Spring is rolling in, even if the ice isn’t out just yet and a blizzard is in this week’s forecast! The days are getting longer, and it’s the perfect time to plan a fun-filled Spring Break in Clear Lake. Whether you’re looking for adventure, relaxation, or a little bit of both, we’ve got the ultimate guide to make the most of your break!
Take a look at the fun activities you can enjoy in Clear Lake during Spring Break at Clear Lake:
Be a Local Champion
Shop Local
Update your closet and home for spring with a Clear Lake shopping spree! Explore the charming boutiques and shops, and support the local community while finding unique items to refresh your wardrobe and living space. Don’t forget to check out new products at your favorite retailers, and try to discover a new shop you’ve never explored. Click here for our shopping guide.
Dine Around
Clear Lake, known for its scenic beauty and warm hospitality, is also a wonderland for food enthusiasts seeking memorable dining experiences. Whether you’re a local looking to rediscover your hometown favorites or a visitor eager to savor the unique flavors of Clear Lake, this curated list of Bucket List Bites is your passport to a culinary adventure.
Got a sweet tooth? We’re diving into the best desserts Clear Lake has to offer in Bucket List Bites: Sweet Treats Edition! This list is your ultimate guide to satisfying sugar cravings like a local. And if you’re hungry for more, don’t miss the original Bucket List Bites for even more can’t-miss eats!
Be sure to add the annual KC Irish Stew to your calendar on Sunday, March 16th serving 11am-1pm. The special recipe Irish Stew is a perfected blend of tender meat, carrots, onions, turnips and potatoes, all delicately spiced and simmered to perfection. Also included on the menu are crackers and cheese along with an assortment of delicious homemade pies. Click here for more details!
Stay at the Shore and Explore
Clear lake has many lodging options to anchor your stay at the shore. Cool hotels, fun vacation rentals, an award-winning bed & breakfast await your arrival! Bonus: off season rates mean more money to shop! Click here to find your perfect stay.
Get Active
Lake Pin & Play
Looking for some indoor fun during Spring Break? Check out Lake Pin & Play, Clear Lake’s newest entertainment hotspot! This family-friendly venue features bowling lanes, arcade games, multi-sport simulators, and a bar & grill—perfect for a day of excitement no matter the weather. Whether you’re challenging friends to a round of virtual golf, racking up high scores in the arcade, or knocking down pins on the bowling lanes, there’s something for everyone. Plus, grab a bite to eat and relax with a drink between games.
Boyer Pool & Wellness Center
Take a dip in the heated indoor swimming pool and hot tub, plus get access to the gymnasium, where you can enjoy pickleball, basketball, indoor walking, ping pong, corn hole and more! Head outside for their disc golf course and enjoy the spring weather! Day passes are available for $5 per person, memberships also available.
Clear Lake Athletics & Wellness Center
Tag, you’re it – welcome to Spring Break Open Gym at the CLAW! Over Spring break we will have Open Gym Time on Monday March 11th -Friday, March 15th from 1pm-3pm. Games, crafts, and free time will all be available, cost is $20.00 for the week or $5 per day. The CLAW also has day passes for adults to enjoy the center, plus the Lion’s Den indoor playground for the little ones to enjoy.
Everybody Plays Inclusive Playground
Check out Clear Lake’s newest playground located at 109 S 15th St (next to the Aquatic Center). This park is the only one of it’s kind within 90 miles. Everybody Plays Inclusive Playground allows children and adults of all abilities to play together.
Geocache
Clear Lake is home to hundreds of caches! A modern-day treasure hunt that will take you on some amazing treks, this family-friendly hobby gets you outdoors and active. Be sure to search for Clear Lake Tourism’s cache series that includes a special takeaway in each one; including “That’ll Be The Day You Cache Clear Lake,” Iowa Geocachers Association’s Most Creative Mystery Cache for 2023. Grab your mobile phone, download the Geocaching app, and go treasure hunting! Need help? Stop by the visitor center for a quick tutorial.
Go on a Storywalk®
“Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme” by Avery Monsen is the newest installation at the ORC (12th Ave S). Filled with irresistible wordplay and whimsically silly illustrations, it tells the story of a boy who learns not to be stressed if he’s not at his…tippy-top peak performance. The StoryWalk® features pages from a picture book combined with prompts to keep you moving and develop literacy skills. Follow the 20 story posts starting at the south parking lot and spread over half a mile. This story will be up through March.
Library Adventures
Clear Lake Public Library
The CLPL has a bunch of fun activities planned for Spring Break for families to enjoy! Click here for a full listing of activities, book clubs, and more.
Monday, March 10 at 1pm: Interactive Family Movie: The Princess Bride
Join us for a free, family-friendly, interactive adventure. Watch a popular kids/family movie, but with prompts that keep the whole family entertained. Interactive movies get the audience involved by providing cues and prompts for them to say or do things as the movie plays. Everyone is invited to sing along (subtitles provided)!
The Princess Bride: Follow the quest of a young swashbuckler (Cary Elwes) to rescue the beautiful title heroine (Robin Wright) from her sinister husband-to-be (Chris Sarandon), in director Rob Reiner’s fun and fetching fairy tale for the whole family. Along the way, our hero encounters a host of colorful characters, including a wily mastermind (Wallace Shawn), a gentle giant (Andre the Giant), and a noble Spanish swordsman (Mandy Patinkin). With Christopher Guest, Peter Falk, and Billy Crystal.
