Winona named among cutest towns in American Midwest

WINONA, Minn. -- A small town in Minnesota has been named one of the cutest in the American Midwest.

"I just like it because it's artsy, hippie-dippy. it's very quirky," said Grace Irwin, owner and operator of the Carriage House Bed Breakfast.

The island city is no stranger to receiving accolades.

"It's so exciting to start getting some of this recognition and this isn't the first," Christie Ransom, President and CEO of the Winona Chamber of Commerce, said. "We've had a handful of them over in the past year noting Winona as a unique town. We've had kind of best place in Minnesota, one of the best towns in the United States."

Adding to the town's charm is the great outdoors.

"There are 27 parks that the City of Winona owns. There's a ton of outdoor sports in Winona. Anything ranging from canoeing, kayaking, ice climbing in the wintertime, cross country skiing. We have disc-golf right here on the lake," said Alicia Alano, Outdoor Recreation Coordinator with Winona Parks and Recreation.

BestLifeOnline says, unlike metropolitan areas, Winona is keeping its history alive in its downtown district, which adds to the cuteness factor.

"It's really important as we develop and grow our downtown district that we remain true to its integrity, its heritage," Ransom said. "There's a lot of history here and I think that our business owner are seeing that. They're understanding the value of bringing the true essence of those buildings back to life."

One business says all of this may catch someone's eye, but it's what's happening in town that draws people in.

"I have to say Winona is huge for art and recreation. So a lot of people coming are coming for MMAM (Minnesota Marine Art Museum), they're coming for the Great River Shakespeare Festival, and they're coming for hiking, biking and kayaking," Irwin said.