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64 Majorcan Mrs. 65 Troopers, on a CB radio 66 Concorde, e.g., for short
7 Kind of rock
8 Spearheaded
9 Question while pointing
10 “That’s my cue!”
11 Terse admonition
13 First words of the day, perhaps
15 Last words of the day, perhaps
20 Starting place
22 Astuteness
24 More sound
26 Buying binge
27 Legal org.
28 ___ system (GPS device)
29 Symbol on the back of a dollar bill
31 F.D.R. program
32 Hosp. diagnostic
33 Waze suggestion: Abbr.
35 Big name in the freezer aisle
36 Off-roader, in brief
41 62-Across’s “Top Hat” co-star
42 Related to vision
43 International airport ser ving Tokyo
45 Some gym reps 46 Actresses Dunne and Ryan
47 Crossed off 49 Some sporty wheels, informally
50 Benjamin Franklin’s faith 51 Complement
52 “I swear!”
some electrical work
___ Terr., area from 1861 to 1889
1 Genre for Count Basie or Charlie Parker 2 Name akin to Agnes
Proclivity 4 Keep after, say 5 Out of the arms of Morpheus, so to speak 6 Puff on an e-cig
Former Coralville police chief to grand marshal 4thFest parade
Iowa City area to celebrate the fourth with fireworks and smooth jazz.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Community members react to the New Life float during the 4thfest parade in Coralville on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Despite rain, hundreds of community members flocked to the parade. 4thfest continued into the night with vendors, concerts, and fireworks.
Former Coralville Police Chief Shane Kron has always loved the 4th of July. Despite how busy it was at the police department, he always loved Coralville’s 4thFest celebration.
“Nothing gets me excited like the Fourth of July,” Kron said. “I love the parade, the fireworks, the park, the vendors, and the ice cream — everything about the Fourth of July is the best.”
Kron served in the Coralville Police Department for 34 years, seven of those as the Chief of Police, where he helped plan the annual 4thFest that has been a community fixture since the 1970s.
Kron said year after year they would pick parade grand marshal’s but he never thought he’d be picked for the role. This year, the 4thFest committee picked Kron, after he
“I mean, you just, you wouldn’t recognize it from 30 years ago,” Kron said. “Most of Coralville has been remade during my career.”
Kron joined the Coralville Police Department after working for 10 months in the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department at the jail. He said he knew he wanted to join the Coralville Police Department because of the culture of respect and service they displayed when dropping off arrestees at the jail.
So a spot opened up, and he decided to apply. He worked his way up from patrol to sergeant, lieutenant, and finally police chief. Kron said he never sought to be police chief when he first started; instead, he came into the department at a pivotal moment and was willing to take on the responsibility.
During his tenure, not only has the city grown, but so has the police force.
That same police force helps the 4thFest go off without a hitch every year.
“The Police Department has given me opportunities that I would not have ever had doing anything else. But this is pretty cool. This is gonna rank right up there with some of the neatest things I’ve ever been involved in.”
Shane Kron
Former Coralville Police Chief
retired from the force last year.
“They texted me and I said, ‘Surely, there’s somebody better’ —I’m honored,” Kron said. “I’m really honored. But, I gotta think there’s somebody more deserving out there.”
Kron said that he’s done some pretty neat things in his 34 years on the police force, but being grand marshal might be the neatest.
“The Police Department has given me opportunities that I would not have ever had doing anything else,” Kron said. “But this is pretty cool. This is going to rank right up there with some of the neatest things I’ve ever been involved in.”
Kron is honored to be involved with planning the festival one last time after helping lead the festival for nearly a decade.
Kron, who grew up in Iowa City, has fallen in love with Coralville over his last 34 years on the force. He’s seen the community grow from a bedroom community of Iowa City to a hub for business and commerce in the Iowa City metro.
Jazz Fest, 4th Fest to bring festivities to IC Metro
The Coralville 4thFest is one of the largest 4th of July celebrations in the area, with a fireworks show on the 4th, a free concert on July 3, and a carnival throughout means fun for the whole family.
Iowa City will host a Jazz Festival downtown on July 4 through 5, with a fireworks display on the pentacrest on July 5.
