October is upon us, and the veil grows thin, which means it’s time to put aside our beach reads and turn towards some darker books. As a child, I loved being read to by my mom, and our go-to for a long time was Hauntings: Tales of the Supernatural, a collection of 19th and early-20th […]
Halloween
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Oogie Boogie, Nosferatu, a sword-swallowing jester and other creatures of the night entice for Kitty and Red’s Burlesque Revue
The lights dropped low at Rock Island’s Circa 21 Speakeasy on Oct. 10 as “She’s My Witch” started to play. Out of the darkness, Kitty Bardot stepped into the spotlight, her confidence instantly taking over the room. From that moment on, the crowd was hooked. Laughter, cheers and applause filled the space as the second […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with Chase Abner ahead of his new Halloween-themed music festival, set in a historic Iowa schoolhouse
As a parent to a 4-year-old, I’ve come to realize that, when it comes to finding things to do, the Halloween season can be tricky. Scoping out a spooky-themed event for a possible family outing becomes a recon mission. How scary is it going to be? Too scary? Not scary enough? Going too heavy on […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Iowa beer picks to match your Halloween costume
Don’t know what to be for Halloween? These costumes pair perfectly with a beer from one of Iowa’s devilishly talented craft breweries. Illustrations by Emma McClatchey; beer can images courtesy of the breweries A Witch Witch Slap (6% ABV), Clock House Brewing Whether you’re Elphaba, Glinda or some Etsy curse merchant, this year-round hazy IPA […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Slaughterhouse in Des Moines sates its fiendish fanbase with year-round haunts, escapes, ‘spookeasies’ and Slipknot-inspired scares
Driven by a voracious appetite for fright, Central Iowa fans of haunted house experiences continue to seek the best venues for adrenaline rushes. One dark destination stands apart from the others, a haunt with a novel-length backstory and themed experiences all year: The Slaughterhouse. A growing fanbase awaits the latest offering from the immersive fright […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two eerie short stories by Victoria Shellady
Stories written and submitted by Victoria Shellady Sourdough Elizabeth Moore had dinner on the table at 5 p.m., like she did every other weeknight. That night’s creation was a new recipe torn from the pages of the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens. The Best Pot Roast You Will Ever Have, the article claimed. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Retired jack-o-lanterns will fall from the sky in downtown Iowa City on Saturday
A jack-o-lantern is a delightful seasonal decoration. Then what? Everybody knows composting is the most responsible option for disposing of your gutted gourd, and the Iowa Children’s Museum will make that composting more fun with its Jack Splat at the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp in downtown Iowa City on Saturday. Jack Splat is just what […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
‘At Halloween, I’m at the height of my powers’: An interview with writer Carmen Maria Machado, currently teaching ‘the art of haunting’ at UI
Celebrated experimental writer Carmen Maria Machado is back in Iowa City this fall. The Allentown, Pennsylvania native earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2018, and is back as a visiting associate professor in the Workshop teaching a very October-friendly graduate course, “The Art of Haunting.” Machado has written three books, including the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
LV Recommends: Des Moines’ new Monsterama Arcade & Pizzeria gets two enormous, dismembered thumbs up
Wednesday, 6:11 pm. Of course I’m at Monsterama. Where the hell are you? Monsterama Arcade & Pizzeria (located at 3108 SW 9th St, next to Lucky Gal) on Des Moines’ south side serves pizza, calzones, hot dogs and mocktails adjacent to a gaggle of games. If the tantalizing eats and creative concoctions don’t endear you […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Nosferatu’ and a live, electronic symphony of horror will invade the James Theatre on Oct. 23
Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is one of the most unsettling visual tales ever imprinted on celluloid, with an origin story and afterlife as shadowy as its vampiric subject matter. The 1922 German Expressionist film, directed by F.W. Murnau, first crept into this world by sinking its teeth into Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, which […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fully Booked: Chilling stories for the whole family
Can’t decide what to read next? Librarians at the Iowa City Public Library have some ideas. Browse the ICPL’s collection of print books and audiobooks online. If there’s a tween in your life looking for a spooky story this Halloween season, these picks are eerie but not too scary. Aimed at 8-to-12-year-olds but enjoyable for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Photo Gallery: Halloween on the Hill rises from the grave
Halloween on the Hill (HOTH) is an annual Halloween night celebration in Des Moines’ Sherman Hill neighborhood, in which residents go all-out to present the most creative yard decorations and spooky experiences for visitors. With the pandemic, like many other celebrations and city traditions, HOTH took a pause in 2020 and ’21. But their comeback […]
