 I can’t quite fathom 10 lords a-leaping but if there are lords to be found, you can find them at the Granary Mall in Walnut! I swear that place has everything! Although they are most well-known for their crocks, they have more than a person could ever imagine! I’m a big fan of the furniture and I love all things retro so it’s my kind of place!
Walnut is Iowa’s Antique City for a reason! The whole town knows how to throw a party! With Antique Walks and Festivals at Father’s Day and in the fall, as well as at Christmas, they have plenty of practice. Their RAGBRAI event was second-to-none. Plus, they are hosting their sesquicentennial next year! From the splash pad to Roberts Bakery to B Restored to the Granary Antique Mall, the town is jam-packed with fabulousness! Stores and a beautiful brick-lined street make it something to see! Want some free dough to spend in Walnut? Here’s your chance. WIDA, in an effort to support our local small businesses, is giving away a $25 gift card to the Granary Mall! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Wednesday night, August 5th at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – 2 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.) This blog post sponsored by Western Ventures, LLC.
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 On the 9th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 9 ladies dancing… Well, they might be if they drink too much wine! And that can sure happen if they win the Day 9 Giveaway to Prairie Crossing Winery in Treynor! Speaking of, let’s talk Treynor. Sure, everyone knows they like sports, but Treynor is so much more! With a drive-thru coffee shop, a golf course, an expanding bank, a fitness spot, chiropractor, real estate agent/auctioneer, and a bar and grill with year-round leagues and so many other unique shops and businesses, Treynor is a great place to be! Plus, the winery is award-winning and not only a place to go hear live music, but you can just grab your wine and head home, too! Nothing wrong with Netflix and Chilled wine! Want to get in on the action? WIDA, in an effort to support our local small businesses, is giving away a $25 gift card to Prairie Crossing Vineyard and Winery! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Friday night, July 31th at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – 3 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)   8 Maids a-Milking? No thanks! But a bacon cheeseburger at The Dew Drop Inn? YES, Please!!! Christmas in July continues! I keep telling people that The Dew Drop is one of the best kept secrets in Pott. Co! Right on the main street in McClelland, you don’t want to miss it! With lunch specials every day including steak sandwiches that hail from next door at Jon’s Naturals and things like tacos and homemade cake! Plus, they’ve always got beer! If you haven’t been to the hamlet of McClelland, it’s time you did! I love McClelland! Tucked away in the hills, you’ll find a beautiful main street with the Ellison Gardens (gorgeous this time of year), a park complete with a mini merry-go-round and a spider jungle gym, and the bronze eagle statue! There’s something quaint and friendly about McClelland that you just can’t find anywhere else. And listen, I know my food! And I’m telling you – I love me some Dew Drop grub! Want to try it? Here’s your chance. WIDA, in an effort to support our local small businesses, is giving away a $25 gift card to The Dew Drop Inn! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Wednesday night, July 29th at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – 4 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)    Grab those bandana masks and be an old-time cowboy at the rodeo! The Nationally-affiliated Carson Rodeo has its kickoff dinner on tomorrow night, Wednesday night (the 29th), and the rodeo will run Thursday – Saturday night! And it’s going to be the best yet! They are filled to the brim with the best of the best! They have an “insane” amount of entries according to Rodeo Treasurer, Cala Hough. The contestants are excited to participate and with a record-number of them, you get the benefit of seeing top contenders every night and all the slack run Thursday night and barrel racing Friday morning! What a fabulous long weekend! The rodeo committee is committed to giving you the best weekend they possibly can knowing that everyone’s had a rough year so they have gone out of their way to also insure that the beer tent will be open till midnight on Thursday night and breakfast will be served at the Cook Shack with Minden Meat Market/Hodges Smokehouse Catering in charge on Friday morning! All 3 nights will feature 12 events running and little kid mutton busting! (Mutton busting is open to kids 5-7 and under 50lbs. Sign up is at 7 each night. They only take the first 20 so you might want to be early!) Also, all 3 nights, you can show your military ID to get a free beer from Doll Distributing! Thursday night reigns as Kids Night. Mutton