Clear Lake's music story is about to get even bigger. Thirty-one feet bigger, to be exact. A $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant is helping bring the World's Largest Fender Stratocaster to life, adding another must-see landmark to the Historic Surf District. The project features a 31-foot replica of Buddy Holly's iconic...
If you haven’t visited in a little while, you’ll notice something: Clear Lake doesn’t sit still. As spring approaches, projects across the community are taking shape. These include new visitor spaces, downtown updates, and family attractions. Here’s what is happening right now. A New Welcome Center for Visitors...
By: Ashley Weiss, Membership & Engagement Director Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Long before Clear Lake became known for its jam-packed event calendar and the Surf Ballroom & Museum, it was a natural stopping point for explorers and travelers seeking calm waters, good fishing, and fertile ground. “The lake...
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, communities across the country are reflecting on the places that helped shape everyday life. One of the most enduring of those places is the public library. In Clear Lake, Iowa, the Clear Lake Public Library stands as a living piece of that national story: one of the Carnegie...
Before refrigeration, winter in Clear Lake wasn’t just a season, it was an industry. For decades, thick ice cut from the frozen surface of Clear Lake was harvested, stored, and shipped across Iowa to keep food fresh through the summer months. At its peak, the ice harvest here was one of the largest in the region,...
Canadian Buddy Holly fan makes somber pilgrimage to Clear Lake by Dustin A. Woods Back in grade school when other kids were listening to songs like “Baby Beluga” and “Wheels on the Bus,” I was poring over my parents’ classic record collection. Sitting through dusty old boxes of vinyl, I would scrounge and try to find, as...
The Surf Ballroom & Museum invites visitors to experience Not Fade Away: The Immersive Surf Ballroom Experience — a first-of-its-kind, permanent installation honoring the legacy of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson that opened in September 2025. Housed in the Music Enrichment Center...
