WALCOTT, Iowa — An estimated 53,453 people — including truck drivers, their families, area residents and travelers — stopped by the Iowa 80 Truckstop during the 45th anniversary Walcott Truckers Jamboree, held Thursday-Saturday, July 11-13. According to the Iowa 80 group, this year’s attendees came from across the U.S. and Canada.
Created by Iowa 80 founder Bill Moon to celebrate the vital role trucking and truck drivers play throughout North America, the event features the Super Truck Beauty Contest, along with live concerts, an antique truck display, more than 150 exhibits and vendors, fireworks, the Trucker Olympics, a pork chop cookout and much more.
Delia Moon Meier, senior vice president of the Iowa 80 Group and second-generation owner of the truck stop, says the event has steadily grown over the decades. The first Jamboree was held in 1979, during the deregulation of the nation’s trucking industry.
“There were almost no new trucks on the road. If a new truck drove by or pulled up to the fuel islands, everyone would run outside and look at it,” she recalled.
“My dad (founder Bill Moon) got with the local truck dealers and asked them to bring some new trucks out to display during our appreciation event,” she continued. “My dad had some antique trucks — and his friends had some antique trucks — so they showed them off. It was unique! We had new trucks and antique trucks and Iowa pork chops. And that’s how the event started.”
She credits the staff at the Iowa 80 Truckstop and Iowa 80 Kitchen for the success of the Jamboree and extends a special word of thanks to everyone for their hard work and dedication to making the event fun for everyone.
Both Thursday and Friday evenings were capped off with live concerts followed by a truck light show and fireworks display. Thursday’s performers were Royale Lynn and Matt Stell, and Friday’s musical guests were Shane Profitt, followed by headliner BlackHawk. On Saturday afternoon, attendees jammed to the soulful voice of Dani Lynn Howe.
During this year’s event, the Iowa 80 team and Jamboree attendees celebrated another milestone — the 60th birthday of the Iowa 80 Truckstop itself, which first opened its doors to truckers and other travelers back in 1964. On Friday afternoon, the Iowa 80 team and Jamboree guests celebrated with a cake from Charm City Cakes, based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Check out a gallery of photos from the 2024 Jamboree below. The next Walcott Truckers Jamboree is scheduled for July 10-12, 2025. Mark your calendars!
Check back to see winners of this year’s Super Truck Beauty Contest, Trucker’s Best Friend Pet Contest and Trucker Olympics.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.
