We’re No. 1!

Clear Lake’s July 4th celebration takes top honors in survey

Now the rest of the state knows what Clear Lakers have always believed— that there’s no better place to spend the Fourth of July than here.

Last week the Des Moines Register published a story written by Emery Styron declaring Clear Lake is tops in the list of “10 unique ways Iowans celebrate the Fourth of July.”

Styron writes that in a completely unscientific survey, a handful of communities around the state were contacted in an effort to find out what made their Fourth of July celebrations special.

“What we learned was that the events are as unique as the towns themselves,” wrote Styron.  “Annual traditions range from the quirky (a frog-jumping event in Battle Creek) to the classic (the parade in Morning Sun features firetrucks, Shriner vehicles, tractors, horses and fair queens).”

Libbey Patton, director of tourism for the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, responded to the survey by noting Clear Lake has the longest consecutively running celebration in Iowa,

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dating back to 1856.  “We have a wonderful parade that draws from all over and a family-owned carnival that’s been coming here for 40 years. The icing on the cake is a huge fireworks display over the lake,” said Patton.

This year’s Fourth of July celebration begins today (Wednesday, July 1).

Top 10 communities

celebrating the Fourth of July*

1. Clear Lake

2. Shell Rock

3. Underwood

4. Mount Vernon-Lisbon

5. Newton

6. Dubuque

7. Sioux City

8. Ames

9. Morning Sun

10. Battle Creek

*as reported in the Des Moines Register June 24, 2015