Tuesday, March 11: It’s Lego® Day at the Library
First, enjoy a morning of Lego® building from 10am-12pm. We provide the materials, you provide the imagination! Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult.
From 3-4pm, all ages are invited to build a Lego® Derby car and race it down our Pinewood Derby track. Families can race against each other, friends, or strangers during this hour-long program. Registration required, click here to register.
Wednesday, March 12: Get Messy
Little Learners Story Time for children age 5 and under is held at 10:30 a.m. every Wednesday, year-round. Story time consists of stories, body movement activities, songs, and rhymes, helping children grow the skills they need to become lifelong readers.
Messy Art Wednesday: One of our most loved programs during Summer Reading was Messy Art, so we’re bringing it back over Spring Break! Join us in the meeting room for some messy crafts from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. This is a come and go event.
Thursday, March 13: Crafternoon
Drop by the library and make a craft while you search for books over Spring Break! Children will be able to create and imagine projects using leftover materials from our craft closet, or create one of our template projects on display. We provide the supplies; you provide the creativity. Program is come and go. Open to all ages.
Friday, March 15: Rainbow Playdate at the Library
It’s a colorful day at the library! Join us in the meeting room for some fun rainbow-themed games and activities. Geared toward ages 6 and under, but all are welcome.
Experience Art & Culture
Clear Lake Arts Center
Spring Break Art Class: Thinking Outside the Box! Join us for a fun and creative art camp on Tuesday, March 11 from 9am-11:30am. Guided by Ms. Nicole Nelson, an experienced art educator. Let your child explore creativity, think outside the box, and have a blast with hands-on art activities. Register here for $20 per student (ages 7-12).
Open Wednesday – Saturday 10am-4pm.
Surf Ballroom & Museum
Immerse yourself in the rich history of Clear Lake by visiting the Surf Ballroom & Museum, Iowa’s 27th National Historic Landmark. Visit Three Stars Plaza, located one block west of the Surf’s main entrance, this circular park plays off the musical significance of Clear Lake and features an art deco inspired central spindle holding three 45 records in position “ready to play.” After visiting the Surf Ballroom, head to the crash site to complete the final piece of rock ‘n’ roll history with a trek to the Three Stars Memorial Site where the plane came to rest just 5 miles north of Clear Lake.
The Surf is open Monday-Friday 8am-4pm for self-guided tours.
Lake Theatre
Showtimes have been added for Spring Break! Monday, March 10 & Tuesday, March 11 at 7pm and Wednesday, March 14 at 1pm & 7pm plus the usual showtimes: Thursday & Friday 7pm, Saturday & Sunday 1pm, 4pm, & 7pm. Tickets are $5 adults, $4 children 12 and under. Click here to buy your tickets online!
Showing Friday, March 7 – Wednesday, March 12: The Unbreakable Boy (PG) From Kingdom Story Company, the team behind Jesus Revolution and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Lionsgate, the studio behind Wonder, comes The Unbreakable Boy. When his parents, Scott (Zachary Levi) and Teresa (Meghann Fahy), learn that Austin is both autistic and has brittle bone disease, they initially worry for their son’s future. But with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they become “unbreakable,” finding joy, gratitude, and courage even in the most trying times — an extraordinary true story about a father and son learning together that every day can be the best day of your life!
Showing Thursday, March 13 through Sunday, March 16: The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (PG). That’s not all folks! From Ketchup Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, director Pete Browngardt, and the creative team behind the award-winning “Looney Tunes Cartoons” comes THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE, a brand new buddy comedy starring one of the greatest comedic duos in history–Porky Pig and Daffy Duck! This richly-crafted, hand-drawn 2D animated adventure marks the first fully-animated feature-length film in Looney Tunes history, told on a scope and scale that’s truly out of this world. Porky Pig and Daffy Duck venture to the big screen as unlikely heroes and Earth’s only hope when their antics at the local bubble gum factory uncover a secret alien mind control plot. Faced with cosmic odds, the two are determined to save their town (and the world!)… that is if they don’t drive each other totally looney in the process. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actors Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Wayne Knight, and Laraine Newman with the laugh-out-loud gags, vibrant visuals, and beloved characters that make the Looney Tunes so timeless and iconic.
Freedom Rock Park
Part of a 99-piece mural throughout the state of Iowa, Clear Lake’s 16 ton Freedom Rock pays tribute to Captain Henry Irving Smith, who was the only soldier from Cerro Gordo County to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Civil War hero was awarded the high honor in 1865. Pick up a Freedom Rock map at the Visitor Center to explore them all!
BINGO, Bags & Trivia
Clear Lake loves BINGO, and you have FOUR opportunities to play during Spring Break in Clear Lake! (Insert B4 BINGO joke)
VFW BINGO & Bags
Besides the good ol’ fashioned fun, the veterans and auxiliary volunteers donate all proceeds from the BINGO games to community charities and veteran causes. BINGO Night is held at the VFW the 2nd & 4th Mondays of the month from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Must be over 21 to play. (March 10)
On Wednesdays the VFW hosts their weekly bean bag night. Drop in and sign up at 6:30pm, play begins at 7pm. There is a $1 entry per person and prize money is awarded each week. Bring a snack to share if you like! (March 10)
Lake Time Brewery
Gather your friends, savor the flavors, and compete for bragging rights and fantastic prizes at the Brewery’s weekly trivia night! Thursdays from 7-9pm. (March 14)