This week in Madison County…
Tonight
Stand By Me
Thursday • May 14 • 7:00pm
Throwback Thursday at The Iowa Theater
1/2 off popcorn on Throwback Thursday!
Four friends, Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern, decide to go hiking in order to find the dead body of Ray Brower, a local teenager who was hit by a train while plucking blueberries in the wild. 1986, Rated R, 1hr, 29 min
Stitch In At The Museum
Thursday • May 14th • 10am-4pm
Iowa Quilt Museum
Solar Natural Dyeing Class
Thursday • May 14th • 6-7:30pm
Winterset Cidery
Join me 6-7:30 Pm at Winterset Cidery and learn to solar dye a silk scarf using natural botanical materials!
This fun, easy, make and take class is a relaxing, enjoyable evening out with a friend. You will take home your custom dyed scarf to finish dyeing in a sunny window of your home! All materials provided. While this class is not messy, there is a chance for dye spills so please wear clothing that you would not mind being accidentally stained.
Pre-registration is required so we know we have enough dye supplies for everyone!
Deadline: Summer Theater Camps Registration
Friday • May 15
Trivia Thursday
Thursday • May 14th • 5-9pm
Winterset Cidery
Trivia Thursday is coming back to Winterset Cidery!
Join us on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month from April through October for a night of fun, friends, and a little friendly competition! We’ll be open from 5-9pm, with trivia kicking off at 7pm sharp.
Winners will score 1 free drink each, and teams are capped at 4 people-so gather your crew and come early to grab a table (they fill up fast!).
Think you’ve got what it takes? Come test your brain power with us!
Thank you to our sponsors!
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This Week!
Movie at The Iowa Theater: The Sheep Detectives
- Friday, May 15 – 7:00PM
- Saturday, May 16 – 7:00PM
- Sunday, May 17 – 2:00PM
In this witty, new breed of mystery, George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.
2026 Rated PG, 1hr, 49min
Senior Speaker Series
Friday • May 15 • 10 AM
Bricker-Price Block, Earlham
VOTE The Bakery Unlimited as Best Donut Shop!
Daily through Monday • June 8th
Vote every day for The Bakery Unlimited in the USAToday 10Best Donut Shop contest – no signup is needed! They have previously come in 3rd and 5th – this time, let’s make it #1!
Polls close on Monday, June 8 at noon ET. The 10 winning shops, as determined by your vote, will be announced on Wednesday, June 17.
VOTE HERE: https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/bakery-unlimited-winterset-iowa
Happy Birds, Happy Humans: How we co-exist together
Friday • May 15th • 6pm
Madison County Conservation Center
Beginner Sourdough Workshop
Friday • May 15th • 6:30-8:30pm
Winterset Cidery
Our last Beginner’s Sourdough Workshop sold out fast and was such a hit-we’re bringing it back!
If you missed your chance the first time, don’t wait…tickets will go quickly again! Please note that participants must have a ticket to attend.
We’re so excited to partner with Counter Culture Sourdough Company for another fun and hands-on class. Each participant will head home with a healthy sourdough starter, a loaf of bread ready to bake at home, and enjoy one glass of cider included with their ticket.
Join us May 15th at 6:30—we can’t wait to see you there!
Buy your ticket here :
https://forms.gle/vVHsMjgPzuqkgjdH6
Open Arcade + Magic The Gathering
Saturday • May 15th • 6-9 PM
The Warehouse on 2nd
The arcade is back in May! After a month filled with theater productions and a fabulous live fashion show, The Warehouse is shifting gears back into game mode.
In May, you can look forward to:
- The return of the arcade
- A night of Dungeons & Dragons
- A new home for Magic The Gathering on select Friday nights, as we proudly pick up the torch from our friends at Quest Haven Books & Comics.
Whether you’re here to tap into your competitive side, roll for initiative, or shuffle up for Friday night Magic, there’s something for everyone at The Warehouse this month.
Game on, May.
