Midwest Living recently featured Mount Vernon in its guide to spending a day in town, highlighting the independent boutiques, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and historic character of Uptown.Read the article HERE.
The article describes Uptown as a place that “more than makes up for its size with charm and character.” We are honored, and not at all surprised. However, we think the story is bigger than one street.
From local businesses and community events to the people who make our towns what they are, there’s plenty to discover throughout Mount Vernon AND Lisbon. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or have called this area home for years, here are a few things about MVL that stand out.
Beyond the Main Street
Midwest Living highlighted several of Mount Vernon’s local businesses, including The Local, Fuel Art and Espresso, Lincoln Winebar, Vintage 1891 Antiques and Collectibles, Polly Ann’s Vintage Market, and Wren and Purl. Each offers something different, and together they give Uptown its character.
Venture a bit further from Uptown and find Back Porch Pickers (a massive vintage market) and Cornell College’s historic campus. Just down the road is Palisade-Kepler State Park, Bass Farms, and Kroul Farms. In Lisbon, grab a burger at Addy’s Public House, stop by Whitey’s for broasted chicken, or spend some time creating art at StART Creating. You can also visit the quaint Lisbon Public Library, housed in a historic building right on Lisbon’s Main Street. Head a little farther out to Sutliff, and you can enjoy a beer at Baxa’s Sutliff Store & Tavern before taking in the view from Sutliff Bridge.
There’s always a personal touch that makes you remember a small town. You hear the stories behind the barista or shop owner. You know your pharmacist by name. The young man who brings your groceries out to your car? You also watch him under the Friday night lights. While all of the establishments are great, it is the people behind them that make you return again and again.
Both towns give us Reasons to Gather
In both towns, community events bring people together throughout the year.
The Mount Vernon Chili Cookoff, Lisbon’s Halloweentown, Holiday Open House, Small Business Saturday, and Magical Mount Vernon are still on the docket this year, with plenty of opportunities to celebrate the season and support local businesses together.
On Halloween night, Lisbon’s Main Street transforms into Halloweentown, creating a tradition that brings families and community members together. In Mount Vernon, Holiday Open House and Magical Mount Vernon offer their own reasons to get out, shop local, and enjoy the holiday season.
These events take planning, participation, and people willing to put in the work. They’re a reflection of communities that value getting together and creating experiences for the people who live here.
putting down roots
Beyond the shops and events, Mount Vernon and Lisbon are places where people build businesses, raise families, get involved, and put down roots.
People invest in these towns in big and small ways, from organizing community events to finding ways to breathe new life into familiar places. Even efforts to revive something as practical as Lisbon’s car wash show what can happen when people invest in the future of the community.
And when you live in MVL, you don’t have to go far to find what you need. Two grocery stores, medical offices, a pharmacy, vets, hair salons, a car dealership, banks, a community center, and great schools are all part of the picture.
It shows that the people who live here CARE about this community as seen in the local organizations, businesses, community traditions, events and accomplishments.That is where the charm lies.
Help Keep the Charm Here
Midwest Living may have put Mount Vernon’s Uptown in the spotlight, but the charm of our area extends throughout Mount Vernon and Lisbon. It’s found in the businesses we support, the events we attend, and the people who continue to invest in our communities.
At Visit Mount Vernon-Lisbon, we want to help keep those experiences going. That’s why we’re launching Keep the Charm Here, a campaign to raise $1,000 by December 12.
Our goal is simple: 100 people contributing $10 each to help support the events, experiences, and community initiatives that make MVL a great place to live, work, and visit.
Will you be one of our 100 Charm Keepers?
DONATE HERE (https://bit.ly/keepthecharm)
There’s a lot to love about our corner of Iowa. We hope you’ll keep exploring, keep supporting local, and help us Keep the Charm Here.
