Clear Lake’s ‘When Pigs Fly’ Fundraiser Returns Saturday to Boost North Iowa Children’s Museum Effort

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa — The push to build a children’s museum in Clear Lake is picking up steam, and organizers hope a sold-out weekend fundraiser will help push them closer to breaking ground.

The North Iowa Children’s Museum is holding its fifth annual When Pigs Fly fundraiser Saturday at Plain Ol’ Pumpkins near Clear Lake, with proceeds going toward construction of a new museum designed to give North Iowa families a nearby destination for hands-on learning and play.

Mason City Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Colleen Frein recently joined the museum’s board. She said the region currently has no comparable option close by.

“Usually they are hands-on activities, exhibits, things for kids to play and learn while they’re playing,” Frein said.

The nearest children’s museum of that kind is about an hour and a half away in Waterloo, according to Frein. She said the proposed Clear Lake museum would serve an estimated 32,000 children living within roughly 60 miles of Mason City and Clear Lake.

The organization has already secured land for the project near Interstate 35 in Clear Lake, and fundraising is underway. Frein said organizers hope to begin construction as soon as 2027.

Saturday’s When Pigs Fly event runs from 9 to 11 a.m., with the signature pig drop set for 10 a.m. Airplanes will release 400 foam pigs, numbered 1 through 400, over the field at Plain Ol’ Farms, with participants aiming to land their pig closest to a target.

“We have 400 foam pigs that people have reserved, numbers one through 400,” Frein said. “And on Saturday, this coming Saturday at 10:00 a.m., airplanes will drop all of these pigs out over Plain Ol’ Farms with the goal of hitting them on a target in the middle of the field.”

The foam pigs are sold out, but organizers said raffles and the Celebrity Kiss-a-Pig fundraiser are still open to the public. A Piglet Pucker Station will also allow people to donate $20 to kiss a pig or nominate someone else to do it.

Hearing Associates is matching Celebrity Kiss-a-Pig donations and foam pig ticket proceeds dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000, according to organizers.

“We’re just a couple thousand dollars away from hitting that $20,000,” Frein said. “So, please, please, please, donate to your favorite celebrity, and thank you to Hearing Associates.”

More information about the museum, the fundraiser and ways to donate is available at NorthIowaChildrensMuseum.org.