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New brews and old roots define Crooked Creek Days Downtown
New businesses, old classmates, and generations of attendees bring fresh energy and familiar faces to downtown Winfield
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WINFIELD — A fresh cup of coffee and a walk down memory lane weren’t far apart during Crooked Creek Days, as Winfield’s downtown came alive with families, new businesses, and the buzz of community spirit.
This year marked the first Crooked Creek Days for Emerald Grinds Coffee House, a brand-new business that opened just three weeks earlier on Main Street. Owners Jaden and Paige Chalupa found themselves surrounded by a line of customers for much of the weekend. They served everything from iced coffees and espresso to lemonade and sandwiches — plus a hefty helping of small-town nostalgia.
“It’s been amazing,” Jaden said Saturday. “We weren’t sure what to expect with the weekend, but everyone has been so kind and supportive. We’ve had family, friends, people from out of town — it’s just been great.”
The couple renovated the space themselves, creating a bright, welcoming interior with a midcentury feel wrapped in green and say they’ve already seen tremendous support from the community even before Crooked Creek Days.
According to Jaden, he decided to venture out after 12 years with Hy-Vee to open this coffee shop upon the urging of new Winfield business owner Christi Klouda. Klouda opened Gypsy Roots this past spring just two doors down from where Emerald Grinds now stands.
“Our friend Kristi talked about how Winfield really needed something here,” Paige explained.
Jaden joked that it may have had something to do with Klouda’s own want for a coffee shop nearby.
Outside of Emerald Grinds, kids compared airbrush tattoos they received next door at Ascension Tattoo and Piercing.
This is the second year owners Michael and Rebecca Eldredge have offered airbrush tattoos at Crooked Creek Days since they opened their doors in September 2023 in downtown Winfield.
Michael and Rebecca are no strangers to the charm of Crooked Creek Days as they resided in the tight-knit community of Winfield even before moving their business into its current location. Knowing all the fun and memories related to this highly-anticipated weekend, the couple were more than happy to offer the airbrush tattoos and collect a freewill donation for future Crooked Creek Days.
While these new businesses attracted many throughout the festivities, families often returned to Winfield for reasons that stretch back decades.
Kelsey Pence brought her three children to visit their grandparents and take part in the festival traditions she grew up with. Her twins, Brieyr and Brekyn, now old enough to roam between bounce houses and food trucks on their own, have been attending since they were toddlers.
“We come every year,” she said. “It’s just part of our summer now.”
Crooked Creek Days Organizer Jennifer Lemke has witnessed that same thing in her own family.
“It’s actually a pretty special weekend for me,” she said. “When I was younger my mom was big on the parades and on the council so, I was always in the parade.”
Like the Pence twins, she also enjoyed running around with her friends playing games and eventually attending dances.
“Once I had my own kids, it became a weekend they looked forward to every year,” Lemke said. “It was like our vacation, and we didn’t leave that weekend.”
Now that her children are all grown and moved out, they still all return for Crooked Creek Days each year and Lemke’s empty nest fills right back up.
“I cook for the whole weekend. We sit around outside in the yard until we go to an event and then we see everybody,” Lemke shared. “I see my classmates come back and family members come back. So many people that left town return for the weekend. So, it has really become something that we look forward to as a family.”
Like many of Lemke’s own classmates, many other alumni make the trip back to Winfield for Crooked Creek Days. Donning bright tie-dye T-shirts, Winfield-Mt. Union Class of 1975 gathered Saturday, Aug. 2 for a tour of the school. With wide-smiles to match the cheerfulness of their attire, the group also piled onto a float for the parade to celebrate their 50th class reunion.
Another class featured in this year’s parade was the Class of 1965.
This class was known as the “War Babies” that were born after World War II.
“Some served in Vietnam,” Winfield Mayor Willie Bender announced. “Some became hippies. Some became upper management. All produced amazing kids.”
For many alumni this was their first time seeing one another in years.
While Crooked Creek Days featured the usual lineup of scrambles, contests, and games, it was the smaller moments — a coffee shared between old friends, a conversation on the sidewalk, or a smile from a familiar face behind the counter — that made downtown feel full again.
And for both new business owners and longtime residents, that kind of connection may be the most lasting part of the weekend.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com
