Pork Belly Update-Optional Meals in Camp

But first - a few reminders!

Account Balances

Just a friendly reminder that your account balances were due in full by May 15th. You may pay your balance via credit card by logging into your pkbelly.com account. If you'd like to save the credit card processing fees, you can mail us a check, but since they are past due please let us know if you'll be doing this. As of today, we will begin removing accounts with no payments beyond the deposit, so if you have an outstanding balance please help us out and write to us with your intentions at info@pkbelly.com. Thanks!

The Detail Form

The Detail Form collects some simple but important info that we need in order to better serve you! This is important, friends, and we appreciate you reading these instructions carefully and completing your form ASAP so we can make sure that shuttle assignments and meal options are properly accounted for. We asked to have these completed by June 15th - as shuttle assignments and catering information is being compiled it's a critical source of information. EVERYONE who uses any services of Pork Belly Ventures - even if it's only a shuttle - should complete at least some of the form. Depending on what services you are using, some questions may not apply, and that's fine. You can read more about the Detail Form, including complete instructions, here.

Cancellation Deadlines

We remind you of our Cancellation Policy and Refund Deadline, so that there's no misunderstanding. June 15th was the last day to cancel and get a 90% refund, for any reason, if you did not choose the cancellation protection. From here on out, we don't make any refunds, unless you took our cancellation protection when you initially registered. If so - then you have extended your 90% refund to Wednesday, July 15th at 10:00 PM CST. If you have our protection and cancel by email by 10:00 PM on July 15th, we will make a 90% refund by check (mailed to you after RAGBRAI). After July 15th at 10:00 PM, we're sorry, we cannot make any refunds in any instances.

If you need to cancel services: Please send us an email!

Simply write to us at info@pkbelly.com. If you're due a refund, you can include your mailing address in the text of the email. An email establishes the date of your cancellation. It makes it possible for us to look you up by name, or if the name is very common, we can look you up by email address. And it allows us to copy members of our team on the reply and keep everyone in the loop. We are scouting and traveling to other events between now and RAGBRAI, and we don't promise that we will receive voice messages. Email is the way to cancel some or all services on your registration.

Do not go into your registration form and remove all services, please. This complicates the process on our end, causing us to search for confirmation emails and reconstruct your registration to determine whether a refund is due and the amount. Simply write us an email, and we'll take it from there.

The scoop on evening meals in Pork Camp

For those on our Weeklong or Partial-Week Support, we include your supper in camp on Sunday in Harlan, on Wednesday in Marshalltown, and on Friday in Dyersville.

That leaves Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday's optional dinners in camp with Pork Belly Ventures, menus below.

Once again, we'll keep these dinners open for a spell, and then close them by July 5th, informing our caterers of the numbers.

Below, we offer you all the pertinent details of your day: the mileage, the climb, the live music on Pork Stage, our complete menus, and what accommodations can be made by our caterers for those with dietary restrictions. (Soon, we'll tell you about our included dinners. We want to save a little thunder for everyone's favorite update, Our Week in the Corn!)

This year, we are also including information about who is doing all-day food vending in camp, and also about how far away the host-town festivities are. Do remember that in smaller towns, getting a table at a restaurant is not very likely when RAGBRAI is in town. There will/could be long lines for local cafes, bars, etc. Church suppers are usually able to accommodate bigger numbers of people. If you leave camp for supper, you will probably be grazing the vendors in the downtown area--which can be great fun, too!

Dietary Restrictions

Because of the large numbers we are asking our caterers to provide, we are limited on what dietary accommodations can be provided. However, we do work with our hosts to provide a Gluten-Free option and a Vegetarian (not Vegan) option for the meals. This is your reminder that you will only be able to receive the GF or Vegetarian option if you have indicated this preference on your Detail Form by the time we close off sales of meals (July 5th). If you have a severe allergy, we ask that you reach out to us, but please know our caterers may not be able to accommodate.

Monday, July 20 in Guthrie Center

Guthrie County Fairgrounds

53.9 Miles and 3,554 feet of climb

On this short but hilly day, as you roll into Guthrie Center, the Fairgrounds will be one of the first sights you see! Guthrie Center is the smallest overnight town this year, with less than 1,600 residents.

In addition to hosting Pork Belly, there will also be a multitude of food vendors, live music in the afternoon, and a beer garden on the Fairgrounds right next to Pork Camp.

Monday Night's Optional Meal Menu

from the Guthrie County Fair Board

Served by the High School Seniors

from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Roasted Pork Loin

Green Beans

Pasta Salad (GF)

Dinner Roll

Dessert

Accommodations for dietary restrictions:

Meatless: Vegetarian Burger instead of Pork Loin

Gluten-Free: GF Dinner Roll

$17

Monday Night's Entertainment

Just after the entertainment in the Fairgrounds Grandstand is winding down, The Polka Police will be taking Pork Stage, from 6 PM - 8:30 PM.

This high-energy duo is somewhat of a cult classic from southwest Iowa. They can go from AC/DC to a classic polka into Led Zeppelin to the Chicken Dance then into some top 40 thing – all in the same song! They mesh musical and comedic talent together for a truly unique experience.

