Tag:  Downtown

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Bridge lights to dance to the sound of holiday music once again

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Downtown Muscatine is the place to be this weekend with a variety of activities to kick off the holiday season including the Parks & Recreation Candy Cane Hunt, Jingle & Mingle sponsored by Discover Muscatine, and a visit by the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train.

Not least among these events is the Friday premiere of a featured event that quickly became a holiday classic and a must see for Muscatine residents and visitors. Muso Lighting has again partnered with Muscatine Power & Water (MPW) and the City of Muscatine to bring a musical light show featuring Muscatine’s Norbert F. Beckey Bridge.

The final touches are currently being made to the design of this year’s show that will include an introduction, eight songs including several new songs, and a running time of 13 minutes. Last year’s production had a running time of eight minutes and proved to be a huge success.

The 2022 version will premier at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 2, with residents able to tune into 87.9 FM to listen to the special holiday music while watching the light show from the warmth and convenience of their vehicles while parked in Riverside Park. The program will run every day from 5:00 p.m. to 12 a.m. through January 8, 2023.

Jingle and Mingle in Downtown Muscatine Friday

The premier follows the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony that will be held from 5:30-5:45 p.m. at MidwestOne Bank at the corner of Cedar and 2nd Street. Jingle & Mingle (formerly Holiday Stroll) will be held from 5:30-8:00 p.m. along 2nd Street from Mulberry to Pine, and is expected to bring thousands to Downtown Muscatine Friday night. Visit https://pearlcityjingleandmingle.com/ for a complete list of activities.

Hunt for Candy Canes Friday in Riverside Park

The Muscatine Parks and Recreation Candy Cane Hunt will be held at 6 p.m. near Pearl City Station located in Riverside Park. Hunters and spectators will gather outside of the Pearl City Station with two age-group areas (pre-kindergarten through first grade and second through fourth grade girls and boys) set up for the hunt in the green space near the basketball courts.

Children will be able to sweep through the designated areas gathering up the sweet treats that they will be able to keep. The young hunters will receive a prize for each candy cane found. “Special” candy canes will be sprinkled around that can be redeemed at Pearl City Station for a special toy. 

The Candy Cane Hunt will be held in the dark, so bring a flashlight if you wish. LED flashlights will be available from our sponsors if you do not have one.

Please contact the Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department at (563) 263-0241 for more information. 

Holiday Train arrives Saturday night

Riverside Park will also be the place to be Saturday night as the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train makes its first stop in Muscatine after an absence of several years due to the pandemic. The train is anticipated to arrive at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with a 20-minute program from the boxcar stage that will be opposite the downriver boat ramp. (See earlier story). 

The Iowa Avenue railroad crossing will be closed to traffic during the train’s arrival and the performance but the Cedar Street entrance will remain open.

Christmas with the Symphony

For those looking for musical entertainment in, perhaps, a warmer location, the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra will present “Christmas with the Symphony” at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 3) at the First Presbyterian Church, 401 Iowa Avenue, Muscatine. Admission is free but those attending are asked to bring a toy or a canned good donation to the performance. Free books for children will be provided by the Muscatine Literacy Coalition. For more information visit www.muscatinesymphony.org.

Weed Park Festival of Lights opens December 12

The Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department will also be sponsoring the Festival of Lights in Muscatine’s historic Weed Park. Residents and visitors can enjoy a large variety of beautiful displays as the park will be aglow from 5:30-7:30 p.m. starting Monday, December 12. The Festival of Lights concludes on Monday, December 26. 

Viewers may drive through the park to view the spectacle beginning at the Washington Street entrance and proceeding to the Colorado Street exit. Non-perishable goodwill food donations may be dropped in the container at the Washington Street entrance to benefit local food pantries.

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Portion of 2nd Street to be closed to traffic Friday

MUSCATINE, Iowa – A portion of 2nd Street in Downtown Muscatine will be closed to vehicular traffic from 12-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, for the annual Jingle & Mingle (formerly Holiday Stroll) event. East 2nd Street will be closed at the Mulberry Roundabout and West 2nd Street will be closed at the Pine Street intersection. 

Intersecting side-streets (Walnut, Cedar, Sycamore, Iowa, and Chestnut) will be closed at the #1 alley (between Mississippi Drive and 2nd Street), and at the #2 alley (between 3rd and 2nd streets).

No parking will be allowed in the closed section starting at noon on Friday, Dec. 2. Access to all businesses will be maintained with parking available in Riverside Park, city parking lots, and on city streets north of the closed section. 

Drivers should use Mississippi Drive or 3rd Street to detour around the street closure.

To find out additional information or for any questions, please email feedback@muscatineiowa.gov.  

