Hay Days to include tractor pull this year

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times

At its March 19 regular meeting, the Monona Council approved the closure of Egbert Street on Saturday, June 9, for a tractor pull, a new event at this year’s Hay Days celebration.

“We wanted something additional for Hay Days to create more traffic and bring extra people in,” said Jim Moritz, from FreedomBank, who discussed the idea with the council.

Moritz said several locations were considered for the tractor pull, but Egbert Street, in front of the community center, would work best due to its length and proximity to other Hay Days activities.

The tractor pull, he noted, will be “pretty small scale,” with four to five classes. 

“Nothing with any high power,” he said. “There should not be any damage to the street. The sled is designed for a street pull.”

Moritz said FreedomBank has agreed to sponsor and cover the cost of the tractor pull. Proceeds will go toward Monona Chamber and Economic Development.

In addition to the street closure for the tractor pull, the council also approved street closures for the other Hay Days activities. Like last year, Main Street will be closed from Iowa to North, while Center Street will be closed from Page to Egbert. 

This year’s Hay Days will be held a week earlier than previous years, on Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, so as not to compete with other area events.

Street banners discussed

The council approved a resolution authorizing fund raising for new decorative street light banners. The new streets, rather than being fabric, would be made from painted steel.

“They won’t flap around in the wind and stretch,” said city administrator Dan Canton. “It’s much cheaper than replacing fabric banners every few years.”

The council hopes some of the tech ed students at the high school will be able to create the “banners” using a plasma cutter.