To: All Tractor Owners/Drivers Fm: Patrick Gottsch Re: Details for World s Record Parade of Classic Tractors Dear Friends, Thank you so much for choosing to be a part of RFD-TV/RURAL TV s attempt to break the Guiness World s Record for a Parade of Classic Tractors! Your application was accepted, and we look forward to seeing you and your tractor at the Nebraska State Fair. I can now announce to you that we have over 800 tractors/drivers now registered, so the record (currently 745 in Germany) will definitely be broken at the Nebraska State Fair on Saturday, August 25th, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Once again, the RFD-TV and RURAL TV viewers responded to our invitation in a big way, with tractors/ drivers set to come now from 31 different states. Included with this cover letter are the basic details of the parade for your information. Please review and become familiar with these details, so that we may have the smoothest possible experience for all. Obviously, the biggest challenge is going to be load in/load out, and setting up so many tractors in the parade route. RFD-TV and the Nebraska State Fair have taken great care to organize these details, and we will have many volunteers and signage on-site to help you with this process from the moment you arrive on the Fonner Park Fairgrounds until the time you choose to leave. Your cooperation, and patience if necessary, will be much appreciated. Together, we can, and will, make this happen. If you have any questions after your review of the attached details please e-mail Stacy@rfdtv.com, or only if truly necessary, call our Omaha office during weekday business hours at (402) 289-2085. Final details, such as your order in the parade, will be available upon your arrival on the Fairgrounds. Just look for the RFD-TV trailer, which will clearly be the first thing you see in the 36-acre parking area for your truck/trailers located at Stuhr Road and Fonner Park Road. The RFD-TV Trailer is where you will first check in, and be guided from that point forward. Its important that everyone that registered actually show up for the parade. If, for any reason, you cannot participate please let us know at your earliest convenience so that we have an opportunity to take an alternate from our waiting list to fill your spot in the parade. We also ask that you arrive at the Fairgrounds as early as possible, preferably on Friday, but if it has to be Saturday, make it very early as we want all tractors to be in place, and in parade order, by no later than 9am. Again, thank you so much for your time, and effort, to be a part of this historic parade. I can assure you that everyone at RFD-TV & RURAL TV will be doing everything possible to make this a terrific experience for you. I will be driving the John Deere 620 that I grew up on. Its going to be a great day. Patrick Gottsch Founder & President
PART 1 Classic Tractor Parade Parade will start promptly at 1pm CST. It will be televised on both RFD-TV and RURAL TV at 2pm ET, 1pm CST, 12pm MT and 11am PT. Make sure you set your recorders and tell all your friends and neighbors. CHECK-IN After parking in the Trailer Parking Lot, please report first to the RFD-TV Trailer located in the 36-acre parking lot at Fonner Park Road & Stuhr Road. Please arrive early, and allow plenty of time for check-in. After check-in, and unloading your tractor(s), you will be directed to drive your tractor to the Fonner Park holding area, prior to placing your tractor in its position in the parade on the actual track. This information will be provided at check-in, and RFD-TV staff will help direct you all along the way for the short drive to the holding area. In addition to all the RFD-TV staff on site to answer your questions, there will be an official Driver Meeting on Saturday morning, at 11am, at a location to yet be determined (it will be near the tractors). At this meeting we will go over the parade route around the Fonner Park Track, and answer any final questions. Friday, August 24th 6:00am - 7:00pm Tractors may be unloaded, and then will be placed on the Fonner Park Track for display. Security will be provided overnight. *We strongly encourage you to check in your tractor on Friday if at all possible. Saturday, August 25th 6:00am - 9:00am (all tractors must be in their parade slot no later than 9am) Parking for Trailers & Semis The entrance for Trailer Parking Lot is located on the corner of Fonner Park Road & Stuhr Road, southeast corner of the intersection. The Trailer/Semi Parking Lot is 36 acres and over flow areas are available if needed. Classic Tractor Participants will be greeted and checked-in by RFD-TV staff at the RFD-TV Trailer. You can t miss it, as the blue trailer with large RFD-TV lettering will be at the entrance to the parking lot. For your convenience, trailers & semis may stay parked in the Trailer Parking Lot until Sunday, August 26th at midnight. Security will be provided at the lot all day on Friday & Saturday, and Sunday until noon. Loading Docks Loading docks for trailers and semis are available in the Trailer Parking Lot. Loading docks will be located on the North side of the Trailer Parking Lot. Again, there will be 24-hour security provided at both the parking lot and Fonner Park Track for the tractors and your personal vehicle.
