ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

Head to Winterset for the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival. (Photo: Madison County Tourism)

Weekend plans? The Covered Bridge Festival has you covered

Experience the charm that inspired the bestselling novel, hit movie and Broadway musical during the annual Madison County Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset. It celebrates the bridges and all things Midwest with tons of activities Oct. 12 and 13.

Kick things off with a pancake breakfast or a 5K race, but maybe not both back-to-back. There’s plenty more to see and do, including a classic car show, a spelling bee, a farmers market and tours of the famous bridges. This year, more than 150 vendors will surround the courthouse square with art, historical activities, crafting demonstrations, food and live entertainment. (Whether you count live chain saw carving as a demonstration or live entertainment depends on your perspective.)

Plus, kids can enjoy visits from Blank Park Zoo animals, face painting, chalk art and inflatables.

Try out Oskaloosa's newest restaurant in the town's old post office, illuminated by Musco Lighting. (Photo: Musco Lighting)

A new restaurant revives a historic post office

Oskaloosa’s old post office is open again, but not for mail. The town’s newest restaurant, American Table / The P.O. Box, is open for business in the town’s grand century-old post office. Housed in the historic district, American Table’s sit-down experience offers diners a close-up look at the building’s architecture, woodwork and original bricks.

The American Table celebrates local history with vintage photos and collectibles. And as its name suggests, the menu offers American classics, including burgers, sandwiches and salads, plus a full menu of cocktails and daily specials.

Immerse yourself in Iowa's beautiful fall colors. (Photo: Iowa DNR)

Fall color peaks soon across Iowa

The Iowa DNR has released its weekly fall color report, which chronicles the seasonal changes 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. In northeast Iowa, for example, fall colors are already spreading across the wooded hillsides.

Right now is a great time to explore Backbone State Park near Dundee, where the Maquoketa River flows through the forest, or Pikes Peak State Park in McGregor. And if you want to see Iowa’s colors in a small town, head to Marquette, a good spot for antiquing, relaxing with a glass of wine or dining on a riverboat on the mighty Mississippi River.

Gather a few pumpkins from one of Iowa's popular patches. (Photo: Travel Iowa)

Some pumpkin-pickin’ good times

If you’re on the lookout for a great pumpkin and a fun fall afternoon, look no further than the following Iowa farms. They’re hosting autumnal activities through the end of the month.

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, have lunch at the Pitchfork Cafe. The farm is open daily through Oct. 31.

Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins and its acres of unpicked and prepicked 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 zip line, 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. 27, plus a “boo-nus” day on Nov. 2.

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-foot-high Bass Point Creek High Bridge. Tickets sell out quickly and must be purchased in advance. Trains depart at 10 a.m. on Oct. 12, 19, and 26, but riders should arrive an hour early.

The African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids reopened this year after renovations. (Photo: African American Museum of Iowa)

A new series at the African American Museum of Iowa

Museums offer a space for people to learn about the past and consider the implications for the future. That's especially valuable for subjects that are difficult or complex.

As part of the African American Museum of Iowa’s current exhibition, “Racist Things: Hateful Imagery in the American Home,” the museum team is hosting a new monthly series called Coffee Conversations. The gatherings are part of the new First Saturday programs at the museum’s newly renovated space in Cedar Rapids, and they’re designed to facilitate open conversations and learning around the exhibit’s difficult themes.

Experience Czech and Slovak culture in Cedar Rapids. (Photo: Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs)

50 years of Czech and Slovak culture in Iowa

The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids celebrates its 50th anniversary from Oct. 25 through Nov. 4 with “Czech and Slovak Echoes in the USA.” The festivities include a fashion show, hands-on baking workshops, and two performances of Anton Dvorak’s opera “Rusalka,” performed by a Czech cast.

Czech composers, musicians, singers and cooks will share their talents throughout the week. The concerts, in particular, are part of the broader Year of Czech Music throughout 2024.

Registration details for each event, including a few as far as Spillville and Chicago, are on the museum’s website.

There's a story behind the name of each of Iowa's 99 counties. (Photo: State Historical Society of Iowa)

Check out ‘Weird & Wonderful Iowa’

There aren’t many Iowa counties that are named for women — and even fewer that are named for women who are murderers. Historians don’t know for certain, but many believe that Louisa County in southeastern Iowa was named for a young woman named Louisa Massey, who was only 16 when she used a pistol to avenge the deaths of her father and brother in 1835.

“She found [her target] in a grocery store, stepped up in front of him, and with the words, ‘If you are Smith, defend yourself,’ fired. The ball struck against a bundle of papers in his pocket and his life was temporarily saved. He died as the result of the wound two years later,” according to an account from a Mrs. Reuben Noble, one of the Massey family’s neighbors.

See the story, in all its strange detail, in a short video from the State Historical Society of Iowa narrated by administrator Valerie Van Kooten. It’s the first in a new video series called “Weird and Wonderful Iowa.” So how did the other 98 counties get their names? Read all about it in this ia story from David Elbert.