The Fayette County Tourism Council will host its annual Mystery Tour starting at noon Saturday, Sept. 24. Participants will register at the Fayette County Tourism Center at the junction of Hwys. 150 and 93 in Fayette. Carrie Davis, Fayette County Tourism coordinator, noted that this year’s theme “Look Up and Learn” focuses on education. She is pictured in Wadena at one of the six locations on the tour. The last location will host a meal.  (Chris DeBack photo)

Fayette County Tourism Council Mystery Tour on Sunday

By Chris Deback
cdeback@thefayettecountyunion.com

The annual Fayette County Tourism Council Mystery Tour is set to begin at noon Sunday, Sept. 24, with groups starting at the Fayette County Tourism Center in Fayette. 

The theme is education this year and is touted as “Look Up and Learn.” It will feature six locations across the southern part of Fayette County, with the final location hosting a meal for participants. 

When participants register at the Tourism Center, located at the junction of Hwys. 150 and 93, they will be given directions to the first location. At each corresponding location, a clue to the next location will be given. Experts at each location will provide a small presentation on each of the sites. 

“At some of the locations the participants can go inside, walk around and really get a feel for what life was like back in the day,” said Carrie Davis, Fayette County Tourism director. “At some of the locations you can only view the site from the outside.”

The tour is self-paced, meaning folks don’t have a specific time to complete the tour; however, registration for the event only goes until 3 p.m. Participants should set aside approximately three hours to complete the tour. Once the final person sets out, a Tourism Council member will follow him or her to each location to make the site experts aware the tour is over. 

Last year, the Mystery Tour featured pioneer cemeteries in Fayette County, while the year before tit focused on bridges.

“The Mystery Tour has been done for over 20 years,” Davis explained. “The Tourism Council moves it around the northern and southern parts of the county. We change up the topics every year, but we have done some more than once. This year’s topic, which is education-based, hasn’t been done before, so we are excited for area residents to get a chance to experience something new or relive a blast from the past.”

Davis noted that it isn’t only Fayette County residents who take advantage of the unique event. She has had people come from Cedar Rapids and Waterloo to enjoy the scenic tour of Fayette County. 

The $20 registration fee will provide a participant with a catered meal at the final location.