It’s a GREAT day to be a Citizen—
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Chalk The Town Green: Mental Health Awareness Month
The Month of May
Madison County Health Care System
May is Mental Health Awareness month and we invite you to join us, along with lowa Healthiest State, in a month long campaign to start the conversations about the importance of mental health.
As the school year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to have conversations with your family about the value of being both physically and mentally healthy, and start creating a plan for your mental health through the summer.
Here’s what we need you to do:
- As many times as possible through the month of May, chalk your sidewalks and driveways green.
- While chalking, start those conversations with your family. For example, “Tell me about one thing that happened today that made you happy.”
- Create a plan – “How can we do that same thing this summer?” or “What are you most looking forward to this summer?”
- Don’t forget about physical health – “How many hours of screen time do you think your goal should be?” or “Tell me about your favorite activity in PE.”
As you create your chalk art, don’t forget to tag us!
This Weekend!
Madison County Farmers Market
Saturday • May 16 • 8am – 12pm
Madison County Courthouse Lawn
Kids Corner with Author Terri Stephens-Higgins
Saturday • May 16 • 9:30-10:45am
Madison County Courthouse Lawn
Stop by the Kids Corner at the Madison County Farmer’s Market to meet Author Terri Stephens-Higgins.
There will be coloring pages and Bella Bean on Blueberry Lane stickers for the kiddos. Can’t wait to see you there!
We’ve Got Spirit Class
Saturday • May 16 • 10am
Piece Works Quilt Shop
Join Tony as he teaches his “We’ve Got Spirit” class at More Pieces on May 16th from 10:00 to 4:00. This is a good pattern to practice 4-at-a-time Flying Geese and 8-at-a-time Triangle-Squares. The cost of the class is $30. Contact the shop at 515-493-1121 to reserve your spot.
Seasonal Cider Release
Saturday • May 16th • 1-10 PM
Winterset Cidery
Join us for a Seasonal Cider Release Saturday at Winterset Cidery!
We’re unveiling a one-of-a-kind hard apple cider-available one day only-and you won’t want to miss it. Stay tuned for the big flavor reveal, then clear a few hours in your schedule to come sip, relax, and celebrate with us.
Grab a glass (or two) and be part of the excitement!
Winterset Ballet & Dance Performances
Saturday, May 16th – Monday, May 18th
Henry C Miller Auditorium
Twinkle Babies Show-Saturday, May 16 at 4:00 pm
Come see our littlest dancers taking the stage for the first time as well as our oldest dancers taking the stage for the last time! We will end this memorable performance with our annual Daddy Daughter Dance.
This touching show is sure to bring tears to your eyes!
Maleficent Ballet- Saturday, May 16 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 pm
The whole family is invited to come and enjoy this year’s spring ballet, Maleficent! This story follows the untold tale of Maleficent. From her start as a young fairy in the magical land of The Moors to her quest for revenge after being betrayed by a trusted human, the audience will see that maybe she isn’t the villain after all!
Rewind- Sunday, May 17 at 6:00 pm
Come and enjoy Winterset Ballet and Dance Studio’s themed performance, Rewind. Go back in time with us as we revisit previous dances that have been done for the past 13 years. Some have been reimagined and set to a different genre or a different age group as in years past. Dancers in jazz, tap, hip-hop, and modern will take to the stage for a show that is sure to get you on your feet!
Senior Showcase Show- Monday, May 18 at 6:00 pm
The final night of Winterset Ballet and Dance Studio’s spring production will showcase our seniors with their solos and a slide show.
We will also perform encore dances from our themed performance, Rewind. This is sure to be a memorable evening and a show you don’t want to miss!
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Reservation Openings!
The Warehouse on 2nd
Got something to celebrate in May? 🎉
Birthdays, graduations, team parties, end-of-school celebrations—whatever the occasion, The Warehouse is a pretty fun place to gather. 😉
Our private rental calendar is filling up fast, but we still have evening openings on May 16 available to book.
