The Danish Windmill will be participating in the Christkindlmarket Des Moines again this year but in a different format. Last year we enjoyed working out of our own little European hut for three fun days but due to the pandemic, the Des Moines European Heritage Association’s Christkindlmarket is taking on a new twist. Shop the
News & Events
Calling all Chairs, Quilts, Gift Baskets and Baked Goods for the 2020 Danish Windmill Chair-ity Auction!
The Danish Windmill is inviting donations of fun-themed chairs, quilts, gift baskets and baked goods for its 11th Annual Chair-ity Auction. This year the auction will be virtual to protect the health and safety of our loyal supporters due to COVID-19. Funds raised will go toward the Windmill’s new security system and fire suppression equipment.
11th Annual Chair-ity Auction & Drive-thru Frikadeller Meal will be during Julefest!
Due to COVID this year’s Danish Windmill Chair-ity Auction and dinner gala will have a new twist! The auction will be held online and dinner will be an authentic Danish frikadeller meal-to-go during Julefest! Funds raised will go toward the Windmill’s new security system and fire suppression equipment. Online Auction | 11 am November 1
Our 2020 Christmas Catalog is Here!
‘Tis the season to take comfort in simple pleasures like hanging paper cones, baking Christmas cookies, making Advent calendars and decorating the Christmas tree. The Windmill’s Christmas catalog is a “hygge-inspired” collection which represents the genuine coziness and hygge of the Danish Christmas time, just as we know it, so you can create it in
Danish Windmill to Re-open on Tuesday, May 26
The Danish Windmill will be re-opening on Tuesday, May 26. We will offer curbside pick-up of purchases made online or by phone. We ask that you are respectful of us and your fellow shoppers/visitors by maintaining social distance, wearing masks, touching products minimally and if you are not feeling well, please stay home. Thank you
2020 Iowa Tourism “Outstanding Marketing Collaboration” Award presented to Danish Villages
A collaborative project designed to raise brand awareness for the Danish Villages as a travel destination received the 2020 Iowa Tourism “Outstanding Marketing Collaboration” Award for a rural area at the ceremony held March 3, 2020 at the Iowa Tourism Conference in Des Moines. Lisa Steen Riggs, manager of the Danish Windmill, accepted the award.
8 Great Places to Eat in Elk Horn, Iowa
If you’re traveling across I-80 west of Des Moines, Iowa be sure to make Elk Horn your stop for grabbing a bite to eat. Or, if you’re looking to satisfy your Danish tastebuds then this is definitely where you need to be for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Great places to eat can be hard to
12 Reasons to Visit Small Town Elk Horn, Iowa
Being from rural America myself, there truly is nothing better than small town living. Pair that with a very passionate Danish community and you have the most incredible small town in southwest Iowa – Elk Horn. I recently stayed three days in Elk Horn with a few other amazing people and it was one of
10 ways to experience Danish culture in Elk Horn, Iowa
I have a thing for small towns that lean hard into their European heritage, like German-tinged New Ulm, Minnesota, and New Glarus, Wisconsin (a.k.a. America’s Little Switzerland). There’s something touching and very American about preserving bits and pieces of the Old Country while settling wholeheartedly in the new one. So when I had the opportunity to visit Elk
A taste of Denmark: Dining at The Danish Table in Elk Horn, Iowa
Elk Horn, Iowa is one of the most Danish places in America: 43 percent of the town’s 650 residents can claim Danish heritage. There are Danish flags lining the streets, two annual festivals celebrating Danish food and culture, and attractions like the Museum of Danish America. There’s also a place to get a taste of Denmark: The Danish Table
