The Walcott Truckers Jamboree at the Iowa 80 Truckstop attracted tens of thousands of people last week to the festivities

, which included a free concert by Aaron Tippin and a 300-pound cake in celebration of the Jamboree's 30th anniversary and the truckstop's 45th anniversary.

Over the span of two days, participants could see over 150 exhibits, a Super Truck Beauty Contest with 82 contestants, an antique truck display with over 200 vehicles, an Iowa pork chop cookout, the Trucker Olympics, Carnival Games, three live bands and a fireworks display.

Despite the fact that it rained on Friday, the Jamboree continued with its activities, serving up the gigantic semi cake, an exact replica of this year's collectible Jamboree truck model, which served well over 1,000 people. "The cake was almost too beautiful to cut," said Heather DeBaillie, marketing manager. "The detail was so incredible that people were asking if it was actually a cake."

Aaron Tippin was also a big hit Thursday, signing autographs for nearly two hours during a Meet & Greet with over 100 guests. The concert attracted 10,000 attendees. Both the concert and the Meet & Greet were sponsored by Mobil Delvac.

"Aaron Tippin was a great fit for our event," DeBaillie said. "Being a former truck driver himself, he could relate to our audience and put on a fantastic show."

The Walcott Truckers Jamboree began in 1979 to celebrate America's truckers. The first Jamboree only attracted a few hundred drivers, whereas today it attracts 30,000.

"The Walcott Truckers Jamboree is an event that we hope instills pride in drivers and encourages them to celebrate the important job they do," said Delia Moon Meier, Iowa 80 Truckstop senior vice president. "The Jamboree is the perfect chance for us to say 'thank you' and we'll do that rain or shine." Next year's event will be held July 8-9, 2010.