Traveling Gavel
In Iowa’s early days, before each county had its own courthouse, judges used to hop on a horse and “ride the circuit” from town to town to hold court. One of those judges has scheduled a Circuit Court Day on June 7 at Living History Farms, where visitors will get a chance to sit on the jury and hear lawyers and witnesses reenact real cases from Iowa in the 1870s. The last time a judge visited, two years ago, the court heard from a farmer whose corn was trampled by hogs, a widow disputing her late husband’s estate, and a passenger tossed from a moving train for riding without a ticket. lhf.org
Photo: Phil Roeder
Freedom Marches On
Next month, Iowans will gather once again to mark a meaningful milestone, honoring 35 years of the Iowa Juneteenth Observance. This annual tradition lifts up the rich cultural heritage, resilience and contributions of African Americans and commemorates the historic turning point on June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in the United States were finally freed. This year’s events include a public reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 14 at Living History Farms, the Iowa Juneteenth Jubilee on June 19, and Neighbors Day on June 21 in Western Gateway Park. Iowa Juneteenth Chairperson Dwana Bradley captured the essence of the celebration in an online video: “Each year we come together to reflect on our history, celebrate our heritage and use those lessons to build a brighter future for all.” iowajuneteenth.org
Photo: Bert Moody
Lavender Haze
Breathe in summer at its most fragrant during the annual PepperHarrow Lavender Festival just south of Winterset. On June 20 and 21, you can do just about everything with the plant except smoke it. Bake with it. Make soap with it. Sip it in a drink. You can distill it into an essential oil. Or you can simply enjoy it on the breeze while you practice yoga, listen to live music or watch plein-air painters capture the landscape on canvas, where soft purple rows stretch to a bright blue sky. pepperharrowfarm.com
Photo: PepperHarrow Flower Farm
Creative Capital
By now, the Des Moines Arts Festival has so many feathers in its cap, it probably needs another cap. Since it first came downtown in 1998, the annual event has won 15 Grand Pinnacle Awards from the International Festivals and Events Association. This year’s festival, June 27-29 in Western Gateway Park, will welcome nearly 200 exhibiting artists from across the country, including the milliner Diane Harty of Frisco, Colorado. She starts many of her hats with a straw braid on an antique sewing machine, using techniques that date back to the 1800s — and lets her imagination take it from there. desmoinesartsfestival.org
Photo: EJ Carr
Fox Tale
When the Des Moines Metro Opera stages “The Cunning Little Vixen” this summer in Indianola, its designers will have to be just as clever as the title character. Since Leos Janacek’s 101-year-old opera involves multiple species — humans, birds, frogs and even dragonflies and mosquitoes — it presents a challenge of scale. The new solution involves high-tech scenery designed by Luke Cantarella and the Des Moines-based video artist Oyoram, whose digital images of the forest zoom in or out, depending on the scene. (“Honey, I Shrunk the Diva!”) To add to the magic, Vita Tzykun’s costumes blend fur, feathers and wings with traditional folk costumes from Janacek’s native Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic). The show runs in rotation with “The Flying Dutchman” and “The Rake’s Progress” during this summer’s festival, June 27 through July 20, at the Blank Performing Arts Center at Simpson College. desmoinesmetroopera.org
Image: Oyoram Visual Composer
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