Iowa’s Ride committee, planning underway

     The inaugural Iowa’s Ride is four and a half months away from arriving overnight in Monticello on Sunday, July 12, yet the planning committee is in full swing.

     Co-committee leaders Lisa Folken and Mark Spensley said the city should expect to see support vehicles arrive in town anywhere from 9 a.m. on into the day.

     “Riders could start appearing close to 11 a.m., as the ride from Dubuque is one of the shorter days,” said Spensley.

     Riders will be rolling into Monticello on Highway 38 from Worthington, and entering the fairgrounds on 11^th Street.

     The plan is to have the riders and their support vehicles camp out at the fairgrounds, with activities taking place along E. First Street throughout the day.

     “Decisions are still being discussed as far as what may or may not be included at the fairgrounds,” said Spensley of the events and activities.

     The details on the specific activities and timeframe are still in the works, but the tentative plan is to close E. First Street from stoplight to stoplight (Home Furniture Gallery to Hartig Drug). There will be a form of live music, beverages, and food options for the riders and support people, as well as anyone in the community and surrounding towns who wish to be a part of the festivities.

     “Of course the riders can take advantage of our many amenities like the Aquatic Center, Baty Disc Golf Course, the golf course, canoeing, bowling, or anything else they have time to do,” offered Spensley.

     The Monticello Public Library is also considering opening for a portion of the day as well.

     While downtown Monticello can be pretty quiet on a Sunday, the committee is asking restaurants and drinking establishments to be open for business. As far as the shops and other businesses, the decision to open on a Sunday will be left up to the individual business.

     “We do plan on asking businesses how they feel about opening that day, and if they decide to, then maybe a plan on how to entice visitors to shop will be implemented,” explained Spensley.

     Iowa’s Ride is something the community as a whole can come out for and enjoy, welcoming visitors to Monticello, and encouraging them to return.

     “That is one thing that riders enjoy, being welcomed into the community and hanging out with locals,” said Spensley who’s rode a couple of days across Iowa in the past. “Our hope is that we give the riders a reason to come back and visit us again.”

     While Iowa’s Ride is a one-day event for any overnight community, Spensley and Folken said the reason for hosting is two-fold. One, it will provide an economic boom for local businesses, namely hotels, restaurants, bars, convenience stores, as well as non-profits that will be selling food/beverages.

     “Those monies do recycle into other businesses over time,” said Spensley.

     Second, anytime the town can show itself off to visitors, the hope is that those people will return and shop and spend money in Monticello and Jones County.

     To keep up on all local Iowa’s Ride events, follow “Iowa’s Ride Monticello, Iowa” on Facebook and read future articles in the Express.