FESTIVAL DETAILS
The event kicks off on Thursday, July 3, at S. T. Morrison Park. To see more about the festival and its events check dailyiowan.com.
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
Members of the United Jazz Ensemble perform during the second day of Iowa City Jazz Fest on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
Pride on the Ped Mall
The Iowa City Pride Festival kicked off on Saturday, June 21, with a parade featuring members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community. The festival included local performers, vendors, and games.
(Previous page) The Vampire of Iowa City, Rotting Void, makes an appearance during the Royalty Drag Show during the Iowa City Pride festival on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Top left) The annual Iowa City Pride Festival kicked off with a parade on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Top right) A trio of storm troopers pose for pictures during the Iowa City Pride festival on Saturday, June 21, 2025. (Bottom right) Members of the LGBTQ+ community march in the parade during the Iowa City Pride festival on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
Daniel Dickerson | The Daily Iowan
Stefon Harris to headline Iowa City Jazz Festival
Stefon Harris and Blackout, a pioneering force in contemporary jazz, is a four-time Grammy Award-nominated group.
Contemporary Jazz Album for “Urbanus” in 2010.
In addition to his Grammy award nominations, The Los Angeles Times named Harris “one of the most important artists in jazz,” and he received the prestigious Doris Duke Artist award in 2018 and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center in 2003.
The Jazz Journalist Association has also named Harris as Best Mallet Player eight times.
Harris is currently on staff as artistic advisor of jazz education at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and is a tenured associate professor of music at Rutgers University — Newark.
Although he stays busy with performing and teaching, Harris is also the creator of the app Harmony Cloud, which helps musicians at all levels enhance their understanding of harmony, further develop their feelings about music, and explore the world of improvisation.
Channeling his education and jazz careers, Harris combines skills used from both to serve as a thought leader, delivering empowering messages to Fortune 50 companies using jazz as a metaphor.
In 2012, Harris delivered a TED Talk, “There Are No Mistakes on the Bandstand,” which has received over three-quarters of a million views, teaching his audience that “many actions are perceived as mistakes only because we don’t react to them appropriately.”
Bri Brands News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Dubbed “a pioneering force in contemporary jazz,” Stefon Harris and Blackout are excited to return to Iowa City to headline the 34th annual Iowa City Jazz Festival.
Harris, a New Jersey-based vibraphonist, is a musician, educator, app developer, and thought leader.
Like many artists, Harris chose to dedicate his life to music when he was just a little boy.
“Every morning, with joy and excitement in my heart, I rushed to the piano to learn and to express what was on my heart,” he said.
Having such a passion for music led him to pursue studies in classical music — it wasn’t until college that he was exposed to jazz music.
“It’s the most liberated form of music on Earth,” Harris said. “It’s a really special art
“It’s the greatest art form in the sense that the primary requirement is authenticity. There’s a fantastic lesson about empathy, about diversity of thought, about the power of us coming together to create beauty that’s embedded in the DNA of jazz.”
Stefon Harris Jazz Musician
form that could have only been born in the United States.”
For Harris, jazz is a powerful platform to sing about the truth and what is happening in the hearts and minds of fellow community members.
“It’s the greatest art form in the sense that the primary requirement is authenticity,” he said. “There’s a fantastic lesson about empathy, about diversity of thought, about the
power of us coming together to create beauty that’s embedded in the DNA of jazz.”
Alongside his band, Blackout, Harris has released eleven albums as a leader and been nominated for four Grammy awards: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for “There Is No Greater Love” in 2000; Best Jazz Instrumental Album for “Kindred” in 2002; Best Jazz Instrumental Album for “The Grand Unification Theory” in 2004; and Best
Harris said his career has allowed his art to have an influence on who he is as a human being.
“Art—and jazz in particular—has taught me to be a better listener in general, so that’s the favorite part for me,” he said. “But there’s nothing like the sense of growth that one receives from being an artist.”
Harris said the audience can expect to have a good time because he and his band always do.
“Everything is from our heart—we play with joy, compassion, and fire, and we’re really like a family, everyone on the bandstand,” he said. “We’ve all known each other for many years, and it’s almost like a family reunion every time we get to get together and celebrate.”
