Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District designation recognizes well-identified, walkable, mixed-use, compact areas of a city or county in which a high concentration of cultural facilities serves as the anchor. To be designated, a Cultural & Entertainment District must already be an area where arts and cultural activities thrive. Designation by the state is an achievement, intended to formally recognize that a particular locale is an acknowledged cultural destination.
- Who: Nonprofits, For-Profit or Commercial Entities, Communities
- What: Designation, technical assistance, promotional programming, marketing materials
- When: Application closed June 15, 2020
How to Apply
The Iowa Cultural & Entertainment Districts program is not currently accepting applications. Recent applicants can access the guidelines online.
Manage Your Designation
Designation Handbook
Read the handbook to learn how to manage your designation, including Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) compliance and publicity.
Annual Report
As a designation recipient, you must complete the annual report form by August 1 each year of designation with an overview of the past year’s successes and upcoming projects.
Current Districts
- Ames Main Street
- The Avenues - Ingersoll & Grand (Des Moines)
- Cedar Falls Downtown District
- Cody Road Cultural & Entertainment District (LeClaire)
- The District - Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street (Cedar Rapids)
- Downtown Davenport Cultural & Entertainment District
- Downtown Dubuque Cultural Corridor
- Elkader Cultural & Entertainment District
- Fairfield Cultural & Entertainment District
- Historic Valley Junction Cultural & Entertainment District (West Des Moines)
- Downtown Mason City Cultural & Entertainment District
- Mount Vernon Cultural & Entertainment District
- Spencer Arts District
