A day of Mardi Gras parties, food, friends, and music was hosted by Indianola Tuesday, as the 2019 RAGBRAI route made its overnight stay. Riders began appearing as early as 8am from Winterset, with the majority of riders making their way in between 10am and 2pm. The streets all around the square were filled with vendors selling food and merchandise, with local businesses and city departments hosting games, air-conditioned rooms, and refreshments. An estimated 8,000 riders made the trip from Winterset, with more making the trip down from Des Moines to ride today, and an estimated 15,000 visitors coming for the day without riding. The KNIA Big Red Radio was on the square for the day, playing music and giving live updates.