Coming on the heels of RAGBRAI’s visit in 2022, West Union can expect another estimated 1,000 visitors to the community in June after WMT radio formally announced the community as the home base for its 24th Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade. The entire route for the Sunday-Wednesday, June 11-14, event was also released during the official announcement Friday, Jan. 20, which included a radio broadcast from the Fayette County Fairgrounds Dance Pavilion.

“We are ecstatic that another event of this magnitude is coming to our community,” West Union Mayor Cam Granger said. “It is not only a huge economic win, but an opportunity to showcase West Union, local businesses, the Fayette County Fairgrounds, and the surrounding area.”

“I’m excited to be a part of another opportunity to help direct a large group of people to West Union,” added Matt Marsala, executive director of West Union Economic Development and West Union Main Street/Chamber. “It’s unbelievable what our community has done over the past few years. This will be another unique, unforgettable experience that will have a profound economic impact on the entire area.”

An estimated 400 tractor riders and their support teams are expected to begin arriving and checking in at the fairgrounds in West Union Sunday, June 11.

On the first day of the ride (Monday, June 12), the tractors will leave West Union on County Road W42 and travel to Ossian for a morning stop. The riders will then drive west on County Road B32 to Festina and Fort Atkinson, and south on County Road W14 to St. Lucas, before stopping for lunch at the Waucoma Event Center. They will then take county roads V68 and 210th Street to Hawkeye for an afternoon stop. To end the day’s 70-mile journey, the participants will travel north on W14, turn right on County Road B44, and onto Highway 150 into West Union.

Day two’s 70-mile travel itinerary includes traveling east to Elgin on County Road B64 and north to Clermont on Canoe Road for a pit stop at East Clermont Church. The riders will then follow Apple and Gunder roads to Johnson’s Reception Hall in Elkader for lunch, before driving southwest to Volga and northwest to Wadena for an afternoon stop. The final leg of the day’s trip includes trekking across Kornhill Road to Fayette and then north along Highway 150 to West Union.

The tractorcade concludes June 14 with a shorter 35- to 40-mile route. As part of the half-day journey, the riders will once again head north on W42 and turn east onto the Great River Road for a stop at Bodensteiner Implement in Clermont. They will then travel to Elgin and then south on Acorn Road to Highway 56 and the return ride to West Union.

WMT Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade Ride Coordinator Bill Poston of Winthrop said the announcement, which was sponsored by Beck’s Hybrids Seed, is a culmination of yearlong planning.

He explained soon after each year’s ride has been completed, the tractorcade staff begins working with county engineers, Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa State Highway Patrol, county sheriff offices, local police departments and community leaders in developing and finalizing the next year’s route. They try to narrow the potential routes down to three possibilities by approximately September of each preceding year.

“We work closely with the various communities, so the locals know what to expect,” said the longtime coordinator and rider. “We also work closely with all of the local law enforcement to best ensure the safety of the riders and all the other travelers on the roadways.”

Poston emphasized that the entire four-day event is open to the public. People can view the tractors each day at the fairgrounds, during each community stop or along the routes when safely possible to do so.

More about the 2023 WMT Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade, including maps, lodging information and application forms, can be found at 600wmtradio.iheart.com.