Annual Cultivate Community Wednesday Night

Glenwood’s Cultivate Community event - a family-oriented evening of community engagement on Town Square - has become a summertime tradition.

The sixth Cultivate Community is scheduled to place Wednesday evening (Aug. 9).

“I think it’s an amazing event,” Glenwood Police Chief Eric Johansen said. “It started small and has really grown.”

The idea for a community night out on the square was hatched seven years ago, Johansen said, as sort of a spinoff of the National Night Out, established to foster a stronger connection between citizens and their local law enforcement officers.

“Meet your neighbors, meet the officers. It should be an entirely social event for the community,” Johansen said. “Initially, we went to participate in the National Night Out and all the same resources Council Bluffs, Red Oak and everybody else was using at their events were already spoken for so I thought it would be wise of us to call it something else and do it on a different night so that all the resources would be available. It’s worked out really well that way.”

Johansen noted that the event is traditionally held on a Wednesday night in conjunction with the weekly Farmers Market taking place outside the county courthouse with hope that the overlap will increase foot traffic at both events. The Farmers Market starts at 4 p.m. and Cultivate Community is scheduled to take place from 5 - 8 p.m.

Cultivate Community will include a variety of children’s activities, community booths, classic car show,  dunk tank,  fire and rescue equipment displays, demonstrations, educational  exhibits and food.

“We did try to increase some of the food this year,” Johansen said.

In addition to the existing eating establishments on Town Square, some additional food choices will be available, including a burger and brat stand, a cookie truck and Glenwood Community High School cheerleaders will be selling a free-will donation taco meal with food donated by El Porton restuarant. Food vendors will be located on the northeast corner of the Coolidge - Walnut Street intersection.

Johansen, who has played an instrumental role in the growth of Cultivate Community, said he’s appreciative of the overwhelming support the event has received in Glenwood.

“There’s been a lot of organizations that have helped put this together,” he said. “The chamber of commerce, Mills County Public Health – they’re extremely supportive. Also, we get full support from the city council and full support from the board of supervisors.”

Johansen said numerous businesses have supported Culitvate Community in a variety of ways, including financial donations and allowing their business to be closed or incovenienced by the event.

“The following roads will be closed today from 1 - 8 p.m. around Town Square: Sharp Street from Vine To Walnut; First Street from Walnut Street To Vine Street; and Walnut Street from Sharp Street to Coolidge Street.