Chain and Spoke is half coffee shop, half bike shop. Cycling gear fills in the industrial décor, and walls of windows give the space natural light.
Central Iowa
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photos: Hinterland 2024
Day 1 Day one saw headliners Hozier and Orville Peck on the main stage. Before that, festival goers caught the likes of Debbi Dawson, Valencia Grace and The Last Dinner Party, to name a few of the stacked Friday lineup. Day 2 Day two of Hinterland saw some readjustments from the festival organizers as many […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Comedian and character actor Josh Fadem is looking forward to a ‘free and sloppy’ show in Des Moines
If you’ve watched TV in the past decade, it’s likely you’ve seen or heard comedian Josh Fadem in action. His IMDb is a veritable who’s-who of comedy juggernauts and deep cuts — 30 Rock, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Superstore, The Powerpuff Girls, American Dad!, Twin Peaks, Better Call Saul, the 2018 TV adaptation of Heathers, the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Prominent Black creatives to discuss growing up in Iowa at the Des Moines Art Center
Three high-profile Iowa natives will be in conversation this Sunday at the Des Moines Art Center. Artist b. Robert Moore and artist-activist Jordan Weber will join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones. The evening sees the three come together to talk about growing up in the predominately white state of […]
Posted inCentral Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Locals gather at the Blazing Saddle to watch six-part series on its history, ‘The Last American Gay Bar’
A viewing party at a bar is an everyday occurrence, but what about if the bar itself is the subject of said viewing party? That’s exactly what has been happening every Wednesday of this month at the Blazing Saddle in Des Moines. Opening in 1983, the Blazing Saddle is the oldest gay bar in Des […]
Posted inCommunity/News
This 159-year-old bonsai is living its best life at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
There are, of course, no bonsai seeds — only bonsai trees. Most tree species can be “trained” to become bonsai through a sophisticated, often obsessive process of cutting, potting, pruning, wiring and styling a plant into a miniature, meticulously sculpted version of itself. The art form is rooted in centuries of Japanese and Chinese tradition, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo Gallery: Scenes from the 80/35 Music Festival, featuring Killer Mike, OK Go and more
The 80/35 Music Festival covered Des Moines’ Water Works Park in confetti on the first of two great (and hot!) nights of performances from national, international and Iowa acts alike. The first day of the festival — Friday, July 12 — saw tDreamer Isioma, Halfloves and Jim Swim take the stage, among others. As the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The new Wilson’s Orchard and Farm is growing its own farm-to-table tradition in central Iowa
Since 1980, Wilson’s Orchard, located just north of Iowa City, has been a popular “you-pick” opportunity for area families, students and couples in the late summer and fall months. After Paul Rasch and Sara Goering took ownership in 2009, the beloved orchard, pumpkin patch and bakery grew into a cidery, restaurant, wedding and reception venue, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Ballet and hip hop duet for Swan Prjct, a Des Moines troupe that centers marginalized dancers in cutting-edge performances
It is the end of a fruitful rehearsal for the Swan Prjct dance company. The high school contingent has just finished running through their performance to “My Queen is Harriet Tubman” by Sons of Kemet, its frenetic afrobeat stylings rattling the walls of SEEDS Studios in Des Moines’ East Village. The dancers raced into a […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Contact Buzz: Des Moines’ 48 Hour Film Project celebrates 20 years of frenetic filmmaking
An excited tension permeates the theater on this Friday in July. It is packed with filmmakers anticipating some fast, creative cinematography. The figurative starter’s gun will soon discharge, signaling that each team has two days — 48 hours — to conceive, script, shoot, edit and submit a short film to mark the successful completion of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
ARL holds a pet adoption special, asks for hot dogs, canned pumpkin, whipped cream and more as shelters remain crowded
Last week, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) asked for the public’s help because of a “severe space challenge” caused by a surge in dogs and cats arriving at its shelters. Over the weekend, it offered a special discount rate on adoptions of all dogs and cats six months or older, and 135 pets […]
Posted inCommunity/News
There’s an ‘urgent need’ for more people to adopt and foster dogs and cats as ARL faces ‘severe space challenges’
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) is “facing severe space challenges” as it cares for an exceptionally large number of dogs and cats, the nonprofit animal care organization said in a news release on Thursday. The ARL, which has provided all of the City of Des Moines’ shelter services since 2005, is currently caring […]
