Local collaborations pay dividends. Within four weeks in November and December, Unleash Council Bluffs received approval for not one, not two, but three funding requests totaling $85,000 in support of city and county tourism efforts.
On November 19, the Iowa West Foundation announced a $50,000 grant award for the FY 26 Council Bluffs Sporting Event Attraction & Retention Project. These dollars are paired with the $75,000 State of Iowa Regional Sports Authority District grant approved in August 2025. Both grants assist Unleash Council Bluffs in bidding for and securing nine tournaments to be held between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Two are national championship-caliber events appealing to fans and athletes from across the country
Word followed on December 15, when Union Pacific Railroad signaled its approval of a $25,000 request in marketing funds for Railroad Days through the Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program. The event is a product of a community-wide collaboration, including the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, Historic General Dodge House, RailsWest History Museum, Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment, and Unleash Council Bluffs. In 2026, Railroad Days will coincide with Celebrate CB on May 9-10. The 10th is National Train Day.
The good news continued to roll in on December 15, when the Iowa Tourism Office approved a $10,000 grant application to support a $20,000 winter travel marketing campaign, scheduled for January 2 to February 28, 2026. The campaign’s financial supporters include Pottawattamie Conservation, Unleash Council Bluffs, Western Iowa Development Association, and the Pottawattamie Tourism Committee.
“Sporting events, railroad heritage, and digital marketing serve as three of the most effective ways to draw visitors to the city and county,” said Ashley Kruse, president of the Unleash Council Bluffs Board of Directors and communications & events manager for the City of Council Bluffs. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of the financial support the Iowa West Foundation, Union Pacific Railroad, and Iowa Tourism Office are providing for our work,” she said.
Thus far in fiscal year 2026, city and county tourism projects will benefit from $160,000 in grants, an increase of $5,000 over the previous fiscal year. 
Unleash Council Bluffs (formerly known as the Council Bluffs Convention & Visitors Bureau) serves as a catalyst to grow Pottawattamie County’s visitor economy through collaborative sales and marketing, destination advocacy, and sustainable placemaking activities in order to enhance the region’s quality of life. During 2024, Pottawattamie County benefited from $334.17 million in direct spending from visitors coming from 50 miles or farther, according to Tourism Economics. The state of Iowa realized $7.5 billion in direct spending in 2024. For more information about Unleash Council Bluffs, visit UNleashCB.com.
