ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

Visit PepperHarrow Farm during the Madison County Fall Crawl to shop for fresh-cut bouquets and lavender products. It's one of 15 stops on the self-guided tour. Photo: PepperHarrow Farm

Explore the local businesses of Madison County

Take a drive through Madison County during the annual Fall Crawl, which starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. Fifteen featured locations, including historic conservatories and family-owned farms, open their doors to host visitors and more than 75 vendors.

We recommend you start at Pammel Park Coffee Co. to grab an espresso, then choose your own adventure. There will be livestock feeding and veggie picking for the kids, tours through fields of lavender or hemp, if that’s more your thing, and tastings at half a dozen wineries, cideries and brewhouses. All are locally owned, of course.

No tickets are required, but be sure to pick up a Madison County passport at any participating location. Each stamp you get from a business earns you the chance to win all sorts of goodies.

Lauren Riensche

Discover a bit of haunted history in Cedar Falls

Our sources on the other side tell us the Cedar Falls Ghost Tour is returning for a third year this October, when folks can explore the eerie history and hauntings during a one-hour, one-mile walking tour along Main Street. The guide is Lauren Riencsche, a historian, paranormal enthusiast and Cedar Falls native who knows all the city's nooks and crannies. During the tour, she’ll recount various stories she's researched and heard over the years from locals.

The tours start on Oct. 13 and continue each weekend through October. Tickets go on sale at noon this Friday, and you can find them by visiting the Cedar Falls Ghost Tour page on Facebook or Instagram. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Cedar Falls Historical Society.

A giant pretzel? Wunderbar! You'll find a few at the annual GermanFest in eastern Iowa.

Say "Guten Tag" to GermanFest in Guttenberg

And with a name like Guttenberg, it’s got to be good. The 32nd annual GermanFest next weekend, Sept. 22 and 23, in the proudly German town on the Mississippi offers all the festivities you’d expect: live music, food trucks and plenty of beer, including a home brew contest and tasting at noon on Saturday.

You can also see a 1913 edition of the Gutenberg Bible on display at the Guttenberg Public Library. (Note to sticklers: The book has one “t”; the town has two.)

Beyond that, three particular festival highlights caught our attention: polka lessons at 5:30 p.m. Friday, an open house at the river’s lock and dam house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and … drum roll, please … weiner dog races at high noon on Saturday. Who doesn’t love a dashing dachshund?

Coralville Lake

One Trip to Try: Coralville Lake

You’ll find Coralville Lake snug between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. It’s a perfect day trip if you’re nearby and an easy weekend trip if you’re farther out. You can stay overnight at one of nearly 500 campsites.

But even if camping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy the human-made lake. There's boating, fishing and beaches for swimming. Or if you prefer to stay on land, wander through miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, or keep it simple with a picnic at any of the playground areas.

Mid- to late October is the best time to see the forest in its fall finery, especially in the lake's reflection around sunrise and sunset.

Everyone wins one way or another during Oktoberfest's stein holding contest. Caption Photo: Des Moines Oktoberfest

Prost! Des Moines celebrates Oktoberfest

Dust off your lederhosen and dirndls: Des Moines’ annual Oktoberfest is set for Sept. 22-23, and this year it's moving to Water Works Park.

Listen to German folk songs while you play a round of Koenigschlagen. Fill your stein with German beer. Learn to polka, and when the dancing wears you out, refuel with German bratwurst, spaetzle or giant pretzels before the stein holding contest.

However you choose to celebrate, remember to do it responsibly. Find the full schedule and buy tickets online.

Wills Family Orchard in Adel grows organic apples on a portion of the property. The harvest continues through mid-October. Photo: Ryan Arnst

Where to pick apples this season

This year's autumnal equinox will occur precisely at 2:50 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, but some harbingers of fall are more obvious — like big, beautifully ripe apples. Here are three spots where you can pick your own. For more options, check out a bigger list from Travel Iowa.

3 Bee Farms Market & Orchard, Griswold: You may have seen its stand during the summer farmers market season, but this fall, why not go right to the source? This hidden gem in southwest Iowa is open daily through September and October, with a barnyard, pumpkin patch, corn maze and, of course, plenty of apples.

Wills Family Orchard, Adel: The central Iowa destination has a dozen varieties you can pick yourself or purchase in the farm store. There’s also a pumpkin patch, plus festival weekends with apple cider doughnuts, home-baked pie and caramel apples, a corn maze and hayrides.

Wilson’s Orchard & Farms, Iowa City: More than 80 varieties grow on the property’s 88 acres. In addition to apple-picking, there are tractor rides, plus a smokehouse, retail shop and a restaurant at Wilson’s Ciderhouse in a century-old barn.

Visit Art Ciccotti’s studio south of Ames to see his work Venetian-inspired glass art. He'll demonstrate his glassblowing techniques during the Ames Artists' Studio Tour. Photo: Ames Community Arts Council

Meet and greet artists around the state

For a decade now, the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has connected rural communities and visitors through art. Tour studios and browse original artwork created by artists in Clarinda, Glenwood, Malvern and other towns in the area. Through Sept. 15-17, embark on a self-guided cruise to see all 16 participating studios and galleries, or follow one of the festival’s suggested loops.

The Lincoln Highway Arts Festival in Mount Vernon offers a diverse range of artistry for all budgets and tastes. This year's event is set for Sept. 23. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to art, the festival includes demonstrations, activities for kids, live music and delicious food.

And the Ames Artists’ Studio Tour is back, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. From noon to 4 p.m. both days, patrons can take free, self-guided tours of 14 artist studios in and around Ames.