2026 Cedar Falls Visitor Guide

CEDAR FALLS VISITOR GUIDE

“History Illuminated” by Stephanie Fever (Pg. 3)

cedarfallstourism.org

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Big Woods Lake • Pg. 7

UNI Athletics @UNIPantherWrestling

@IowaLovers’ Cozy Getaway • Pg. 22

Gateway River Park • Pg. 6

Cedar Falls Beer Trail • Pg. 24

Historic Oster Regent Theatre

130 Miles of Trails • Pg. 24

Farm Tours and Local Flavors • Pg. 19

Gateway River Park • Pg. 6

iscover DCEDAR FALLS W h e r e s m a l l - t o w n c h a r m m e e t s b i g a d ve n t u r e

Step into our historic downtown, where beautifully preserved storefronts house indie shops and restaurants that showcase the best of Iowa flavor. Hop on your bicycle and explore over 130 miles of scenic trails winding along the Cedar River and through nature preserves, or stop by Gateway River Park, an all-new adventure spot with engineered whitewater features for kayaking, river surfing and more.

CONTENTS 4

Local Farm Tours

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Annual Events

CEDAR FALLS VISITOR GUIDE

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ABOUT THE COVER

Things to See & Do: Gateway River Park “Art Illuminated” by Stephanie Fever (Pg. 3)

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College Hill by the University of Northern Iowa

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Wild to Urban 24 hours of Adventure

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Things to See & Do: Outdoor Adventures

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Things to See & Do: Historic Downtown District

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Things to See & Do: Historic Attractions

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Shopping

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Dining

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Itineraries

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Stay

The University of Northern Iowa marks its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) in 2026, celebrating a century and a half of educational excellence since its founding in 1876.

150.uni.edu Artwork by Stephanie Fever (@stephaniefever) Paper collage and acrylic paint on canvas “History Illuminated” blends past and present Cedar Falls through the familiar UNI Commons doorway, connecting history with modern life in a whimsical, time-bending style.

Some photographs were sourced from the University of Northern Iowa UNI Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives.

6510 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls IA 50613 visit@cedarfalls.com | 319.268.4266

cedarfallstourism.org

Iowa Lovers Cozy Downtown Getaway

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Annual Events

cedarfallstourism.org

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JAN

NWCA National Duals Iowa Boat, RV & Vacation Show

FEB

Ice Harvest Festival Iowa Winter Games Fat Bike Race and Snowshoe 5k & 10k

MAR

Hawkeye Farm Show Maple Syrup Festival Eastern Iowa Sportshow FIRST Robotics Competition Iowa Regional

APR

RodCon Iowa Scholastic Clay Target State Championship

JUN

Sturgis Falls Celebration Cedar Basin Music Festival Fireworks Over the Dome Bridges Ride

JUL

Iowa Shrine Bowl Iowa State Trap Shoot

AUG

Bible Conference Old Time Power Show

SEP

Lost Woods Music Festival ARTapalooza Checker's Stone Soul Picnic Downtown District Street Party Lost Woods Music Festival Pear Fair

OCT

Girls Night Out Pink Ribbon Run Under the Harvest Moon

NOV

IHSAA Football Semi-Finals & Finals Festival of Trees Holiday Hoopla Kickoff

DEC

Holiday Hoopla

Find more

at CedarFallsTourism.org

Holiday Hoopla 400TM

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Lost Woods Music Festival

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Downtown District Street Party 48

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Cedar Basin Music Festival

Sturgis Falls Celebration

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ARTapalo

cedarfallstourism.org

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Things to See & Do

Catch the Wave in Cedar Falls Cedar Falls Iowa

The Midwest's hottest water sport just found its home in downtown Cedar Falls.

At Gateway River Park, engineered features transform the Cedar River into a playground where surfers carve standing waves against the city skyline.

Thrill-seekers can tackle river surfing, playboating, and whitewater kayaking, while laidback adventurers drift through on tubes, SUPs, or canoes.

Not your scene? Grab a riverside spot and watch the action unfold— there's something really cool about watching someone hang ten in the heart of Iowa.

cedarfallstourism.org

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Ready to ride?

Book lessons at GatewayRiverPark.com.

Things to See & Do

Big Woods Lake

OUTDOOR

ADVENTURES in every season

The Falls Aquatic Center

River Surfing

Ice Fishing

cedarfallstourism.org

130+ miles of trails

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Things to See & Do

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

Days of fun - all within a few blocks!

