Eagle Grove Summerfest 2020 gearing up to be biggest yet

Eagle Grove - get ready to be taken by storm this summer. The Eagle Grove Area Chamber of Commerce just announced that The Pork Tornadoes will be performing on the James R. Johnson Stage at the Wright County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 20, in conjunction with Summerfest 2020.

Eagle Grove Chamber Executive Director Sara Middleton said “We knew we would have to relocate Summerfest 2020 because of all the improvements planned for the downtown streetscape and buildings during that time period, and we knew we wanted a great stage (for them to perform on)because The Pork Tornadoes are a big deal in Iowa and around the Midwest. The Wright County Fair Grounds has the best outdoor stage in the county and plenty of space. It was the ideal choice.”

In order to accomplish a big goal of getting a big-name band to play in Eagle Grove, the Chamber set out to partner with the Wright County Fair Board in order to be able to hold the concert on the James R. Johnson stage. As Middleton noted, the fairgrounds have historically been an alcohol-free zone due to the Wright County District Junior Fair’s focus on our youth. As a result, the Chamber was unsure about the likelihood of being able to sell alcohol during the Summerfest concert, which she admitted could “potentially impact attendance.”

“We decided we’d never know about making the exception of allowing alcohol for Summerfest unless we asked. We have a great relationship with the Wright County Fair Board, so we went for it,” explained Middleton.

Conversations commenced and lasted for several months as the two groups talked about what would need to be done to satisfy both parties happy with agreement and create a fun, safe, and beneficial event for all involved. To the excitement of both groups, an agreement to let alcohol be served (during the dance) was reached in late 2019 so Summerfest 2020 plans could proceed.

Wright County Fair Manager Tricia Rosendahl stated, “We are excited to be working with the Eagle Grove Chamber on this new adventure! Together we can make this a great event for Eagle Grove.”

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