Press Room
Waterloo Welcomes RAGBRAI
Welcome to Waterloo! On behalf of the entire community of Waterloo, I want to extend a warm and official welcome everyone planning to visit during RAGBRAI XXXVIII. We are very excited to be an overnight host community and look forward to rolling out the red carpet for you during your stay.
Waterloo will be celebrating the silver anniversary of RAGBRAI’s last visit to town when you arrive on July 29, and everyone in the community is looking forward to showing you the many great changes that have occurred over the last 25 years.
The main host site for RAGBRAI’s visit, the Lost Island, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer and as Iowa’s largest water park, serves as a tropical landmark in our community. The Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, South Hills Golf Course, Crossroads Center mall and the hotels, shops, restaurants and attractions around the host site will provide numerous activities for you during your stay.
Waterloo’s downtown has experienced a renaissance over the last several years, and we’re very excited to show you this vibrant Cultural and Entertainment District. Downtown Waterloo is home to a wonderful museum district that includes the Grout Museum District and the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, the Dan Gable International Wrestling Museum, and the Waterloo Center for the Arts/Phelps Youth Pavilion. The internationally-recognized Galleria de Paco restaurant makes its home in downtown Waterloo and has drawn visitors from Australia, Russia, Hollywood, and almost every state in the union. Downtown’s restaurants and nightlife establishments feature outstanding ambience and activities. You’ll find everything from an authentic Irish Public House to a traditional New Orleans-themed restaurant and lounge. Add that to the activities along the Cedar River and you have an exciting, lively place to visit and enjoy.
Waterloo is part of the Cedar Valley Trails system, a 105 mile system of paved recreation trails that loops through the communities of the Cedar Valley. Take a century ride on the trails and experience downtowns, state and county parks, prairie areas, lakes, and rivers.
Waterloo offers activities for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. We are proud of our background – one that includes great diversity, industry like John Deere, and arts and culture. We look forward to having you in our community to experience a taste of all that Waterloo has to offer. We will also look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back for future visits.
If you are interested in being involved in Waterloo RAGBRAI please contact one of the following committees:
Entertainment@WaterlooRAGBRAI.com
Volunteer@WaterlooRAGBRAI.com
Vendors@WaterlooRAGBRAI.com
John Deere to Establish a Tractor History Museum in Waterloo.
Deere & Company will expand its John Deere-branded properties to include a tourist attraction in Waterloo focused on the history of tractor and engine design and manufacturing.
Construction on the John Deere Waterloo Tractor and Engine History Museum will begin in late 2010 with opening of the facility scheduled for late 2011. The museum will be an addition to John Deere attractions in Iowa, Illinois and Germany as well as visitor centers at John Deere factories around the world.
"The public is interested in learning more about the company's past, present and future," said Bill Becker, director, global brand management. "This new museum will complement other John Deere-branded properties by amplifying the tractor and engine history of the company and enabling visitors to explore the development and capabilities of these products more in-depth."
The tractor and engine museum will include artifacts and interactive exhibits to celebrate the rich history and dynamic growth of the tractor business at John Deere, which today is the world's leading provider of agricultural equipment.
Deere currently operates a historic site in Grand Detour, Illinois, where John Deere started his business in 1837. In addition, Deere offers the John Deere Pavilion and John Deere Store in Moline; the John Deere Harvester Works visitors' center in East Moline, Illinois; the John Deere Forum in Mannheim, Germany; and visitor centers in other John Deere's facilities.
"The John Deere Waterloo Works is already a popular place for visitors to travel for plant tours,” Becker said. "We believe this new museum will be a welcome addition for all John Deere enthusiasts."
Dave Rodger, general manager, John Deere Waterloo Works, said, "The museum will celebrate not only the history of John Deere's tractor and engine business but also the invaluable contribution of employees, customers, and the Cedar Valley. Tractors and engines are an important part of John Deere's 173-year history and Deere is looking forward to sharing our story of quality and innovation."
The John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum will be located on Westfield Avenue on the original site of the Waterloo Tractor Works. Financial details of the development were not disclosed.
John Deere (Deere & Company - NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services for agriculture, forestry, construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping and irrigation. John Deere also provides financial services worldwide and manufactures and markets engines used in heavy equipment. Since it was founded in 1837, the company has extended its heritage of integrity, quality, commitment and innovation around the globe.
Summer Bash
The Grout Museum District, 503 South St., presents the first annual “Summer Bash: Science Circus” Thursday, July 29 through Saturday, July 31 at the RiverLoop Expo Plaza, downtown Waterloo.
Events will include a free festival with food vendors, games and activities for the whole family. Tickets will be sold to the “Science Circus” performances throughout the weekend.
Featured performer Rhys Thomas will amaze you as he uses circus tricks and stunts to teach fun scientific principles. Thomas juggles a bowling ball with a ping pong ball, spins 9 glass bowls, balances a rose on his nose and otherwise manipulates objects ranging from feathers and spoons to swords and Chinese yoyos while helping audiences appreciate the laws of physics, including gyroscopic stability, gravity, and inertia.
"Most kids who come to my shows have never considered things like centripetal force and rotation around center of mass," says Thomas. "But after they see how I rely on those principals to pull off circus tricks, they walk away with a concrete understanding of Physics. My goal is to provide an entertaining show that demonstrates how the basic concepts of Newtonian physics make circus arts possible.” Audiences leave wondering if that was a scientist or just a juggler dressed up like a scientist to teach us about Physics.
Thomas is a former middle school teacher who has performed his unusual "Science Circus" show across North America for over 20 years. Tours have taken him by dog sled to St. Lawrence Island, Alaska to entertain Siberian Yupik audiences and by subway to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. to teach inner city youth. He has appeared on worldwide television and before countless audiences at museums, schools, and corporate events from Trinidad to Singapore.
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, July 29 @ 2:00, 4:00 & 6:00pm
Friday, July 30 @ 2:00, 4:00 & 6:00pm
Saturday, July 31 @ 11:00am, 1:00 & 4:00pm
Performance Tickets: Non-members $15, Members $10
• Includes admission to Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum & Grout Museum of History & Science. All Russell House Museum and Bluedorn Science Imaginarium activities will be at the RiverLoop Expo.
• Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling Anna at 319-234-6357
• Tickets will also be available at the Expo Plaza the day of the event.
Extended Museum Hours: Thursday & Friday 9am – 8pm, Saturday 9am – 6pm
Expo Hours: Thursday & Friday 10am – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm
For more information call (319) 234-6357 or visit our website at www.GroutMuseumDistrict.org.
For images of the performer please visit his website: http://web.me.com/jugglemania/Science_Circus/Photos.html
