Come Thursday, a spot along I-80 in Iowa northwest of Davenport and well east of Iowa City becomes the center of the trucking universe for three days.
That’s when the I80 Truck Stop, which already calls itself the largest such place in the world, swells by 45,000 people attending the annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree.
There’ll be plenty of winners at the Truckers Jamboree.This is the 39th jamboree, and it will be one part truck show, one part music festival, one part family reunion and one part carnival. But, at its heart, the jamboree remains a celebration of the American truck driver.
Be sure to stop by the Truckers News booth (Booths 67 & 68) and say hello during the jamboree.
Here are the seven most important things to know about the Walcott Truckers Jamboree:
- It’s All About The Trucks. If you drive or like big trucks, then Walcott is the place to be for the next several days. The jamboree holds its annual Super Truck Beauty Pageant and has an antique truck show as well as its own collection of vintage vehicles on display. And, when darkness falls over Walcott, the annual Truck Lights at Night Show begins. Awards are given for all three events. Full Schedule of Events
- Feel Free to Sing Along, Dance or Just Tap Your Toes. While they won’t outnumber truckers at the jamboree, there will be a large group of country musicians at Walcott. In fact, there is live music every day on the jamboree’s main stage:
- Thursday: Deliverance Band at 12:30 p.m. ; North of 40 at 5:30 p.m. and Natalie Stovall and The Drive at 7 p.m.
- Friday: Lindsay Lawler at 5:30 p.m. and the Josh Abbot Band presented by Mobil Delvac at 7 p.m.
- Saturday: Dani Lynn Howe and her band at 1 p.m.
- You Won’t Go Hungry. The official unofficial slogan for the jamboree could well be, Yum!” One of the highlights of the three-day truck-fest is the Iowa Pork Chop Cookout. There will plenty of other food vendors to tempt you as well.
- Sing “Happy Birthday” Loudly. At 2:30 p.m. Friday (July 10) the highlight of the day will be a 100th birthday celebration for one of the grand old trucks in the I80 museum. That when they will celebrate the century mark of the 1915 Mack AB in their collection.
- Truckers Can Be Athletes Too. Being a truck driver is not as cushy a job as some may lead you to believe. It’s anything but. During the jamboree, male and female drivers will compete in the jamboree’s annul Trucker Olympics. Scheduled for Thursday and Friday at 12:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m., the Olympics include a variety of tests of skill, strength and agility. Events include everything from pulling a truck to a steering wheel ring toss.
- Practice Your “Ooooooo!” and “Ahhhhhhhhh!” While Looking Overhead. Thursday and Friday night lights Walcott style happen in the sky. The day’s events close with a large fireworks display.
- It’ll go easy on your family’s pocketbook. Admission is free and so is the parking. Gates open at 10 a.m. each.
Keep track of everything happening at Walcott by searching #WalcottJamboree on all social media.
Again, Truckers News will be at the Jamboree in booths 67 and 68 so stop by and say hello.
