Enjoy watermelon ice cream in Oxford and visit Marengo's various food vendors on Day 6 of RAGBRAI

Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen
·4 min read
Bob Libby, CEO of CARE Ambulance, right, talks with Matt Phippen, director of RAGBRAI, during the RAGBRAI route inspection ride, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Marengo, Iowa.
Bob Libby, CEO of CARE Ambulance, right, talks with Matt Phippen, director of RAGBRAI, during the RAGBRAI route inspection ride, Friday, June 9, 2023, in Marengo, Iowa.

RAGBRAI will pass through a pair of small towns it hasn’t visited since 2011 on the sixth day of the 50th ride, Friday, July 28.

A record-setting crowd of cyclists will pass through Marengo and Oxford on their week-long journey across Iowa. RAGBRAI organizers and local officials are expecting at least 20,000 riders next week, more than double the number of people that have journeyed through their towns in the past.

The penultimate day of RAGBRAI 50 will take riders 80 miles from Tama-Toldeo through Chelsea, Belle Plaine, Marengo, Amana and Oxford before ending in Coralville.

Here’s what you need to know about the route’s stops in Marengo and Oxford:

Final map for Day 6 of RAGBRAI's 50th anniversary ride, July 28
Final map for Day 6 of RAGBRAI's 50th anniversary ride, July 28

What will Marengo offer riders?

Marengo, a town of roughly 2,000 people is next Friday's meeting town as riders travel the 6.8 miles from Belle Plaine.

The city has revitalized its downtown area recently by redeveloping and adding seven new businesses that will be among the sea of vendors for riders and their support teams to peruse.

“I mean, a lot of them are excited. I think the biggest thing is just having it be another opportunity for our businesses,” MarenGO program director Corienne Dally told the Press-Citizen. “We'll really have a chance to showcase our town and businesses will have the chance to really interact with people.”

Long-time RAGBRAI DJ Gallagher will spin tunes in downtown Marengo while Herky the Hawk will lead a local contingent of University of Iowa alums and cheerleaders.

The city will deploy three beer gardens and play host to more than 30 different food vendors on July 28. Fireside Winery will sell wine and its local canned cider as well. The city’s American Legion will also sell beer downtown

Some of the available food options include:

  • Ghost Town Kettle Corn

  • Lizzie’s Dining Cart

  • Bambi’s Bar & Grill

  • Lucky Six Lanes’ Pork Loin Sandwiches

  • The Iowa Valley Tiger Wrestling Club’s Pork Butt Sandwiches

  • Palm Bell

  • Peanut Butter Peddlers

The local vendors are in addition to the usual RAGBRAI options like Say Cheese. A local bloom truck will also sell acai bowls, popsicles and more.

Road closures in Marengo

After leaving the pass-through town of Belle Plaine, riders will navigate Iowa 21 and then turn left onto Iowa 212 and enter Marengo. Riders will then voyage into the center of town on 212, which turns into South Street. Residents can expect heavy traffic delays in the morning hours on July 28.

Cyclists will leave Marengo by navigating north on Eastern Avenue and taking F15 Boulevard out of town toward the Amana Colonies.

Cyclist Scott Matter of Des Moines finds a shady spot to rest during the RAGBRAI route inspection pre-ride along the day 7 route on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
Cyclist Scott Matter of Des Moines finds a shady spot to rest during the RAGBRAI route inspection pre-ride along the day 7 route on Saturday, June 10, 2023.

Oxford's pass-through offerings

The town of Oxford, population 800, will be swallowed by an expected ridership more than 30 times the size of its town Friday, July 28. Day 6's final pass-through town will greet cyclists after pedaling 9.6 miles from Amana.

“Everybody is excited,” Oxford mayor Heather Johnson told the Press-Citizen. “We knew that this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity being that this is the anniversary ride and there’s a lot more riders involved.”

Oxford will offer various food options, from sweet corn to pickles to watermelon ice cream.

The local American Legion and Dawg House Bar will sponsor the beverage garden, while That Place offers pork loin and sweet corn. The Oxford Volunteer Fire Department will be distributing pickles and watermelon ice cream. Deja Brew will be selling protein shakes and balls along with lotus shakes. St. Mary's Catholic Church is selling pie while the Oxford Little League will hand out giant freezer pops. The Clear Creek-Amana School District and Oxford Public Library will offer pre-packaged food and sports drinks.

The city is also welcoming Selma’s Ice Cream and other outside vendors to town for RAGBRAI.

There was a strong turnout of volunteers for RAGBRAI, which Johnson said speaks to the unity of the small, close-knit community in Oxford.

“Over the last couple of years, we've really been building the community event side of [Oxford],” Johnson said. “When we were given this opportunity, this was not something we wanted to pass up because it's going to be amazing for our community, to kind of spotlight Oxford.”

What road closures will impact the Oxford area?

Riders will leave Amana and travel along Iowa 151 before hitting Highway 6 to W38, which turns into North Agusta Avenue heading into Oxford. Anyone attempting to travel on these roads during the afternoon on July 28 should expect significant delays.

When cyclists depart to travel the 18.8 remaining miles to Coralville, they'll take Black Hawk Avenue SW to Iwv Road. The final journey is the longest leg of the sixth day.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on Twitter @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: RAGBRAI 50 will be welcomed to the small towns of Oxford and Marengo