Don’t need the whole place to yourselves? No problem. Bring your crew on one of our public open nights, and we’ll reserve tables for your group so you can celebrate without booking a full private event.
Big party or small gathering—we’d love to help you make it fun. Reach out to reserve your date! 🎈🕹️🎉
Live Music with Zachary Freedom
Sunday • May 17th • 1-6 PM
Winterset Cidery
Sunday Funday is back at Winterset Cidery!
Join us on May 17th from 1-6pm for an afternoon of great vibes, cold, crisp cider, and live entertainment. Zachary Freedom will be playing from 2-5pm, and Hotsy Totsy will be serving up delicious eats during the same time.
Grab your favorite people, soak up the sunshine, and enjoy a perfect Sunday at the cidery!
Live Music with Ava Lemon
Sunday • May 17th • 2-4 PM
Covered Bridges Winery
Live Music from 2-4PM No cover charge. If you like what you hear please tip the musician.
Ava Lemon is a passionate and expressive singer-songwriter from the Midwest state of lowa.
Blending folk and alt-pop influences, she sings meaningful songs with a soulful voice that speaks directly to the heart.
It Was Just an Accident
Sunday • May 17 • 5:30 PM
Sunday Movie Club at The Iowa Theater
The Iowa Theater’s Sunday Movie Club selection for May is the 2025 film “It Was Just an Accident.” Doors and the concession stand open at 5 PM. The movie starts at 5:30. Total run time is 1 hour, 43 minutes.
The French-produced, Persian-language takes place in Iran where a man bumps into the man he believes to be his former torturer. However, faced with this person who fiercely denies having been his tormentor, doubt sets in.
Nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay during this year’s Academy Awards, “It Was Just an Accident” has received almost universal praise from critics. The film’s success has been referred to as “a gesture of resistance” against an oppressive regime, and 93% of movie-goers on Rotten Tomatoes report that they liked the film.
Sunday Movie Club is the Iowa Theater’s once-a-month series of slightly off-the-beaten path, thought-provoking films. The screenings include a short, fun, moderated (and optional) discussion after the credits roll.
Join Sunday Movie Club any time to see exciting films at an exceptional value: only $75 per year for twelve critically-acclaimed movies. Nonmembers are always welcome for Movie Club screenings and discussion; individual tickets are $10. To join or learn more visit www.the-iowa.com/club or talk with a staff member during showtimes.
Next month we’ll show “The Mastermind,” about Mooney, who along with two cohorts wanders into a museum in broad daylight and steals four paintings. When holding onto the art proves more difficult than stealing them, Mooney is relegated to a life on the run.
Concession-stand offerings at The Iowa include beer, wine, hard cider, Coke products, coffee, movie candies, and delicious Iowa-grown popcorn served with real butter.
Chamber Members: We would love to include your upcoming events in the weekly snapshot, Chamber Chat and The Citizen! To ensure you get included, please email your event information to: communications@madisoncounty.com
Planning your Senior Portraits
The Photician: Portraits & Fine Art
Senior year is closer than you think. Start planning today!
The Photician: Portraits & Fine Art | 515.512.2939 | www.photician.com/seniors
Next Week
John Wayne Birthday Celebration & 5K
Saturday • May 23rd • 9am
John Wayne Birthplace Museum
Celebrate the Duke’s birthday with the Winterset Rotary John Wayne 5K Walk/Run.
Register at http://getmeregistered.com/JohnWayneRun
Proceeds benefit CRISP, Ferst Readers, Youth Scholarships and many more amazing projects!
Opening Day at Speckled Hen Farms
Saturday • May 23rd • 11am-4pm
Speckled Hen Farms
It’s almost here! Opening day at Speckled Hen Farms 2026! Saturday, May 23rd from 11-4 and Sunday, May 24th from 12-3! Everything you love ( and MORE!) Farm fresh eggs,homemade pizza dough, gourmet food items, fresh baked artisan bread, local pork and beef, soaps, candles, kitchen, bath, apparel and on & on, with more arriving daily! And did we mention Covered Bridges Wine and NEW this season…cider from Winterset Cidery!!! And all Opening weekend, spend $50 and get a FREE SHF tote bag to use all season long! Bread and dip samples..You don’t want to miss it! See you Opening Day at SHF!
