ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

October is the prime time for fall color. Here, Marquette’s Schoolhouse Antique Mall tempts travelers with three floors of finds. Photo: Mary Willie

Take a peek at peak fall colors in Iowa

The Iowa DNR has released its first fall color report of 2023, which chronicles the season change in each region in Iowa. Along with estimated calculations of peak color, the report offers a breakdown of what color each tree species will turn. Elms in northern Iowa, for example, are already reaching their brightest yellow, while hard maples and red oaks in southern Iowa will burn brilliant red later this month.

Right now, explore stunning fall forests throughout Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry or Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor. Or if you prefer nature at a distance, meet in the middle for some small-town delights in Marquette. It’s a great spot for antiquing, relaxing with a glass of wine and dining on the riverboat casino.

Iowans have no shortage of pumpkin patchin’ events this fall. Photo: Kelsey Todd

The punchiest pumpkin patches around Iowa

Visit Anamosa, which proudly proclaims itself the Official Pumpkin Capital of Iowa, for its annual Pumpkinfest Oct. 7. The main attraction is obviously the giant pumpkin (last year’s winner was a whopping 2,424 pounds!), but you’ll want to stay for everything else. The kids’ zone has games and competitions for younger kids, while visitors of all ages will enjoy the car show, mobile history museum, Smoke ‘n’ Pumpkins BBQ competition and dozens of food and craft vendors.

Head to Harvestville Farm in Donnellson to navigate a 12-acre corn maze or take in the fall scenery from a horse-drawn wagon. The fifth-generation family farm has a kid-friendly play area with more than 40 activities, including pumpkin painting, pumpkin bowling and a giant pumpkin jump pad. While you're there, save lunch at the Pitchfork Cafe. The farm is open every day through Oct. 29.

Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins and its acres of unpicked and pre-picked pumpkins are yours for the taking during the annual Fall Festival. Between the giant furniture, handcrafted selfie stations and mirrored pumpkin house, you’ll find plenty of photo ops to feed your Instagram feed before you jump on the mini zipline, brave the corn maze or watch a pig race. There’s also a beer garden, wine room and two concession stands. It’s open Friday through Sunday through Oct. 29.

Climb aboard the Pumpkin Express in Boone and get whisked away to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad’s pumpkin patch. Pick a pumpkin, then hop back on the train to cross the Des Moines River Valley via the 156’ high Bass Point Creek High Bridge. Tickets sell out quickly and must be purchased in advance. Trains depart at 10 a.m. Oct. 7, 14 and 21, but riders should arrive an hour early.

“Peace, love and polka!" The motto of this year's Oktoberfest Parade also makes a great toast. Photo: Amana Colonies

More October festivities at Amana Oktoberfest

This weekend is the Amana Colonies’ annual Oktoberfest, where you can find a bounty of brats, brews and Bavarian competitions, including keg toss and log sawing. The musical lineup features great acts like Iowa’s Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen and the German folk group Alpensterne, plus a yodeling contest on Saturday afternoon.

The celebrations are set for 11 a.m.-midnight Friday, 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. You can get your tickets in advance to save a little money.

The Oscar-nominated documentary "Haulout," directed by Russian siblings Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev, will be screened during the Sioux City International Film Festival. Photo: SCIFF

Move movie night to the Sioux City film fest

It can be hard to choose what to watch on Netflix, Hulu, Max and all the other streaming platforms. Lucky for you, the discerning judges of the Sioux City International Film Festival have done that work for you. They sorted through more than 120 films from all over the world and made their final picks for the annual festival Oct. 5-8 at the Promenade Cinema in the heart of Sioux City’s Fourth Street Historic District.

The films will be screened in two-hour genre blocks — documentaries, comedies, thrillers, etc. — and the stories will run the gamut.

“We feel honored to showcase films nominated for Oscars, created by high-profile directors and featuring well-known actors,” board president Leslie Werden said in a press release.

The Oscar nom in question is “Haulout,” which offers a look at the startling impact that climate change has on walruses in the Arctic. This thought-provoking film was directed by Russian siblings Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev and nominated earlier this year for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

Now in its 18th year, the Sioux City festival is the longest running festival in the state. Visit the festival’s website for all the details or check out more Iowa film festivals coming to a theater near you.

"The President's Own" United States Marine Band, heading to Ames on Oct. 14. Photo: Master Sgt. Karl Johnson, USMC

Study up on entertainment at Iowa's state universities

The new school year started about six weeks ago at Iowa’s three state universities, which means midterm exams are right around the corner. But guess what, dear reader? Unless you’re a student, you can have fun on campus without any pressure to study.

All three schools have posted a big glorious syllabus of shows at their performing arts centers, which are open to the public.

At the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls, you’ll find “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band (Oct. 14), along with national tours of “Annie” (Nov. 4) and “Mean Girls” (Nov. 17-18).

At Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, see serpentwithfeet’s gay Black love story “Heart of Brick” on Oct. 5, the sprawling new multidisciplinary festival Infinite Dream from Oct. 11 to 21 and the Disney/Pixar hit “Coco” on Oct. 27, screened with live music performed by the Orquesta Folclorica Nacional de Mexico.

And at Stephens Auditorium in Ames, check out “RuPaul’s Drag Race: The Night of the Living Drag” on Oct. 13, the music and dance show iLuminate on Oct. 21, the Mineria Symphony Orchestra of Mexico on Oct. 24 or country diva Wynonna Judd on Oct. 27.

For extra credit, visit each center’s website for the full schedules through May.

On a humid fall morning before sunrise, Des Moines' Waterbury neighborhood “was quiet and peaceful. The colors really popped in the diffused light,” said Tom Gustafson, who took the photo.

Admire Iowa from new heights through drone photography

This story originally appeared in our 2023 issue of ia. Read the full version online.

When Tom Gustafson goes sightseeing, he prefers a 200-foot view. The drone photographer captured this perfect fall photo in the Waterbury neighborhood of Des Moines back in 2020.

Drone photography offers a chance to get above the fray. Even images of lively scenes offer a sense of calm. “To me it’s like walking in the woods or going for a hike,” Gustafson says. “You are the sole energy and everything else is peaceful around you.

Gustafson sells photo prints on his website, visionairydrone.com. You can also purchase his recent photo book, “Above Des Moines,” along with others like “Above Okoboji.” Or find him on Facebook (Drone Photographs By Tom Gustafson) or Instagram (@tom.gustafson).

During the 2022 Envision Iowa event, we heard thoughts from the state's top business leaders. Photo: Duane Tinkey

Snag the new ia during the next Envision Iowa event

Join Business Publications Corp. for Envision Iowa's annual event that focuses on new economic development research, plus the unveiling of the new issue of ia magazine Oct. 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn in West Des Moines.

Keynote speakers Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Finance Authority, and Kavilash Chawla, partner at Bâton Global, will kick off a fast-paced, interactive program featuring a presentation of recent research from the 2024 BPC/Bâton Global Envision Iowa Statewide Leaders Economic Outlook Survey and a discussion with top statewide leaders.

The Envision Iowa Statewide Leaders Economic Outlook Survey is a research collaboration between BPC and Bâton Global that provides leaders and decision-makers across Iowa with data on the aggregated outlook for Iowa's future. Again this year, data has been gathered from top-level Iowa leaders to generate a report to support you in making commercial, investment and public policy decisions that positively impact Iowa’s long-term economic performance.

Envision Iowa is an initiative created by BPC, the parent company of ia and dsm magazines and the Business Record, to help Iowa thrive and grow. In addition to this in-person event, the initiative includes three interactive, virtual think tank discussions.

Register for the event here.