Go window shopping in downtown McGregor, or stop in to the tiki bar for a cocktail. The riverfront town of some 740 people has plenty of entertainment that awaits. Photo: courtesy of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
“Are we there yet?” There’s no doubt about it when you pull into Winterset, McGregor and downtown Iowa City.
Each of these communities was recently designated as an Iowa Cultural and Entertainment District by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, bringing the statewide total to 16. Each unique district has its own cluster of museums, theaters, live music venues, shops, restaurants and more.
Along the McGregor riverfront, you can find more than 50 businesses, from a tiki bar to an antique bookstore to the gallery that features work from 76 local artists. Winterset boasts an art center, a quilt museum, a historic movie theater and lots of public art, all within an 11-block area around the courthouse. And it’s not for nothing that Iowa City has been called “the greatest small city for the arts,” annually attracting 9 million visitors to its shops, restaurants, concerts and cultural events.
Find the complete list of Iowa Cultural and Entertainment Districts, with application details, at iowaculture.gov.
