Whether you’re cruising out on the boat or in front of the stage, artists can be enjoyed from both sides of the pier at Black Hawk Lake in Lake View. Photo: Frolic Photography.
By Michael Morain
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
The town of Lake View in northwest Iowa lives up to its name year-round, right there on the west end of Black Hawk Lake. But during the annual Stone Pier Summer Concert Series—June 4, July 3, Aug. 6 and Sept. 4—the view is just the beginning. The sound of music, the flutter of the breeze, the taste of barbecue and potato salad all add up to a pretty good evening.
Bands perform right on the pier, which was built in the 1930s by a Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps crew who would enjoy, no doubt, seeing so many people benefit from their rock-hauling labor. Crowds gather on lawn chairs along the shore and in boats out on the water, where folks can order dinner from the “burger boat” operated by volunteers from the fire department. (There are food trucks for the landlubbers, too.)
“It’s just grown into this true celebration of a place—the lake and the community,” organizer Emily Busch says.
The concert series won an Iowa Tourism Award in 2019, the same year Lake View was designated an Iowa Great Place, which means there are plenty more things to do while you’re there. Check the city’s events page for details about various festivals, a popular fishing tournament founded by a local 11-year-old, and bike rides along the 33-mile Sauk Rail Trail that connects to Swan Lake down near Carroll.