Kickoff to Summer!
Saturday • May 23rd • 6-8pm
Madison County Winery
Summer is here! Come celebrate the beauty of the winery and enjoy live music with Willie Mac and the Lost Cousins. Music 6:00 – 8:00
It’s also WOOD FIRED PIZZA NIGHT! Serving from 5:00 – 8:00
Marcia’s 7th Annual Bread Giveaway
Monday • May 25th • 11:30am-2:30pm
The Bakery Unlimited
Coming Soon
Friday Flicks at the Library
Thursday • May 28th • 5:30pm
The Honey Lounge
Artist Mixer hosted by the Madison County Foundation for Community Arts
Calling all artists, arts supporters, and arts appreciators! Join us for a relaxed and welcoming Artist Mixer designed to bring creative minds together. This is a social space to connect, chat, share ideas, and let inspiration flow freely across disciplines.
Whether you’re actively creating, passionately supporting the arts, or simply love being around creative energy, you’re invited. Come meet new people, exchange stories, spark collaborations, and maybe even plant the seed for the next great community arts event in Madison County.
No agenda-just good conversation, creative cross-pollination, and community. We’d love to see you there!
Friday Flicks at the Library
Friday • May 29th • 1:30pm
Winterset Public Library
Thank you to our sponsors!
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Iowa 19th Century Society of Friends (Quakers)
Tuesday • June 2nd • 6:00pm
Winterset Public Library
lowa 19th Century Society of Friends (Quakers) – Glenn York, MCGS member, Ft. Collins, Colorado
This presentation will include information on Quakers and their history, the growth of Quakerism across Iowa, and their migrations beyond Iowa to the west. The Quakers who lived near Earlham on “The Quaker Divide” and their Bear Creek meeting and others, will be explored.
The MCGS provides a public program each month on the first Tuesday at 6:00 pm at the Winterset Public Library with a business meeting following for those who choose to stay. There is no charge and all those interested in genealogy or Madison County history are welcome to attend.
2026 Iowa Quilt Festival
June 3rd-6th
Mark your calendars; the 2026 Iowa Quilt Festival is set for June 3–6, 2026, and it will be a celebration you won’t want to miss!
The festivities begin with our beloved Quilt Retreat at the Winterset Livery from June 3–5. This three-day retreat is all about quilting, camaraderie, and creativity. Bring your projects, gather with friends, and enjoy the chance to connect with quilters from across the region.
Then on Saturday, June 6, Winterset will be transformed for the annual Airing of the Quilts. From the covered bridges of Madison County to the historic courthouse square, churches, parks, and storefronts, quilts will be displayed across the community in a breathtaking celebration of art and tradition.
Workshops, lectures, Quilt Trivia Night, and more will round out the week.
Land for Sale
Remax Precision
Camping Season
Pammel Park & Criss Cove Campgrounds
Welcome Desk Volunteer Needed
Madison County Conservation Center
It’s a GREAT day to be a Citizen—
Thank you for reading!
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Micro Retreat at Iris Aisle
Wednesday • June 10th • 5:30-8:00pm
Micro Retreat Includes: REIKI INFUSED, CEREMONIAL CACAO, BREATHWORK JOURNEY, SOUNDBATH, LIGHT-LANGUAGE, INTEGRATION CIRCLE AND WARM SOUP.
Why the combination? Cacao, Conscious Connected Breathwork and Sound Healing?
Cacao allows us to drop deeper into our heart spaces.
Often times we stuff BIG feelings in our bellies and bodies. This may feel like a ‘safe’ response in the moment since it masks an option to really deal with our emotions; Yet doing this can actually be detrimental to our emotional well-being and physical health.