When Harris is not working, performing, or traveling, he likes to play a good game of pool or chess.
Stefon Harris and the Blackout are set to perform on the Strauss Community Stage at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 5.
Photo contributed by Shahar Azran
IOWA CITY
JULY 4-JULY 6
Downtown Iowa City
FRIDAY, JULY 4
SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, JULY 5
JULY 6
Wednesday, July 2
5:00 pm-dark
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
10:00-11:30 am
1:00-6:00 pm
Center parking lot, 1514 7th St.
S.T. Morrison Park
S.T. Morrison Park (Hilltop Shelter)
2:00-8:00 pm Miller’s Petting Zoo S.T. Morrsion Park
2:00-9:00 pm Vendor Booths
Thursday, July 3 Friday, July 4
S.T Morrison Park
S.T.
S.T.
S.T. Morrison Park 1:00 pm-7:00 pm
S.T.
S.T. Morrison Park (Showcase stage)
Friday, July 4
6:45 pm-7:30 Entertainment: City Circle / Young Footliters theater performances
S.T. Morrison Park (Showcase stage)
8:30-9:30 pm Free concert: Iowa CIty Community Band
S.T. Morrison Park (Showcase stage)
9:45 pm Fireworks in S.T. Morrison Park
S.T. Morrison Park Parade Route Map
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar from Lynchburg, VA has absorbed himself in music with a career beginning in the mid-’90s. Vassar takes inspiration from Gospel and Bluegrass pieces.
Vassars gift has taken him to Europe, Australia, and even the White House. His shows include timeless hits and covers of icons like Billy Joel and Elton John.
Chapel Hart
Chapel Hart is made of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart as well as their cousin Trea Swindle. These America’s Got Talent buzzer recipients specialize in a country sound with three-part harmony and a cappella performances sprinkled throughout. John.
Country musician Phil Vassar to headline 4thFest
Popular Nashville performer Phil Vassar will travel cross country to perform at Coralville’s annual 4thFest on July 3.
Chloe Oppelt News Reporter
news@dailyiowan.com
Popular Nashville country artist Phil Vassar, known for his songwriting for country giants like Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson, will headline Coralville’s 4thFest on July 3 for a free concert in S.T. Morrison Park.
Vassar, born in Lynchburg, Virginia, grew up in a family with music in their veins. Vassar said that music has shaped his life since childhood and has helped him develop his unique style.
The gospel and bluegrass influence from his roots in Lynchburg, and artists like Elton John, have shaped much of his style today. Vassar may have started on guitar but eventually fell in love with the piano,
Vassar said he had known that he wanted to pursue music since he was a kid. Growing up singing and writing songs fueled his goals. With his passion for music growing by the day, Vassar left for Nashville after
New York and Nashville… everyone’s trying to talk you into different places, but Nashville was where I wanted to go and I made the right choice.”
Vassar said going to Nashville as the
“I’ve been to Iowa loads of times. I look forward to playing; these people are just the best and so nice. They’re honest folks. I’m looking forward to getting back up there. I’m going to have fun and I hope everyone else does too... that’s what I play for and that’s what it’s all about.”
Phil Vassar Country Music Performer
“I always knew [music] is what I wanted to do,” he said. “I tried deciding between
natural choice. With some of his idols like Billy Joel and Ronnie Milsap’s influence on his music, he knew Nashville was in his future.
“It just seemed like home. As soon as I moved there, it was just great…New York and LA are so big and so far away, so it was a comfortable move,” he said. “ The city is a lot bigger now since I’ve lived here. It’s just blown up.”
Vassar’s career has been extremely successful over his 25 years in the industry. He has had hit songs and performed at places all over the world.
His career started taking off in the mid90s. He signed a publishing contract with EMI and wrote songs for country stars like Collin Raye and Tim McGraw. By 1998, Vassar had signed a record deal with Arista and received ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year Award in 1999 and 2001.
He has nine albums under his belt and isn’t planning on stopping.
In 2023, Vassar went through a life-altering health scare that recast his outlook on life. While recovering, he took some time to think about the future, deciding that he needed to take things slow, Vassar said. His recovery triggered a shift toward a calmer, more grateful life. Vassar explains that he’s learned to enjoy the moment rather than let it pass him by.
