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THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. AND THE RELAYS, OF COURSE, A HUGE EVENT THAT BRINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DES MOINES. IT’S A WEEK THAT A LOT OF BUSINESSES RELY ON. ����vlog BEAU BOWMAN JOINS US LIVE IN THE DRAKE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BO. THIS MEANS A LOT TO LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS. OH YEAH. BEN, I MEAN, THESE SPOTS HERE IN THE DRAKE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY’RE JUST GOING TO BE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH RELAYS. FANS FROM THE OLD MAINSTAYS LIKE PEGGY’S HERE TO SOME OF THE NEW ONES IN DOGTOWN. THIS IS KIND OF THE ONE THAT PAYS THE BILLS FOR THE THE REST OF THE 12 MONTHS. PEGGY’S TAVERN IS JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM DRAKE STADIUM AND HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE RELAYS HOT SPOT FOR DECADES. OWNER ANNIE BALDWIN IS CELEBRATING THEIR 90TH YEAR IN 2025. THE TENT THEY SET UP IN THE BACK HAS BECOME A PLACE FOR CLASS REUNIONS AND A WATERING HOLE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS. I SEE SO MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY OUT HERE. ONCE IN A WHILE PEOPLE WILL GET PROPOSED AT THE PEGGY’S TENT. PEOPLE SHARE MEMORIES. PEOPLE BRING MEMORABILIA TO ME, DRAKE RELAYS IS WHAT BRINGS IN THE BIG BUCKS FOR THE BAR LOCATED JUST OFF CAMPUS. BALDWIN IS EXCITED FOR THE THOUSANDS OF FANS WHO RACE TO DRAKE EVERY YEAR FOR THE ANNUAL PARTY. THIS IS OUR BIGGEST WEEK OF THE YEAR. THIS IS KIND OF LIKE OUR FAIR. WE’RE GETTING READY FOR ALL THE CROWDS. ANOTHER CLASSIC, THE DRAKE DINER. THEY’VE BEEN DISHING UP BREAKFAST FOR TRACK AND FIELD FANS SINCE 1987. GENERAL MANAGER AUSTIN BAILEY SAYS WHILE THE WAIT TIME FOR A TABLE CAN GET UP TO 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, ALUMNI ARE USUALLY WILLING TO WAIT TO GET A TASTE OF NOSTALGIA. SERIOUSLY. LIKE HOMECOMING? YEAH, YEAH. AND WE GET A LOT OF CENTRAL IOWA PEOPLE. AND YEAH, NOT ONLY DRAKE, BUT TONS OF PEOPLE. AND IN DOGTOWN, STRIP ALONG UNIVERSITY AVENUE, RELATIVE NEWCOMERS DOKO PIZZA, THEY SAY IT’S ONE OF THE TWO HUGE WEEKENDS OF THE YEAR FOR THEM, THE OTHER ONE BEING HIGH SCHOOL, TRACK AND FIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. IN ADDITION TO THE BIG BUMP IN BUSINESS, COCO OWNER EVAN DAVIS SAYS IT’S A GOOD SPOTLIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE DRAKE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE JUST SEE PEOPLE WANDERING AROUND LOOKING FOR A BITE TO EAT, AND WE DEFINITELY SEE AN INCREASE OF SALES, INCREASE OF FOOT TRAFFIC, AND MUCH LIKE THE RELAYS, IT’S ALL WEATHER DEPENDENT. THAT’S DEFINITELY BIG WEEKEND HERE IN DOGTOWN, BUT ALSO CITYWIDE. CATCH DES MOINES SAYS THE DRAKE RELAYS BRING IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ACROSS THE CITY OF DES MOINES EVERY SINGLE YEAR. WE’RE LIVE IN DES MOINES. BEAU B