“WOW” Girlfriend Getaway
Whether you are looking for a girl’s weekend, mother daughter getaway, or a chance to jump-start your holiday shopping Okoboji is the place to be November 12th - 13th. Wow - Okoboji Women’s Weekend is the premiere Holiday Kick-off shopping extravaganza. Here are some suggestions for a memorable Okoboji Wow Weekend!
STAY
Of course the first thing you need to do is make reservations at one of our many year-round lodging properties. The Oakwood Inn is an adults only bed and breakfast which was recently given Select Registry Status, a prestigious designation of inns and bed & breakfasts. Arrowwood Resort is newly remodeled and includes Minerva's Restaurant. The Inn Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel with the bonus of the Beach Club Lounge, which happens to serve incredible Craft Cocktails. If you've got a group of friends coming, rent the Big House at Pick's Lakeshore Resort! Other properties in the middle of it all where you will have a fabulous night's sleep include AmericInn, Okoboji Inn and Suites, or the Super 8. If you are looking for a clean, budget-friendly stay, check out Ramada, Travelodge or Rodeway Inn. Check out all lodging properties HERE.
FRIDAY
After you get settled into your hotel Friday afternoon you will want to go straight to the Wow Vendor Show at the Dickinson County Expo in Spirit Lake. With over 60 vendors, the 4 pm - 7 pm time frame should give you plenty of time to circulate the room and get ideas for everyone on your Christmas list. If you get here before 5:00 makes sure and stop by Homeology who is doing a Sip & Shop wine tasting and 20% off all wine accessories.
DINE
Three hours of shopping is sure to make you hungry and thirsty! Head to Tweeter's for a melt in your mouth steak, prime rib or a fabulous Oscar. Another great option is Snappers at Parks Marina for great food and drinks in a casual lake-vibe environment. Minerva's at Arrowwood Resort is your stop for salads, seafood, pasta and great desserts. If you're looking for modern cuisine and craft cocktails The Beach Club Lounge at The Inn Hotel is the place you want to be. Finish the night at The Garden's dancing the night away or just go back to your hotel to relax and to make a plan of attack for Saturday!
SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Saturday you will need to hit the ground running...there is SO MUCH to do: special events, holiday open houses, and shopping! The Wow Vendor Showopens PDF file will be open from 9 am - 5pm if there were things you needed to go back and purchase.
GREAT LAKES MALL
From there you will want to hit The Great Lakes Mall for a variety of shops for all ages and stages! Stores will be celebrating all weekend with awesome in store specials. Spirit Lake Silver and Gold will be hosting a Holiday Open House from 9:00 am - 5:30 pm. Interiors will be celebrating with in store specials and door prizes each day. Interiors showcases the seasons best in Holiday decorating and entertaining. The Look Fashions, Fashion Formula, and The Wild Child will be open from 10 - 5:30 with daily deals! Carolyn's Hallmark will be all decked out for the Holidays and will be open Friday and Saturday from 9 - 5:30 as well as 12-4 on Sunday.
HILL AVE
The eclectic shops on Hill Ave in Spirit Lake will WOW you with a variety of things you can find for the hard-to-shop-for person on your list. At Allure & Co. you will be amazed at the great selection of clothing, houseware, and furniture at reasonable prices. Enjoy a cocktail as you get inspired to decorate, shop and dress for the holiday season. Shop their Holiday open house Friday from 10 am - 5 pm. Timeless Consignments boasts an array of unique treasures at reasonable prices. Stop in Megan and Co for a huge assortment of teas and oils to keep you healthy this holiday season, and for the guys & gals on you list check out Evans clothing.
Highway 71 Corridor
As you continue on your shopping journey, check out the following shopping experiences along or just off the Highway 71 Corridor:
People say Mary’s Gift Shoppe is a hidden treasure and a unique experience for one and all! Mary’s features an ever-changing selection of fashionable scarves, jewelry, handbags, boutique clothing, home decor for every style, and a large kitchen selection for every cook! Hours: 9:30 - 5:00 Friday and Saturday.
Midwest Modern will be hosting their Holiday Open House on Saturday. Shop midwest Modern for the latest and greatest in modern furniture and home decor! They have lighting, rugs, house plants, accent pieces, and so much more!
Ferguson's, in Spirit Lake, will be hosting their Holiday Open House from 9am - 5 pm Saturday. Register now for a planter make-and-take class at 11 am or a floral arrangement make-and-take class at 2 pm.
Okoboji Motorsports and Okoboji Indian Motorcycle features jewelry, apparel and cool gifts for the guy on your list. They've also got a few motorcycles if you're looking for a new ride!
opens in a new windowLittle Red Gift Gallery is an incredible gift shop located inside the Pearson Lakes Art Center. Filled with locally made art, products, cars and more! It's a perfect shop to find a one-of-a-kind item for anyone on your list!
