ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

Can't make it to Pella in person to see the famous flowers? Watch the city's live tulip cam on YouTube. Photo: Tulip Time.

‘Go Dutch for a day’ in Pella

That’s the slogan for Tulip Time next weekend, May 4-6, in Pella, where you can help locals celebrate the town’s Dutch heritage and famous spring flowers. Every year, local volunteers plant an estimated 200,000 tulip bulbs around town (and then cross their fingers that they bloom on time). The event has grown like a weed since it started in 1935, so check out the schedule of events to see everything in store. Many of the activities and attractions are free, but some require tickets in advance. Some highlights of the weekend include:

Tulip Bulb Sales and Flower Show: Take the beauty of Holland home by buying bulbs or bouquets.

Tulip Queen and Court: Pay your respects to her royal highness, 2023 Tulip Queen Cheyne Plants, and her royal court at 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday.

Parades: What’s better than a parade? How about six? The processions of marching bands, floats and Dutch-costumed street sweepers start at 2:30 and 8:30 p.m. each day of the festival.

Dutch treats: Vendors sell all kinds of Midwestern and Dutch specialties, including Dutch letters, poffertjes, stroopwafels and Pella bologna.

See the Meatles rock out on a float during the kickoff parade at 10 a.m. May 6. Photo: Amana Colonies.

Or … go Deutsche for a day in Amana

The Amana Colonies host their traditional Maifest May 6-7. The festival celebrates May Day and the arrival of spring as the Germans do, with dancing, flowers, food and, of course, a stein or two.

The revelry kicks off Saturday morning with a parade and the Amana Maipole Dancers, who dance around a traditional pole they decorate with ribbons. (Check their performance schedule.) Then, find a meal at one of the traditional German restaurants, less traditional German food trucks or – surprise! – food trucks with pizza and Caribbean fare.

Sunday’s events feature a wine and chocolate walk. If you rack up enough punches on your punch card, you can score a souvenir Maifest drinking glass. Prost!

Manning's free art festival is a first-of-its-kind for the city. Photo: Taelynn Christopher.

Encounter Manning’s art in multiple media

Art of all kinds will overflow in Manning during a new event called Masterpiece Manning: Encounter with the Arts, May 6-7.

The downtown streets will shut down at 10 a.m. May 6 to kick off an art party with live music, food trucks and an art show. Student and professional artists will exhibit up and down the street. (Note to artists: Booths are still available.)

Artists of all ages and skill levels are invited to contribute to a community mural, a project that received a competitive grant from the Iowa Arts Council. Later on, from 1 to 5 p.m. May 7, the 712 Film Festival takes over the local high with screenings of films by local students and professional filmmakers.

Luna Valley Farm is in an idyllic spot in the Driftless area in northeast Iowa. Photo: Charlie Langton.

Savor scratch-made pizza amid Iowa’s rolling countryside

Just 15 minutes from Decorah, the certified organic Luna Valley Farm overlooks a verdant pasture and winding trout stream below. Its official opening weekend is set for May 5-6.

The 60-acre farm that Maren and Tom Beard operate in Winneshiek County offers al fresco dining where rural life meets modern flavors, with nights that start with wood-fired pizzas and end with glamping. Most of the food is produced on-site or sourced from nearby communities. Ditto for the drinks on tap.

“We have three breweries in a 10-mile radius, local soda and natural wine,” Maren said.

During our visit for a story in ia magazine, we enjoyed a 16-inch Middle Sattre pizza topped with heritage breed Italian sausage from the farm’s pigs, meaty oyster mushrooms, and fresh mozzarella, as well as a Sweet Pea pizza with fresh pea shoots and a pea pistachio pesto. It was a perfect complement to a rhubarb sour from Pivo brewery in nearby Calmar.

Amber Collins opened Soul Book Nook with the belief that “books could bring us together.” Photo: Experience Waterloo.

Celebrate Indie Bookstore Day around Iowa

Independent Bookstore Day is this Saturday, April 29. It’s the perfect excuse for an afternoon of shopping at your favorite neighborhood bookseller.

In Central Iowa, Beaverdale Books (Des Moines), Dog-Eared Books (Ames), Dungeon’s Gate (Ankeny), Pageturners Bookstore (Indianola), Raccoon River Press (Des Moines), Reading in Public (West Des Moines) and Storyhouse Book Pub (Des Moines) have teamed up to create a passport challenge during the April 29-30 weekend, when bibliophiles can win a bag full of swag. Participants who buy something (no minimum) from each of the seven shops will be entered into a prize drawing at each store.

Beyond Central Iowa, there are plenty other independent bookstores to visit around the state:

Soul Book Nook in Waterloo
Owner Amber Collins is passionate about history. As the owner of the first Black-owned bookstore registered in Iowa, she believes literature plays a vital role in education. During Black History Month, she’s used the store’s Facebook page to share overlooked stories of Black leaders from the past.

Prairie Lights Books & Cafe in Iowa City
It’s no surprise that the UNESCO City of Literature loves its legendary bookstore. This time-honored shop offers three and a half stories of bibliophile heaven, including extensive sections of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and kids’ books.

River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque
You’ll find this shop right on Main Street. Along with books in every genre, you can pick up Iowa souvenirs, puzzles, cards and unique bookmarks.

See new movies and meet a few filmmakers during this year's film festival in Dubuque. Photo: Digital Dubuque.

Find a new favorite film in Dubuque

Iowa’s largest film festival is lighting up screens through Sunday around downtown Dubuque. With 180 independent films this year, the 12th annual Julien Dubuque International Film Festival will attract hundreds of filmmakers and fans to screenings, workshops, coffee talks and parties.

This year’s notable guests include George R.R. Martin, who created “Game of Thrones,” along with Rell Battle (“Killing It,” “Superior Donuts”), Jonathan Del Arco (“Star Trek,” “The Closer”) and the Israeli film and musical theater actor Aki Avni (“JAG,” “24”). All of the stars plan to attend screenings of their latest projects and stick around afterward to answer questions.

The festival started in 2012 and has gradually spread to a handful of big and intimate venues, including the Five Flags Center, Grand Opera House, Hotel Julien Dubuque, National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, and Phoenix Theatres. It’s become a major attraction for the city and consistently lands on best film-festival lists by various industry publications. It also sets the bar for more than a dozen other annual film festivals across Iowa, from Sioux City to Burlington’s Snake Alley.

The "Glass in Flight" sculptures showcase dalle de verre, a technique that uses slabs of colored glass. Different thicknesses produce deeper colors than traditional stained glass. Photo: Reiman Gardens.

Giant (sculptural) bugs take over gardens in Ames

Next time you want to get outside, take a stroll through Reiman Gardens in Ames. Right now, the new blooms are just popping up for the season, and there is plenty of fresh color and scents to enjoy.

A collection of 20 colorful glass sculptures is also on display around the grounds through Oct. 8. For the outdoor exhibition “Glass in Flight,” artist Alex Heveri created giant insects with steel and stained glass, which reflects and refracts sunlight into rainbows of kaleidoscopic color.

The exhibition is part of the gardens’ 2023 theme of light and reflection, which integrates throughout the year into educational programs, events and exhibits that reveal the power of light and reflection in nature and the power of plants in the environment.