We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day for Clear Lake’s 20th Annual Harvest Festival! This year, we welcomed approximately 12,000 attendees, over 100 vendors, and had more than 200 participants in the Champagne 5K. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us and helped make this event a massive success!

Champagne 5K

Wizard of Oz Champagne 5K Costume

The festival kicked off with a sparkling start at the Champagne 5K! With over 200 runners and walkers, it was a bubbly way to begin the day. Our costume contest added extra fun with creative and colorful outfits. Congratulations to our winners:

  • 1st Place: Vladimir Starrett, Clear Lake
  • 2nd Place: Nathan Drew, Des Moines
  • 3rd Place: Addi Hedrick, Clear Lake

Group Contest Champagne 5K

Contest Winners

A huge shoutout to our contest winners who showcased their creativity and skills throughout the day:

  • Pole Decorating Contest:
  • Best Wine of the Day:
    • 1st Place: Fireside Winery with Fizzy Firefly
    • 2nd Place: Madison County Winery with Cranberry
    • 3rd Place: 3 Drunk Brothers with OPE
  • Salsa Contest: (Clean Sweep!)
    • Mild, Medium, Hot: Jason Baker, Mason City
  • Grape Stomp Champions:
    • Mike & Melody Kurtti, Goodhue, MN

Cornerstone Sponsors

We extend a heartfelt thank you to our Cornerstone Sponsors for their support in making Harvest Festival possible:

Music Sponsors

The downtown streets were alive with music thanks to our talented bands, Gen-X Jukebox, Last Minute Combo, and Nova Jazz, along with additional entertainment from local Chamber members. A special thank you to our Music Sponsors:

Our festival atmosphere was further elevated by performances at Elly’s, Lady of the Lake, TAP’d, and VFW.

Business Testimonials

Our Chamber members were thrilled with the event’s success! Here are just a few highlights from their social media:

  • “WOW what a day!!! 20th Annual Harvest Festival in Clear Lake, Iowa was an AMAZING DAY!” – Michelle Hartman, Crazy Tupperware Lady
  • “All I can say is WOW!!! Harvest Fest 2024 was an absolute success!! 100 HATS LATER!!! My heart is extremely full after today!” – Samantha Dahley, Dahley Designs
  • “Thanks for all those that stopped in and to everyone at the Chamber for the planning of this event!” – Rookies Rockin’ Sports Bar
  • “Thank you, thank you, thank you! Harvest was SO much fun & it was absolutely amazing to see so many of you!” – The Funky Zebras Boutique Clear Lake

We also heard from some other vendors who attended our event:

  • “The annual Harvest Day Festivities were once again highlight of my year! The wind notwithstanding, Clear Lake never disappoints. Our sales were off a bit from last year but we still raised over $300 for Breast Cancer research and had the best time doing it. Your community is one of a kind, Patti and I hope to relocate there in a few years when our grandchildren are off to college. We get such a kick out of our ‘regulars’ that come by and say Hi and bring there friends and families. We see old friends from all over Iowa and beyond at Harvest Fest and please make sure to put us down for 2025!” Lucky Me Mercantile
  • “It was my first year as a vendor at Harvest Festival and it was so much fun!! The vendors/crafters around me were fun to talk to. The band was right down from me and they were amazing!! I would love to be there again next year!” Tracy Briley, Tastefully Simple
  • “I just wanted to say thank you for having us at your event. It was run very smoothlyl, and I loved the traffic flow.” Maxx 3-D World/Ohlendorf Enterprises
  • “I just wanted to send a quick note to  thank you for letting us be a part of your Harvest Festival this year! This was our first year doing it and we drove up from Des Moines to participate. We had a great time, despite the crazy wind!! We will definitely be looking for the opportunity to apply again for next year. Thanks again!! Katie’s Kreations 

Thank You to Our Harvest Festival Supporters

A heartfelt thank you to all of our Harvest Festival supporters who purchased a souvenir bag! Your contributions play a vital role in making this beloved event possible, and we are so grateful for your support.

These bags not only help enhance the festival experience but also ensure that we can continue to bring the community together for years to come. We’re excited to announce that souvenir bags for our 2025 event will go on sale in August. We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate together again!

Thank You to Our Amazing Volunteers

We want to extend a huge thank you to all of the incredible volunteers who helped make the 2024 Harvest Festival a success. From pouring wine to assisting at the information booth, managing the VIP area, and helping with set up, tear down, and the Champagne 5K — we couldn’t have done it without you! Your work behind the scenes kept everything running smoothly, and your enthusiasm truly made the day special for all of our attendees. Thank you for sharing your time, energy, and smiles.

Special Thanks to Our Harvest Festival Committee

A big thank you to our amazing Harvest Festival Committee for all their hard work in making this year’s event such a success:

  • Chairperson: Jen Larsen, City of Clear Lake
  • Salsa Contest: Deb Cash, Farmers State Bank
  • VIP: Zach Hermanson, Hall Realty & Linda Jarnagin
  • Wineries/Breweries & Distillery Tasting Locations: Carrie Tysdahl, American Solutions for Business
  • Champagne 5K: Kelly Gute, Mort’s Water Company
  • Event Execution: Taylor Barragy, CL TEL
  • Chamber Staff Liaisons: Trish Fundermann & Jenny Fasbender
The energy and community spirit at this year’s Harvest Festival were truly unmatched. We can’t wait to make next year even bigger and better! Thank you to everyone who participated, supported, and sponsored. See you in 2025 for year #21 on Saturday, October 4th.