2024 GOP presidential candidates saddle up their hogs for Iowa Roast and Ride

The scent of gasoline and the roar of more than 200 motorcycles filled the air Saturday morning outside the Big Barn Harley-Davidson in Des Moines ahead of the kick-off for Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride."

Eight 2024 Republican presidential candidates will be grilling pork and riding hogs in Iowa today, making their pitch to caucusgoers at one of the summer's first big campaign events, hosted by Iowa's U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.

But before hitting the fairgrounds, Ernst arrived Saturday morning in a leather Harley-Davidson vest to lead a parade of about 250 motorcyclists. By her side at the Big Barn Harley-Davidson Saturday morning was former Vice President Mike Pence, in his own leather vest packed with patches, including one for his home state of Indiana.

"One of the reporters asked me if we're showing up in Iowa, what our lane would be. I said, 'I'm more worried about the lane we're going to be staying in today,'" Pence joked with riders.

Pence is officially launching his presidential campaign next week in Iowa — a choice he told reporters Saturday morning he felt to be his "calling."

More: GOP candidates to ride motorcycles, flip pork u0026 roast Biden at Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride

While Ernst, Pence and the crowd of motorcycle enthusiasts make their way to the fairgrounds, the other candidates and attendees are gathering at the Animal Learning Center for a rally that will be hosted from 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

A team of Register reporters will be on the ground, bringing you all the sights, sounds and smells from the event.

Who will be speaking at the Roast and Ride?

Nearly all of the major GOP candidates will be speaking Saturday.

That includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, author Vivek Ramaswamy and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder.

It's the biggest presidential "cattle call" of the year so far.

Notably absent, however, is former President Donald Trump, who has avoided multi-candidate events like this. He beamed into the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s forum earlier this spring to speak via live stream.

Trump was in Iowa Thursday, making a series of intimate campaign stops. He met with Republicans at a conservative breakfast club in Urbandale, then spoke with pastors and campaign volunteers before a Fox News town hall.

What will the Republican presidential candidates talk about?

Candidates will have the chance to test out their campaign stump speeches in front of hundreds of conservative Republicans — and the national press.

They’re likely to mention the deal to lift the nation’s debt ceiling, which passed the Senate Thursday night. Several conservative Republicans in Congress opposed the deal, saying it doesn’t go far enough to reduce the nation’s spending, but all of Iowa's delegation in D.C. voted in favor.

Meet the 2024 candidates These Democrats and Republicans are running for president

One question mark is how aggressively the candidates will criticize each other — especially Trump, the frontrunner.

DeSantis unleashed on Trump this week in his first trip to Iowa as a presidential candidate, saying Trump "decided to move left” on a number of issues. Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis but has largely ignored the other candidates in the race.

And other candidates, like Haley, have aggressively taken on DeSantis as they seek to position themselves as Trump’s main rival for the nomination.

This story will be updated.

Brianne Pfannenstiel and Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Republican presidential candidates face off at Iowa Roast and Ride