After a record-breaking season that saw almost 30,000 people visit the former landfill turned greenspace, Mount Trashmore is closing for the winter. Trashmore’s trails and the overlook pavilion at its peak will close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. They will reopen in the spring “when the weather allows,” according to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid […]
Recreation
Posted inCommunity/News
A creative can-struction fundraiser in Coralville helps CommUnity fight food insecurity
There have been shelves of canned foods in grocery stores as long as there have been grocery stores. But as useful as they are in preserving food and inspiring Andy Warhol prints, cans are seldom seen as material for art. On Saturday at the Coral Ridge Mall, architects will unlock some of canned food’s artistic potential, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
More than 100 local nonprofits making life in Iowa more livable
There’s nothing like a presidential election to remind voters in a minor, non-swinging member of the Electoral College like Iowa how little power an individual has over broken systems. Iowans are hungry, housing insecure and live under a near-total abortion ban. High nitrate levels in our waterways, caused by reckless Big Ag practices, endanger vital […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Ex-jack-o-lanterns will fall from the sky on Saturday as Jack Splat returns to Iowa City
As the sun rose on Friday, the smiles on jack-o-lanterns went from welcoming or menacing to pointless or pensive. What is to be done with carved pumpkin now it’s November? Fortunately for puzzled pumpkin owners, the Iowa Children’s Museum (ICM) has an answer: splat them. On Saturday, the museum is bringing its annual Jack Splat […]
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On the back of the ballot, Johnson County voters have a chance to continue funding conservation work
It’s understandable that the first choice on ballots in this year’s election — president and vice president — has gotten the most attention, but the last choice on the ballot is also important for Johnson County residents. On the back of the ballot, along with the judges up for a retention vote and beneath the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
80/35’s future ‘is not currently determined’ as the Des Moines Music Coalition shuts down
Three months after the last performers left the stage at this year’s 80/35, the organization behind the music festival has announced it is shutting down. “After nearly twenty years of volunteers and staff working passionately to grow central Iowa’s music scene, the non-profit Greater Des Moines Music Coalition (DMMC) has made the heartfelt decision to […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Almost too magical to be true, Lost Woods Festival brought stellar Iowa musicians, cozy furniture and spellbinding vibes in its second year
A mysterious secret location? Tick. A stunning line up of Iowa’s best bands? Tick. Delicious local food trucks? Tick. What’s not to love? With this in mind, I started the ninety-minute road trip from Iowa City to Cedar Falls with high expectations.
Posted inRecreation
Bumper Crops: You don’t have to bowl to ball at SpareMe, home of plentiful pinball machines and friendly competition
October Pinball TournamentSpareMe Bowling & Arcade, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 6 p.m. As an increasingly older, increasingly grumpy Iowa City townie, I have never been more hesitant to write a glowing review of a place. But my god, if you haven’t been hanging out at SpareMe, especially on Wednesdays, what are you even doing with your […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Iowa is steeped in cinema history — and historic cinemas. But keeping an indie theater ticking isn’t easy
In Tommy Haines’ and Andrew Sherburne’s 2017 documentary Saving Brinton, Iowa history teach Mike Zahs discovers a treasure trove of old film reels in a farm basement, including rare footage of Teddy Roosevelt and a never-before-seen film by Georges Méliès (A Trip to the Moon, The Impossible Voyage). Zahs then embarks on an international odyssey […]
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Phill the water buffalo is out of the hospital and reunited with his bovine best friend
Phill the water buffalo is out of the hospital and settling into life at his new home, the Iowa Farm Sanctuary (IFS), Shawn Camp announced in a video posted to the sanctuary’s Instagram page on Thursday. Camp, who founded and runs IFS with her husband Jared, said they picked up Phill yesterday and brought him […]
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Phill, the wandering water buffalo of Polk County, has a new home at the Iowa Farm Sanctuary. So do two of his friends.
Phill the domesticated water buffalo’s escape into the suburban streets of Pleasant Hill in late August captured the attention and imagination of people nationwide. It came to an end after five days when Phill was found, subdued with a tranquilizer dart and sent to Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital in Ames to receive medical […]
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Nestled in a Dubuque neighborhood, Convivium grows, cooks and shares a wealth of fresh food every week
Contributing a casserole to the potluck is basic Midwest manners. Casseroles are simple to heat, freeze, share and fill up on, not to mention a great vehicle for both healthy and tasty ingredients. Finding a neighbor at the door holding their famous tater-tot casserole can provide much-needed comfort during a time of grief or struggle. […]
