In January of 1972, Madison County’s community theater group, the “Apple Tree Players,” signed a contract with Winterset Movies, Inc., for use of The Iowa Theater as a space to present their plays for the year. It was a mutually beneficial move for the actors and the theater, each supporting the other in continuation of the arts in Winterset. Their first show on stage that year was “The Mousetrap,” captured here in rehearsal by The Madisonian.

Clearly that arrangement did not last forever, but seeds were planted by those passionate Apple Tree Players that still bear fruit. Was it just a coincidence that Cindy and Jason Stanbro revived community theater in Madison County a few years before Rebecca and Marianne Fons restored The Iowa? I think not! The renovated Iowa and our community theater have joined forces once again, and The Winterset Stage has officially moved in to its new (old) home. For the first time in about 30 years, a live show will debut on stage at The Iowa this weekend, with the spirits of Jerry Larsen and many others gleefully eating popcorn in the front row.

“Some Enchanted Evening” opens on Friday night at 7:00 pm, and will be presented again on June 24th, June 30th, and July 1st.

Final rehearsals underway for “Some Enchanted Evening’ — it’s almost showtime for The Winterset Stage at The Iowa!

The show is a musical review of the songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein, and is performed by Jon and Megan Barrett, Elizabeth Hoenig, Rich Joens, Meredith McKay, David Negley, and Meisha Sible, with choreography by Nicole Eckles and direction by Scott Smith. All seats are $15.00 with general admission seating. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased online in advance here, or by calling 515-462-5156.

Also This Weekend

Tonight’s Lawn Chair Night on the Winterset square will have concessions offered by the Winterset Kiwanis at 6:30 pm, and the Community Band concert beginning at 7:00. During the concert’s intermission, entertainment will be provided by Two Rivers Martial Arts.

In addition to live theater, The Iowa is showing Wonder Woman this weekend and next!

The Winterset Parks & Recreation Department will host a Family Movie Night in the Park this Friday, June 23 at sundown (approximately 9:00 pm) at the North Shelter. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket and non-alcoholic beverage and enjoy the free popcorn. The movie will be Disney’s The Lion King, sponsored by Madison County Realty.

This summer it will be Winterset’s turn to host incoming students from our sister city in the Minami-Alps region of Japan. To help raise funds, Winterset students participating in the program are hosting a pancake breakfast at the American Legion Hall in Winterset on Saturday, the 24th from 7:00 to 11:00 am.

The Madison County Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from 8:00 am to Noon, through early October, on the Winterset courthouse square.

The Winterset Art Center is offering a Parent/Child Creative Play Experience for kids of ages two and three on Friday morning, June 24th from 9:00 to 10:00 am. The staff will provide a variety of engaging activities for you and your child to experience together. This workshop will focus on primary and secondary colors through painting, flag formation using paper tearing and glue sticks, and tree bark rubbings. Be prepared to get a little messy and have a lot of fun! The class fee is $5 per child for art center members and $6 per child for non-members. Pre-registration is required, so please contact wintersetart2016@gmail.com to make sure space is still available and register your child. Also note that parents or guardians must remain with their children for this workshop. This opportunity will be available again on July 7th.

Two and three-year-olds enjoyed last weekend’s Creative Play Experience at the Winterset Art Center with Barbara Perkins.

And now for something brand new: a bocce ball tournament on the Rotary Bocce Court in Winterset City Park on Saturday, the 24th at 5:30 pm, with championship game at 7:00. And idea cooked up by Bob Kaldenberg and associates in the Winterset Rotary Club, the Bocce Ball Tournament will include many of Winterset’s fine service clubs and businesses and will be a fundraiser for local non-profits. Eight mixed teams of four will compete in a round-robin for a traveling trophy. Teams that will be playing include the Lions Club, Optimist club, Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus (two groups), American State Bank, Simon Welding, and the Madison County Cattleman’s Association. The entry fees of $100 from each team will be distributed to three non-profits.

