ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

The 50th edition of the world's oldest, largest and longest recreational bike ride is set for July 22-29.

Find Out Where the 50th RAGBRAI Will Roll

Leaders of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa have guarded the secret of its 50th route so closely that even a top staffer didn’t know it—until she saw a telltale can of beer.

Rider Experience Manager Andrea Parrott first spied the map on a prototype can of RAGBRAI-branded beer from sponsor Big Grove Brewery, “so the secret was out,” she says—at least to the privileged few.

The rest of the spandex-clad masses will discover the route during the annual announcement party at 6-10 p.m. Saturday at Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines. Tickets for the shindig are $50 and include some Big Grove brew, heavy hors d’oeuvres—risotto lollipops, anyone?—and the sweet, sweet sounds of the Pork Tornadoes.

Guests can also expect a few new photo ops, including the Iowa Beer Bus and a trooper’s car from the Iowa State Patrol. As of Wednesday, Parrott was “still trying to get a tractor.”

Follow Captain America's lead and plunge right into Okoboji’s annual Winter Games Jan. 26-29.

Embrace Your Wild Side at Okoboji’s Winter Games

Iowa's biggest winter party returns this weekend to Okoboji with plenty of games, drinks and revelry, plus indoor fun for folks who want a break from the cold. Here are 10 highlights to check out:

Kites of all shapes and sizes will brighten the sky over the lake. Pros come from all over the globe to show off their skills.
In the "smooshing" tournament, teams of three will strap their feet to a pair of 2x4s and race down and back on 50-yard course.
The polar plunge will give costumed and bare-skinned brave souls a chance to jump in the lake.
The human dog-sled race will challenge trios of runners to pull a teammate on an inner tube across the ice. Costumes aren’t mandatory, but they'll earn style cred.
Ax throwing is back. After a five-minute training and five test throws, competitors will get 10 chances to score a perfect toss.
The keg toss will test how far contestants can toss two pony kegs. The prize? Take a wild guess.
Snowga—that's "snow" plus "yoga"—will offer a way to truly chill out.
West O Beer will serve the official brew of the games, a lager called "cōzy."
Live music will heat up the Fish Shack, the Gardens at Arnolds Park, the Roof Garden and Parks Marina.
Fireworks and a giant bonfire will light up Saturday night.

Find the full schedule and registration details online.

Seafood gets a Midwestern spin with Markley & Blythe’s Street Corn Scallops, featuring street corn salad, pickled fresno, and jalapeno and cilantro crema. Find the eatery at the Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City. Photo: Markley & Blythe.

Take Your Valentine to Mason City

Step inside the Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, Frank Lloyd Wright’s only remaining hotel, and you'll discover Markley & Blythe. Billed as an homage to Midwest bounty, its warm and welcoming mood may prompt you to book a room upstairs after dinner.

For a memorable experience, start with some charcuterie and the winter squash ravioli. Then tuck into heartier fare like the grilled rib-eye, seared beef tenderloin, sea scallops or black-walnut-crusted rainbow trout. Split a bottle of New World wine or linger with a round of craft cocktails and chocolate cake.

Otherwise, swing down to the Draftsman, the hotel's basement bar and billiards room. Sip a Mason City Manhattan and order from a curated menu from the main-floor restaurant.

The Broadway classic "My Fair Lady" visits Ames on Feb. 13 and Davenport on March 8.

Catch a Broadway Show in Iowa

Why not avoid the traffic on the real Broadway and let the shows come to you? Cities across Iowa are hosting all sorts of national tours this winter and spring.

Ames: See "Hairspray" (Feb. 3) and "My Fair Lady" (Feb. 13) at Stephens Auditorium.

Cedar Rapids: See "The Simon & Garfunkel Story" (Feb. 26) and "Annie" (May 9) at the Paramount Theatre.

Davenport: See "My Fair Lady" (March 8) and "Annie" (May 10) at the Adler Theatre.

Des Moines: See "Six" (Feb. 7-19), "1776" (March 14-19), "The Lion King" (March 30-April 16) and "Dear Evan Hansen" (June 6-11) among others at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Sioux City: See "Hairspray" (Feb. 1), "Chicago" (April 11) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (May 4) at the Orpheum.

The Central Iowa Blues Society presents its annual Winter Blues Fest Feb. 10-11 at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines. 2022 KC Blues Challenge winner Coyote Bill & the Brood from Kansas City are one of the headliners Saturday night.

Warm Up With the Blues in Downtown Des Moines

Get ready to rock to slide guitars, soulful crooners and wailing harmonica riffs during Des Moines' annual Winter Blues Fest, Feb. 10-11.

Held at the downtown Marriott hotel, which has multiple ballrooms on several floors, the lively event features 20 bands over two days and nights. On Saturday afternoon, get a chance to workshop your harmonica or guitar skills, and watch the documentary "To Memphis and Back." That night, hear some of the best blues artists in the Midwest, including award-winning musicians from Kansas City, Minneapolis and Omaha.

Advance tickets are $25 for Friday and $35 for Saturday (or $55 for the whole weekend), and prices bump up $5 at the door. Find the full schedule online.

Maestro Theodore Kuchar, center, has led the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra of Ukraine since 2002.

Hear What Hope Sounds Like in Ames

Finally, some good news from Ukraine: The acclaimed Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra plans to perform March 3 at Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

The orchestra from western Ukraine has become a symbol of hope and resilience during the past year of war and instability. Its trip to Ames is part of a national tour that includes visits to Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The program features a Brahms piano concerto and Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony, part of which Dvorak wrote during his stint in Spillville in the summer of 1893. The orchestra will perform under the baton of its longtime conductor, Theodore Kuchar, who brought the Kyiv-based National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine to the same stage in 2017.

This rendering shows the new front entrance planned for the African American Museum of Iowa. Photo: AAMI.

African American Museum in Cedar Rapids Plans Overhaul

Thirty years after the African American Museum of Iowa opened in Cedar Rapids, there are big plans for its future. The museum hopes to raise $6 million to update its facility and increase its endowment.

Founded by members of a local Baptist church, the museum moved around a few times until it arrived in 2003 at its current location near Czech Village and the Cedar River. Plans for the renovation include a new flood wall and gate, plus a larger entrance and lobby area.

The museum receives support as a Cultural Leadership Partner of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. It's currently closed for the renovation but will likely reopen in late fall. Check out its website to learn more about the plans and pitch in to the fundraising campaign.