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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Traffic restrictions in place for Fourth of July activities

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Fourth of July festivities in Downtown Muscatine will mean restricted access to certain streets and changes in traffic patterns throughout the day on Monday (July 4). The weather forecast promises mostly sunny skies with a high temperature of around 90 degrees and that will mean a day filled with family fun in celebration of our Independence Day.

CHILDREN’S DRESS-UP PARADE

The day begins with the Musser Public Library and HNI Community Center’s Fourth of July Children’s Dress-up Parade.

Children, and their caregivers, can dress up as their favorite book character, wear red, white, and blue, or come as you are for this parade through Downtown Muscatine. Those participating are asked to meet in the parking lot at West 2nd and Pine streets prior to the 9 a.m. start. A colorful cast of characters will be on hand to lead the parade down 2nd Street to the Musser Public Library for a book and popsicle.

No traffic restrictions are planned for this parade but those who may be driving through Downtown Muscatine are asked to be alert and aware of the children’s parade between 9 and 10 a.m.

2022-4th-of-July-Parade-Packet_Page_4A (JPG)GMCCI COMMUNITY PARADE

The Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GMCC) Community Parade returns for the first time since 2019 with entries marching down Iowa Avenue to 2nd Street to Walnut Street, and finishing on 5th Street starting at 4 p.m. Side-street intersections with Iowa Avenue from Fulliam to 2nd Street will be closed to traffic Monday morning. Staging and check in for the parade will begin at 2 p.m. at Fulliam and Iowa (Iowa Field).

Iowa Avenue will again be open between 3rd and 4th streets but those watching the parade are asked not to congregate in this area as the west half of the block will still be blocked off due to construction at the new Stanley Center for Peace and Security (old library building).

Side-street intersections will reopen once the parade participants and citizens watching the parade have dispersed.

RIVERSIDE PARK RESTRICTIONS AND TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGES

The downriver boat launch inside Riverside Park will be closed to the public Sunday and Monday (July 3-4). Parking will also be restricted in the downriver end of Riverside Park with Almost Fireworks Fest from 5-8 p.m., the presentation by the Honor Guard and a performance by the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra in front of Pearl City Station at 8 p.m., and then Fireworks Over the Mighty Mississippi at dusk.

The traffic pattern for those exiting Riverside Park following the fireworks display will be:

  • From the Iowa Avenue exit at the riverfront, all traffic will be directed left (west) on Mississippi Drive. Iowa Avenue will be blocked off on the town side of the intersection.
  • From the Cedar Street exit at the riverfront, all traffic will be directed straight (north) or right (east) on all intersections from Mississippi Drive through 5th Street. No left (west) turns will be permitted on Mississippi Drive, 2nd Street, 3rd Street, 4th Street, or 5th Street.
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City of Muscatine Press Releases

Downtown assessment underway; public meeting Thursday

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Downtown development in Muscatine will be the focus of four downtown revitalization specialists from the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Downtown Resource Center this week as they tour the city and meet with residents and business owners. 

 

The City of Muscatine and the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry have teamed up to coordinate the Downtown Assessment scheduled Tuesday through Thursday (May 3-5). The Assessment is an intense, on-site study of the downtown, including a public presentation at the end of the visit and a written report that will help the planning efforts of the City of Muscatine.

 

“The Assessment Visit is a great way for a community to take a step back and get honest feedback from a qualified group of downtown professionals,” Jim Engle, Director of the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, said. “The five-person team will highlight the downtown’s strengths and challenges, and will offer some practical recommendations that the community can implement over time.” 

 

Muscatine’s Assessment team consists of:

  • Carol Lilly, Downtown Development Specialist, Iowa Downtown Resource Center, IEDA
  • Jim Thompson, Downtown Economic Development Specialist, Iowa Downtown Resource Center, IEDA
  • Jeff Geerts, Special Projects Manager, IEDA
  • Tim Reinders, Design consultant
  • Dennis Reynolds, Reynolds Design

 

All four of the IEDA Downtown Revitalization Specialists have worked extensively in all sizes of communities in the Midwest with an emphasis on downtown development. Many communities in Iowa have taken advantage of this service and then went on to execute successful plans and projects. Issues such as downtown aesthetics, business mix and development, organizational refinement, promotion calendars, and building rehabilitation are common themes for the downtown assessment visits.

 

The service started earlier this month with a short pre-visit, and an on-line survey completed by more than 200 residents. While on-site, the team will tour the community and the downtown, hold a public meeting and interview a number of local businesses owners, residents and community groups. 

 

“The visit is always most successful when we have excellent community input,” Engle said. “We encourage Muscatine residents to get involved with the visit in some way. Meet with the assessment team. Attend the public meeting. We encourage you to think about your downtown and come ready to participate.”

 

A public meeting will be held at 12 p.m. on Thursday (May 5) at Musser Public Library. All members of the public and media are invited to attend the presentation and ask questions of the assessment team.

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