What a cool festival... they have a kite festival on the frozen lake. It had these incredible…read moregiant balloons. It was for all ages and the main area of town was open to shop as well. Each kite was better than the next. There was ample street parking plus you could drive along the lake shore and catch all the kites and still stay warm. I bet you can gather what we did. The template was hovering around 0 degrees.

OPA!!!! Whooooo hoooo...my 250th review!! My Big fat Greek…read moreFestival. It's hot and humid but that doesn't stop people from enjoying a good Greek festival. I came at 11:30am and things were just getting started. By the time I left, it was packed with people. It's not a huge festival, but it's till worth visiting. This festival lasts all day long until 10pm. Plenty of Greek food, Greek beer, Greek music, dancing and more. Remember to go to the ticket booth first. Each ticket is worth $1.00 You can redeem your tickets at each of the booths you desire to go to. Example: Want a Gyro? That's 6 tickets. Service is fast so you don't have to wait too long. Grab a chair under the canopy and enjoy the sights and sounds. There's even a Greek bake sale inside the church if you want to take home some baklava or other Greek pastries. Have fun! OPA!!!

Definitely worth a visit. This is an annual Christmas festival benefitting One Vision. Tons of cool…read morestuff to do, and it's all free! Friday night there was a showing of Elf. Saturday: pancake breakfast with Santa, tons of decorated trees (for purchase), poinsettias for sale, crafts for kids. Then in downtown, they have free pony rides, petting zoo, smores, carriage rides, and hot chocolate. What a nice day! Lines were not too bad, I expected it to be busier. Parade of lights and good fireworks show in the evening. Fun day! We went 3 times over the course of the weekend (nap time segments your days). I think there was also a polar plunge and some other activities Sunday.

I'm not sure if I came too early or what, but there really wasn't a lot of art exhibitors there…read more I'm guessing 15 max? A few booths were selling pottery, jewelry and other hand made items. Not many painting or photography vendors. Maybe it was too hot? I was told it started at 9 am.... I was there at 9:30 am. Plenty of people stood in line for the free pancake breakfast. Live music played while the people ate. There were tables that supplied crafts for kids to do and a big air inflatable slide to jump on. I walked the whole thing in less than 15 min. Something to do on a hot summer day.

What a delight was the arts festival! A great showcase for artists around the state and a wonderful…read morechance to showcase the art museum that is quite the gem for this small town. Tons of exhibitors with plenty to sell, live music from around the area, and delightful inflatable slide on which your child will squeal with delight for only $1 a slide! Money goes to a good cause so it's worth it right! Well worth going to and checking out.

As a refugee in the heart of North Iowa for the weekend, we were told we must check out bandfest -…read moreit's quite the little spectacle! Bandfest is the largest free marching band competition in the Midwest and is now 77 years deep. It's effectively a showcase of marching bands from around the midwest combined with a carnival and parade. The parade was a great place to kill a few hours, see plenty of the bands from around the area, get some candy for the kiddos and see a number of the businesses in the area. The best part of the parade was seeing the creative stuff the different places were throwing into the crowd. Our favorite were the restaurants tossing ribs and chicken! Quite the unique weekend festival and something that's absolutely worth checking out if you're in the area!

This review is for the museum and the historical part of the place. The Surf Ballroom is best…read moreremembered as the final place that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper performed just hours before the tragic fatal plane crash. The place is not just a museum and landmark but it is mostly an events place as well as still being a music venue! The museum is self-guided and free, though donations are encouraged. They also have a souvenir shop so be prepared to spend some $$. But plan on at least an hour just looking around if you're a rock and roll history geek like me. Several photos on the wall and memorabilia. You'll be very surprised on who has played here - from the 1940s big bands to modern-day rock and pop/country acts. Be sure to step onto behind the stage as well as the green room. I could go on, but be sure to check this out for yourself sometime. Yes, the location is in central-northern Iowa, one of the least visited spots in the USA. It's between the Twin Cities and Des Moines, but driving all the way to Clear Lake to check this out is, in my mind, worth it. Check it out!

Wow...so much history here! I had no idea what I was walking into here...its definitely a must do…read morefor anyone with a love for music.

Just happened to notice all the street rods driving through town and didn't realize it was a street…read morerod show in central park. We eventually found a parking spot and decided to walk around and take a look. Talk about a blast from the past. If only I could of been born in the 50's and have actually owned one of those cool cars. Why not bring those styles back? Those cars have so much character than the styles we have today. Anyway, it was actually really fun checking out all those old cars even if it was 90 degrees.

Civil war reenactment in East park. I was told the event happens every year…read more It's a fun time for those who love the Civil War period. People camp, dress up, and reenact the Civil war...cannons included. There's also homemade crafts and food vendors there. Kettle corn and root beer made the old fashioned way. This event isn't too big or crowded. It a med-small crowd so you won't have to fight your way through the crowds.