Cedar Rapids' Best-Kept Secret
Written by, Mallory (Cink) Mohwinkle
I was recently asked, ‘what has been your biggest “ah-ha moment?”’ My mind reeled at the possible answers – I’ve learned so much through two-and-a-half years with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District that I could hardly choose. Then, all of my potential “ah-ha” answers came full circle to one moment of clear realization, and I knew just what to say.
(I promise to make this quick, but I really do have to start from the beginning to get my point across.) I’m a Cedar Rapids native. Yep, born and raised. My childhood was filled with countless adventures at the Science Station and reading programs at the Public Library. But fast-forwarding to “teen-dom” (you know, the place where you think you know everything, and are invincible), my summers playing outside quickly turned into working odd jobs and dreaming about how to get out of Cedar Rapids. I’d lost any understanding of what our community had to offer outside of what I had already known.
Fast-forward again to the summer between my junior and senior year of college, when I took an internship with the Cedar Rapids Downtown District. In the midst of my internship, I was encouraged to attend shows at Theatre Cedar Rapids and walk through the Cedar Rapids Art Museum on lazy afternoons. I had delicious lunches and nights out with friends, saw new businesses opening and was able to see the awe-inspiring plans for the revitalization of downtown… (and now, for my “ah-ha moment”) I suddenly realized that our downtown has much more to offer than I’d given it credit for. It was like I was just let in on a “best-kept secret.”
Now, as a full-time staff member at the Cedar Rapids Downtown District, I know downtown has nearly 40 locally-owned and unique dining and nightlife establishments. And that’s just the start. It’s also filled with the Cedar Rapids Art Museum, the Carl & Mary Koehler History Center, Theatre Cedar Rapids, Grant Wood’s Studio (where he lived and painted American Gothic), and other culturally stimulating venues… and they’re all within walking distance of one another. Summers are filled with outdoor concerts, the two-week Freedom Festival celebration, and fantastic summer theatre, but it doesn’t stop when the weather cools down. The cold months are packed with tailgating events, gallery parties, family-friendly programming at the museums and library, and we end the year by lighting the streets and enjoying the Holiday DeLight Parade & Festival. All of these locally-owned and operated businesses, events and cultural organizations make up a growingly vibrant neighborhood.
I might seem a little biased because I work for the Cedar Rapids Downtown District. But really, it’s not just us who think downtown has a lot to offer. A group of local historians, cultural gurus and representatives from local organizations gathered this week to celebrate our new Cultural District designation, recognized by the State of Iowa’s Department of Cultural Affairs. That’s right, those who know better than anyone how to tell a cultural gem have decided that we are in fact a cultural gem.
So what is a Cultural District? A cultural district is a walkable, mixed-use area of our community, with a high concentration of cultural, entertainment and historical facilities... As I mentioned, downtown is already loaded with historical value, cultural entities, events and festivals, and a growing population of restaurants, nightlife and other entertainment. This designation is a major coo for downtown, as it celebrates the cultural and entertainment opportunities already here, and also allows qualified buildings in the district to apply for historic tax credits, and other grants that encourage progress.
The Grant Wood Cultural District was named as such because Grant Wood left his passionately artistic fingerprints on many parts of our downtown neighborhood, and inspired others to do so, too. Grant Wood lived downtown, painted and built masterpieces here, played on the stage at the community theater (today known as Theatre Cedar Rapids), and spent time creating a life right here, in downtown Cedar Rapids. We hope that through continued programming and this new cultural district designation, we will foster the passions of future artists and patrons to come downtown and do the same.
The celebration of local history, culture and fine arts with representatives from the state’s Department of Cultural Affairs was a fun and rewarding experience. But hanging a pretty new sign isn’t the point. The point is to encourage patrons to visit our newly designated Grant Wood Cultural District. The point is offer downtown businesses a chance to embrace the bricks surrounding their work, and maybe get some funding while they’re at it. And the point is also to rekindle your love for our downtown neighborhood by encouraging you to attend a production at Theatre Cedar Rapids, or the next exhibit the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Have you dined downtown, or shopped for groceries at the Downtown Farmers’ Market? There are so many adventures to be enjoyed within the Grant Wood Cultural District. And perhaps, while you’re enjoying downtown, you’ll have your own “ah-ha moment,” opening your eyes to Cedar Rapids original “best-kept secret.”