Oskaloosa Main Street's Committees have been working to plan our first-ever Upper Story Housing Tour. The ELEVATE your living upper story housing tour will take place on Saturday, October 1 between 10 AM-1 PM in various downtown locations.

Tickets are available now!  $10 for potential renters & general public.

Locations include:

• Ratcliff & Blake Upper Story
• Hunter's Upper Story
• Brown's Shoe Fit Upper Story
• Hawkeye Real Estate Upper Story

The tour will be self-guided and you can visit as many stops as you'd like. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Chamber office, Mahaska Drug, and Brown's Shoe Fit or at any stop on the day of the tour.  There will be seven stops on the tour.

Main Street Committee Members and some building owners will be present to answer questions. We will also have refreshments at the Hawkeye Real Estate & Brown's Shoe Fit stops.

Full details can be found at www.mahaskachamber.org/mainstreet/page/elevate_housing_tour/.

Window Art StoryWalk®

Our Halloween Window Art StoryWalk® will take place in downtown business windows from October 15-31.  Participating Main Street businesses will have storyboards in their windows and local artists will paint on the windows to tie into the story. The featured story is, Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party by Erin Barker.

Free make'n'take activities, coloring, snacks, and games will be offered at our Downtown Tea Party on Saturday, October 29 from 10 AM-2 PM in the south hall of the Penn Central Mall. This event is come & go as you please. To prep for the holiday season, a canned food drive will be held during our Downtown Tea Party. Food donations will be delivered to the Ecumenical Food Cupboard.

The Trick-or-Treat Parade will not take place this year. We are encouraging families to take part in the Window Art StoryWalk® and other local Halloween events instead. 

Full details about the Window Art StoryWalk® can be found on our website at www.mahaskachamber.org/images/events/halloween_storywalk_40294.jpg and Oskaloosa Main Street Facebook page.

Holiday Happenings in

Downtown Oskaloosa!

Turn on the Lights

Saturday, November 19 5:00-8:00 PM

Downtown Oskaloosa's Painting with Lights will officially be turned on for the holiday season.

Young Ambassadors Contest

Monday, November 28 6:00-7:00 PM

Children must enter this contest by October 21. Voting canisters will be placed in local businesses & voting will take place October 31-November 28. Children will be recognized at the contest on November 28.

Home Decorating Contest

Monday, November 28

Entry deadline is noon on Monday, November 28.

Window Decorating Contest

Wednesday, November 30

Thursday, December 1

Entries are due by November 9. 

We would like to have all windows decorated by November 19 for Turn on the Lights visitors to see.

Merry Little Downtown Christmas

Friday, December 2 6:00-7:00 PM

Celebrate the season with a visit to downtown Oskaloosa to see Santa, take photos around our dazzling downtown, and go for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage.

Lighted Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 3 7:00 PM

Continue the celebration with the 35th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade in downtown Oskaloosa. Bundle up and enjoy the sights and sounds!

Holiday Luncheon

Friday, December 16 

11:30 AM-1:00 PM

*Tickets Required* Festive luncheon featuring delightful food, cheery entertainment, and awesome door prizes. Purchase tickets in advance for $20 at the Mahaska Chamber Office.

Volunteer

If you are interested in serving on any of the Holiday Events Committees or volunteering at any of these events, please contact Amy at mainstreet@mahaskachamber.org or 641-672-2591.



• The Downtown Resurfacing Project has completed.  We love the resurfaced roads downtown!
• The 4 lane to 3 lane conversion of Hwy. 92 started work on August 22. Work is anticipated to be completed by October 28.  Learn more at: https://www.oskaloosaiowa.org/589/TSIP-IA-92A-Ave-US-63Market-St-Corridor-
• Painting with Lights will start going up in mid-October. Thank you for your support of this beautiful tourist attraction and for your patience as the lights go up. Lights will be turned on at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 19.

Each year, from late November to early January, Painting with Lights illuminates buildings around Oskaloosa’s historic downtown square and throughout the city.

The 300,000+ brilliant LED bulbs brighten our community, draw visitors from near and far (including almost all 50 states), and help boost spending at local shops, restaurants, lodging, and attractions. It’s the first display of its kind in Iowa and is the result of countless volunteer hours and generous donations from individuals and businesses.

It also requires year-round planning and fundraising for the $30,000 needed to install, maintain, remove, and store the lights each year.

Our dazzling display cannot continue or expand without financial support from the community—including our annual Painting with Lights raffle, which last year raised $8,000+ for Painting with Lights! We need your support to keep the lights glowing and to continue growing the lights in 2022 and beyond! 

Purchase your Painting with Lights Raffle Tickets at the Mahaska Chamber office or Mahaska Drug until November 27.  Drawing on November 28.