Main Street Elkader

10/15/2026

Today is the ‼️LAST DAY‼️ to get registered for this year’s Elkader Holiday Light Show! ✨

Please join us in helping bring JOY to our community again this year! ❤️

➡️ Display set-up will be open sometime after November 1st — more details to come soon! 🤩

During the “off season” one of our committee members, Roger Thomas built this building for use in the Elkader campground. Our Holiday Light Show volunteers will use to greet visitors as they arrive to our show each weekend evening. ✨

We can’t thank Roger enough for his help constructing this for our use! We are SO excited to decorate it for the holiday season. 🤩 🎄

➡️ Have YOU reserved your space yet for this year’s show? Deadline is TODAY! ‼️ We’ll have Main Street Elkader help us and drop the link in the comments.

Be a part of this festive COMMUNITY tradition!

10/15/2026

More on the $25k grant recently received by City of Elkader. Big congrats to Jennifer Cowsert and team for making this happen! 🏠

We’re constantly working behind the scenes as a team with the city to bring things to Elkader and help push things forward. This is just one example of those efforts. Congrats again, Elkader! 🙌

10/13/2026

Congrats City of Elkader! 🙌

Elkader Receives $25,000 to Promote Housing

In a press release issued today by Governor Kim Reynolds, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced the award of $25,000 to the City of Elkader to promote housing. This award is part of $385,000 in Empower Rural Iowa grants supporting 15 rural communities across the state.

Elkader received money in the "Rural Innovation: Housing 2.0" category.
The city will create a housing development tool kit for 11 residential lots in its Breezy Summit subdivision. Several lots are suited to Homes for Iowa, a nonprofit that trains incarcerated Iowans in the building trades, while others require different home designs. The project will develop site-specific concepts, including floor plans, exterior designs and 3D visuals. It will also gather financing options from local lenders to help builders and prospective buyers move projects toward construction. This program supports creative solutions to increase and improve rural Iowa’s housing supply.

After reviewing 12 applications, the state awarded $25,000 to Elkader and $50,000 each to Atlantic, Eldora, Greenfield and Knoxville.

Funds were also announced for communities applying for the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment; Rural Child Care Planning; and Rural BOOST.

Empower Rural Iowa grants are administered by IEDA’s Center for Rural Revitalization, Empower Rural Iowa grants are funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature for the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. Applicants are required to provide matching funds and are evaluated on economic need, partnerships, project readiness and alignment with strategic goals. The grants support Iowa communities with fewer than 20,000 residents that are not adjacent to cities of 40,000 or more.

Elkader's award focuses on the Breezy Summit subdivision where the Alan and Georganna Johnson Family donated eleven lots for development. Persons interested in a lot must offer a minimum of $2,000.00 per lot.

More information about this housing opportunity can be found at:
https://breezysummit.com/

10/13/2026

Join for this event on Saturday in Elkader!

Join the conversation...

10/11/2026

Have you stopped by and taken a photo with our fall display downtown? 🍂

SHARE your photos with us in the comments below! ⤵

10/09/2026

After all the rainy days we had this past month it feels a little silly to be talking about having to water flowers... 🌺🌼

Nonetheless, we want to give one final shout to our amazing VOLUNTEER watering crew who wonderfully care for our downtown hanging baskets flowers ALL season. THANK YOU! 🙌

We are so grateful for your efforts and commitment to keeping our downtown, Main Street District beautiful.

10/08/2026

A little piece of Elkader history, one puzzle piece at a time!

Our SECOND series Main Street Elkader puzzle is here, featuring a beautiful photo of the Clayton County Courthouse captured by local photographer David Beck! 📸

Whether you’re a puzzle lover, looking for a unique gift, or just love Elkader, this one’s for you!

🧩 1,000 pieces | $30
📍 Available at Elkader Floral Shop
❤️ All proceeds support Main Street Elkader projects that help keep our downtown thriving!

Missed the first puzzle? You’re in luck! We still have a few of our first series puzzles available for just $15!

Witches Night Out is the perfect time to snag yours! Grab your girlfriends, shop local, and pick up a little piece of Elkader to take home.

10/07/2026

Are you signed up yet?!?

Happy OCTOBER friends!

We're not thinking pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns... we're thinking Christmas magic and holiday LIGHTS! ✨🤩🎄🔔

‼️ ONLY 15 days left to get your space reserved for this year's show. We're SO excited to be adding a new loop + some fun, interactive elements to this year's show.
👉 RESERVE HERE: www.elkaderholidaylightshow.com

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks from our committee as we get closer and closer to the show! ✨

Proud to partner with these area organizations:
Main Street Elkader
Elkader Area Chamber of Commerce
City of Elkader

10/07/2026

Join us for another Cemetery Tour led by Dave Beck, local Elkader historian and Main Street Elkader volunteer. We haven't hosted an Elkader History Hour event in a over a year and we're excited to host one again this month! 📜 🙌

This time, we're taking our tour to the Catholic Church Cemetery on the other side of town to learn about those who came before us and the impacts they had on making Elkader what it is today.

📆 Saturday, Oct. 24th at 1pm
📍 500 Strawberry Point Rd, Elkader, Iowa

No RSVP needed.
Weather (and funeral) permitting.
Watch this page for updates!

Free will donation to Main Street Elkader.

10/07/2026

TWO years in a row with Open 4 Business Grant finalists from ELKADER! 🙌

We are so dang proud of you, Elkader and grateful to be HERE. ❤️🫶📍

Who’s next?!? Let us know how we can help YOU, too! Give us a shout ⤵️
📧 [email protected]