Wander through indie boutiques, catch live music, sample craft brews at local taprooms, and discover why this stretch earned its reputation as Iowa's best main street.

Time it right and you'll land during one of Cedar Falls' legendary annual events—think festivals, art shows, and celebrations that transform downtown into one giant block party. cedarfallstourism.org

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Plan your perfect getaway: CommunityMainStreet.org

Historic

Attractions

Things to See & Do

Victorian Home and Carriage House Museum

Ice House Museum

The Hearst Center for the Arts Museum and Gallery 304 West Seerley Blvd.

Rotating exhibitions, cultural events, and live performances year-round

cedarfallstourism.org

Art & Culture

thehearst.org

Cedar Falls Art Tour

Sculpture Garden @hearstcenter

Ready or Not 2025, Beth Nybeck 9

THE BEST THE BEST PLACE PLACE FOR FOR THIS:THIS: MOMENTS MOMENTS LIKE LIKE

From jaw-dropping From interactive jaw-dropping displays interactive to marvelous displays classic to marvelous machines, classic there’smachines, nothing there’s nothing like the John Deere likeTractor the John & Engine Deere Museum.

Tractor & Engine Get an up-close Museum.look Getat anrare up-close John Deere look at rare John Deere artifacts, witness artifacts, the evolution witness fromthe horse evolution drawnfrom to horsepower, horse drawn and to discover horsepower, howand the discover how the innovations of theinnovations past help shape of theour past future. help shape our future.

ADM

Tuesday Sunday –

IS HERE: IS HERE:

MISSION ADMISSION IS ALWAYS IS ALWAYS FREE! FREE!

– Saturday: Tuesday 9 a.m.

– Saturday: – 5 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

– Monday: Sunday Closed – Monday: Closed

500 Westfield Avenue 500 Westfield | Waterloo, Avenue IA 50701 | Waterloo, IA 5

VisitJohnDeere.com VisitJohnDeere

cedarfallstourism.org

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g n i p Shop

The Cedar Falls Downtown District offers a charming mix of locally-owned boutiques, specialty shops, and unique stores. You'll find everything from vintage finds and handcrafted gifts to fashion boutiques and home décor, all within a walkable area that showcases the community's welcoming small-town character.

CommunityMainStreet.org

Shop Fresh from Local Farms Hansen’s Dairy

hansendairy.com

CEDAR FALLS

cedarfallstourism.org

Saturdays, 8:30 AM - 12 PM Overman Park | May through October

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g n i n i D

Cedar Falls' dining scene reflects our community—genuine, creative, and rooted in quality. View the complete directory of dining options at cedarfallstourism.org.

Tata Yaya Ginger Thai Street Food

cedarfallstourism.org

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Breakfast spots in Cedar Falls

Gilmore's Pub

Eat

Table 1912

cedarfallstourism.org

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Urban Pie

cedarfallstourism.org

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Cedar Falls Brown Bottle

Montage Concept Kitchen

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Scratch Cupcakery

Cof fee, Sweets & Treats cedarfallstourism.org

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The Vibe Coffee and Ice Cream

Hansen’s Dairy Tours and Events (Hudson)

Experience

LOCAL FARMS

Three Pines Farm cedarfallstourism.org

Explore area farms through tours and unique experiences. Schedule a Hansen's Dairy Farm Tour to meet their cows and kangaroos, or stop by their Cedar Falls retail shop for fresh goods.

Enjoy events at Three Pines Farm, or visit the Cedar Falls Farmers Market on seasonal Saturdays to connect with local growers and producers.

Hansen’s Dairy (Cedar Falls)

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COLLEGE HILL Coffee and Baked Goods Insomnia Cookies Moo’s Bakery Sidecar Coffee Restaurants The Bing Ladies Chad’s Pizza Domino’s Pizza Greenhouse Kitchen Great Wall Chinese Mirch Masala Grill Oh My Grill Sub City Boutiques & Unique Retail Cloud 9 Glass & Novelty Buzz’s Smoke & Vapor Bani’s Liquor Limited Edition Comics Mohair Pear (+ Piercings) UNI Bookstore Services Cedar Falls Laser Engraving College Hill Barber Shop Copyworks Ritual (Tattoos + Piercings)

cedarfallstourism.org

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Bars, Pubs & Entertainment Cooper’s Taproom Social House The Library Octopus Sharky’s Suds Upstairs Fuel Kwik Star

Social House Mohair Pear

collegehillpartner ship.org Sidecar Coffee

cedarfallstourism.org

Octopus

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IOWA LOVERS

COZY

GETAWAY

Downtown District

We kicked off our first road trip of the year with a visit to the Cedar Falls Downtown District, Iowa! We stayed at The Black Hawk Hotel, a charming boutique spot celebrating 170 years.

