FRY Fest 2013: Hayden Fry Meets Dan Gable Meets RAGBRAI: Iowans Meet Bliss

FRY fest started as a tribute to Iowa's retired longtime football coach, Hayden Fry, and as a pep rally to kick off the Hawkeyes season.

This year, the fifth, organizers added to other things Iowans love - wrestling and cycling, they said during an announcement today, which also happens to be coach Fry's 84th birthday.

"He's still the name sake of the festival," said organizer Josh Schamberger, of the Iowa City-Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Coach Fry, if he's in good health, will be out and about as with every year, and fans come up and shake his hand or get his autograph."

FRY fest will kick off on "Fryday" Aug. 30 and run through the weekend. The Hawkeyes open the season on Aug. 31 against Northern Illinois.

The event will offer the usual giant tailgate pep rally and Hawkeye Tradeshow, but this year will also have an organized bike ride in partnership with RAGBRAI and named after legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable. That's on Sunday, Sept. 1.

The so called gran Gable (it's take on gran fondo, which is an annual organized group bike ride with various distance options) will have route options ranging from 25 to 100 miles. Those that make it 100 miles will receive a replica of Gable's 1972 Olympic Gold Medal set in a bike spoke, Schamberger said.

Money raised will support Iowa Bicycle Coalition and Hawkeye Wrestling.

RAGBRAI is helping put on the event, which is the first time they've ventured beyond the once annual week-long Iowa bike ride. It's a chance to do something in the community that provides medical staff each year on RAGBRAI, Schamberger said.

FRYfest 2013 will also offer a chance to celebrate several milestones:

• 125th anniversary of Hawkeye Football
• 75th anniversary of the Ironmen Hawkeyes football team
• 75th anniversary of the I-Club
• 25th anniversary of the University of Iowa Athletics Department’s Hall of Fame.

And, Schamberger said it will kick off the 10-year anniversary re-do of Herky on Parade, a fundraiser that brought in $125,000 through 90 themed Herky statues, several of which are still around the community.

Musical acts will be announced once those details are finalized.

MidWestOne, which has a financial blog on Patch, is the presenting sponsor.