How will the three winning non-profits be determined? That’s where you can help! Five non-profits were drawn from a hat in advance, and the winners of that round were Freedom for Youth, The Loft, Winterset Art Center, the Winterset Dog Park, and the Winterset Skate Park. Each of those non-profits will be represented at the event with a voting jar, and each will get to keep all the money put in their own jars. However, one dollar also equals one vote, and the top three vote-getters will share in the entry fees: first place $500, second place $200, and third place $100. The public is invited to the event to watch, learn, and vote for their favorite non-profit. A free will donation supper will be served by the Madison County Cattlemen.

Sarah Simon, Lynette Judd and Laura Watts are ready to win! Watch them in bocce-ball action on Saturday, June 24th from 5:30 to 7:00.

Covered Bridges Winery will have live music by Write Back Atcha, formerly known as Flipside, on Saturday evening from 7:00 to 10:00. The Abram Trio will open from 5:00 to 7:00. Food by Sabores de Mexico will be available from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Weather permitting, music will be held outside, with $5.00 cover. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy!

Ashton Mount will be performing at the Winterset Cidery from 6:00 to 9:00 pm this Saturday evening, with food available by Up In Smoke.

The Winterset Park & Recreation Department is hosting a Cardboard Boat Race at the Aquatic Center on Sunday, June 25th at 6:30 pm. Design and build your own boat made out of cardboard and duct tape ONLY. All ages are invited, no fee. Singles and team divisions of 10 years and younger, 11-15 years, and family. Contact the WPRD for more information at 515-462-3258 or davisr@cwmu.net.

Coming Soon

On Monday, June 26th at the Winterset Library: Finding Dory at 2:00 pm, free for all ages.

On Monday, June 26th at 5:30 pm at Winterset Library, there will be a viewing of the documentary Paper Tigers and snacks, followed by discussion. The event is free, but RSVPs are required (click here to RSVP, or email crisp@familyresourcelink.org). Paper Tigers follows six students as teachers, administrators, health professionals and counselors come alongside to support them through stressful life events. At Lincoln Alternative High School, Principal Jim Sporleder leads staff through the process of reforming discipline practices after learning about The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. As the staff begins to build stronger relationships with struggling students, the school becomes an example of how a caring adult can break the cycle of adversity in a young person’s life. Lincoln High School shows how an entire system can change to better respond to childhood trauma. After four years, suspensions dropped 90 percent, expulsions dropped to zero and graduation rates increase five-fold. View a trailer for the movie here.

On Wednesday, June 28th, 2nd-6th grade students are invited to a Patriotic Quilting Day at the Iowa Quilt Museum from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Students will learn about the patriotic Quilts of Valor display, enjoy a scavenger hunt and a snack, hear a reading of “A Quilt for Mr. Mac” by local author Phyllis Kaldenberg, and make a patriotic quilt block to take home. Pre-registration is required by Monday, June 26th. Fee is $5.00 to cover supplies. Proceeds support the work of the Iowa Quilt Museum.

The Winterset Library is hosting a creepy event on Thursday, June 29th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm…

… and rebooting their tasty cooking demonstration series on Saturday, July 1st. Upcoming events in the cooking series by Annie Nau will include Quick & Easy Pasta Sauces (July), Light Summer Salads (August), Cooking with Berries (September), and more!

On July 1st, Rodell’s Smokehouse invites you to enjoy Bike Night from 4:00 to 8:00 with vendors and Chad Elliott providing music.

The Winterset Art Center will host a Paint Your Favorite Animal Class on Saturday, July 1st from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Kids from kindergarten and up are invited, and parents can join in too. Bring a picture of your favorite animal or choose one from their stash and learn how to bring it to life with paint. Instructor Lucinda Sperry of Art Love Studio will guide you with step-by-step instructions. The class fee is $25 per child/parent, and all supplies are provided. Class size is limited. You can register and pay online to reserve your seat at https://www.artlovestudio.com/shop/kids-paint-your-favorite-animal.

Finally, the second “First Friday Concert” is scheduled for the first Friday of July, the 7th, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm in Winterset City Park. The evening’s entertainment, Matt Woods, is sponsored by Lowe Chiropractic Clinic. Hot food will be available for sale by Rodell’s Smokehouse, as well as beer, wine coolers, and bottled water. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy.

The first “First Friday” concert on June 2nd with Hot Tamale & the Red Hots was great event!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading The Winterset Citizen! All community announcements are provided at no charge, courtesy of the following sponsors: