Spring is rolling in, even if the ice isn’t out just yet! 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
Spring Break rule number one: eat like you live here. Clear Lake’s food scene isn’t about white tablecloths and tiny portions. It’s about the burger you think about all winter, the pizza that tastes better after a lake walk, and the kind of patio meal that turns into “one more round.” Our refreshed Bucket List Bites rounds up the local standouts, updated with a few new additions. If you’re in town for a few days, this is your cheat sheet.
Got a sweet tooth? We spun off a Bucket List Bites: Sweet Treats Edition because dessert deserves its own spotlight. From old-school ice cream counters to bakery cases you’ll press your nose against, this is your guide to treating yourself properly. Still hungry? Start with the original Bucket List Bites and pace yourself.
And mark your calendar for the annual KC Irish Stew on Sunday, March 15, served 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This isn’t a light sprinkle of Irish flair. It’s a hearty bowl loaded with tender meat, carrots, onions, turnips, and potatoes, slow-simmered and seasoned just right. Crackers, cheese, and a lineup of homemade pies seal the deal. Come hungry. 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 that just celebrated their first anniversary! 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 9th – Friday, March 13th 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 one of a kind playground located at 109 S 15th St (next to the Aquatic Center). 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®
“Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck” by Lisa Westberg-Peters is the newest installation at the ORC (12th Ave S). What’s a cold little duck to do when she races the spring thaw to her home pond and wins? She could shiver, slip, slide, and shake–or think lovely, warm thoughts until nature comes through and brings the pond splashing and quacking to life once again. 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 9 at 1pm: Interactive Family Movie: Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
Interactive movies get the audience involved by providing cues and prompts for them to say or do things as the movie plays. You may need to eat a special snack, blow bubbles, make noises, or some other crazy action! All props, popcorn, and lemonade will be provided.
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (PG // 2019): Miles Morales is the new Spider-Man but must also walk the balance between his personal high school & family life and his life as a superhero. While being Spider-Man, he becomes familiar with the Spider-Verse, where there are endless variations on Spider-Man. One of the Spider-Man variations living inside the Spider-Verse is Spider-Man, Peter Parker, who guides Miles in his journey as the new Spider-Man and introduces him to the multitude of other Spider-Men, including Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Ham. All of the various Spider-Men will have to band together when villains threaten the safety of the Spider-Verse and of the world itself.
Tuesday, March 10 from 10am-noon: Lego® Open Build
Enjoy a Lego® open build at the library for a morning. We provide the materials, you provide the imagination! Children under 8 need to be accompanied by an adult.
Three different sizes of building blocks will be provided so the whole family can come!
Wednesday, March 11: Get Messy
Little Learners Story Time for children ages 3-5 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: Grab some old clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and join us in the meeting room for Messy Art! All ages, toddler to adult, are invited to spend some time creating their own masterpieces. Some paint shirts in select sizes are available to borrow. Drop in event. Join us in the meeting room for some messy crafts from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Tevent.
Thursday, March 12: Game Day & Crafternoon
From 10am-noon, spend some time playing some board games, card games, or GIANT games at the library. All ages welcome. Then, join us for an hour of crafting at the library from 1-2pm. 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 and designed for adults.
Friday, March 13 from 10am-noon: Superhero Playdate at the Library
It’s a SUPER day at the library! Join us in the meeting room for some fun superhero-themed games and activities. Superhero attire or costumes encouraged! Geared toward ages 6 and under, but all are welcome.
Saturday, March 14 from 10am-5pm: Superhero Escape Room
Race the clock to escape this superhero-themed room before time runs out! You have 20 minutes to solve the clues and collect your prize, so gather your friends and family to see if you have what it takes to escape.
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
Step into rock ’n’ roll history at the Surf Ballroom & Museum, Iowa’s 27th National Historic Landmark. Tour the iconic dance floor, explore music memorabilia, and stroll over to Three Stars Plaza just one block west. Now open next door, the new Music Experience Center features Not Fade Away, an immersive exhibit honoring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson with powerful storytelling and interactive digital projection. Mention CHAMBER when you arrive for $5 off admission during spring break!
The Surf is open Monday–Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. General Admission: $19.59 adults, $9.59 kids 12 and under
Admission includes:
• Self-guided tour of historic artifact exhibits
• Timed entry to the Not Fade Away immersive experience
• Access to the historic Surf Ballroom (unless booked for a private or concert event)
Lake Theatre
Showtimes have been added for Spring Break! Enjoy the fun family movie at 1pm & 7pm Monday-Friday plus the usual showtimes Saturday & Sunday 1pm, 4pm, & 7pm. Tickets are $5 adults, $4 children 12 and under. Click here to buy your tickets online!
Hoppers (PG)
What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying? In Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Hoppers,” scientists have discovered how to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals! The adventure introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use the technology, uncovering mysteries within the animal world that are beyond anything she could have imagined.
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 a good game night!
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 9)
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 9)
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 12)