busting and stick-horse races are on tap. All participating kids win a free slushy at The Bar’N and Grill, too! Friday and Saturday night feature live music after the rodeo with a full-fledged street dance! Oreo Meatwagon plays Friday night and Lucky Se7en on Saturday night. Plus, Saturday morning, you can catch the rodeo parade at 10:30! Always a good time, clowns and locals come out to celebrate on Broadway! Plenty of room for social distancing! The City of Carson will also be having a dedication ceremony following the parade for their new pickleball court. Lots of action for everyone! Masks and social distancing will be recommended, and for those wondering, a whole lot of people volunteer to make this event happen every year. It’s the highlight of summer in Carson. A lot of tough decisions had to be made, but at the end of the day, Carson Rodeo promises a good time year-after-year and they take their dedication to the 43rd Annual Carson Rodeo seriously. So grab your boots, your cowboy hat, koozie, and mask, it’s gonna be a fun weekend in Carson! To get in on the action, you can purchase advanced tickets for $10 and kids 5-11 for $4. BUT you must get them by TOMORROW! Advanced tickets can be purchased at stores till Wednesday and online till midnight on Wednesday (although there is a small processing fee online). If interested in purchasing tickets in stores, they are available at The Country Store, The Bar’N and Grill, and Rolling Hills Bank in Carson or KSOM and Hy-Vee in Atlantic, Lakeside Country Store and Boot Barn in Council Bluffs, Keast Ford in Harlan, Keast Chevy and Buck Snort in Oakland, AgriVision Equipment Group in Macedonia, Silos in Treynor, KCSI in Red Oak, and Buck Snort in Neola. Tickets at the gate will be $15 and children 5-11 will be $5 with under 5 being free. In need of an outing, here’s your chance! Get some fresh air and see some wild rides! They’ll be ready for you!   On the 7th day of Christmas, WIDA gave to me… a chance to eat at Back Forty in the town of ‘Donia! Macedonia is one of those places you can’t help but love! Not only is it the home of the longest one-block parade, but it is also the home of one of only 2 covered grandstands left in Iowa! Not to mention it has the Painted Camel, the best little art gallery this side of the county with 2 museums on Main Street, a performing arts theatre, and, of course, the Back Forty! Plus, they have their own B&B! Let me just give a huge shout-out to the Back Forty for providing Meals on Wheels during COVID and taking on a huge commitment serving the area. That said, whether you're looking for a daily special, a night of dancing, or some drinks on tap, the Back Forty is for you! Besides all the fabulous places, there are also great people! And here’s your chance to go see both! WIDA, in an effort to support our local small businesses, is giving away a $25 gift card to Back Forty! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Saturday night, July 25th at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – 5 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)   It’s Westfair week!
Although some events have already started prior to the official July 22 start date, there’s more to come and you can catch all that’s already happened online! Just head over to the West Pottawattamie County Extension and Outreach or West Pott. 4-H pages on Facebook to see all the shows! The 4-H and FFA kids will all get to show their livestock this week but fans are asked to stay home this year. Families of those showing are welcome but with masks and social distancing and plenty of patience! The rest of us can watch the shows live from our comfy couches and air conditioning! Not a bad way to watch livestock! Lol. Also, for those of you wondering, the Best of the Southwest Shoot-out will still take place on Sunday. Watch from home or if you attend, please sport your mask. If you are unfamiliar with this part, neighboring counties send their champions to compete against the others is a Top Gun-esque type showdown. It really is impressive! I was also told you can see lots of pictures that are updated daily on Smug Mug. Just search for iwestpottextension.smugmug.com Westfair is not having their usual livestock auction, but if you’d like to support all these kids who are still doing their chores every day in the middle of a pandemic, you can contribute to a fund set up at TS Bank in Treynor. All the money raised will be split amongst the market animal showmen. But I do have good news! Nightly events will still be happening! The Truck and Tractor Pull will happen at the Amphitheater Thursday night starting at 6pm. Then, you can see local Cole Rath on Friday night in the beer garden and Finding Dixie on Saturday night! Sunday brings Motorcross at 10am so it is a jam-packed event weekend. Westfair is ready for you!  No one wants 6 geese a-laying in their yard! But I bet ya nobody would complain about a gift card to Garcia’s Family Mexican Restaurant in their mailbox!
