CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two World War II veterans were recognized during a special ceremony Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Seminole Valley Farm Museum. Mike Bisek, 100, of Cedar Rapids, and Gordon Emmons, 97, of Marion, were presented with service pins at the museum’s annual World War II Remembered event. Twenty years ago, it wasn’t […]
Lilies blossom with delayed surprise
Recent rains could boost the late appearance of a popular flower in Iowa. Like clockwork, magic lilies, also known as surprise lilies or naked ladies, bloom in Iowa in late summer in synchronicity. If you see them popping up in one part of town, you’ll generally see them in another, but 2023 was an anomaly. […]
Time-honored musical tradition makes a m...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Tournament of Drums, which traces its history back to 1950, was held Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at a new location. The annual competition, featuring seven drum & bugle corps from across the United States and Canada, moved to the Prairie High School stadium for the first time. Known as the Hawkeye […]
Johnson County Master Gardeners to host ...
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Gardeners and history lovers can combine their passions during the Taste of the Heritage Garden, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The event, hosted by the Johnson County Master Gardeners, is held at historic Plum Grove, 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. A $6 donation offsets the […]
Open gardens weekend set in Iowa City
IOWA CITY — Both private and public gardens will be on display as Open Gardens Weekend returns to Iowa City on Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9, 2023. Hosted by Project GREEN, Open Gardens Weekend debuted in 2019 and returned in 2021 following a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Read on for […]
Ushers Ferry celebrates 50 years with ol...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Hundreds of visitors took a step back in time as Ushers Ferry Historic Village celebrated its 50-year anniversary. The “birthday bash,” Saturday, July 1, 2023, on the 10-acre site at 5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE, featured the Hawk A Model A Club, Iowa Brass Band, Old West Reenactors — Hole in […]
Photos: 2023 Freedom Festival Parade
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — This year’s Freedom Festival Parade escaped the rain that dampened festivities the past two years, even as severe thunderstorms threatened the area. More than 50 entries entertained the crowd that lined downtown Cedar Rapids on Saturday, June 24, 2023, as temperatures quickly soared into the 90s. Canceled in 2020 due to […]
Sokol Cedar Rapids celebrates 150th anni...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Members of the Sokol Cedar Rapids unit that traces its history back to 1873 brought back a longtime tradition to celebrate its sesquicentennial. Related: Sokol unit to mark milestone anniversary in Iowa The group hosted a pork and dumpling dinner on June 17, 2023, complete with its namesake menu items, plus […]
Queen Anne Victorian home on the move in...
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa — After 131 years at its North Liberty location, a Queen Anne Victorian home made the first leg of its move to a new site in rural Oxford, Iowa. Built in 1892 for the Jacob and Martha George family, the more than 2,800-square-foot house features a wraparound porch, turret, curved staircase, pocket […]
Czech Sokol unit celebrates milestone an...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Sokol Cedar Rapids will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a longtime tradition. The group, which traces its history in Cedar Rapids to 1873, plans a pork and dumpling dinner to mark the occasion from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17, 2023. Advance tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members for […]