At a surprise party, which role would you rather play: conspirator or guest of honor? Would you rather crouch behind the couch, flip the light switch and yell “SURPRISE”? Or would you prefer to just stumble into a happy throng of family and friends?
Some people don’t really enjoy either role — that’s fair — but the team here at ia magazine loves both. We like discovering new corners of this state we call home just as much as we like uncovering them for you in the pages ahead.
Have you heard about the peacocks over by Minden? Or the fantastic restaurant in Fertile, population 300? Or this: Iowa farmers are now raising shrimp in Hampton, Redfield and Washington. For real.
Now, don’t get us wrong: We like corn and soybeans, too. We like old red barns and RAGBRAI and BLTs in July. But what you’ll find here are stories that surprise you, whether you’re new to Iowa or you’ve lived here all your life.
In our feature about Dubuque’s new murals, there’s a quote from Dubuque native David Farley, who revisited his hometown after 25 years and wrote about it in the Wall Street Journal. “I was shocked by what I found,” he noted. “The city has transformed into an ideal long-weekend destination.”
Similarly, the A-list artist Leo Villareal, who dreamed up a spectacular new look for Davenport’s Figge Art Museum, was delighted by the artwork in the museum’s collection. “I’ve seen amazing treasures here,” he said.
We have a hunch Villareal could plan a memorable surprise party. When his team flipped the switch on his new light display at the Figge, it dazzled the crowd even when they knew it was coming and counted down to the big moment.
A quieter surprise inspired the photographer Radim Schreiber, who snapped the firefly shot on the cover (and many, many more here). He’d seen them only once as a kid in the Czech Republic, so he was blown away when he moved to Fairfield and discovered their nightly show in his backyard. Even now, after years of following them with his camera, he still can’t predict exactly where or when they’ll pop up. They’re full of surprises.
So is Iowa.
