EMERSON — For Brian Clarke, waterslides are a must-do on RAGBRAI.

“You should always do the slip and slides whenever you see one,” said the 35-year-old Iowa City cyclist who is riding in his sixth RAGBRAI this year. Clarke, who stood akimbo feet away from the inflatable palm tree waterslide, was drenched, trying to catch his breath from running at top speed and flinging his body on the slide where he was met by the rush of swashing water.

Like many others participating in the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, Clarke spoke about community as the reason why he comes back year after year.

“RAGBRAI is just too fun,” said Clarke, flashing a cheeky smile as he watched his friends from a distance take their turn on the waterslide posted on a patchy green lawn near the entrance to Emerson, the last pass-through town on Day 1. “It’s such a great Iowa experience, and you meet great people from all walks of life and from all over the country. It’s a great way to bring everybody together.”

Further down, 76-year-old Gene Hassman was under a tent with his family serving cyclists with another way to cool down from the summer heat. “Our Grandkids Ice Cream Stand” set up shop for the second year in a row for RAGBRAI 2024.

It all started when Gene Hassman’s grandkids wanted to set up a lemonade stand for the cyclists on last year’s historic 50th anniversary ride. But he had a bigger idea in mind.

“Last year, the grandkids asked me what I thought about them selling lemonade as the RAGBRAI went through Ankeny … and I said, ‘Well, how about if we do all of RAGBRAI across the whole state?’ and we did it all the way across state,” Hassman said. 

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It’s now the second year the family has come together to serve up root beer floats, ice cream sundaes and brownie sundaes. On Wednesday, they will start selling a variety of pies including apple, cherry, triple berry and, an Iowa favorite, strawberry rhubarb.

The grandparents, based in Cedar Rapids, and the rest of the family, based in Ankeny, are scooping up and serving ice cream all across the route.

Tuesday: Atlantic

Wednesday: Lacona

Thursday: Chillicothe

Friday: Wayland

Saturday: Kingston

It takes weeks of preparation to get ready for the statewide ice cream scooping.

“It’s a little bit stressful getting ready, making sure you got everything,” he said. “But once we’re out here and going, it just seems to go smoothly… We’re all enjoying it.”

“It’s very rewarding,” his daughter Kristin Prenderghast interjected. “It’s teaching the kids good entrepreneurial skills, how to give quality products, how to give good service, how to get repeat customers… And it’s fun for them!”

The grandkids, Cole, 15, and 12-year-old twins Chase and Emma, are excited to serve the cyclists.

“It’s a really fun, new experience,” Cole Prenderghast said. “It’s fun meeting so many new people and have so many great interactions with everybody.”

Just steps away from ice cream sundaes was a different frozen treat: pickle-‘sicles’.

Jessa Bears, 38, of Farragut, and Michelle Bacher, 26, of Sydney, were selling $2 popsicles made with pickle juice and a pickle to raise funds for Local Iowa Food Empowerment 5b, a nonprofit in southwestern Iowa that, with funds through the federal Local Food Purchasing Assistance program, purchases produce from local farmers to give to Iowans in need.

Bears told the Des Moines Register that the funding her nonprofit relies on expires next year, and their appearance in Emerson was an effort to help sustain their program.

“It’s been very popular in the area,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of producers in Iowa, and unfortunately, we have a lot of people in need.”

As Bears and Bacher wrapped up the interview with the Register, a passerby handed them $20 and told Bears to give away 10 free treats to anyone who wanted one.

Bears did.

Bears, who rocked a cardboard cut-out tank promoting the popsicles, stood in the middle of the crowded street, drawing attention to the treats, which she yelled out was “courtesy” of a kind donor.

Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@dmreg.com.

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her atftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter@writefelissa.