Sign up now to become a RAGBRAI vendor in July

By Shelia Tomkins
Vendors are being lined up now to offer food or other items to visitors taking part in the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) when it comes to Guttenberg in July. 
The local RAGBRAI committee has announced two deadlines for vendor applications: 
•March 21 if you plan to pre-sell items on the Guttenberg RAGBRAI website. Showers, food and other items for July 18-19 can be sold via this method.
•June 1 if you plan to sell food or other items in person on July 26.
Churches, civic groups, organizations and local establishments are encouraged to participate by serving food on either or both of the two RAGBRAI weekends in Guttenberg.
The weekend of July 18-19 (parking weekend) will see a need for Friday evening meals, Saturday morning breakfast and box lunches. Vendors, offerings, locations and hours will be included on the Guttenberg RAGBRAI website. 
On July 26 (arrival day) vendors offering both food and non-food items will be set up in the south park area. Approved vendors will be advertised on the local website and marked on a town map that will be delivered to Oelwein the night prior.
The committee will make a distinction between official and non-official vendors. Official vendors will receive a poster, ­ and state RAGBRAI officials encourage riders to patronize them. Vendors set their own prices. Non-official vendors will be shut down. 
Note that if a business has a presence in town and plans to serve its normal fare at the business site, they do not pay a vendor fee. 
Also, if a business decides to offer food, and they don't normally do so, they will be required to pay a vendor fee and follow vendor requirements.
Vendors must furnish tax information, a copy of  their existing or temporary food service license  and proof of liability insurance. 
Fees are based on whether the applicant is local or non-local, for- profit or non-profit, and whether or not the site has electricity.
To apply to become an official vendor, or for further information, contact Sandy Dean by email at [email protected]. 
An application is available by visiting the website www.guttenbergragbrai.com and clicking on the forms link.