The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

FryFest jubilation home again

People+walk+around+booths+at+Fry+Fest+on+Friday%2C+Aug.+29%2C+2014.+This+year+is+the+sixth+annual+Fry+Fest+celebration.+%28The+Daily+Iowan%2FAlyssa+Hitchcock%29
The Daily Iowan
People walk around booths at Fry Fest on Friday, Aug. 29, 2014. This year is the sixth annual Fry Fest celebration. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock)

By Devyn Young
[email protected]

A sea of black and gold.

Iowa sports fans are familiar with this image while at football games, tailgating with friends, and cheering on the Hawkeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Fans who attend FryFest will be

treated to an early appearance of the black and gold waves.

FryFest will take placeĀ on Friday, beginning atĀ 9 a.m.Ā and ending with a concert starting atĀ 7 p.m.Ā The festivities will take in the Iowa River Landing in Coralville.Ā 

ā€œ[FryFest] is a celebration of all thatā€™s Hawkeye,ā€ said Allie Boenish, the director of special events for the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Vistors Bureau. ā€œWhen you walk in, the atmosphere is electric.ā€

Herky may dance among little kids, cheerleaders might start a boisterous chorus of the ā€œIowa Fight Song,ā€ shouts of ā€œGo Hawksā€ could ring from the rafters; the only guarantee is that itā€™ll be all Iowa, all day.

ā€œFryFest, to me, is a true sign that weā€™re in the realm of football season,ā€ said Laurie Haman, the vice president of the Convention and Vistors Bureau. ā€œItā€™s time to kick off, and get everyone excited, and celebrate everything that is Hawkeye.ā€

This gathering of passionate Iowa fans first took place in 2009. Looking for a way to mark the start of football season, the Convention and Vistors Bureau, the city of Coralville, and the Iowa Athletics Department came up with FryFest.

ā€œIt starts out with figuring out our partnerships, thinking about a theme, starting to think about a concert, and starting to book those concerts,ā€Ā Boenish said. ā€œWeā€™ll start planning 2016 event the week after FryFest is over.ā€

FryFest consist of a smorgasbord of activities throughout the day, including a bean-bag tournament, a farmersā€™ market, and the worldā€™s largest Hawkeye trade show.Ā 

Dale Arens, the program manager for the UI Karro Hall of Fame, helps put the show together.

ā€œThe trade show was a key vision as part of FryFest from its inception,ā€ Arens said. ā€œThe premise would be to create an environment that was everything Hawkeye.ā€

Ā Ā Ā Iowa fans have the opportunity to find anything they want decked out in black and gold, from T-shirts to pool tables to cozies.

ā€œI go to some trade shows early in the year,ā€ he said. ā€œIā€™m looking for new licensees, but I also meet with and work with existing licensees. While Iā€™m at the tradeshows, Iā€™ll hand out information for licensees and perspective licensees about FryFest and the unique opportunity it presents for them.ā€

That is just one component of the festival. One of the largest aspects is the musical performances.

The outdoor concert this year will star Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, inducted to the Rock ā€™nā€™ Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, as well as the Rumours, an all-female rock band from Iowa.Ā 

ā€œWeā€™re very thrilled to have to have this rock-and-roll-style concert,ā€ Haman said. ā€œWe think it will fit in well with our fans in Hawkeye Nation, and theyā€™ll enjoy this type of activity.ā€

Featured at FryFest this year will be the man who gave it its name, Hayden Fry, longtime Iowa football coach.

ā€œI think the coolest thing is when Coach Fry is able to join us,ā€ said Boenish, a 2011 graduate of the University of Iowa. ā€œTo see the love and connection that all of Hawkeye Nation has with him and for him. They really get excited to see him and honor him, and they love hearing from him each year.ā€

Arens is able to spend most of his day with Fry while at the event, as he is in charge of getting Fry where he needs to go throughout the day.

ā€œItā€™s certainly something that I really enjoy,ā€ Arens said. ā€œI feel honored and privileged to call Hayden a friend.ā€Ā 

Fry will receive a proclamation from Gov. Terry Branstad at this yearā€™s event.

ā€œItā€™s unique, and itā€™s an honor for Coach Hayden Fry,ā€ Haman said. ā€œItā€™s something that I think the fans of him will truly love to see.ā€Ā 

Another exciting aspect for this year is the revealing of six new Herky on Parade statues, all painted and decorated by local artists, as requested by fans.

ā€œThereā€™s no other university, to our knowledge, that has an event that is entirely dedicated to celebrating a university team,ā€ Boenish said. ā€œWe devote an entire day to celebrating all that this university is.ā€

FRYFEST
When:Ā 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.Ā Friday
Where: Iowa River Landing, Coralville
Admission: Mostly free, Concert $20

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