In his last performance in Iowa City, jazz great Herbie Hancock mentioned how he felt “at home in Iowa” because of his years at Grinnell College. For most artists, a nod to their alma mater might sound like simple gratitude. In Hancock’s case, it was an understatement. His time at Grinnell did not just influence […]
Iowa City history
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City’s favorite bell disappeared after an incident involving a ‘madman,’ a mob and the Mormon Trail. Now, 177 years later, it’s back.
After 177 years, 1,200 miles, $35,000 and a 70-page report by historians from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a 782-pound church bell was returned to its original home in Iowa City. On Oct. 5, Iowa City’s First Presbyterian Church held a dedication and blessing for what they now call their “Hummer Bell.” […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Stanley Museum debuts exhibition of work by Hayward Oubre, a trailblazing UI art student and HBCU instructor
This fall, the University of Iowa will welcome home the work of Hayward Oubre, whose career was as disciplined and deliberate as the artist that shaped it. “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” on display now through Dec. 7, brings together a collection of sculptures, paintings and prints in the first comprehensive solo exhibition of his work. […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘A little bit of chaos is OK’: Pokey’s Fest keeps punk music, ethic alive in Iowa City
Punk isn’t dead. Sure, punk is old enough that it may be dad — or mom — but it’s still by and for the kids. For proof of life, one needn’t look any further than Pokey’s Fest 3, two all-ages nights of hardcore punk and other assorted music for freaks that will take place June […]
Posted inCommunity/News
With City Park Pool closed for the summer, it’ll take some creativity to stay cool in Iowa City
Fashion photos by Karla Monroe, featuring Natalie Lawrence and Lexi Wells at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center pool in Iowa City. Update: As a result of construction delays, the new City Park pool will not open until 2027, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced on June 5, 2026. The last time […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
From basements to grand stages, Mission Creek Festival has nourished Iowa City culture for two decades. This year marks the end of an era.
Mission Creek Festival’s namesake is a ghost river in San Francisco. It once connected the center of the city to Mission Bay, though during the past two centuries it has largely been filled in and redirected through subterranean channels. Over the years, parts of the land that Mission Creek ran through have experienced soil liquefaction, […]
Posted inLetters
Letters: Remembering Virginia Visker, a true Iowa City character
By Charlie Huyck Few have the honor, the guts, the threshold for pain, or the responsibility of living as deeply as Virginia Visker. I knew her best from the clothing shop she opened in the Hall Mall in the early ’80s. Her door was always open to angst-ridden junior high and high school kids searching […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Sanctuary Pub has closed, with building’s owner seeking new tenant
Since its debut in 1972, Sanctuary Pub has become as much a part of Iowa City’s cultural fabric as the Ped Mall, est. 1979. At least among locals, Sanctuary is as well-known for its intimate performances and literary events as its pizza, burgers and wide selection of beer on tap. The venue’s familiar facade is […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The history of Iowa City’s Lucas Farms neighborhood is long, colorful, sometimes ‘outlandish’ — and the subject of this weekend’s festivities
This weekend, one of Iowa City’s oldest neighborhoods is celebrating its history as the Lucas Farms Neighborhood Association holds its annual History Days. “Our neighborhood is absolutely loaded with history,” Judy Nyren, one of the organizers of History Days, told Little Village. Nyren has lived in the neighborhood for over 40 years and has extensively dug […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Flaming Lips, coming to Cedar Rapids June 25, have embodied alt-pop absurdity since Valerie Malone first introduced them on ‘90210’
“Hey man,” Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne asked me with a hippie-punk inflection, “are you a cop?” Back in 2006, I was interviewing him backstage after a show in St. Louis with co-headliners Sonic Youth, where Coyne was winding down after an explosive performance filled with confetti, balloons and a psychedelic light show. One of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
After years defying United Methodist rules as an openly queer chaplain, Iowa City’s Anna Blaedel is out of the church and proud to be a ‘spiritual misfit’
Rev. Anna Blaedel is a chaplain, public theologian, writer and a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Religious Studies program. They earned a Masters in Divinity at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and have been chaplaining students on the UI campus since 2014. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC) for 109 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Long before a Final Four, George’s has been the go-to spot to watch Iowa women’s basketball
Three blocks from the bar colony of downtown Iowa City sits the Northside Market, a neighborhood some of the quieter and more niche businesses call home. There’s Dirty John’s Grocery, the endless kitsch of Artifacts and the town’s only falafel joint, Oasis. There is also a little place called George’s Buffet. A slender two-story frame […]
