Our Town Decorah is a designated cultural and entertainment district

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Downtown Decorah is one of less than 20 Iowa districts that the state has designated as a cultural and entertainment district. Having a vibrant downtown is what qualifies an area to earn this designation.

More than 500 events take place in the downtown Decorah district each year.

Part of being vibrant, is having options for food, like Mabe’s Pizza. Leaders with the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce say there are more than 2 dozen places to eat in just the 12-13 blocks that make up the downtown district.

There are also a wide variety of stores to shop in, we stopped by Ace Kitchen Place, a whole store dedicated to kitchen supplies.

The city is also known for its music and art.

”That’s live music, that’s cultural events, that’s art crawls, things that happen in the streets like Nordic Fest our biggest city’s community festival so really a celebration of vibrancy,” said Jessica Rilling, Executive Director at the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce.

This year, Decorah is celebrating 175 years.

Rilling says while the city is not located on a major highway or interstate, people are visiting for its outdoor recreation and beauty, coupled with Our Town Decorah’s vibrant downtown.

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