Photo: City of Ames
(Ames, IA) -- Tens of thousands of RAGBRAI riders will spend tonight (July 25th) in Ames, after crossing over the new Iowa State University pedestrian bridge at Jack Trice stadium.
Susan Gwiasda with the City of Ames says bikers will be camping at Brookside Park, North River Valley Park, Stuart Smith Park, and staying at some Iowa State University properties. Overflow camping options are at Ames Middle School and North River Valley Park, for unregistered bikers.
Downtown Ames is hosting a large event tonight featuring live music and food vendors for bikers and the public. Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning riders will leave Ames the way they came, heading west then head south to Des Moines. Gwiasda says they expect the bikers to have left Ames by 12 p.m. Wednesday.
The city of Ames has a population of 66,000. Gwiasda says it will be busy, with the tens of thousands of bike riders, plus support vehicles and vendors. She says, however, Ames is very experienced in hosting events with large crowds. Ames last hosted RAGBRAI In 2018.
Photo: City of Ames
Photo: Iowa State University
Photo: City of Ames
Photo: City of Ames
Photo: City of Ames