Car enthusiasts invited downtown for ‘Return to Iola Day’

IOLA – Car enthusiasts will gather in Iola Sept. 5 for “Return to Iola Day,” a community demonstration aimed at driving local business activity and economic support.

Unlike the massive Iola Car Show held each July, this informal fall rally is structured as a casual, drop-in event designed to reconnect visitors with local merchants during a quieter time of year.

Iola Car Show Executive Director Joe Opperman said that the event is intended to help spur and support business activity in the community.

“Iola once had a major thriving business in Krause Publications and has seen a great decline in jobs over the last few decades,” Opperman said. “We want to help support the community and hope we can do that by encouraging the car show audience to return to Iola and show support for our great local businesses.”

Opperman said the annual Iola Car Show has a significant economic impact on the region. A past economic impact study estimated that the event generates about $30 million in economic activity across Waupaca County and six neighboring counties each July.

“We hope this invitation will demonstrate the power and importance of the car community for the local economy at other times of the year, as well,” he said.

The Return to Iola event has no admission fee and no formal pre-registration requirements.

“We are encouraging businesses to offer classic car related specials, and we’ll be announcing some exciting free prize opportunities leading up to the event,” Opperman said. “If the event is successful, we anticipate lots of growth opportunity in the future.”

Participants are encouraged to bring collector cars, hot rods, muscle cars, trucks, or attend as spectators. Rather than designated staging lots, Opperman said they expect the vehicles to fill Main Street, Chet Krause Park and other downtown areas.

“We’d especially love to see downtown Iola filled with collector cars,” the organizers wrote in the Facebook event listing. “We’ll be taking photos throughout the day to capture what happens when this community rallies around the town that has welcomed car enthusiasts for more than 50 years.”

The day’s schedule includes three suggested stops. From 8 to 10 a.m., attendees can start the day with coffee and conversation at Iola Coffee Co. with local representative Ali Johnson, known as “Ali from Iola,” along with members of the Iola Car Show team. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., lunch will be served inside the historic Iola Mills, featuring pizza, paninis and gelato. The day will conclude with an evening gathering at the Rustic Grill at Glacier Wood overlooking the golf course.