Iola Car Show awarded Tourism Development grant through Waupaca Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Iola, WI - Spring 2021 - The non-profit Iola Old Car Show, Inc. has been awarded the Waupaca Area Convention & Visitor Bureau Tourism Development grant. This grant was awarded for a “Capital Improvement/Building Project/Tourism Infrastructure” for the Iola Car Show’s “Tundraland Stage”; a 30ft. by 40ft covered stage centrally located on the Iola Car Show grounds. It will become a focal point for music, presentations, interviews, contests and more during the July 8th – 10th event! The WACVB approved and awarded the Iola Car Show grant in the amount of $15,000, helping to cover the remaining expenses of the project.

Positive Community Economic Impact

Even though Iola, WI is just a small town in Waupaca County, the Iola Car Show fills hotels in several surrounding areas! More than 100,000 people flock to Iola to view the Car Show and Swap Meet, with music and entertainment as part of the spectacle. This stage will encourage attendance during the show, but will also invite other events during the off-season, thus filling more rooms in Waupaca and the neighboring areas. Restaurants are full, small businesses are visited and new memories are made – all within Waupaca County!

The Rally for Iola is scheduled for September 18th, 2021 and will utilize the stage for musical entertainment and presentations! This event was created out of the cancellation of Iola ‘20 and brought in over 1,000 cars for a cruise around Waupaca County. Many people stayed in the area for this one-day event and are planning to for the entire weekend this year.

Additional Sponsors

This stage was made possible in part by Tundraland of Green Bay, Alchemy Concrete of Nelsonville, Structures Unlimited of Marshfield and the WACVB. To further offset costs, the Car Show’s in-house grounds crew and volunteers have provided much of the labor and expertise needed. The $15,000 provided by the Tourism Grant will be applied directly to the cost of the project for supplies and labor. The stage is expected to serve Iola and surrounding communities for decades to come.