Currently, Vassar is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his hit song “Just Another Day in Paradise,” and is on the road for the “25 Years of Paradise” Tour.
His show includes both his songs and covers of his musical icons like Billy Joel. Even if these songs are decades old, Vassar said he’s happy to see people of all ages singing along.
Although Vassar isn’t from Iowa, he’s
traveled through the state and has made friends along the way, noting the kindness of those from the state.
“I’ve been to Iowa loads of times. I look forward to playing; these people are just the best and so nice,” Vassar said. “They’re honest folks. I’m looking forward to getting back up there. I’m going to have fun and I hope everyone else does too…that’s what I play for and that’s what it’s all about.”
See our coverage online
The Daily Iowan will cover the Coraville 4thFest festivities, see our coverage at dailyiowan.com.
Country Music Trio Chapel Hart to Open for Vassar
Chapel Hart is a mississippi based coountry music trio of sisters Danica Hart, Devynn Hart, and their cousin Trea Swindle. The vocalist trios have independently released four studio albums and eleven singles.
The group competed on the 17th season of “America’s Got Talent” in July 2022. Their performance of their orginal song “You Can Have Him Joelene” — which is a response to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” — was the second time in serie’s history that all four judges awarded a competitor the Golden Buzzer.
The trio began covering songs on the streets of New Orleans and eventually began to write music. They got their break with their 2020 album “Jesus & Alcohol.”
Photo Contributed by Caitlin McNaney.
Five-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist to take JazzFest stage
The Mark Lettieri Group will perform on the Strauss Community Stage at the Iowa City Jazz Festival on July 5.
Bri Brands News Reporter News@dailyiowan.com
Mark Lettieri, a five-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist from Fort Worth, Texas, is set to take the Strauss Community Stage at the annual Iowa City Jazz Festival on July 5.
Alongside his quartet, the Mark Lettieri Group, Lettieri will be performing a wide variety of music, both new and old, including songs from his recently released album, “Can I Tell You Something?”
For Lettieri, his music journey began at the age of 12, when he started making noises and exploring on his dad’s old acoustic guitar.
“It was this serendipitous connection of me discovering his guitar, but also listening to music I was finding on my own and being inspired by that,” Lettieri said.
Over the years, Lettieri has gone on to become a member of leading instrumental bands Snarky Puppy and the Fearless Flyers, release nine albums as a leader, and record alongside a myriad of artists.
“I never looked back. I never questioned whether I liked doing it or anything,” Lettieri said. “It just immediately was a huge part of my personality and identity.”
Alongside Snarky Puppy, Lettieri has won five Grammy Awards:
• Best R&B Performance for “Something” featuring Lalah Hathaway in 2014;
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for “Sylvia” in 2016;
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Culcha Vulcha in 2017;
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” in 2021;
• Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for “Empire Central” in 2023.
Lettieri also received his first nomination as a solo artist in 2022, when his album “Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2” was nominated for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.”
Despite his recognition and getting to travel the world, Lettieri said the most
rewarding part of his career is seeing how people react to the content he creates.
“I always made music because I like to hear it, but the fact that other people like to hear it is always kind of shocking to me,” he said.
Since learning the guitar, Lettieri has recorded and performed a little bit of everything — from hip hop, to country, to progressive metal, to Indian, to electronic dance music — but still has his favorite genres.
“I like anything that grooves really hard and is funky, or anything that has that rock energy,” he said.
Leading up to his performance at the Iowa City Jazz Festival, Lettieri wants possible audience members not to expect singing from him or his band members—it will solely be an instrumental performance.
“It’s definitely a rock band energy, but presented with some jazz harmony, some funky
groove, and a lot of guitar,” Lettieri said.
Even when he isn’t jamming out, Lettieri stays involved in the music scene as an instructor and producer and helps demonstrate and develop various musical equipment.
As a developer, he has collaborated with several brands, including his signature Fiore electric guitar with Paul Reed Smith Guitars, the MeLody overdrive pedal with J. Rockett Audio Designs, and the NewWave chorus pedal with Jackson Audio. He has also partnered with Apple to produce downloadable guitar loops for Logic Pro and GarageBand.
