IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Law enforcement in Johnson County is preparing for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend as multiple major events converge on the area simultaneously.

The Savannah Bananas are playing to a sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd Friday and Saturday. A Big and Rich free concert is scheduled in Coralville Friday night. Downtown Iowa City will host Jazz Fest all weekend.

Residents prepare for the crowds

In University Heights — a small city nestled inside Iowa City — resident Maria Scott said she and her husband moved to the corner of Koser and Sunset eight years ago for the quiet.

“Thought it would be a place to land and raise our family,” Scott said.

During Hawkeye home football games, Scott said, that quiet corner becomes a high-demand parking spot. The family uses their lawn as a parking lot.

“I think we park 35 cars just on this property,” Scott said.

This weekend, the Scott family is preparing for two nights of full capacity on their property.

Police plan for game-day-level crowds

The University Heights Police Department is also preparing. University of Iowa Public Safety posted a message to social media listing the weekend’s events and asking the public to be patient.

University Heights Police Chief Chris Akers said the volume of activity is not typical.

“Is this normal to have this much going on during a holiday weekend? Absolutely not,” Akers said.

Akers said officers will assist with traffic and crowd control and will also work inside the stadium. He said the department plans to treat the weekend like a game day, with tens of thousands of people in the area over two days.

“When you come in to Iowa City, you come in to Coralville, you come in to University Heights, you come to the University of Iowa — be patient,” Akers said. “Realize that after that game, the stadium holds about 70,000 people and everybody wants to get home.”

Scott said community participation helps make weekends like this work.

“Our kids love it,” Scott said. “They always ask, ‘When do the tailgaters come back?’”

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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I first told you two weeks ago about the Love Lot at 3306 Main St., in Kansas City, Missouri.

Some of the food trucks there are still capitalizing on World Cup traffic as others move in to capture new business for their trucks.

Tameisha Martin, the owner of Love Is Key, has been welcoming vendors to the space.

“We’re calling it the Love Lot,” Martin said on June 10. “Come show these different food trucks some love.”

With month-to-month agreements in place, there are already some new trucks on the lot.

One of them is Pancake Dreams, a brand founded in Kansas City, Kansas, by Julia Abuoun and her 10-year-old daughter, Amirah.

The two created the concept about two years ago, and Monday was their first day at the Love Lot.

Abuoun spent more than 20 years in the restaurant industry before launching the food truck.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

“Pancake Dreams was created based on love and family,” Abuoun said.

She said the goal was to stand out from traditional breakfast spots.

“We wanted to create something that was different than the mundane, regular breakfast restaurants, so that’s where we came up with Pancake Dreams,” Abuoun said.

The FIFA World Cup 26 in Kansas City made the Love Lot feel like the right fit.

“I was like ‘that’s the perfect fit for Pancake Dreams’ because you know the Love Lot, Pancake Dreams with the World Cup in town everybody with all the excitement going on, and we’re right here by the trolley stop, so hopefully that will get us some exposure,” Abuoun said.

Abuoun said the timing was intentional.

“Kansas City’s got a lot of excitement going on right now, so we wanted to get in on that excitement out there and get our name out there while we were up in with the World Cup and everything that’s going on,” Abuoun said.

The transition from a traditional restaurant building to a food truck has come with adjustments, especially the extreme heat their opening week.

“I’m used to being in a restaurant that has four walls and an air conditioner, so this is something new that we’re learning, but I mean hey, it is what it is and if you love what you do, then it doesn’t really affect you,” Abuoun said.

In addition to the Love Lot, Abuoun says Pancake Dreams is rolling out pancake batter this week at World Fresh Market at West 103rd Street and Metcalf Avenue.

The Abuouns hope to open a brick-and-mortar location in 2027.

Amirah handled the truck’s design, which features cherry blossoms.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

She said one of the brand’s messages reflects the spirit behind it.

“One of these messages is, ‘A Dream in Every Bite,”’ Amirah said.

For Amirah, the venture means more than just business.

“Beauty, and it means memories, and these will always be memories to me and my mom,” Amirah said.

She also shared what she hopes visitors take away from the experience.

“I’m hoping that they can really see that we worked hard on this and that they enjoy,” Amirah said.

Pancake Dreams is not the only truck cooking up dreams at the Love Lot.

Jims Desauguste, the founder of Creole KC, is also set up on the lot.

It is the truck’s second week there.

Desauguste, who is from Haiti, said he asked about a spot after driving by the lot and seeing the trucks there.

Rachel Henderson/KSHB 41

“I’ve been dreaming about it, and then the opportunity came, and we just make that happen,” Desauguste said. “Cooking is my passion. I love cooking, I love doing it and just giving back to the community the Haiti cuisine flavor.”

I met Desauguste a week ago at his restaurant, Black Garlic, where he shared his disappointment over the lack of World Cup traffic there.

That prompted him to remove the 18% gratuity he charged during the World Cup.

“It did not happen for us very well,” Desauguste said on Tuesday.

His new truck has since seen its fair share of traffic, especially on weekends.

Creole KC is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. — or later, depending on the crowd.

Desauguste said he is also looking forward to more events, including the Reggae Fest.

While the World Cup brought energy to the lot, Desauguste said his long-term focus is closer to home.

“Definitely, we’re going to get some more business after the World Cup,” Desauguste said. “We’re not banking on that, no. But I’m banking on local Kansas Citians.”

His truck’s bright exterior is hard to miss.

“Right on the Main Street, you can see the bright-colored truck,” Desauguste said.

Martin says the list of trucks may change in July with the month-to-month agreements, but that the list should be updated by July at loveiskeykc.com.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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