Being right in the heart of downtown made everything so easy—shopping, dining, and exploring were all just steps away.

Our first day started with breakfast at Tata Yaya, where the waffles were absolutely amazing (we’re still thinking about them!).

After breakfast, we wandered down Main Street, popping into shops and enjoying the lively vibe—people were out walking, shopping, and sipping cocktails. Later, we treated ourselves to cocktails at Bar Winslow, right in the hotel, before ending the day with a delicious dinner in the Downtown District.

cedarfallstourism.org

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Day two started with coffee and pastries at Reader’s Cup. We then slowed things down a bit at The Nook, a cozy indie bookstore where we browsed, read a little, and just relaxed with our drinks.

The Black Hawk Hotel

Readers Cup

After more exploring and shopping at Grizzly Rose Co, World's Window and Pretty Good Co., we capped the weekend with cocktails and dinner at The Stuffed Olive.

The Stuffed Olive

The Nook

Tatiana and Cesar @iowalovers

cedarfallstourism.org

“We definitely need to come back to explore even more—Cedar Falls has so much to offer”

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WILD TO URBAN 24 Hours of Adventure in Cedar Falls MORNING • Breakfast at Patton Bar and Diner • Tubing, playboating, or river surfing at Gateway River Park • Bike to Big Woods Lake for disc golf or paddleboarding LUNCH • Craft beer on the patio at SingleSpeed Brewing • Build-your-own burger at Wilbo Burgers, Brats and Beers AFTERNOON • Bike Iowa's first designated American Discovery Trail Town • Explore 130 miles of scenic paths with 140+ wayfinding signs • Follow the Beer Trail and visit local pubs and breweries while earning swag (get the passport at cedarfallstourism.org) *See pull out map for trail loops

EVENING • Dinner by the firepit at George's Local • Axe throwing at Hurling Hatchet, Sim racing at GridLounge, or a Rage room at Shatter Space

cedarfallstourism.org

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Gear rentals and lessons: GatewayRiverPark.com

Gateway River Park

SingleSpeed Brewing

Find pet-friendly hotels & patios at CedarFallsTourism.org

cedarfallstourism.org

American Discovery Trail Town

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Hilton Garden Inn and Cedar Falls Convention & Event Center

Stay cedarfallstourism.org

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson

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Super 8

Free Breakfast

Fitness Center

Meeting Room

Restaurant

The Black Hawk Hotel 115 Main Street 319-277-1161 TheBlackHawkHotel.com

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Comfort Suites 7402 Nordic Drive 319-273-9999 ChoiceHotels.com

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Country Inn & Suites

by Radisson 2910 S. Main Street 319-268-1800 ChoiceHotels.com Days Inn 5924 University Avenue 319-266-1222 DaysInn.com Hampton Inn 101 W. 1st Street 319-242-7350 HamptonInn.com Hilton Garden Inn and Cedar Falls Convention & Event Center 7213 Nordic Drive 319-266-6611 HiltonGardenInn CedarFalls.com Holiday Inn & Suites and Bien VenU Event Center 7400 Hudson Road 319-260-2600 bienvenuevents.com Holiday Inn Express 1614 Technology Parkway 319-277-2400 OpenDoorHospitality.com Spark by Hilton 5818 Nordic Drive 319-277-6166 OpenDoorHospitality.com

Super 8 7515 Nordic Drive 319-553-6868 wyndhamhotels.com

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cedarfallstourism.org

Suburban Studios 300 Viking Road 319-268-2222 ChoiceHotels.com

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Swimming Pool

HOTELS

Guest Rooms

Cedar Falls Hotels

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6510 Hudson Road Cedar Falls, IA 50613

@Iowalovers at the Reader’s Cup See the Itinerary page 22