A year in review: Community

Editor’s note: This is the first in a five-part year in review.

Union County communities stayed busy in 2024, hosting annual events, working on projects and earning awards.

Events

Uptown Creston celebrated Galentine’s Day this year, an unofficial holiday near Valentine’s Day where women celebrate the other women in their life, with a weekend of shopping and fun.

Various businesses uptown were open with themed events, including brunch at Adam’s Street Cafe, yoga at Radiant Wellness Solutions, a book signing event with local cookbook author Karen Walters and Chick-Flick trivia at Hot Air Brewing. Attendees could take Galentine’s passports to each of these events, along with any Creston retailer, to get stamps. Those with three stamps or more were entered into a raffle for a Galentine’s basket.

Though turnout in 2024 was good, the goal is to create an even bigger event for 2025.

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The fourth annual Market on Maple was celebrated May 11, helping bring in the summer season with warm weather. About 60 vendors were present at the event, in addition to a number of youth performances and mini makers.

Market on Maple committee member Hannah West said the event always aims to bring more people out to visit local stores and restaurants as well as the many vendors.

“The goal is to showcase and highlight not just our locals, but those vendors out there who have a lot to offer for our local communities as well,” she said. “It’s fun to see people pop in and out of local shops and visit our local vendors that don’t necessarily have a brick and mortar.”

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As the weather warmed up, Union County residents saw a number of people making their way cross country.

In the first week of June, people all around Iowa reported seeing a man cycling around. Tony Adams has spent the last 24 years pedaling through America, with just a 700-pound trailer attached to his bike to call home. Adams’ goal is to break the Guinness World Record for most time on the road - 50 years.

Not long after Adams passed through Union County came another group of travelers: the Johns family. Originally from the United Kingdom, this family of five moved to Provo, Utah, about a year ago. As Latter-day Saints and lovers of history, the family decided to spend their summer hiking the Mormon Trail. Starting in Nauvoo, Illinois, parents Peter and Alex walked with their children Sariah, 11, Alexander, 9, and Leonora, 3, all the way to Omaha, Nebraska. While originally planning on continuing all the way to Utah, the family was proud of what they accomplished.

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Creston enjoyed almost a week straight of Fourth of July activities this year. The 18th annual Party in the Park was held June 29 with artists SJ McDonald and The i-Berrys performing at McKinley Park. On July 4, the 10,000 Crestonians held their 76th annual celebration, which included a Fourth of July Parade, the Creston Talent Show and a firework display by Top Notch Fireworks.

Other events included the Friends of the Library’s Scholastic Book Fair, an outdoor “Messtival” at the library, a sand volleyball tournament at Taylor Park and KSIB’s annual Cruise Night Car Show.

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Union County held its 100th county fair in Afton this year, mixing the past and present for the century mark. At the coronation of the Union County Fair Queen, a royal reunion was held. Past Union County Fair queens that attended included 1965′s Bonnie Riepe, 1969′s Betty Gordon and 1992′s Sarah Cheers (Long). This year’s Union County Fair Queen was Lilly James.

Other 100-year events included a Century Celebration from the fair board, followed by a free concert featuring TOAST3R! and a firework display by Top Notch Fireworks.

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The third year of Fiesta on Maple had to shift due to water main construction, moving from Maple to Montgomery Street. That didn’t stop attendees from enjoying the offerings, with food, vendors, and street music sharing Hispanic culture.

This year’s event enjoyed the early September weather, changing from the usual October date. This annual event brought activities for kids young and old, including Aztec-style dances, a piñata and a mechanical bull.

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As December came around, the community held numerous events to celebrate the holiday season. The Annual Lighted Christmas Parade went through uptown Creston Dec. 5, while Merry Marketplace was held two days later. With vendors and uptown business owners teaming up, Merry Marketplace welcomed people from all of Iowa to finish their Christmas shopping.

Other holiday events in December included a tree lighting, meeting Santa Clause and the Crest Area Community Theatre’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Projects

Since January 2023, the Gibson Memorial Library had been working to add a pavilion to their open green space, inspired by the pavilion at the Lied Public Library in Clarinda.

After months of work and planning, the pavilion was completed, celebrating it’s grand opening with a harvest party in October. The library and community members have already utilized the pavilion for a number of outdoor events, including book clubs, a magician and a “messtival.”

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In December, Creston City Council approved new branding for the community. This will mean a new logo, city seal and eventually updated signs around town.

The new branding was designed by Ben Muldrow of the marketing firm Arnett Muldrow. The Update Uptown committee worked with the firm thanks to a BOOST grant received last March, which could only be used for professional services, such as planning for a project or design.

The main logo features rolling hills, part of the restored depot and a hot air balloon in bright colors.

Awards

Creston’s MATURA WIC was awarded the 2024 Premier Breastfeeding Award for their Breastfeed Peer Counselor program. Program coordinator Astra Jennings and Peer Counselor Katie Cooke were presented with the award Aug. 13.

The Premier Breastfeeding Award is given by the USDA to a select few organizations to honor them for the work they do in helping breastfeeding mothers. According to the USDA, the program works “to recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities.”

In the Midwest region this year, only five premier awards were given out among four states. Matura WIC was the only Iowa location to receive this award. Last year, only two Midwest locations received premier awards.

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In October, Union County Board of Supervisors formally approved for the Mount Pisgah historical site to be recognized by the National Park Service.

Earlier this year, Angelica Sanchez-Clark, who works with the trails part of the National Park Service, and local historian Jane Briley informed the county of the proposal to include Mount Pisgah. Briley, member of the Iowa Mormon Trail Association, informed the the program would enhance the area’s publicity and promotion through the National Parks Service.

The acknowledgement of Mount Pisgah by National Park Service will not change anything at the site. The service will only promote, sign and work with historical preservation groups about the area.

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During October’s homecoming activities, three new inductees were brought into the Creston Hall of Fame. All alumni, new members include Leslie (Lovell) Tyler, Deb (Oxenreider) Power and Larry Goodrich.

Tyler is a 1976 Creston High School graduate known throughout the community for her dance studio, Leslie’s Dance Emporium.

Power, a 1980 graduate, is a long-time Iowa State University professor who wowed the community with her athletics in high school.

Goodrich is a 1962 graduate who had a prosperous high school and college basketball career, eventually leading to a life-long teaching passion.

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The Creston Chamber of Commerce honored community members in November with the Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Student of the Year awards.

Citizen of the Year Jerry Katzer spent 35 years as a veterinarian at Creston Veterinary Clinic. Now retired, Katzer is an active member of the community, volunteering at the hospital and The Rectory Rerun, as well as serving as the president of the Creston Lions Club.

Karen Drake earned Volunteer of the Year with her thousands of hours of service to the community. Drake has helped raise money for numerous local groups, including Crestubilee and Crush Cancer, as well as helping the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Student of the Year was awarded to Creston High School senior Payton Davis. Some of the many programs Davis has been involved in include The Appalachia Service Project, Lead Union County Youth and many after-school activities.