Chalk festival, dinner drama to light up Main Street Le Mars

Le Mars is in for a bit of the unusual in the year ahead.

The Main Street program and the Chamber of Commerce are trying some fresh events to reinvigorate downtown Le Mars.

Mary Reynolds, the new Main Street Manager, is helping pioneer some of the ideas.

One plan is to light the trees along Central Avenue year round.

To raise the money, Main Street and the chamber are hosting an interactive dinner theatre performance about a jewel thief in May.

In September, an artsy event debuts in Le Mars.

The first-ever Modonnari Chalk Festival will bring a professional northwest Iowa artist to Le Mars and get the community involved.

Modonnari, Reynolds explained, dates back many centuries to a time when the poor painted the streets in Europe with huge chalk drawings -- many of the Madonna, the mother of Jesus Christ.

Now the art form has been revived among modern artists.

At Le Mars' chalk festival, the regional artist will spend Friday with students, helping them create their own chalk artwork on the cement squares at Olson Cultural Event Center.

"Their art pieces will begin the festival," Reynolds said.

Then that artist would begin his or her own work, on a canvas of some kind to later be sold.

Children can be involved in creating sidewalk art -- through the Arts Center. Families may also have a chance to chalk up a square or two, alongside other professional artists from the area.

Reynolds is working to get musicians to be playing throughout the festival around the Olson Cultural Events Center.

"And stores will be open with their specials written in chalk at their storefronts," Reynolds said.

All through the summer, Reynolds is setting up 10 weeks of Wednesday entertainment in the early evening at the Olson Cultural Event Center to coordinate with the Farmer's Market.

Another new event for the coming year is a New Year's Eve Dance with the Might Nish band, a high energy rock band named after the not-so-mighty Nishnabotna River that flows through Harlan, Iowa where the members grew up.

While Ice Cream Days is not a new event, Le Mars Chamber of Commerce planner Sue Butcher said the June celebration will have a new skateboard and BMX bike exhibition, a Grill 'n' Chill Rib Rally contest, the Dueling Pianos River Rats and more.

Another up and coming project -- a brochure guiding people on a tour (by car or on foot) to the historic spots in Le Mars is in the works. Iris Hemmingson and the Historic Preservation Committee is heading up that effort, Reynolds said.

It's not all about "new" for Main Street.

Renovating store fronts and finding new businesses to fill empty spots downtown are two of Reynolds' main focuses as Main Street manager.

"We're looking at some fun stores we'd like to have come in," she said, mentioning books, clothing and unique gift items.

"And we'd like to see La Potranca (the former Mexican restaurant near the Olson Cultural Events Center) filled soon," she said.

As for business renovations, the six projects on the docket include Royal T III, the American Legion Club, Jim Flaherty's State Farm Insurance, A.J. Tentinger Insurance, the former Radio Shack building and Perfect Image -- seeking front renovations, new signs or new second-floor windows.

Design staff from the Iowa Department of Economic Development will be in Le Mars by the end of February to asses each of the six projects and suggest some design ideas so the building owners and Main Street can get some cost estimates.

"We're hoping the city will continue to fund us the dollars to help with signage and renovation," Reynolds said.