Rain or shine, it’s prime time to enjoy a third place in your community. In this 2025 Spring Arts Issue, Little Village catches up with Rozz-Tox, the eclectic Q.C. cafe and performance space that recently succeeded in buying its building; checks in with Tobi Parks to learn what’s next for xBk Live, her pandemic-defying Des Moines venue with a bottom-up approach to supporting local musicians; and recalls the 20-year history of Mission Creek Festival as the iconic event nears the end of an era with the Englert Theatre.
Also in the issue: Journalist Jenna Wang recounts the downfall of the nonprofit behind National Novel Writing Month, a popular pastime across Iowa, and essayist Violeta Vaca Delgado defends sci-fi from the likes of Elon Musk, en español y inglés. Plus: The Lynchian view of Iowa, an incarcerated individual’s story, a building of wonders in East Moline and Kiki’s advice for a Transformers fetishist. Oh, and hundreds of can’t-miss upcoming events.
Cover art by Ethan Edvenson
