The Raccoon River Valley Trail will be the site of a major new event on this weekend with the initial “Pedaler’s Jamboree” taking place. The ride – a rolling music festival of sorts – will begin in Waukee on Saturday and ride to Jefferson via the north loop for an overnight visit. Most bicyclists will camp at the Greene County Fairgrounds and the trailside campground there.
The bicyclists will return to Waukee via the south loop on Sunday.
The north loop will include stops in Dallas Center, Minburn, Perry, Dawson and Cooper on Saturday. Sunday’s route after leaving Jefferson includes stops in Cooper, Yale, Panora, Linden, Redfield and Adel. Live music is slated at each stop on both days of the ride.
The event is named and patterned after a jamboree that has become a major tourism event the past six years on the KATY Trail in central Missouri, using the 29-mile portion of that trail between Columbia and Boonville, MO.
The event has been promoted by Michael Denehy, a native of Iowa. “People really seemed to like it, and it grew quickly (in Missouri). In 2014, we had more than 2,500 riders. With the experience and reputation we now have, I’m hoping that on the Raccoon River Valley Trail, we’ll draw 1,000 to 2,000 riders our first year.”
In Greene County, music in Cooper begins at 2 pm with Molly Gene One Whoaman Band, followed by Decadent Nation at 3:30.
Although it was originally announced the Pedaler’s Jamboree music would be on the courthouse square in Jefferson, in the final planning, organizers moved the stage to the fairgrounds. Four groups will perform – Dirtfoot at 7 pm, That 1 Guy at 8:15, Euforquestra at 9:45, and Flood Brothers at 11:15 pm. Quiet hours will be requested at the fairgrounds after Flood Brothers finishes its show.
The entertainment in Jefferson is open to non-riders at a $20 admission charge.
Riders will leave Jefferson Sunday between 7 and 9 am. Music by The High Crest Acoustic is slated for 8 to 10 am in Cooper on the return trip.
As of Monday, more than 1,200 bicyclists have registered for Pedaler’s Jamboree.
To read more about Pedaler’s Jamboree and the Raccoon River Valley Trail, read Chuck Offenburger’s blog post on the RRVT website here, or visit the Pedaler’s Jamboree website at www.pedalersjamboreeiowa.com ~TheScranton Journal contributed this article
