September 26, 2007 – The Raccoon River Valley Trail in west central Iowa will feature outdoor activities for nearly everyone during the second annual Fall Festival to be held Saturday, October 6, on the 56-mile-long hard-surfaced recreational trail.

Activities will be happening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all up and down the trail, with the normal trail permits not required for the day.

“It’s a way to say ‘thank you’ to the public for another year of support for the trail,” said Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, president of the RRVT Association, which is sponsoring the festival. The association is a promotion and development group that works with the Dallas, Guthrie and Greene County Conservation Boards, which own and operate the trail.

“If we get our normal weather for early October, it should be a beautiful day to spend out on the trail,” Offenburger continued. “Besides all the activities that are planned, it’ll also be a chance to get a close-up view of the trail’s farm neighbors harvesting the crops.”

The line-up of those activities:

– In Dallas County, bicyclists can do a “poker ride,” picking up a playing card at each of seven stops on the trail in Waukee, Ortonville, Adel, Redfield and Linden. The $10 entry fee gets each cyclist a RRVT T-shirt as well as a chance to win several hundred dollars worth of prizes contributed by area businesses, which will be awarded for the best poker hands – and the worst one, too. Cyclists can start at any of the check-in points on the trail in Dallas County, but the turn-in place for their poker hands will be at the “1015 Riverside” events center in Kinnick-Feller Park in Adel, where there will also be food and refreshments. In Linden, there will be gourmet coffee from the Highland Elk Coffee House & Bistro, of Perry.

– In Panora, every dog will have its day on the trail. A “Trick-or-Treat Trail Trek” for dogs will start at 10 a.m. at the RRVT trailhead adjacent to P.J.’s Drive-In Restaurant, with dogs and owners walking as far south on the trail as they desire. Halloween costumes for the dogs and owners are encouraged, and at 12 noon, there will be a contest for best costumes and best dog tricks. The cost, to help defray the cost of prizes and treats, is “50 cents per paw.” Also in Panora, a three-piece band “37th Street” will perform at P.J.’s.

– In Yale, there will be a “bike stop” near the new restrooms at the trailhead, with apple cider and cookies, a display on the history of the Yale hotel that’s under renovation, a booth to purchase RRVT logo apparel and 2008 memberships in the RRVT Association.

– Between Herndon and Cooper, a quarter mile east of the RRVT’s crossing of 320th Street, trail enthusiasts Rich and Reagan Osborne and their son Mason will be showing the progress they’ve made at their “Two Barn Farm.” They are converting a 70-year-old, 3-story corn crib into their home. The Osbornes moved from Colorado after falling in love with small town Iowa on the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa in 2006.

– In Cooper, the Committee for a Super Cooper will have homemade pie, coffee and cider for sale trailside, with Coon Rapids Enterprise editor Charlie Nixon singing and playing guitar. In addition, there will be information available about “Garrity’s Garage,” a new trailside vending station that will be opened next spring with coin-operated machines offering cold drinks and snacks for trail users.

– At Winkleman Switch, located midway between Cooper and Jefferson, a “volkswalk” will depart about 10:30 a.m., and again about 12:30 p.m., if attendance warrants a second walk. Don and Jean Van Gilder, of Jefferson, who often walk on the trail, will lead walks to the North Raccoon River trestle bridge on the trail, a round-trip of two miles.  The Van Gilders will talk about the history of the former railroad and the trail, as they lead the leisurely walk along one of the most beautiful stretches of the whole RRVT. Don Van Gilder, an assistant to the Greene County engineer, helped plan the development of the trail, and he and Jean, who is a math teacher at Jefferson-Scranton Middle School, live trailside in Jefferson.

– In Jefferson, there will be several activities at the trailhead at the Jefferson Depot, which will be open for the day with the RRVT Association booth there offering trail information, maps, 2008 memberships & trail permits. The depot will also serve as the starting point for free tram rides to Winkleman Switch and back, with seating on a nice open-air tram pulled by a tractor from Rueter’s Red Power in Grand Junction. The rides will operate continuously from 10 a.m. and are open to all, but are especially for people who are unable to walk or ride bicycles on the trail but would still like to see it during peak fall color. Also at the depot, RRVT Association board member Kevin Wilbeck, of Rippey, will display his series of whimsical drawings showing what could be done with old ag buildings along the trail to convert them to tourist attractions. There will also be a display of the new RRVT signs that are now being placed along the trail, with large signs designating the trailheads and also smaller mileage signs to be placed at key points along the RRVT. Across Lincolnway Street from the depot, Jim and Nancy Teusch, who are renovating a former railroad inn there for use by trail users and other visitors, will have the 100-plus-year-old building open for people who want to see the Teusches’ progress. Also, Rande and Debbie Roberts, who are operating the new 2-Can Redemption Center and the Raccoon River Wheelsports across Lincolnway from the Jefferson Depot, will be having an open house at their new bicycle sales, rental and repair business.

Frequent updates on the events happening during the RRVT Fall Festival will be available on this Internet site or by calling the RRVT Association at (515) 386-5488.

Article Published: 09-26-2007