A vibrant celebration of local food, delectable flavors, and convivial community hits the Fairfield square on Friday, September 5, 6-10 p.m., for Fairfield First Fridays' Harvest Celebration. This special night will shine a spotlight on Southeast Iowa’s rich agricultural roots. Local restaurants and vendors will be serving up dishes made with ingredients grown and produced| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It’s happened again. You’d think that after many years of writing this column I would stop being astonished. Not so. A free artificial intelligence tool for creating animation absolutely delighted me. My prompt was this: “This video should be in the style of a cartoon. An automobile races down a country road toward the viewer.| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Have you ever driven behind someone with goldfinch license plates and wondered what they meant? You may have seen that same goldfinch on a REAP sign while walking on a path in Jefferson County Park or the Fairfield Loop Trail. Whether that sign piqued your curiosity or not, I’m here to explain this mysterious government| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival (ICSF), an intimate three-day music festival centered around the craft of songwriting, premieres September 4–6 at the Englert Theatre and other small venues in downtown Iowa City. Showcasing world-class songwriters through cozy performances, the festival has a stellar lineup that includes Jeff Tweedy, Courtney Marie Andrews, Loudon Wainwright III, and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Community choirs are one of the simplest, most joyful means available to turn strangers into neighbors. These choirs lift moods, tune bodies into a shared rhythm, and give every participant a front-row seat to the miracle of harmony. As composer John Rutter says, “Choral singing is not a frill—it’s the heart of our humanity." Walk into a| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A vibrant celebration of creativity is coming to Fairfield this month. The first annual Southeast Iowa Art and Book Fair will be held on Saturday, August 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Admission is free and open to the public. This inaugural event brings together over two| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
In late June, a few hours ahead of his reading at Prairie Lights Books, I met Lee Cole over coffee in Iowa City. He was in town—back in town, really—to promote his new novel, Fulfillment, which tells the story of a dysfunctional family in which each member desperately wants something they can’t quite have. It’s| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, the Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. The building itself is a wonder of architectural design—its sleek lines, lustrous green glass façade, and arresting interior spaces create an artistic haven along the riverfront. With 17 to 23 rotating exhibitions on view every year,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Hinterland did not just grow this year—it exploded. The festival grounds in St. Charles, Iowa, tripled in size, stretching over 1 million square feet and 250 acres, with more of everything: water stations, shade, camping, parking, and creature comforts. But the real headline at the August 1–3 event was . . . well, the headliners.| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Like many Americans, I grew up reading Mark Twain’s stories about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The Mississippi River figures prominently in these novels, and it has always been a comforting presence in my life. To me, the river embodies infinite strength and calm, the backbone of a nation that, in the words of Winston| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
President Trump has promoted a bill that would disallow states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next 10 years. Pope Leo, on the other hand, views today’s AI wave as a new and disruptive industrial revolution that requires regulation in order to defend dignity, justice, and labor rights. In other words, their views represent an| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
These three documentaries—The Quilters, My Heroes Were Cowboys, and My Mom Jayne—promise to entertain and make you feel good about humanity. The Quilters These days, prisons offer imaginative programs that make use of the inmates’ time while developing their skills, which sometimes offers unexpected benefits. A Sing Sing prison program teaches acting classes with opportunities| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
On day two of distributing bundles of The Iowa Source a few months ago, I decided to take “the scenic route” from Ottumwa down to Van Buren County, cutting in toward the Des Moines River on Route 16. The two-lane highway shoots down a tree-lined hill and swoops east right into the heart of Eldon,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
After the inauguration, Donald Trump said we would be entering a new golden age. He didn’t explain why he thought that. So it left us to wonder what would cause it to be a golden age. My mind immediately went to the Gilded Age, a time in American history when fortunes were made and conspicuous| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