As an educator, Lettieri offers online guitar courses through platforms like JamPlay, Brett Papa, Guitareo, and Soundslice, along with print lessons in Premier Guitar Magazine.
Although Lettieri has made a name for himself in the world of jazz music, he said
nobody cares about his guitar solos or Grammys at home.
“When I’m home, I’m Dad. That’s my big passion—dad and husband,” he said.
Lettieri’s music career and time on the road keep him busy, but his other hobbies include cooking, staying in shape, and hanging out with friends and family.
“Every day there’s a new adventure,” he said.
The Mark Lettieri Group will take the Strauss Community Stage at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
See coverage online
The Daily Iowan will cover the Iowa City Jazz Fest, see photos from the event online this weekend at dailyiowan.com.
Photo contributed by Mark Lettieri
Iowa City Jazz Festival welcomes the smooth sounds of Ryan Middagh
The Cedar Rapids-born jazz artist and educator will bring with him an orchestra of Jazz professionals
Chloe Oppelt News Reporter
News@dailyiowan.com
Cedar Rapids-born jazz performer and educator Ryan Middagh will be gracing the Iowa City Jazz Festival stage with his saxophone along with an array of talented musicians known as “Ryan Middaugh Jazz Orchestra.”
This group is coming from Nashville, Tennessee, where Middagh is an assistant professor of jazz at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. The group frequently performs at festivals, like the Iowa City Jazz Festival, and is a recent creation of Middagh’s.
The group is one of 25 artists that will perform at the Iowa City Jazz Festival from July 4th through 6th. The annual festival is hosted by Iowa City Summer of the Arts and boasts big names in Jazz and a fireworks show on July 5.
Nashville and began gaining recognition and booking gigs. Middagh revealed he booked his first gig the day he moved to Nashville to do his student teaching.
Currently, Middagh holds the Director of Jazz Studies position at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.
Before that, he traveled worldwide to share his unique melodies with large audiences of jazz enthusiasts. Revered as an educator, composer, musician, and leader, Middagh is a powerhouse of sound.
Since Middagh arrived at Vanderbilt over ten years ago, the school’s jazz program has received both national and international attention. This included receiving invitations to the 2017 Jazz Education Network Conference and performing internationally.
“The thing I really love is teaching; that’s why I got into this, to begin with,” Middagh said. “I’ve been down to South America several times to teach jazz. Being able to have a diverse career is awesome.”
“One of the things that makes Iowa so great is the education system. I came into music in 6th grade. When I was in high school, I started looking around and thinking, ‘My band director gets to do music every day, and that seems really cool.’ I went into music thinking I’d be a music education major, be a high school band director in Iowa, and have three kids and a picket fence.”
Ryan Middagh Jazz Performer and Educator
Middagh began playing saxophone at a young age and became a part of his middle and high school bands. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s of arts in music and moved to Nashville, where his career seemed to take off.
“One of the things that makes Iowa so great is the education system,” he said. “I came into music in 6th grade. When I was in high school, I started looking around and thinking, ‘My band director gets to do music every day, and that seems really cool.’ I went into music thinking I’d be a music education major, be a high school band director in Iowa, and have three kids and a picket fence.”
Middagh’s original plan was derailed when he worked as a student teacher in
Teaching is not where Middagh’s work ends. Outside of academics, he is often a part of other projects in many genres of music. Middagh’s work has been in all sorts of genre’s including Thomas Rhett’s most recent country record “About A Woman (From A Small Town)” and more.
Middagh will make his return to the festival and perform alongside members of the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra at the Jazz Festival on July 4 at 8 p.m. The performance will be at Strauss Community Stage, located at 16 N. Clinton St.
“I’ve performed once at [Iowa City’s] Jazz Fest as a junior in high school,” Middagh said. “I played on one of the side stages with my high school jazz combo. I’m just really excited to be back and share my music with the community.”
Jazz Fest Main Stage Events on July 4
July 4 at 5 p.m.
Sam Ross Quartet
Sam
a
July 4 at 6 p.m.
Alyssa Allgood Quartet
Alyssa Allgood has captured attention for her dynamic vocal command, sophisticated songwriting, and captivating performances.
