News : Boomtown 2021: Back on Track, August 28

The Train Wreck created in a prior Boomtown show will be the highlight at this years event

It's full steam ahead for Boomtown 2021 after plans for the 2020 event were derailed due to the global pandemic.

Vinton Unlimited, in alliance with the Iowa Pyrotechnic Association (IPA), and presenting sponsor Farmers Savings Bank & Trust, will welcome thousands of visitors to Vinton on Saturday, August 28.

After the train wreck we know as 2020, it seems fitting to get Back on Track with the most talked about feature of Boomtown: The Pyro Train Wreck.

Dating as far back as 1896, and several other times until 1932, the Iowa State Fair would smack a couple of locomotives head-on into each other at about 50 miles per hour. The result was quite a show for more than 45,000 spectators. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yHsuFaDBYE)

Boomtown re-enacts the historical train wreck with smoke, fire, and one spectacular 'collision' of fireworks down the backstretch of the Benton County Speedway. The best views are always from the grandstands of the Benton County Fairgrounds. A video of a previous pyro train wreck can be seen on the Boomtown home page at www.vintonboomtown.com.

The day will start with Boom-Fest at 9 am. Arts, Crafts & food vendors will fill the downtown streets, and local businesses will be open with Boom-Fest specials throughout the day. Free pedal cart rides will be set up on a track near the courthouse. The Kiwanis Club will be having a 5K race that starts and ends in downtown Vinton. Civil War reenactors hosted by the Benton County Historical Society will be camped at the historic train depot as well as offering demonstrations downtown.

Gates at the fairgrounds will open for parking at 4 pm with the popular band Slap 'n' Tickle taking stage near the beer tent at 6 pm. Parking is $10 per vehicle, with free lawn seating available. Grandstand seating is $10 per person for all ages. If you have a group of 10 people or more, reserved seating is available.

Opening ceremonies will start at dusk, featuring the best pyrotechnic displays in the Midwest, including the famous 'train wreck'. After the grand public display, Slap 'n' Tickle returns for an encore performance to rock the night away as we put the train wreck of 2020 to bed.

A pre-Boomtown party will also take place on Friday night at the fairgrounds beer tent, with local talent "Cedar River Rockers" taking the stage, brought to you in part by Smoken' on the Cedar. Parking and admission are free on Friday evening.

Boomtown came to life in 2007, when Iowa Pyrotechnic Association (IPA) President, Chuck Yedlik, presented the idea of a fireworks celebration to Vinton Unlimited. The IPA had been having an annual meeting that was outgrowing its space. Turning the private meeting into a public event seemed like the next logical step. A small group of volunteers gathered to discuss the idea, and Boomtown was born. Boom-Fest started just a few years later to compliment the evening activities and give visitors more of a chance to see what Vinton has to offer.

More information will be released as the event nears on the Boomtown Facebook page and at www.vintonboomtown.com.