The Lost Woods Music Festival returns to the Cedar Falls area for its third iteration on Saturday. What started as a party in the woods in 2023 has… kept on being a party in the woods, actually. Salt Fox, the band behind the fest, have resisted the scope creep that plagues so many other festival […]
Cedar Falls
Big burgers, bookish beverages and other place(s) to dine around Cedar Falls and Waterloo
For the 2025 Bread & Butter dining guide, Little Village food reviewer Abby McClatchey reviewed five Cedar Falls and Waterloo eateries. You can find more local restaurant coverage here. Big Head Burger 324 W 4th St, Waterloo It was Two Dollar Off Tuesday, so going with the Big Head Burger house special was a no-brainer. No substitutions, because they […]
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.
How to vote early in Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County voters who want to cast an early ballot in the Nov. 5 election can do so by going to the conference room in the basement of the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo (316 E 5th St) on any weekday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. On Monday, Oct. 21, and Friday, […]
LV Recommends: The new food menu at Octopus, Cedar Falls’ accidentally iconic music venue, makes it even harder to ever go home
I arrived at the Octopus in Cedar Falls for the first time on a Friday around 6 p.m., hoping to catch the weekly 5 o’clock Free Chicken Wings special, a tradition/homage to the old crew that ran Stebs. Clocking the where-are-the-wings look on my face, the bartender chuckled good-naturedly and said, “Yeah, we had a […]
House of Large Sizes returns to the stage in Cedar Falls with swagger for first shows in 10 years
It takes serious swagger to pull off the kind of rock and roll House of Large Sizes became known for over 35 years ago. The intricate, machine-gun timing of the songs, the energetic delivery and the ear-splitting volume all rely on a certain confidence and attitude to pull off convincingly. At a pair of shows […]
Iowa Press Spotlight: Final Thursday Press in Cedar Falls
Final Thursday Press out of Cedar Falls specializes in special books. Jim O’Loughlin, press founder and publisher, curates the collection from regional writers whose work stands out and whose projects excite him. “I’m always trying to work one level beyond what I’m comfortable with,” O’Loughlin said, each project challenging him in a way that allows […]
Staff Picks: Our favorite shopping centers around the CRANDIC
There may not be a one-stop shop for your holiday shopping list, but these districts in Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines and Iowa City hold plenty of hidden treasures from local retailers.

