Coralville Gives New Name to First Avenue, to Stage Annual Celebration

March 3, 2009

CORALVILLE and IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), The University of Iowa, and the City of Coralville in cooperation with the Iowa City/Coralville Area Hospitality Association are pleased to announce a proclamation and new festival honoring longtime UI football coach Hayden Fry.

Hayden Fry Way
The City of Coralville will issue a proclamation at its March 10, 2009 meeting co-naming First Avenue between Interstate 80 and U.S Highway 6 in Coralville as Hayden Fry Way. This ceremonial addition will have no impact on business addresses for First Avenue in Coralville.

Hayden Fry Way/First Avenue is the most heavily-traveled stretch of road in Johnson County and serves as the gateway for fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes making their way to historic Kinnick Stadium on game days. It is also the stretch of road Hayden took to his office on the UI campus every day for his 20 years as the head coach of the Hawkeyes.

Hayden Fry Way will be unveiled publicly at a special ceremony with Coach Fry on Sept. 4, 2009 at 10 a.m. Fry recently celebrated his 80th birthday and 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of his retirement as Iowa’s winningest football coach. He is a member of numerous halls of fame including the UI Athletics Hall of Fame and Museum located immediately west of Finkbine Golf Course at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Mormon Trek Boulevard.

FRY FEST 2009
FRY FEST 2009 will be a new, annual, weekend festival in celebration of the Hawkeyes. The festival will be named in honor of Coach Hayden Fry; be coordinated with unveiling of Hayden Fry Way/First Avenue signage; and will occur, annually, on the Friday before each first Iowa home football game. This year, FRY FEST will take place on Sept. 4 and will be built around to events:

World’s Largest Hawkeye Tradeshow & Tailgate Party
The 30,000 sq ft exhibition hall of the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center will be transformed into a Hawkeye showcase. Booths will be reserved for Hawkeye retailers, licensees, and other related groups. E.g., the Varsity Club will have a booth and fans will be able to meet the 2009 Hall of Fame class. Fans and attendees will be able to meet & greet a host of former and current student athlete, coaches, and media personalities. This event, along with attendance to the Hayden Fry Way ceremony will be free and open to the public.

Pep Rally , Concert
On the evening of September 4th, the Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB and Coralville 4th Fest Committee will host a pep rally and major concert just north of the Coralville Marriott in the Iowa River Landing. This event will be a ticketed event with an expected per ticket cost not to exceed $10.

The City of Coralville will offer, free, overnight parking in the Iowa River Landing on the nights of Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th. More details on this and any/all other activities will be available in the coming weeks at FRYFEST.com or by calling the Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB at (800) 283-6592.