Elijah Decious

See what’s new this year at one of downtown Cedar Rapids’ largest annual outdoor events.

“For the second time this year, Iowa breweries have been recognized as some of the best and brightest,” said Iowa Brewers Guild executive director Noreen Otto. “When Iowans drink local, they’re drinking some of the best craft beer in the world.”

Practiced for thousands of years, an ancient form of therapy is finding new audiences as Eastern Iowans look for new ways to escape everyday stress.

After a rough start to 2023, the iconic Hamburg Inn has closed again in Iowa City.

Harry’s Bar & Grill, with fresh signage and an awning on its storefront at 116 E. Washington St., hopes to offer a full menu soon in the spot between Mesa Pizza and Bo-James.

Owners Kathy and Peter Kessler reopened the restaurant in January 2022 after a short closure, bringing on new Executive Chef Chris Grebner. The concept changed from a breakfast and brunch spot to a seasonal farm-to-table concept with a menu that changed weekly.

With a selection from hundreds of family recipes going back generations, those with a sweet tooth can now get their fix without driving to Iowa County.

Iowa City poet Caleb Rainey never set out to be a full-time performing artist. But as he tours the country to perform slam poetry, he’s found his stride in fostering a sense of healing and growth for the next generation of artists in Iowa City.

Oelwein’s Thyron Mathews, owner of T&T BBQ and Catering, stays humble in giving back to his community, even after a prized Netflix win catapulted his name recognition.

Plans for a location in the Iowa City area finally came to fruition after 10 years in the making.

The franchised chain’s menu features pretzels and pretzel bites of various flavors, alongside hot dog pretzel bites and several flavors of lemonade.

From deep-dish cinnamon rolls to rotisserie chicken and everything in between, Barrett’s Quality Eats delivers top-tier simplicities in a casual cafe concept.

For those with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities, the horses and instructors at Miracles in Motion in Swisher work wonders that other types of exercise can’t.

As he opens the first of two new location this year in Johnson County, owner Mark Paterno is looking to see how new demographics react before expanding to North Liberty, Cedar Rapids and Ankeny.

The sandwich shop, which bakes its bread daily in-house, has a full menu of milk teas, fruity teas, coffee, and a focused menu of the classic Vietnamese sandwich style with unique meat and green options.