July 4 at 8 p.m.
Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra
Ryan Middagh is the innovative bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonist, and educator of the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra..
Photo contributed by Ryan Middagh
Ross is
young musician in the Iowa City area currently pursuing his bachelor’s of arts in Jazz Performance at the University of Iowa.
Reclaiming independence under a Trump presidency
How does one celebrate independence day when we are ruled by a king again?
In his Independence Day speech in 2019, President Donald Trump declared, “The faraway King would soon learn a timeless lesson about the people of this majestic land: Americans love our freedom and no one will ever take it away from us.”
Yet, six years and a second Trump presidential term later, approximately 5 million Americans participated in a “No Kings” protest, challenging a growing threat to that very freedom – Trump himself.
With the Fourth of July approaching, Americans, including myself, are left wondering what the holiday might look and feel like, given the state of the nation. Once a celebration of liberty and democratic independence, Independence Day feels fraught — even contradictory — in a moment when many of the freedoms it honors appear under siege.
To examine the feelings around July 4, we must first examine patriotism: what it once was and what it has become under a Trump presidency.
We may define patriotism as “the vigorous devotion to one’s country.” However, lately people perceive this attachment extends unconditionally, no matter the leadership, policy, or justice. Supporters of the current presidential regime have transformed their love into loyalty to a single leader, rather than to the Constitution, the rule of law, or shared national values.
For some, to be patriotic now means endorsing Trump’s vision of America, one without checks and balances or equal protection under the law – one that demands loyalty. Trump’s America treats dissenting opinions and critical thinking as opposition and treason.
This transformation is not just rhetorical— it’s institutional. During his first term, Trump repeatedly undermined key democratic norms: refusing to concede a lawful election, pressuring state officials to overturn results, and encouraging the January 6 insurrection, where rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to halt the peaceful transfer of power.
Despite these actions, Trump returned to office in 2024 and continued a rampage of unconstitutional acts.
What we are witnessing is the normalization of illiberal governance. Laws targeting educators, protesters, LGBTQ+ individuals, and journalists continue to pass at the state level
love their country.
University of Iowa student Corentin Charles highlighted the most common misconception of patriotism.
“I think patriotism is being mistaken for nationalism. Patriotism is understanding one’s country and aiming to improve it. It means you stand by it in times of crisis, not necessarily for the government, but for the people.”
Corentin Charles UI Student
with tacit support from federal leadership. Trump has actively barred security clearances for media outlets that opposed him, including in national press conferences.
With fear all around, Americans are being forced to reevaluate what it actually means to
“I think patriotism is being mistaken for nationalism. Patriotism is understanding one’s country and aiming to improve it,” Charles said.
“It means you stand by it in times of crisis, not necessarily for the government, but for the people.”
So where does that leave this year’s celebration of July 4? It seems almost hypocritical, given the situation of the nation.
It could mean to disengage. Skipping the fireworks and avoiding the flag may be its own form of protest or defiance against the country. It could also mean an opportunity to reclaim the holiday.
But July 4 was never about perfection, it was about defiance. People fought for their freedom from a tyrannical king and colonization. To be patriotic, then, is not to stand by silently when our freedoms are under threat, but to speak out, to resist, and to demand better, just as the millions on June 14 did.
“You can be patriotic and revolutionary, just as you can be patriotic and fervently militaristic. It just depends on the state of the country,” Charles said. “Right now, it is the first.”It is entirely possible to love your country and celebrate its independence while also holding it accountable. In fact, that may be the most American act of all.
Ayrton Breckenridge| The Daily Iowan Fireworks go off during 4thFest in Coralville, Iowa on Monday, July 4, 2022.
Beats on the block
The Iowa City Downtown District hosted the sixth annual Downtown
Daniel Dickerson | The Daily Iowan
(Top) Festival attendees peruse vendor stalls downtown during the Iowa City Block Party celebration Saturday, June 28, 2025. (Above) The Braymores perform folk and alternative style rock music on a stage set up on Iowa Avenue. (Left) Multiple DJs sound mix for the silent disco on Dubuque Street. (Top right) Local drag queen, Hollywood Hope, ends the celebration with a drag show on a stage set up on Iowa Avenue.
