WALCOTT, Iowa – The 45th anniversary Walcott Truckers Jamboree brought in more than 53,000 people, according to event organizers.
The celebration, held July 11-13 at the Iowa 80 Truckstop, located at Interstate 80, Exit 284, was a celebration of almost all things in the trucking world. The jamboree included live concerts, more than 150 exhibits, a Super Truck Beauty Contest, an antique truck display, an Iowa pork chop cookout, and more.
An estimated 53,453 people, including drivers, their families, and local residents were in attendance during the event. Visitors came from all over the United States and Canada, including two Canadian provinces and states as far away as Arizona, South Carolina, Texas and California, organizers said.
Delia Moon Meier, senior vice president and second-generation owner of the Iowa 80 Truckstop, recalled how the Jamboree started back “during deregulation, so there were almost no new trucks on the road. If a new truck drove by or pulled up to the fuel islands, everyone would run outside and look at it. My dad got with the local truck dealers and asked them to bring some new trucks out to display during our appreciation event.”
“My dad had some antique trucks and his friends had some antique trucks, so they showed them off. It was unique. We had new trucks and antique trucks and Iowa pork chops. And that’s how the event started,” she said in a news release this week.
This year’s jamboree came as the truckstop is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
She credits the staff at the Iowa 80 Truckstop and Iowa 80 Kitchen for the success of the event, and thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication to making the event fun for everyone.
Next year’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree will be held July 10-12. Go here for more information on that celebration.
