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RV rally kicks off today in Minot

By JILL SCHRAMM 3 min read

Nearly a thousand Airstream RVs are expected for a six-day rally that begins Saturday, Aug. 22, at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. The first Airstreams began checking in on Thursday.

The 2026 Airstream Club International Rally features vendors, concerts, socials, educational events and interactions with the Minot community.

The public is invited to see vintage Airstream models during an open house Sunday, Aug. 23, from noon to 4 p.m. in the public parking lot off 27th Street Southeast, immediately upon entering the fairgrounds.

The public also is invited to participate with rally-goers in a blood drive that runs Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day in the State Fair Center. To make an appointment to donate, contact Vitalent at call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).

On Thursday, Aug. 20, rally-goers will be partnering with Souris Valley United Way to pack items for the Backpack Buddies program in the Minot schools.

"We have been raising money for months now," said Sherrye McCabe, marketing and communications manager with Airstream Club international. The goal has been to raise $10,000, which the Minot Area Community Foundation will match. The donations being packed Thursday should supply the Backpack Buddies program for about two months and a middle school pantry for about two years, McCabe said.

Rallies are organized by a committee but conducted by volunteers, who handle everything from check-in and parking to running rally activities. About 400 volunteers are involved in making the Minot rally happen, McCabe said.

Visit Minot has worked closely with the club for about five years to bring the rally to the city this year.

Started 71 years ago, Airstream Club International is the world's oldest single-branded RV club.

Airstream was founded in 1931 by Wally Byam, who built his first trailer in the late 1920s. He started the RV club with a cousin on Aug. 3, 1955, not long before his death in 1962.

His creed included promoting clubs and rallies that provide an endless source of friendships, travel fun and personal expressions, according to company information. Through travel, he sought to play some part in promoting international goodwill and understanding through person-to-person contact.

Some rally-goers will sport blue berets in honor of Byam, who was known for that headgear, McCabe said.

"We do celebrate that history a lot through different traditions," she said. "It's a different lifestyle. It's more than just camping."

The Airstream owners at the Minot rally include various demographics, from families with small children to senior citizens. Club members from 48 states and six Canadian provinces are expected to be represented, and a couple from Germany was making plans to come.

Most attendees are arriving with their Airstreams but there are some club members flying in and staying in hotels because of the driving distance or for other reasons, McCabe said.

Some arrive early or stay longer to get to know the host community and its attractions. The economic impact of a club rally averages $2-2.5 million, McCabe said.

The impact isn't just in Minot as some rally-goers have traveled to MHA Nation to tour Fort Berthold Reservation attractions and others visited the International Peace Garden near Dunseith.

The Wally Byam Caravan Club Inc. and the City of Brandon donated a monument to the Peace Garden during the 1975 International Rally in Brandon. The monument deteriorated over time, and the club raised funds to replace it in 2016 with a new Monument of Peace, a statue of two hands holding a dove, titled "A Promise of Peace."

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