Monday's Vendors

The Lions Club and 4-H Groups will be vending out of their buildings located within Pork Camp, and there will also be a half dozen or more other food vendors located at the Fairgrounds! We will be located about 1/2 mile from downtown Guthrie Center.

Tuesday, July 21 in Boone

Grace Community Church

59.5 Miles and 1,503 feet of climb

This day should feel like a breeze after the hills from the first two days!

Our hosts at Grace Community Church are pulling out all the stops for us, with indoor sleeping, a wonderful dinner, plentiful dessert options, and parish members have even quilted a one-of-a-kind commemorative quilt that one lucky rider will be able to win with a fundraising raffle!

Tuesday Night's Optional Meal Menu

from Grace Community Church

served from 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Smoked Pulled Pork

Roll

Cheese Potatoes

Coleslaw

Green Salad

Fruit

Cookies

Accommodations for dietary restrictions:

Meatless: Entree alternative is Black Bean Burger

Gluten-Free: GF Roll

$17

Tuesday Night's Entertainment

In Boone, the amazingly versatile duo Weary Ramblers will be taking Pork Stage, from 5:30 PM - 8 PM.

Iowa Americana duo, Weary Ramblers, bring years of experience to the stage with award-winning songwriting and chemistry. Chad Elliott and Kathryn Fox showcase multi-instrumental performances with tight harmonies and great storytelling. You can even catch a preview of them on the main stage the night before in Guthrie Center!

Tuesday's Vendors

Boone Hy-Vee will be doing the primary vending at Pork Camp in Boone, as well as a Kettle Corn vendor and desserts by our hosts at Grace Community Church. We will be located about 1.5 miles from downtown Boone.

Thursday, July 23 in Independence

Indee Junior/Senior High School

81.4 Miles and 2,713 feet of climb

This is the long day, folks! Whether you pedal the whole route or take a break with the Early Finish Shuttle from Reinbeck, it will be good to know that you have a dinner waiting for you!

The Indee Schools are being great hosts and getting the students involved in helping with vending, meals, and indoor sleeping opportunities for us Porkers!

Thursday Night's Optional Meal Menu

from Indee Band Boosters

served from 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Spaghetti

Italian Sausage Sauce

Lettuce Salad

Breadstick or Garlic Toast

Cookie or Dessert Bar

Accommodations for dietary restrictions:

Meatless: Veggie Sauce

Gluten-Free: GF Noodles & GF Breadstick/Garlic Toast

$15

Thursday Night's Entertainment

In Independence, we welcome back David Zollo and the Body Electric to Pork Stage, from 6 PM - 8:30 PM.

If you were with us on RAGBRAI last year, you might remember this group from our stage in Estherville. Dave Zollo is known for his work as a sideman with such American roots-music luminaries as Todd Snider, Greg Brown, The Pines, and William Elliot Whitmore (to name a few) but also for his work as songwriter and frontman of Iowa's alt-country pioneers, High and Lonesome, and the solo records he made with his own band. Long known as an exuberant, passionate performer, Zollo mixes rock and roll, blues, soul, gospel and honkey-tonk, to create a unique sound all his own.

Thursday's Vendors

The Indee HS Mat Club will be vending a lot of great items for us...Smoothies, Fruit Cups, Maidrites, Pork Loin Sandwiches, Sweet Corn, and more! Their hospitality will be appreciated after a long day! We will be located about 1.75 miles from downtown Independence.

How to Reserve your Optional Suppers

Please note that the whole menu is not visible on the PBV Registration. We've abbreviated them:

• Monday Optl Supper, Roasted Pork Loin & Sides
• Tuesday Optl Supper, Smoked Pulled Pork & Sides
• Thursday Optl Supper, Spaghetti Dinner

The Vegetarian/Gluten Free options are not spelled out when you go to the registration page. Please refer to the menus listed above for those, and select the appropriate day. You MUST have completed your Detail Form with the appropriate Dietary Restriction to receive the alternative.

To select and pay for any of these optional suppers,

please LOGIN to your account at pkbelly.com,

click EDIT, scroll down to "Additional Services",

make your selections, and then make payment.

If you need help with your login credentials,

write to us: info@pkbelly.com.

Included Supper Menus will be published later with our "Week in the Corn"

We will save our menus for included suppers until we publish "Our Week in the Corn," but we DO want to mention that we will have both meatless and GF accommodations for each included meal, just to put the minds of these friends at ease! But...

HOW DOES PBV KNOW THAT YOU WANT THE MEATLESS OR THE GF VERSION OF ALL DINNERS IN CAMP?

IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR DETAIL FORM by the time we finalize our numbers with all caterers, YOUR NAME WILL APPEAR ON A LIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE REQUESTED and ARE ENTITLED TO MEATLESS OR GF ALTERNATIVES.

IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED YOUR DETAIL FORM by July 5th, the time we finalize our numbers with all caterers, PLEASE DON'T EXPECT ANY ALTERNATIVE ITEMS TO SUIT A DIETARY RESTRICTION FOR ANY MEALS, INCLUDED OR OPTIONAL.

Please note: while we offer Vegetarian and Gluten-Free options for food intolerance or preference, if you have a severe food allergy, we must presume that these foods have been prepared in a kitchen where cross-contamination is a possibility.

We'll be in touch when we have more news to share, friends!

Cheers, from all of us here at Pork Belly Ventures!