RAGBRAI 2024 in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa July 26, 2024:

Fairfield welcomes thousands of RAGBRAI riders
Andy Hallman article in the Southeast Iowa Union

The city of Fairfield was turned into a cyclist’s paradise for one day on Friday, July 26, as 20,000 RAGBRAI riders descended on the town.

The riders began their morning in Ottumwa, and stopped briefly in Eldon before coming to Fairfield to grab lunch, dance to live music, and rest their legs before hitting the road again and traveling to Brighton, Wayland, Trenton and eventually to their next overnight stop in Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant resident Holly Frary was on her maiden voyage of RAGBRAI, and has been training for this moment since February. In the previous five months, Frary logged 1,200 miles on her bicycle to get in shape.

“I’ve cycled for many years, but never had the opportunity to take an entire week to ride,” she said. “This is the first opportunity I’ve had to ride the entire week, so I jumped.”

Frary said the highlight of the ride so far has been an increased appreciation for her home.

“I didn’t know that I could love Iowa and be more proud of this state, but RAGBRAI has proved me wrong,” she said. “The overall hospitality of the towns and the riders. I’ve met people from all over the world this week. When you’re riding with 20,000-30,000 people every day, you have that one common thread. You’re all here for the same passion, the same reason, and that’s really cool to me.”

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Music in this video:

‘Higher Ground’ by Stevie Wonder performed by local Fairfield band The Riverdogs.

Lyrics:

People keep on learning
Soldiers keep on warring
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long

Powers keep on lying
While your people keep on dying
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long

I'm so darn glad He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Going to keep on trying
'Til I reach my highest ground

Teachers keep on teaching
Preachers keep on preaching
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh, no

Lovers keep on loving
Believers keep on believing
Sleepers, just stop sleeping
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh, no

I'm so glad that He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Going to keep on trying
'Til I reach my highest ground
Woo

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‘Fairfield’ by Greg Brown performed by Jefferson County Green Band with Steve McLain.

Lyrics:

There's a whole lotta money in Fairfield, Fairfield, Fairfield
Whole lotta money in Fairfield
I'm gonna get me some

Them floaters they come down here, down here, down here
Them floaters they come down here
Fix the whole town up

If the floaters come to your town, your town, your town
Floaters come to your town
You might wanna stick around

They meditate and get focused, focused, focused
They do a little hocus pocus
And the money just rolls in

They know all 'bout computers, your New Age, and foreign food
They do all that real good
Fairfield's where to go

Mount Pleasant isn't really, really, really
Mount Pleasant isn't really
And neither is Burlington

Well, there ain't no money in Eldon, Pulaski, Keosauqua
There's a little bit in Ottumwa
But it's tighter than a drum

Ah, the Quads are full of dope fiends, blown whores, methamphetamines
Ball-capped boys and gambling
And all this sort of stuff

Fairfield used to be a shithole, a shithole, a shithole
Fairfield used to be a shithole
But take a look at it now

There's a whole lotta money in Fairfield, Fairfield, Fairfield
Whole lotta money in Fairfield
I'm gonna get me some

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Video produced by Werner Elmker Audio-Visual Studio
Werner Elmker is an award-winning independent Danish/American multimedia artist specializing in videography, photography, graphic design and piano/keyboard/vocal music. In his visual and musical creations, Werner emphasizes the importance of improvisation as the primary source of all great art forms.

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