That’s right. As we continue our Christmas in July event, it is Day 6 and you can win a $25 gift card to Garcia’s to get your taco-burrito-enchilada-margarita fix! Garcia’s calls Underwood home. And we love Underwood! It’s bringing so many new families to the area with new housing popping up every day! Underwood also offers UMBA Hall where they roller skate on Fridays in the winter and have Monday Markets in the summer! You’ll also find the Friends of Underwood at any major event making a difference in the community. Underwood is a great stop off Interstate 80 with the Underwood Truck Stop, the Underwood Motel, Subway, and the I-80 Lounge with outdoor seating or head downtown to spots like Garcia’s and Taylor’s Trims and Tans! So here’s your chance to get on over to Underwood for some Mexican food and great town atmosphere simply because WIDA is encouraging everyone to help out our local Pottawattamie County small businesses! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Thursday night, July 23rd at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – we are only halfway through our giveaways! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)  On the 5th Day of Christmas in July, WIDA offered me 5 golden…
Onion rings… at Minden Bowl Café and Lounge! That’s right. You can win a $25 gift certificate to bowl, eat, or both! Minden Bowl is back open and ready to serve you! If you haven’t been, they offer Prime Rib Night, taco night, drinks, and some great bowling! Minden Bowl is right on the town triangle and is part of the Minden line-up along with long-time businesses like Minden Meat Market, Lehan Pharmacy, the Minden Midtown Motel, the Countryside Grocery Store, ReDefine Beauty Salon, and Midstates Bank! If you haven’t been to Minden lately, you really need to check out that town triangle, it is beautiful this time of year with all the landscaping done by EZ Greenhouse, a new Minden business! And if you’re in need a summer beverage, be sure to swing by Breezy Hills Vineyard & Winery! Fridays are for Wings and Wine-a-ritas! Want to get in on the giveaway? WIDA is giving you the opportunity to score a free gift card worth $25 at Minden Bowl Café and Lounge in our effort to help out our local Pottawattamie County small businesses! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Sunday night, July 19 at midnight (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – we have 7 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)  On the 4th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… A gift card to the Avoca Flower Shop! No calling birds! We are talking flowers, Iowa memorabilia, candles, wine, or whatever else fabulous you find at the Avoca Flower Shop! The Avoca Flower Shop is a mainstay of the Avoca Main Street program. The Avoca Main Street group works hard to ensure you have plenty of options for shopping local from the new Mexican restaurant, Casa Mexicana, to the Polish’d Nail Spa where you can get your nails done to The Avoca Public Library to Iowa Kids Outfitter with pre-owned kids’ clothing to buy! With 50+ places located on Avoca’s Main Street plus their weekly Farmer’s Market, you have lots of options on Elm Street! And FYI, the Pottawattamie County Fair just happens to be taking place this week in Avoca, too! The Avoca Flower Shop is home to $5 Fridays! On Fridays, you can order a $5 bouquet, but you have to hurry because they often sell out! Owner, Linsey McCarthy, takes great pride in her shop and tries to offer good deals and individualized help to all. Here’s your opportunity to get just that! You can win a $25 gift card to the Avoca Flower Shop! In an effort to support our local Pottawattamie County businesses, WIDA is giving you the opportunity to score a free gift card! To enter to win, there are 2 parts:
You must be entered by Friday, July 17 at noon (central time). The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the contest! And stay tuned – we have 8 more giveaways to go! (This contest/giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other entities. It is fully sponsored by WIDA.)   It’s East Pott. County Fair Week in Avoca! And even though it looks completely different, you can still see all the action! So the shows must go on… as the saying goes! All the 4-Hers and FFAers will still get their chance! However, unless you’re family (and even a few of you lol), you’re encouraged to stay home this year! As someone who’s been a lifetime fair goer, I know how hard those words are to hear, but we gotta take care of our own! And the folks with the fair are going to do their best to make sure you see the play-by-play! All shows will be done in the large cattle ring and will be video-taped for you to view! The staff will be doing Facebook Live and all videos will be shared on the Pottawattamie County Fair page and the East Pottawattamie 4-H Page. You can even watch them at your leisure…from your air-conditioned house…in your recliner! They will also be going live every evening to make announcements and share award results. In fact, some of the earlier things like presentations and Share the Fun are already posted and waiting for you! Just stay tuned for the rest! Another bonus: they are inviting you to swing by between 4 and 8pm on Saturday for their regular food truck night under the trees! So at least you can get your feel of fair. As many of you know, the Pottawattamie County Fair in Avoca usually runs Wednesday thru Monday with Wednesday being static projects, Thursday being lots of contests, Friday being the hog and sheep show, Saturday the cattle show, and Sunday the small pets shows and the alumni picnic, and Monday the premium auction with a few other things scattered in. What I feel needs mentioned the most is that the premium auction will still be happening on Monday. Folks, these kids have had a really rough year. We all have, but we all know that being a 4-H/FFA member sets you up to be a responsible citizen and good human being and these kids could really use a win. It isn’t easy being the kid who has to do chores, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. Let’s show them the love! The auction will be held in the main cattle showring so social distancing is possible. A slide show of the kids with their animals will run during the auction instead of the usual in-person version. If you can be there to support even one kid, you are making a difference and there’s no better feeling than helping others! And if you can’t be there or don’t feel comfortable being there in person, I will personally hook you up with someone to take your bid for you! If you do plan to be at the fairgrounds, they ask that you practice social distancing and/or wear masks. Happy Fair Week 2020! May 2021 be our victory party!  |
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