Holidays

Gathering with extended family can be wonderful, pleasant, awkward, difficult or even toxic. Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Communication, joins with advice about how to navigate the stress of hosting, be a gracious guest and bring new people into family traditions. But first, holiday gatherings can be a great opportunity to learn more about a family member on a deeper level. Von Diaz, senior producer at StoryCorps, shares tips for asking them questions.

On this Horticulture Day, DNR Forester Mark Vitosh is here to give us some insight into the industry that brings so many people joy this time of year. When you buy a Christmas tree at a farm, tree lot or store, you’re buying an agricultural product. More than 35 million Christmas Trees are harvested every year in the United States, and there are approximately 200 Christmas tree growers in Iowa. Later, horticulture expert Aaron Steil joins the conversation and the two give their advice on sprucing up your Christmas tree traditions and answer gardening questions.

When you buy a Christmas tree at a farm, tree lot, or store, you’re buying an agricultural product. More than 35 million Christmas trees are harvested every year in the United States, and there are approximately 200 Christmas tree growers in Iowa. DNR Forester Mark Vitosh is here to give us some insight into the industry that brings so many people joy this time of year. To further grow your gardening knowledge, sign up for our Garden Variety newsletter.

Brass concerts are a centuries-old holiday tradition that symphonies across Iowa have picked up over the years. We've compiled a list of all the holiday concerts to catch this season.

If you’re looking for brilliant, beautiful and delicious ideas for the holiday season, influencer and best-selling author Kaleb Wyse is the man to turn to. Wyse shares his favorite seasonal traditions and recipes, plus tips to avoid overwhelm and disregard the pressure to follow the latest trends at the holidays.

Iowa book lovers Devin Redmond, Molly Roberts and Amanda Lepper share their favorite new titles for kids, ages 0 to young adults.

Stephen King once said, “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” and that’s just one of the reasons they make great gifts. Booksellers Jan Weismiller, Tim Budd and Linzi Murray share their recommendations.

After the food has been served and the bellies are full, after the shopping is done and political arguments have been had or avoided, what will you do on Thanksgiving? We put together a list of movies recommendations for the holiday — offering a little something for all tastes.

State officials have denied The Satanic Temple Iowa’s request to hold a holiday event in the Iowa Capitol for the second year in a row, as the state faces a religious discrimination complaint related to last year’s denial.

What began as a way to bring the community together during COVID has become a tradition six years strong. Two sisters have organized volunteer bakers and delivery drivers to make sure everyone can eat a homemade pie on Thanksgiving.