PART 2 Steel-Wheel Tractors Steel-Wheel Tractors will have a separate loading/unloading area next to the Fonner Park Track. Steel Wheel tractors may not cross the paved road. Please check-in, first, at the RFD-TV Trailer, where you will be instructed on where your special loading dock is located. If you have not done so already, please notify Stacy@rfdtv.com that you have a steel-wheel tractor, or call our Omaha office at (402) 289-2085. General Admission Tickets RFD-TV/RURAL TV will provide all Classic Tractor owners/drivers one (1) Exhibitor Pass per tractor at no charge for Friday and Saturday. The Exhibitor Pass will be in your Welcome Bag that you will receive upon arriving at check in at the RFD-TV Trailer. These passes will provide free entry into the entire Nebraska State Fair grounds and attractions (such as the Marty Stuart Show or seats in the Grandstand for the Parade) on the same basis as buying a regular admission ticket. All others in your party will need to purchase a General Admission ticket to enter the fairgrounds. General Admission Tickets may be purchased on the Nebraska State Fair website (www.statefair.org) or may be purchased at the gate. General Admission tickets are $7.00 from now until August 23rd. After August 23rd, General Admission tickets will be $10. Welcome Bags You will receive your Welcome Bag when you check-in your Classic Tractor at the Trailer Parking Lot. Welcome Bags will Include: Nebraska State Fair Exhibitor Passes for Classic Tractor Drivers, for Friday & Saturday (1 per tractor). Schedules Maps Fonner Park Grandstand VIP Passes for your guests for the parade (General Admission ticket required). Marty Stuart VIP Passes and wristbands for those that pre-ordered with their original application. FREE World s Largest Parade of Classis Tractors DVD registration form (1 per participant). If you wish to purchase addition copies of the parade DVD, they will be $19.99, with shipping for all DVD s taking place on or before September 15. All profits from the sale of the DVD s will be donated to Nebraska FFA. Other surprises! Security On both Friday, August 24th & Saturday, August 25th, the Nebraska State Fair and RFD-TV/RURAL TV will provide security for both the Trailer Parking Lot & for the tractor display on Fonner Park Track, from 9:00pm 9:00am, and on Sunday morning until noon. Classic Tractor Clubs & Associations * Each club or association may attach a small trailer with their club s or association s banner attached. Clubs members will be grouped together in the parade, provided that you have designated that you are part of a club at registration.
PART 3 Special Information Card * At check-in, please double-check your information card for accuracy as this card will be used by Max Armstrong to announce your tractor in the parade. Add any special information about your tractor at that time in the Special Notes section. Please email the form back to stacy@rfdtv.com by August 20th or bring it with you when you check-in to the fair. Talkin Tractors Tapings Max Armstrong & Mark Oppold will be interviewing tractor owners for segments in Talkin Tractors all day on Friday, and a few on Saturday & Sunday morning. There will be an area setup in the Fonner Park holding area for owners to drive their tractors up to be interviewed. If you have an interest in being interviewed, please check the box next to the Special Notes section of your Information Card at check in, and you will be parked in a special section in the holding area, where we will give you an approximate time for the interview. We will try to accommodate as many interviews as possible, so please be ready with your tractor. Early arrival will increase your chances for an interview. United States Flag RFD-TV/RURAL TV is asking all participants to attach a United States Flag to their Classic Tractor for the Parade. Please display your flag in the appropriate manner. Over 800 tractors with the U.S. flag is going to be quite a site, and a moving tribute to our troops. VIP Seating for Parade Pre-registered VIP Passes for the Fonner Park Grandstand will be located in your Welcome Packet, which you will receive when you check-in your tractor. There is no charge to watch the parade, once one has either an Exhibitor Pass or purchases a regular General Admission ticket to the Nebraska State Fair. Departure After the Parade Classic Tractors may depart any time after the parade or choose to continue to be on display for state fair attendees through Sunday. Again, RFD-TV staff will be on hand to help assist with the traffic, but obviously with 800+ tractors we ask that everyone be patient and help our efforts to get you out as soon as possible. Hotels & Camping Locations See Attachment Hotel & Camping Gas / Fueling Please bring your Classic Tractor fueled. RFD-TV/RURAL TV will also have emergency fuel available, both diesel and regular, in the Parking Lot and at the Fonner Park Track.
PART 4 Tow Truck There will also be towing available and on-site Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives with Special Guests Connie Smith & Quebe Sisters Live 2-hour Show Saturday, August 25th, 7:00p.m Doors open at 6:00pm Heartland Events Center You MUST be wearing your wristband and VIP pass to sit in the VIP reserved seats. Participants who have pre-registered for the Marty Stuart Show will receive their V.I.P. wristbands & passes in their welcome packet. ** All guests needing to reserve wheelchair accessible seating, please call Stacy @ 402-289-2085 Golf Carts Anyone interested in bringing a golf cart, MUST obtain a golf cart permit, which is $150. As part of that permit you will have to provide a Certificate of Liability, to the Nebraska State Fair. The Nebraska State Fair also has 3 entities that need to be listed as additional insured. The Golf Cart attachment is a document that explains a little more. *See information card attachment Handicap Parking Handicap parking is at the main entrance on State Fair Boulevard, on the south side of the road (just to the west of the Exhibition building). Handicap parking can be accessed off of Locust Street and then State Fair Boulevard. The Nebraska State fair also has paved handicap parking at the north end of the fairgrounds, off of Fonner Park Road. There are wheelchairs and scooters available for rental at both of the gates. Reservations are encouraged. Here is a link to our website page that has the number on it: http://www. statefair.org/fair/geninfo/fair_services.asp Handicap seating will be available on the Fonner Park Grandstand Apron and on the Skyline Level of the Fonner Park Grandstand. To access the Skyline level, guests will need to enter the glass foyer to the Heartland Events Center (this is on the west side of the Grandstand), take the elevator in the Heartland Events Center to the 2nd floor, and then use the breezeway that connects the Heartland Events Center to the Fonner Park Grandstand Skyline. Heartland Event Center is the location for the Marty Stuart Show Fonner Park is the location for the Classic Tractor Parade Contact Info: molly@rfdtv.com or stacy@rfdtv.com (402) 289-2085