We had a visit from the Pre-Ride crew on Thursday afternoon and got some pointers from committee members and long experienced riders. A list of all vendors, activities and entertainment will be on the official RAGBRAI website (www.ragbrai.com) that the riders and their support vehicles follow – they will know where everything in Vinton is happening – downtown.  
We were told that the vast majority of riders will only want to stop one time in a community. Knowing downtown is the place to be, and that a majority of vendors will be located downtown means they will be stopping there. It will be a one stop shop for food, drink, entertainment, shade and restrooms. TJ (the RAGBRAI Director) also said that those who choose to set up a booth away from the downtown area may get some business – but the vast majority will stop in downtown Vinton. That is where the fun will be – they know the entertainment will take place on the Courthouse lawn, the beer garden will be located near the Ron-Da-Voo, and the restrooms and food/drink vendors will be in a 4 block area around the courthouse.
A few tips from TJ for those who are looking to have a booth at RAGBRAI:
1.   Riders often look for non-profit organizations that are trying to raise money for their organization or a specific goal. So, use signage and let people know what you are raising money for.  Maybe even leave a jar for people to throw money in for donations.
2.  Vendors should keep what they are selling simple. He offered a tip for downtown businesses who have the opportunity to get some extra traffic that day as well – offer to ship items for the riders – they will want to buy but cannot carry items on their bike, so grab some of the flat fee shipping boxes from the Post Office and charge riders $5 (or whatever the flat fee is) for the shipping and they will be extremely happy. They can fill out the shipping label at your store and have it waiting for them when they get home!
3.     TJ also said that if a rider has to cross a lane of traffic to get to the booth or if it is not easily accessible they will skip it and head to where the action is.  They (the riders) want an easy stop – that is why we are emphasizing the importance of setting up downtown.  Once off their bikes, riders will spend time in town patronize those who are located nearby.
4.     The more variety that we have in one location, the better everyone will do!!!
We’re still getting a lot of questions from people and organizations who want to set-up outside of town or on private property located away from the downtown area. We will not say you can’t go that route, but our caution is based on the information we have been getting from TJ and other experienced RAGBRAI riders. Our goal is to help all of our local organizations succeed so if you have further questions or need clarification about anything, don’t hesitate to let us know!
--Vinton RAGBRAI Vendor Committee - Nathan Hesson & Matt Salger