Main Street rolls out Quilt Walk, contest for April

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - Join Fort Madison Main Street for the Quilt Walk April 2nd through April 30th in Downtown Fort Madison. Visitors can view these beautiful works of art and learn the history behind their creation while these quilts are on display in more than 30 downtown businesses.

Main Street Director Cassie Gilbert said visitors to downtown this week should be picking up a punch card from Fort Madison Main Street or participating businesses. When you are finished visiting participating shops, submit the punch card to Fort Madison Main Street for a raffle drawing.

Throughout the month of April, Main Street will also be celebrating its historic downtown with an online promotion.

Each week starting April 2nd, Fort Madison Main Street will be posting a photo on their Facebook page of a historic piece in one of our downtown businesses. Participants will have to figure out the location, and take their own photo with the historic piece in the background. Participants will then have to post the photo on Main Street’s Facebook page to be entered into a drawing. Each week’s contest will open on Monday at 10 am and close on Saturday at 6 pm. There will be a prize for each week’s winner. Winners will be announced on Mondays at 9:00 am.

"Main Street will release a photo or two on Monday starting April 2 and people will have until Saturday at 6 p.m. to post their pictures on our Facebook page," Gilbert said. "The reason we're doing this is we want to promote not only the downtown businesses, but the historical value it has. There are a lot of historical aspects to downtown Fort Madison."

The snapshots Main Street will be uploading will be defined by the downtown district from Sixth Street to 10th Street on avenues G and H.

Gilbert said the district is also getting a head start for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Preservation Month in May.

The prizes will be gift cards to local businesses in the district, some valued up to $50.

"It's more like a come down and enjoy yourself and see what we have to offer in downtown including the Quilt Walk, while having a little fun looking for historical elements and taking some selfies," Gibert said.

For questions, or if you are interested in having your quilt displayed in a downtown business during the event, please contact Cassie Gilbert by calling Fort Madison Main Street at 319-372-5471 or by email at cgilbert@fortmadison.com. Information can also be found on Facebook at “Fort Madison Main Street” or on the Fort Madison Partners website, www.fortmadison.com.