No better way to showcase Winneshiek County than through RAGBRAI and Nordic Fest

Winneshiek County Convention & Visitors Bureau director Charlene Selbee says RAGBRAI and Nordic Fest were a smashing success for Winneshiek County. Her exact words: "We couldn't have asked for anything better."

Selbee is overwhelmingly appreciative of the time and energy so many people took to help plan, organize, and facilitate the two big events. "We had great committees and lots of help from so many people. It was exciting to have such stong support."

Selbee says from a tourism perspective, it's important to make sure visitors have a positive experience when they visit a community, so they'll want to come back and keep coming back. That was certainly the case with all of the people RAGBRAI brought into the county. "I heard people saying 'We'll definitely be back' all day long," says Selbee. "Decorah, Ossian, and Castalia all went above and beyond to showcase their communities and provide excellent customer service to those passing through. Each community had something different which allowed them to really show their own personality."

Next up for showcasing the merits of Winneshiek County? The Iowa State Fair. The Visitor's Bureau has a booth at the State Fair staffed by local volunteers. Selbee says, "We are fortunate to have a large number of longtime volunteers who really enjoy being at the fair. We have so many people willing to help we have actually had a waiting list since May."