One way to connect with and release the emotions that we have stored in our body is to focus on our breath. By relaxing our bodies fully and turning off the chatter in the mind by focusing on our breath in a quiet meditative state, we can tap into the genius of our body!
The breath guides deep deep wounds to surface and finally be release in a healthy, safe way.
Experience a deep connection to your Breath and your Body. Clear the stored programing that is holding you back in your life purpose and creation.
Birding at Pammel State Park
Saturday • June 13th • 8am
Madison County Conservation Center
Sip & Paint Class
Saturday • June 13th • 1-3pm
Covered Bridges Winery
If you don’t consider yourself an artist, there’s still a way to be part of the fun this weekend! Join us for a Sip & Paint Workshop and create your own masterpiece in a relaxed, social setting.
Register for the Workshop Here!
Paint Madison County – A Plein Air Festival
Sunday • June 14th • 9am
Event by Madison County Chamber of Commerce and Covered Bridges Winery.
Experience Madison County through the eyes of talented artists during this one-day plein air festival!
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Watch Artists at Work
Visit various scenic locations (locations will be released the evening before) around Madison County and watch youth and adult artists create original works inspired by our historic charm, covered bridges, and beautiful landscapes.
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Reception & Art Sale
Join us at Covered Bridges Winery for an evening reception and art sale. Meet the artists, enjoy the atmosphere, and take home a one-of-a-kind piece celebrating Madison County.
The Reception & Sale is open to the public. Come on out to the Winery for live music and food while you check out the artwork that was created during the day!
Youth and Adult Artists are welcome to participate. Applications are required:
Vacation Bible School
June 14th-17th • 6-8pm
Redeemer Church
Redeemer Church will host Vacation Bible School June 14-17 from 6:00-8:00 PM for children who completed Pre-K through 3rd grade during the 2025-2026 school year.
This year’s theme is “Illumination Station,” where kids will discover who Jesus really is—the Light of the World who brings hope into the darkness. The week will include Bible lessons, games, music, crafts, and plenty of fun activities for kids.
Families can register online at www.redeemerwinterset.com.
Madison County Women’s Giving Circle: Quarterly Meeting
Tuesday • June 23rd • 6pm-7pm
Madison County Conservation Center
The Madison County Women’s Giving Circle 2nd quarter meeting will be held Tuesday, June 23rd from 6pm to 7pm at the new County Conservation building in Pammel Park. We are welcome to arrive at 5:00pm to view (and explore) the new Conservation Building before the meeting. It is a very interesting and beautiful building.
Because the Harmon Tunnel and Main Road through Pammel Park will be closed until further notice due to road work in progress, the best way to access the conservation center is to take Hwy 169 South from the 4-way stop West of Winterset, then turn West on Carver Road, then turn North on Pammel Park Trail to reach the South park entrance.
Anyone interested joining or learning more about the organization is welcome to attend.
Local charitable 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organizations who wish to present information about their projects for supporting women and children in Madison County should arrive by 5:30 p.m. to register. When registering to present, we ask that applicants provide a brief description of their project; their tax-exempt status; and email address and telephone number where they may be reached.
Three organizations will be selected by a drawing to present at the meeting. Each will be given 4 minutes to present and 4 minutes to answer questions. One of the three non-profits will be elected by vote to receive this quarter’s donations. If more than 3 non-profits wish to present, the rest will each have 2 minutes to tell us about their project.
Agriland FS
Fuel Up & Give Back to the Winterset Community School District! From now through June 30, fuel up at the Winterset FAST STOPs and AGRILAND FS will donate 3¢ per gallon to the Winterset Community School District.
Fuel Up & Give Back to the Earlham Community School District! From now through June 30, fuel up at the Earlham FAST STOP and AGRILAND FS will donate 3¢ per gallon to the Earlham Community School District.
Chamber Members: We would love to include your upcoming events in the weekly snapshot, Chamber Chat and The Citizen! To ensure you get included, please email your event information to: communications@madisoncounty.com
