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Alliant Tower lights in Cedar Rapids no longer changing color for community events
Downtown Cedar Rapids landmark switches up policy on illuminating for events such as Breast Cancer Awareness and Pride months
Dec. 31, 2025 5:30 am, Updated: Dec. 31, 2025 7:22 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — The lights on the Alliant Energy Tower have been a nighttime staple of downtown Cedar Rapids since the building was first illuminated in red, white and blue for the Fourth of July in 2018, but earlier this year, the company changed its process for lighting the building, leaving out some community events that previously received the color treatment.
Most nights, the tower is lit up in Alliant Energy colors — yellow, orange, green and blue — and for the past several years, the colors have been changed regularly for community events and holidays.
In previous years, the tower has lit up in rainbow colors during June for Pride Month, in pink during October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, in the school colors of various Cedar Rapids area schools for graduation, and in many other colors to adhere to community requests.
An archived copy of the company’s tower lighting webpage shows that in March of this year, Alliant published a schedule of the planned special lighting for the next three months — including International Women’s Day, World Kidney Day and Earth Month. The page included a form that invited the public to suggest tower lighting to align with a cause or event, excluding birthdays and anniversaries.
“Submissions will be evaluated based on how they support the community and align with Alliant Energy’s company values,” the webpage reads. “Before you submit an idea, please consider whether the event or cause embraces respect and diversity, provides community support, or advocates for conservation/sustainability.”
In May, Alliant Energy stopped accepting lighting requests for the tower. A company spokesperson said the number of community requests had been increasing in recent years, and it had gotten too difficult to manage. Now, it lights up in colors other than the Alliant colors only on federal holidays.
“We implemented a new process for our Tower lighting and community color requests. This process better aligns with sustainability and operational consistency, while also maintaining a strong company presence in Downtown Cedar Rapids,” Melissa McCarville, the lead communications partner for Alliant, told The Gazette in an email.
In 2026, the colors on the tower will change for the following 11 holidays, according to McCarville:
- Jan. 1: New Year's Day (gold)
- Jan. 19: MLK Day (red, black and green)
- Feb. 16: George Washington's birthday (red, white and blue)
- May 25: Memorial Day (red, white and blue)
- June 19: Juneteenth (red, black and green)
- July 4: Independence Day (red, white and blue)
- Sept. 7: Labor Day (red, white and blue)
- Oct. 12: Columbus Day (red, white and blue)
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day (red, white and blue)
- Nov. 26: Thanksgiving Day (orange, yellow, red and brown)
- Dec. 25: Christmas Day (red and green)
Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com
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