Returning to the Cedar Falls forest for the third iteration of Lost Woods Music Festival felt like stepping into another dimension—a place where we could escape the chaos and stress of the real world for a single night of bliss. The brainchild of Iowa’s hardest working musicians, the Cedar Falls based indie pop group Salt Fox, Lost Woods 2025 went bigger and better while retaining its authentic, intimate, identity.
Music festival
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Five questions with Salt Fox’s Andy Fuchtman on the Lost Woods Music Festival, a party turned nonprofit in Cedar Falls
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 […]
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80/35 officially canceled after nearly 20 years in Des Moines
In October, the future of 80/35, one of Iowa’s biggest annual musical festivals, was “not currently determined,” but even at that time it seemed unlikely the festival would return. That’s because the statement about 80/35’s future was part of the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s (DMMC) announcement that it was shutting down, and the coalition […]
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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 […]
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The first Greenbelt Music Festival kicked off summer with banjos, brews, music and Mummies
May 19 and 20 marked Clive’s inaugural Greenbelt Music Festival, a (mostly) bluegrass-focused fest held at the Horizon Events Center. Shockingly well done — especially for a new event — Greenbelt drew several thousand attendees during its two-day span. Five dollars from every ticket sold was donated to the Clive Community Foundation, which will use […]
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Bring your own TP, and other tips from Iowa summer music festival regulars
It’s that magical time of year again! Festival season is back and that means wristband tan lines, sipping craft beer with buddies and seeing all your favorite bands onstage. Although most festivals took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are back this year in full force. Alongside national favorites like Coachella, South-By-Southwest, Bonnaroo […]
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Get psyched for GDP: A teaser of the acts performing in Des Moines on Saturday
Local music lovers, this one’s for you. We’re only days away from Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the all-Iowa music fest happening in Des Moines. This Saturday night, get ready to catch up to a dozen performances all taking place at three venues: Gas Lamp, the Cave and Teehee’s Comedy Club. Performances will be happening simultaneously […]
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Camp Euforia returns this summer for one last celebration
Camp Euforia (CE), one of Iowa’s longest-running independent music festivals, has announced the acts performing in its final festival this summer. After 17 years, the festival is being discontinued, and the last celebration will be held this July 14-16 in its usual beloved spot, Jerry’s Farm in Lone Tree. In early 2020, festival organizers announced […]
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Prairie Pop: Grey Area festival will suit local music fans, campers and circus freaks
Grey Area, a joint venture by Flat Black Studios and White Rabbit clothing store, is an unusual new festival taking place just outside of Iowa City on Aug. 18 and 19. Featuring live music and a diverse range of multimedia programming, it’s a celebration of our local musical community. The festival will span Friday afternoon to late Saturday night, and is set outdoors (on-site camping is encouraged; bring plenty of water, bug spray and other necessities, as well as blankets or chairs to sit on).
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Hinterland 2015: ‘The Lands Behind’ are far ahead
One does not simply go to the Hinterland. The organizers — or perhaps the gods — made this abundantly clear during the festival’s inaugural year when flooding demanded a last-minute shift away from the original location in the heart of Des Moines, to a space more worthy of the Teutonic title — “Hinterland.” In German, […]
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The debut of Eaux Claires: The little Wisconsin festival that could
An emphasis on local groups over marquee acts propels the Eaux Claires festival into a realm of its own — a realm where music from regional…
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Mumford and Sons bring music festival to Waverly, IA
Gentlemen of the Road Music Festival Wartburg College, Waverley, Iowa — Friday, June 19 through Saturday, June 20 With the help of three-time Grammy award winners Mumford and Sons, the small town of Waverly, Iowa, is expected to triple in size this weekend: Saturday, June 20, the five piece, folk-rock band will be headlining the […]
