If you feel like you’ve done all the typical girls trips and are looking for a day full of shopping, good eating, special activities, and more then head to Charles City, Iowa, for Chick Fest.
Thank you to Charles City Tourism for hosting us for our experience at Chick Fest. All thoughts & opinions are 100% authentic and my own. For more information, please see the Disclosure Tab.
Chick Fest: An Annual Event
Charles City is located in north-central to north east Iowa and is a community of about 7,000 people. It offers so much to the residents and visitors like art, outdoor activities, a bike trail, history, and more. They also have a thriving downtown district full of great shops.
Chick Fest is annual Spring event put on by several of the retail members of the Charles City community. It has been happening for 16 years and gets bigger and better each year. Each year offers a different theme, which adds to the fun! The theme for 2024 was a western theme “Kick up your heels and enjoy a girls day out in Charles City”. A lot of the retailers took this theme to include costumes and decorations.
The day starts with a line-up of attendees to snag one of the limited loot bags (they only offer 100) that is full of coupons and goodies from the retailers. The line forms before the 9AM distribution time, and not everyone in the line will get a bag, so you want to make sure to be there early!
13 Things to Do in Charles City
Charles City Retail Stores
After snagging your loot bag, it’s time to make a plan for visiting all the shops participating. Downtown, you’ll find retailers from clothing stores to gift shops to a book store, toy store, and more.
Many of the different retailers participating in Chick Fest offer unique experiences to the attendees.
Darbe & Co Boutique
Darbe & Co Boutique is jam packed with clothing for women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. For Chick Fest, she offered samples of non-alcoholic wine which was a great start to the morning. In addition to that, she offered sales on all purses and had Easter eggs hidden around the boutique. If you found one, you could snag a free item like a tote or sunglasses!
Prologue Books & Wine
Prologue offers a wide variety of books for kids, young adults, and adults alike from travel to non-fiction, romance, and more. For Chick Fest they brought in Sweet Mama Bakes with her delicious baked goods and offered $5 Mimosas to everyone. Good books, a mimosa, and sweet treat…that’s a pretty great combination.
The Rustic Corner
The Rustic Corner offers a wide variety of gifts, but on Chick Fest day they also offer several different activities and specials. In 2024 they offered wine and wine slushy taste tests. Sara Broers, author of 100 Things to Do in Iowa Before You Die and Best Day Iowa was on hand to autograph her books. And if that wasn’t enough, you could decorate and create your own special hat!
Otto’s Oasis
One of my favorite stops in Charles City is always Otto’s Oasis! Otto’s not only offers a great selection of gifts and fresh flowers, but it’s also one of the best greenhouses around. I always love walking through to see the different plants and garden decor! Plus, the owners of Otto’s are pretty great! And, if you don’t have a creative bone in your body (like me), Christopher their head floral designer, will either teach you or will create your dream floral! For Chick Fest, they offered complimentary beverages, free succulents with purchase, and a fun game at your chance to win a gift card!
More Great Stops
Charles City is full of so many great stops in addition to the ones already mentioned! Make sure to stop in to Cardigan, Mara, Scheuth Ace Hardware, Schiller Fine Art, and Saxony. Plus, the organizers of Chick Fest also organize a home based business vendor fair near downtown, so in case you can’t find what you need in one of their brick and mortar businesses, you’re bound to find it there.
Plan a Day Date in Charles City, IA
Eat & Drink in Charles City
Of course during your time at Chick Fest in Charles City, you’re going to need some food and drink. Charles City offers a wide variety of that too.
We recommend by starting your day with a coffee product from Aroma’s. For lunch there are several options to pick from. Our personal favorite is The Pub on the Cedar which features Iowa brewed beers & ciders plus salads, burgers, pizza, and more! I gave their gluten-free crust a try with their Reuben Pizza and it was delicious.
If you’re looking for something different, try Dave’s Restaurant for home town cooking, or McCoy Smoothies for a healthy snack!
When you’re ready for something a little stronger, head to Tellurian Brewing Company! This crew is brewing up a variety of beers and seltzer plus they often bring in food trucks and offer special events like live music and earring making specifically for Chick Fest!
More Great Events in Charles City
Chick Fest isn’t the only great event that Charles City offers. Other events throughout the year include: Charles City Challenge Whitewater Festival, PAWS Dog Jog, July 4th Celebration, Christmas in July/Santa’s Shine & Show, Floyd County Fair, Heritage Fest, Art A Fest, and Party in Park. Learn more about each of these by clicking HERE!
A Girl’s Day at Chick Fest in Charles City, IA
Chick Fest is a great way to spend a day in Charles City with your girlfriends. From shopping to special activities and events to delicious eats and drinks, photo ops, and more, you’re bound to make memories and have such a great time that you’ll want to come back year after year to visit. Make sure to put it on your calendar for next year!
