Welcome to Clear Lake!

BY: RACHEL WUMKES

If there is one thing we LOVE doing at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, it’s showcasing our quaint little town.  We welcome visitors with open arms to our community.  We hope you explore the many retail shops, restaurants and attractions we have to offer.

On Saturday, we welcome youth basketball teams from around North Iowa and Minnesota.  It is the Clear Lake Booster Club’s Jingle Jam Basketball Tournament.

Held for decades, it is a full day of fun as teams compete for a coveted medallion.  This year, with the option of addition courts at the Wellness Center, the tournament has grown exponentially.

“This is the largest tournament we’ve ever hosted,” states Booster Club VP, Shaun Wumkes.  “We’re excited to get all these people into the Wellness Center and show them what we’re doing here in Clear Lake.”

The additional courts have allowed the Jingle Jam to double in size.  This caught the eye of a youth state tournament director in NW Iowa.  As a result, the Jingle Jam is now an accredited qualifying tournament for entrance into the Heartland States Basketball Championships.

The Booster Club has worked diligently to prepare this tournament for months.

Activities Director, Troy Tysdahl, is especially proud of the work they’ve put in.  “We have the best Booster Club in the area,” he said.  “They work really hard to provide opportunities like this for a lot of kids and then pour the proceeds right back into activities for the school.”

The tournament begins at 8am with back-to-back games running throughout the entire day and into the early evening.  They will utilize the Middle School, High School, and multiple courts at the Wellness Center.  With the recent addition of the new entrance and concession area at the school, it’s the perfect time to showcase what we’ve got in Clear Lake!

Booster Club President, Michael Knorr, encourages the community to attend.  “We hope people come out to watch some amazing basketball teams compete on Saturday and support the Booster Club!”

And so, we welcome the many visitors – players, their coaches and families – to Clear Lake, and encourage them all to stay a bit and check out the town.  We have a variety of shopping possibilities if you’re looking to finish up some holiday shopping.  Our restaurants are above and beyond, pairing quality food with an exceptional atmosphere.

Check out our directory for details on where to eat and shop while you’re here!  https://clearlakeiowa.com/business-directory/

And for anyone interested in hosting an event in Clear Lake, keep in mind that Clear Lake Tourism offers grant opportunities for events bringing people into town.  The grant offers financial assistance for projects that target visitors from outside the North Iowa area to spark economic impact related to tourism expenditures. Applications are reviewed monthly and scored on Tourism Impact, Innovation, Need, Sustainability, and Budget.  Funds dispersed within this program are the result of the Hotel/Motel Tax received by the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Department.

We were able to award 3 grants in 2022 to:

Ballet Des Moines performance and STEM activities
Court of Dreams Junior Tennis Clinic & Mental Health Panel
Iowa Independent Film Festival

Approval has already been determined on a couple items for next year already!  The 2023 Grant Award winners include:

Ducks Unlimited: Frozen Feathers Ice Fishing Tournament
Isle of Iowa Parrot Head Club: Island Fever Showcase

To learn more about grant opportunities and brush up on all the guidelines and stipulations for receiving funds in Clear Lake, go to https://clearlakeiowa.com/tour-event-planning/

Or, to directly apply to the Clear Lake Chamber Tourism Department go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiPZ7oSPyDN_QzEReqjv6MwneNmOhWYC0AQf5ru0MvlY01lQ/viewform

We hope to see you all on Saturday to support these athletes as they battle it out on the courts.

Go Lions!