businesses and residents in each village to show your support for the cyclists!” said Colledge. She continued, “Several of our businesses are planning offerings of refreshments along the route. If you are planning to offer food, make sure to contact the state Department of Inspections and Appeals to comply with all permitting and regulations.”

The Amana Colonies Festivals Inc. will be hosting riders at the Festhalle barn with music by Barefoot Becky, food served by the Amana Heritage Society, and wine and beer will be served in partnership with Amana Society Inc. Bike parking, restrooms and porta-potties will be provided. There will be emergency medical services in the pharmacy parking lot and assistance from the county sheriff to direct traffic.

The ACCVB is asking anyone willing to lend their weekly pickup garbage can to contact Colledge at the Visitor Center. Cans will be placed along the route to encourage riders to dispose of their waste responsibly. More information is available at the Amana Colonies Visitors Center at 319-622-7622.

(This article was written with input from Emilie Hoppe/The Amana Bulletin)

Comments: Melinda.Wichmann@southeastiowaunion.com