You are just plain lucky Wabi, you could have the drug and money fueled Burning Man in Ioway...then, you would have something to complain about. Promoters have done everything to hide the stats, but inside the fence there is a few deaths every year...suicides, OD's, sexual assaults...all the traffic accidents outside the fence don't count. Promoters haul in around 45 million a year, not bad for a scheme where the children of the idle rich from all over the world can go get filthy dusty, put all manner of chemicals in their system, and be ''seen", in the name of art.
Total fustercluck. Chamber of Commerce runs it, of course. Started decades ago, the main street, 1 block, would be closed. Didn't affect any residents, only businesses. Who were the ones profiting from it. Designed for local craftsmen to showcase and sell items they make. Here. In our county.
Today, it cover 4 or 5 blocks. Including residences. The city sells the stall space. On property owned by residents. (There is right of way) If you want to park in front of your home. On land you pay taxes on, but has a public right of way. They tow you.
If, like the Catholic School, you want to run stalls to fund raise? You pay the Chamber almost $1k per parking spot. On your land. And the sidewalk. That you own and maintain. The school actually uses their playground. Because they can't use their land. The city "sold" it.
The vendors? Less than 10% are in county. Under 50% are from bordering counties. (I actually went through the listings once and tabulated it)
The merchandise? Under half Is hand made. Much is imported stuff one can order. Some still has Made in China on it.
The whole town is gridlocked. Anyplace a car can park, is parked full. Many residents go away those weekends. Otherwise they are trapped in their homes.
Why do these things?
Because the people who get to choose are the ones that profit from it.
The carnage left behind in the overnight towns (those who have experienced it before make it a point to be out of town for a couple of days) is nothing compared to trying to negotiate the roadways being commandeered by the rolling hordes.
Total fustercluck. Chamber of Commerce runs it, of course. Started decades ago, the main street, 1 block, would be closed. Didn't affect any residents, only businesses. Who were the ones profiting from it. Designed for local craftsmen to showcase and sell items they make. Here. In our county.
Today, it cover 4 or 5 blocks. Including residences. The city sells the stall space. On property owned by residents. (There is right of way) If you want to park in front of your home. On land you pay taxes on, but has a public right of way. They tow you.
If, like the Catholic School, you want to run stalls to fund raise? You pay the Chamber almost $1k per parking spot. On your land. And the sidewalk. That you own and maintain. The school actually uses their playground. Because they can't use their land. The city "sold" it.
The vendors? Less than 10% are in county. Under 50% are from bordering counties. (I actually went through the listings once and tabulated it)
The merchandise? Under half Is hand made. Much is imported stuff one can order. Some still has Made in China on it.
The whole town is gridlocked. Anyplace a car can park, is parked full. Many residents go away those weekends. Otherwise they are trapped in their homes.
Why do these things?
Because the people who get to choose are the ones that profit from it.
This is pretty much what happens with the Rattlesnake Festival in our town. No locals have booths anymore, no place to park, people schitting in alleys, businesses just closing up for the weekend because locals who’d do business there can’t get to them. Every neck tattooed, toothless dumphuck that ever stumbled out of a single wide turns out with his 325lb bleached haired, cutoff jean shorts and Insane Clown Posse tube top wearing skank girlfriend and all 4 of her dirty little urchins. They park in the edge of my yard and are sure to leave Bud light bottles, dirty diapers, and empty the ash tray out of MeeMaws LeSabre they borrowed to make the 16 mile journey to buy chinkernese sunglasses and funnel cakes.
Locals fuchking despise the “event” and last year the mouth breathers that show up were using their “voice” on FB to say how it was so different the locals aren’t nice anymore and they used to always be so accepting.
Brother-in-law has made the Ragbrai journey a few times. He said the self torture thing is okay as long as you take properly timed medicinal smoke breaks. He made it sound like it was kind of a party hearty atmosphere. He also said that by the end of it you're sick of tents, and being filthy.
You give someone a couple hundred million, and they bitch.
"The Iowa Bicycle Coalition releases a study that cites the economic impact of recreational cyclists’ spending to generate $364.8 million in direct and indirect impacts to the State."
"The Iowa Bicycle Colition releases a study that cites the economic impact of recreational cyclists’ spending to generate $364.8 million in direct and indirect impacts to the State."
I love indirect money. I keep telling my wife when things are on sale the more you buy the more you save. It's like free money.
I road RAGBRAI in 1981. It had been a staple in Iowa for several years prior, and (obviously) it's been going strong ever since.
No community should be taken by surprise on any of the logistics involved. RAGBRAI participants pour tons of money into towns along the way, and have been doing it for decades.
I'm sorry your son lost money. Iced watermelon would have been a better bet than hot steaks.
