CLEAR LAKE – Is RAGBRAI coming to Clear Lake this summer? Sources say yes.
NIT is told a big announcement is on the horizon for Clear Lake as a coveted overnight stop for RAGBRAI this coming summer. Overnight stops bring thousands of people into a community, and they spend money.
While he did not confirm nor deny the information that NIT has been given, Clear Lake City Administrator Scott Flory did furnish this statement on the possible development:
“The City has applied to be a host/overnight community for RAGBRAI 2017. Clear Lake last was an overnight host in 2010. In 2014, Clear Lake was a pass through community. I plan to attend the Ragbrai announcement ceremony in Des Moines, on January 21st, where the announcement will be made at 9:30 pm. I cannot confirm or deny whether or not Clear Lake has been selected as an overnight stop, nor do I have any knowledge regarding this year’s potential route or any other information about the selection process. We hope that our Community’s efforts in the past have been favorable and that we are being strongly considered. RAGBRAI is one of Iowa’s great events and it’s an honor and an opportunity for any community to showcase itself to a vast audience.”
RAGBRAI, The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest multi-day recreational bicycle touring event in the world. Des Moines Register Media has been the title sponsor of RAGBRAI since 1973.
RAGBRAI came through Mason City in 2014. You can view a photo gallery of that event, here.
Lets hope the party begins, Ragbrai is really a great time, if planned right people have fun and enjoy all the great stories. The last time it spent a night in Mason City I feel our community was at its best. Hell even the mayor and his kooks had fun and no one gave them shit about it. Clear lake and Mason city are 2 towns that can come together and make this happen. We are 2 of the towns people want to ride their bikes through and enjoy our hospitality. Even with our gang and drug problems when we have a chance to show off our towns like we did last RAGBRAI we do it proudly. Lets support this.
Absolutely hate Ragbrai. It is nothing but a rolling drunken party that shuts down traffic and the entire town for a day or more.
Bottom Line, Clear Lake is a community that understands if you let people have fun, they will spend money. Go there on a Friday night, the bars are full, the resturants are full, main street is packed.
If you go have a drink in Mason City, a cop may very well be sitting in the bar parking lot, May well walk through and take names of who is there. May very well stop you on your way home WITHOUT cause, hoping to find something to ticket you for.
I applaud Clear Lake, every weekend its something.
BBQ, Antics in the park, Art in the park, The 4th of July all week. The Jac snowmobil runs, Kites on the ice. Bike races, etc
These things attract young people. That’s why their athletics are better, their school is better. Their workforce is younger and better.
Why would a young family want to be here?
Good points. If you want to get drunk and break the law go to Clear Lake.
where did I say anything about breaking the law or getting drunk?
Your thinking is EXACLY what I am talking about! Could not have made my point any better. Your thinking is why Mason City is DEAD
Mason City is dead because of people like you.
You play in CL but you do most of your living in Mason City. Thats where you shop, go for entertainment or enjoy a meal at any venue you can imagine. Chances are that you get a pay check from a Mason City employer and you have access every major service you will ever need. You come to town to buy a new car, get your old one fixed or get a tune up yourself from providers of the highest quality health care around. The attributes and limitations of both towns are many but these are complimentary communities and all North Iowa is the beneficiary.
You are correct, I live in Mason city and spend 95% of my recreational money in Clear Lake. That is my exactly my point.
And yes, 50 percent or more of the people spending money in bars and resturants in Clear Lake are from Mason Ctiy.
BUT MASON CITY HAS PROVEN OVER AND OVER that they DONT want these dollars. WHY??
Clear lake overnight and mason city just a pass through town, Mason city would be a great town for breakfast. Maybe the mayor and hos cookies could host a bloody mary breakfast up at city hall.
its one big drunken f*ck party, girls of the night make the most going from tent to tent
Ragbrai comes through your town like a swarm of Locusts, destroying everthing in its path. the good news is they are gone the next day. Beer and food vendors rejoice.
I have often wondered about the cost / benefit to a community that lands a ragbrai gig. Most of the food and trinket vendors are from out of town, a few churches and service clubs break even and the city foots the bill for public safety and clean up.
You are exactly right.
Clear lake deserve to get ragbrai and mason city should never get rag rain, because clear lake is a welcoming town and Mc is not rag rain should not never come to a town of racist and kooks
Is that you Mrs Solberg? With those last few words in your statement here I naturally figured it was you again.