Competitions like the girls high school state softball tournament continue to pack local hotel rooms, according to Kerrie Kuiper, executive director of Visit Fort Dodge.

And there are some new events coming this year, including Fort Dodge Summer Fest and the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride.

For two years in a row, Visit Fort Dodge has received a Regional Sports Authority District Grant from the Iowa Tourism Office. It won a $75,000 grant for the current fiscal year that ends June 30.

Kuiper said that money will be spent to assist with 27 events, including many at the new Pavilion Sports Complex in Corridor Plaza, which is the site of multiple basketball and volleyball tournaments for youth.

-Messenger file photo by Britt Kudla
Pella celebrates its Class 4A state softball title this past summer at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex. Fort Dodge has hosted the state softball tournament for more than 50 years.

“We’re seeing those really hitting their stride,” she said.

“Youth sports is a really huge market,” she added.

Events that are boosted with the Sports Authority District money will attract an estimated 96,000 participants and generate about $1.2 million for Fort Dodge hotels, according to Kuiper.

The Sports Authority Grant received in fiscal year 2025 supported 13 events that attracted 64,177 participants and had an economic impact of $680,000 for the hotels, according to Visit Fort Dodge.

Looking back on 2025, Kuiper said one of the largest sports events that drew people to Fort Dodge was in November. That’s when Iowa Central Community College hosted the National Junior College Half Marathon and Cross Country Championship at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course. She said 1,700 student-athletes participated.

-Photo courtesy of Iowa Central Athletics
Runners take off during the NJCAA national cross country championships at Lakeside Golf Course inside John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in November 2025. Fort Dodge hotels were nearly full during the event, which drew spectators from across the country, according to Kerrie Kuiper, executive director of Visit Fort Dodge.

“If you went out there, you would have seen vehicles from all across the country,” she said.

Hotels were “pretty much full” during the event, she added.

Another new event for 2025 was the CIK Youth Softball Tournament held at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex. Kuiper said that event brought 37 teams, 407 athletes and 1,200 spectators to Fort Dodge.

This summer, the girls state softball tournament, which has been a staple of both local sports and tourism for more than 50 years, will switch to a double elimination format. That format will likely result in fans staying in town longer, keeping hotel rooms full and restaurants busy, Kuiper said.

Other events returning for 2026 include:

n CIK Youth Softball Tournament, April 11-12.

n Midwest Battle of the Borders Baseball Tournament, April 18-19.

n Iron Sharpens Iron Team Wrestling Camp, June 8-11.

The wrestling camp was first held at Iowa Central Community College in 2023. Kuiper said the number of participants has grown every year.

The new Fort Dodge Summer Fest 2026 is scheduled for May 29-30. It is sandwiched between the Memorial Day weekend and Frontier Days.

While a lot of planning is still underway, Kuiper said it will include live music, a carnival, vendors and food trucks. She said it is being discussed as a family event.

Hundreds of tractors and tractor enthusiasts will converge on Webster County in June for the WHO Great Iowa Tractor Ride.

The event will be held June 21-24 with the Webster County Fairgrounds south of Fort Dodge as its base, organizers announced.

“There will be big caravans of tractors,” said Kuiper.

She estimated that the event will draw about 400 tractors and about 750 people.

She said the tractor ride has a reputation for attracting multiple generations of tractor lovers.