Holiday Shopping on Main Street 

A display of antiques and decorations at The Prairie Bee on Main Street in Waverly. Photo by Lyla Pier-Atkinson.

Now with the bridge reopening in downtown Waverly, there are many more places within walking distance for Wartburg students. Especially considering that it is the holiday shopping season, here is a list of the different places on Main St. available this holiday season. 

The first place on the list is Crawdaddy’s, an outdoor retail store that recently opened a second location in Ames. Along with merchandise, they provide experiences like adventure trips, mostly in America, but also in Canada and Peru. For merchandise, they recommend their apparel and camping gear. They also sell gift cards and rent equipment such as kayaks, tents and sleeping bags.  

Love and Lace started out as a mostly floral wedding event shop when it opened 35 years ago but now sells a wide range of products from apparel to house items. For apparel items, they have clothes, jewelry and bags. Love and Lace, along with merchandise, sells cards. When customers are gift shopping, they offer to wrap the item free of charge. Underneath the main floor of their shop is a Christmas section with a variety of decorations, arrangements and other items.  

Newy’s Moto came to Waverly five years ago after previously being located in Denver. They began as a motor sports parts shop, but in 2019 brought on a line of E-Bikes. Now, they carry over fifteen brands of E-Bikes, inflatable boats, electronics and cable services. Newy’s Moto recommends that students, instead of paying for cable monthly, buy a cable box. The owner says this offers both local and national channels. They also say that students might enjoy some of the E-Bikes or scooters that they sell.  

The Prairie Bee opened in March of 2025 and offers antique, vintage and handmade goods. The owner says that they try to get unique items and avoid anything mass produced. For the shopping experience, the owner says that they like walking through the store with their customers to help them with ideas for gifts. According to the owner, vintage clothes are very popular with students. They have products ranging from décor, clothing, furniture and books.  

Rack em’ Up has been in town since 2008, and sells custom made clothing and goods. They do all embroidery and print on apparel in-house and offer promotional events. They offer webstores for groups at Wartburg and can create custom apparel for them, such as the Wartburg Symphony. If customers want a specific design for apparel, they can order it on the website and work with the owners at the store.   

Root is a cosmetics shop that offers haircare, skincare, makeup and home cleaning products. They recommend a product called the “Everything Soap,” which can be diluted to clean floors, laundry, dishes and be a hand soap. They say that every product in the store is gluten-free, vegan and is free of parabens and sulfates.  

Near City Hall and the trailhead is a store called Simply Renewed Wellness and Rock Shop. The owner performs massage therapy and reiki along with selling merchandise. They’re reaching their fifth year in business, and they said they’ve been enjoying meeting all sorts of different people. They sell items such as rocks, figurines and incense. For holiday shoppers, they recommend their jewelry as a gift or angel figurines.  

Tenenbaum’s is a third generation owned store that sells, repairs and customizes jewelry. They have price ranges starting at $50 to $100. For college students, they say that watches, bracelets and cross necklaces might be appealing. If they do not have an item in store, they can work with vendors to get the item to customers. They also have estate sale pieces that are trade-ins, usually unique items that might be otherwise difficult to obtain.  

Thompson Shoes, in business since 1970, sells shoes from many brands including Brooks, New Balance and Birkenstocks. They say that for college students, athletic wear is appealing, and for the winter they sell many snow boots. For gifts, they recommend slippers and socks, and they have a lifetime guarantee on their Darn Tough Socks, which are made of merino wool. They also have a lifetime guarantee on their running socks from a brand called Feetures. They also sell gift certificates at their store.  

Toy Shop and Collectibles is just what it sounds like, selling items like Funko Pop, sports cards, Pokémon cards and children’s toys. They recommend any of these items as a gift, particularly the figurines.  

The owners of these shops are excited that the bridge is open again and hope to see many college students on Main St. The hours for these shops are included on their websites, so feel free to check them out!