The Barn Swallow in Okoboji boasts gifts of all kinds displayed in every nook and cranny – paintings, home décor, seasonal decorations, jewelry, beautiful linens, bookstore, greeting cards, purses, candles, t-shirts and sweatshirts, and an extensive book department for children and adults of all ages, plus much more! Truly an adventure in shopping.
West Boutique is located at Okoboji Boat Works Marina and carries all of the latest fashions for women of all ages and sizes with brands like Free People, Kut, Lysse and so much more! Hours: 8-5 Friday; 9-5 Saturday; and 12-5 Sunday.
Elements is your stop for great local jewelry, gifts and home decor. Hours: 10-5 Friday; 10-4 Saturday
Homeology is all decked out with Christmas decor, gift ideas, and kitchen goods upstairs, and clothing & jewelry on the lower level. Homeology will have cider, samples and door prizes with a grand prize of $100 Holeology gift card! Hours:10:00 - 5:00 Friday and Saturday.
Boat House Apparel, a flagship store of the Queen's Court is your stop for fashion forward boutique clothing and accessory lifestyle brands inspired by life at the lake. Hours: 11-6 Friday - Sunday
Palm at the Park, your Lily Pulitzer headquarters, is the place to shop for all the holiday gatherings you've been invited to this season! Hours: 10-5 Friday and Saturday; 12-5 Sunday
The Wash House Gift Shop is hosting their holiday open house Friday and Saturday 10-5. Great ideas for gift giving and holiday entertaining.
Three Son's is your stop for University of Okoboji clothing and so much more for everyone on your shopping list! Hours: 10-5:30 Friday and Saturday; 12-3 Sunday
Antiques
If antiques are your shopping pleasure don't miss Antiques Etc open Fri-Sat 10-5, and Sunday from noon-5, and the Spirit Lake Antique Mall, next to Pizza Ranch in Spirit Lake. Both are open 10 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday.
Marina's
Finally, for the lake lover on your list be sure to stop at our area Marina's for WOW gifts like paddle boards, wakeboards, skis, tubes, floating mats, clothing and maybe even a new boat!
- Mau Marine: 8-5 Friday and Saturday; 12-5 Sunday
- Oak Hill Marina and Oak Hill Outdoor: 9-5 Friday; 9-4 Saturday
- Parks Marina: 8-5 Friday; 9-5 Saturday; 12-5 Sunday
EAT
With all this shopping you are no doubt going to need to keep your energy up, and you're in luck because there are SO MANY great places to eat! If you're looking for some fun breakfast options to start your day on Saturday or Sunday at The Hutt Bar & Grill, O'Farrell Sisters, or The Dry Dock Lounge. Looking for casual dinning for lunch or dinner with something for everyone? Make sure you catch a meal at Tweeter's, Dry Dock Lounge, The Hutt, The Garden's, The Beachclub Lounge or Smokin Jakes. In the mood for Mexican, then Los Pueblo's or La Baraca will satisfy the craving. Pizza on the mind? Go to Pub 19, Godfather's or Pizza Ranch. Looking for more quiet and upscale dinning experience...head to The Outrigger or Waters Edge Grille. As people who LOVE to eat out, we guarantee you can't go wrong with any of these selections!
LAUGHS
End your Saturday with plenty of laughter at the opens in a new windowRoof Garden Ballroom! Comdian Matthew Broussard is performing! Born in New Jersey, raised in Atlanta, and the 2012 winner of Houston’s Funniest Person, Matthew Broussard is not exactly sure where he’s from. Matthew earned a degree in Applied Mathematics and had a job as a financial analyst before moving to West Hollywood to pursue stand-up comedy full time. His brand of playful, witty humor covers topics from physics and grammar to the hardships of looking like an 80s movie villain. He can be seen on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The League, The Mindy Project, Conan, Roast Battle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the film Here Today with Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish, and has his own Half Hour Special on Comedy Central. But his Cajun father and Jewish mother still really want him to take the GMAT.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
We are guessing by this point the guys are calling and begging you to come home, but before you do make sure you book another stay in Okoboji! Join us for Winter Games weekend or schedule a time to bring the whole family for Okoboji Winter Fun!
As always if you have any questions or need other recommendations please call us at 712-332-2209. We would love to help you plan your shopping getaway in Okoboji!
** Helpful planning tip: If you're viewing this on your smart phone, click on any of the above blue links. Read more about it, and if you want to save it for your upcoming trip, choose to "add to my Calendar." Add it to your calendar during the dates you plan on visiting so it will be easy for you to find while you're in the area!
