[JESUP, Iowa] — Thousands of bicyclists will roll across Iowa for RAGBRAI in less than two weeks.Several Eastern Iowa towns are along the route. Smaller communities, including Jesup, have been preparing for months.Organizers say it takes dozens of volunteers to prepare for the crowds, and they hope riders take time to enjoy everything the town has to offer. Erika Havlik, a RAGBRAI volunteer in Jesup, said they're planning entertainment and refreshments."We're hoping a good majority of them will spend a good 20...
[JESUP, Iowa] — Thousands of bicyclists will roll across Iowa for RAGBRAI in less than two weeks.
Several Eastern Iowa towns are along the route. Smaller communities, including Jesup, have been preparing for months.
Organizers say it takes dozens of volunteers to prepare for the crowds, and they hope riders take time to enjoy everything the town has to offer. Erika Havlik, a RAGBRAI volunteer in Jesup, said they're planning entertainment and refreshments.
"We're hoping a good majority of them will spend a good 20-30 minutes here in town," Havlik said. "We will have a band in the big park pavilion as well. And obviously lots of food options and drink options."
While Jesup is only a stop before riders reach the overnight city of Independence, organizers are ready with food, drinks and entertainment. Safety and hydration are also a priority, with several options for riders to cool down and take a break from the Iowa heat.
"A big important factor is having lots of places to fill up their water bottles," Havlik said. "The library will be open for air condition if need be. We'll also have a big mobile medical unit here that will be fully staffed–they've been working closely with local clinics–in case anyone needs more medical attention."
The Jesup RAGBRAI committee is also using the event as a fundraiser for continued improvements at Reed Park for the splash pad project. Leaders of other small towns are working to make preparations of their own, including Grundy Center where officials are working to address potential route concerns.
Those concerns include road closures and the logistics of moving thousands of riders through the community while keeping the city accessible for residents. Katie Rasmussen, Grundy Center Chamber Main Street director, said planning involves coordinating street closures and festival areas.
"With us being a state highway, we have to close that and fill out the paperwork for it," Rasmussen said. "And then it's determining where our festival area is, cross streets, you know, trying to make it as convenient as possible for residents."
Highway 175 is also closed east of Grundy Center for a bridge replacement project, so a detour is in place. The detour creates about a five block change to the designated route.
Despite the work going into the preparation, organizers say they're excited to welcome the riders through their communities. RAGBRAI will start in Onawa and will make three overnight stops in Eastern Iowa this year: Independence, Dyersville and Dubuque.
RAGBRAI runs July 18 to 25.