By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The images are haunting. A devoted mother, happily holding her children. The same confidant-looking woman, dressed in stylish clothes. Her mugshots, taken at a Nazi prison, and the guillotine that cut her life short. The words Miloslava Gschwindová penned from prison are equally heartbreaking, particularly letters addressed to […]
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Category: Czech
End of an era: Rural Iowa parish suspend...
CHELSEA, Iowa — An annual festival celebrated for more than 100 years may have served its last chicken and ham dinner. Typically held the Sunday before Labor Day, St. Joseph’s Fall Festival has been canceled for 2026, after the Archdiocese of Dubuque instituted a restructuring plan for the Catholic church in Chelsea, Iowa, among its […]
Select pieces of history saved in Czech ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — As work progresses on changes to Czech Village, at least some pieces of the past are being saved. Sidewalk tiles, advertising former Czech Village businesses and organizations, started being removed in late July from a pedestrian walkway next to the former Sykora Bakery, 73 16th Ave. SW, with some still in […]
Czech Village bar in former Sykora Baker...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — More than two months after giving customers a sneak peek, Horseshoe & Hide has announced its official opening date in the former Sykora Bakery in Czech Village. The restaurant and bar, 73 16th Ave. SW, had a soft opening in mid-May 2026 during Houby Days weekend, but has only held open […]
Photos: Catholic churches enter final we...
CHELSEA, Iowa — St. Joseph’s Parish has survived floods and other challenges of biblical proportions in the more than 150 years since its founding in 1867, but parishioners wonder if it can endure the major restructuring taking place in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Under the “Journey in Faith” plan, which takes effect July 14, 2026, […]
Czech festival celebrating beloved kolac...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The annual Kolach Festival is underway from June 12-14 at St. Ludmila Catholic Church. Celebrating the beloved Czech fruit-filled pastries, the festival begins Friday, June 12, from 5-9 p.m. on the church grounds at 211 21st Ave. SW. See photos from a past kolache bake. The festival continues from 10 a.m. […]
Mural artist creates cultural intrigue i...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Artist Thomas Agran’s murals typically cover the entire side of buildings, but customers at Lion Bridge Brewing Co., can get an up-close view of his most recent work that includes nods to Czech culture and history. “I tend to do large-scale buildings,” Agran said, as he put the finishing touches this […]
Photos: Houby Days 2026 celebrated in Cz...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The annual Houby Days celebration in Czech Village managed to dodge most of the weekend’s thunderstorms, with crowds enjoying summer-like weather. Highlights of the 48th annual festival, held May 16-17, 2026, included a parade, morel mushroom contest, chalkfest, live entertainment, car show, folk dancers and more in the historic Czech Village. […]
New Czech Village bar opens in former Sy...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Just in time for the annual Houby Days festival, a new bar has opened in the former Sykora Bakery building in Czech Village. Horseshoe & Hide, 73 16th Ave. SW, opened Saturday, May 16, 2026, as the morning’s Houby Days Parade ended, with plans to stay open to 10 p.m. that […]
Morel mushroom contest returns with Czec...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mushrooms will take center stage during the Houby Days festival in Czech Village. The 48th annual festival, set for May 16-17, 2026, in the historic business district along 16th Avenue SW, celebrates houby, the Czech word for mushrooms. In years past, the morel contest was one of the highlights of the […]