040525_DIS_A01

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*2$!*#$
Spencer Community Theatre offers up play on April 11-12 — SEE PAGE 9
for all
ages
,!#& (0.# 4!'$)/!#35 Enjoy an Easter Celebration with the Browns — SEE PAGE 5
DISCOVER! MAGAZINE
!"#$% 5, 2025
!)/ *2$ Winner +3...
Rise and
Shine
Dickinson County Nature Center
hosts Nature Tots on April 9
— SEE PAGE 4
Midwest CMO returns to Roof Garden for annual award show — SEE PAGE 8
Practicing our
ABCs
Your source for weekend fun in N’West Iowa
FunAtBoji.com

APRIL 5, 2025 | DISCOVER!
2 |
Contents
)% *+( ,)-(R8
The Midwest CMO Award Show is set to take place at the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnolds Park at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12.
4
Nature:
9
9
Playbill:
Dickinson County
Nature Center hosts Nature Tots.
See show April 11-12 at
Spencer Community Theatre.
5
Sounds:
11
Enjoy an Easter
Celebration with the Browns.
Screen: New releases for the big
screen and good new rentals.
8
5
Sounds: Midwest CMO returns
to Roof Garden for award show.
Side Trip:
!e enjoyed a great night at the Washington
Pavilion in Sioux Falls, SD, last
week. My in-laws are season subscribers
to the Pavilion’s Broadway series but were
not able to attend the performance of “Chicago”
and offered us the
use of their tickets.
I don’t think I’ve seen
“Chicago” on stage but
felt I’d seen a film version
with Catherine
Zeta-Jones. A quick
internet search verified
that hunch. It was more
than 20 years ago, and in
addition to Zeta-Jones,
the cast included Renée
Zellweger, Richard Gere
and Queen Latifah. The
film was a success at
the box office as well as on the awards scene,
winning six Academy Awards, including Best
Picture in 2003.
The touring Broadway version we saw on
stage was excellent. A 10-piece orchestra
provided the great jazz music from the 1920s
and about a dozen dancers filled the roles of a
variety of characters as the story unfolded. In
addition, the lead roles of Roxie, Velma, Amos
and Billy Flynn were excellent. Minimal props
and set pieces meant the actors relied on their
own skills to create the details.
From a cell block to a courtroom, the story
was easy to follow. Despite their flaws, you
found yourself rooting for each of them. Poor
gullible husband Amos was an audience favorite.
I may have to find that film version on a
streaming service to watch some rainy evening
this spring.
In the meantime, seeing live theatre made
me excited for the upcoming season at Okoboji
Summer Theatre. There will be new shows and
classic favorites like “Musical of Musicals,”
“Moon Over Buffalo,” “Little Shop of Horrors,”
“You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” and more.
Just 11 weeks to wait!
4
"#$%&
!&'%($
DISCOVER! is your guide to all the special events and activities in the greater
northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, southeast South Dakota and northeast
Nebraska areas. It is distributed free throughout these areas.
Copyright 2025. Nothing may be reprinted, photocopied or in any way
reproduced without the permission of the publisher.
Advertising and Editorial Offices:
P.O. Box 160, Sheldon, IA 51201
1-800-247-0186
e-mail: discover@iowainformation.com
funatboji.com

DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025 | 3
Family Fun
DURING
THE
MONTH OF
APRIL
Spring Cleaning - Preparing for summer
and cleaning up after winter is always a daunting
task, make it a fun team building event with your
family by tackling projects together.
Golf - Take advantage of the spring
weather and hit the links at any of
N’West Iowa’s Beautiful Golf Courses.
Family Nature Night
April 25th, 5:00-6:00 PM
register at dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com
Hiking/Biking - Spring offers some beautiful
sights as flowers and trees begin to bloom. Walk the many hiking
trails in our region to appreciate nature!
Cookouts/Bonfires - After what seems like a
long winter, plan a nice family get together and sit around a fire and
get that grill going. On chilly nights, nothing is better than a good
fire! Just be careful in the wind, its mighty dry!
Farmers Mutual Insurance
Association Of Osceola County
800-756-6611 • 726 4 th Ave, Sibley, IA
Hospers
Phone
712.752.8432
www.denhartogindustries.com
Check out our
events on
our website!
www.dickinsoncountynaturecenter.com
OKOBOJI, IA
FREE ONLINE ISSUES
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1520 E. Lakeshore Dr. | Storm Lake, IA
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Phone 712.324.3543

APRIL 5, 2025 | DISCOVER!
4 |
Nature
.$'/ 0*1'
)$,&(2$'+3
Practicing
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER
At a Glance:
"#$!% Nature Tots: Groundhog
and Hedgehog
"#&'&% Dickinson County Nature
Center, 22785 Nature Center Road,
Okoboji, IA
"#&(% 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9
)*+!% Free
)*(!$)!% 712-336-6352
*(,-(&% www.dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com
Dickinson
County
Nature
Center hosts
Nature Tots
on April 9
*1' $4)+
!he Dickinson County Nature Center
is helping tots learn their letters.
Next up on the alphabet journey
is G and H. They will be studying
groundhogs and hedgehogs at the next
Nature Tots event. The theme for the
series of events for 2025 is “Animals
ABCs.”
The Nature Tots program is aimed
at children ages 2-5 with an adult
chaperone and takes place the second
Wednesday each month at 10:30 a.m.
and 1:30 p.m. The event is free and registration
is encouraged and can be done
online at www.dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com.
The next class will take place on
Wednesday, April 9.
They will start with a classic.
“Children, ages 2-5, will start off by
singing the alphabet song,” said Amy
Heibult, the community relations coordinator
at the Dickinson County Nature
Center. “Weather permitting, they
will also play a fun letter sorting game
outside that involves grabbing floating
letters in a kiddie pool and running back
to place the letters in the correct bucket
marked G or H.”
Then kids will be able to get some
hands-on experience with these new
animals.
“After that, kids will learn about
hedgehogs and groundhogs by feeling a
groundhog pelt and meeting Luna, our
hedgehog animal ambassador,” Heibult
said. “There will also be some coloring
sheets with the corresponding letters of
the lesson theme.”
The entire event is focused on engaging
kids in many different ways.
“From feeling the spines of our hedgehog
to matching letters for different
animals, each experience is designed
to nurture curiosity, spark imagination,
and build foundational learning
through sensory play,” Heibult said.
Nature Tots is all about getting little
kids excited about the great outdoors.
“O u r n a t u re - b a s e d p ro g ra m s
introduce children ages 2–5 to the
wonders of the outdoors in
a way that supports
early childhood
development,”
H e i b u l t
said. F
Okoboji | Iowa

/$!0 "'1!
,$#)%2$!-3
DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025
Sounds | 5
Enjoy an Easter Celebration with the Browns
Rise and-&.%)
*he audience won’t have to get up early, but
they’ll certainly want to rise to their feet.
That’s because the Browns have put
together another uplifting and wonderful performance
for their annual Easter Celebration
Concert.
Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. April 11, 12,
and 18 along with additional 1:30 p.m. performances
on April 12, 17 and 19 at the Browns
Century Theater in downtown Le Mars.
Tickets start at $11.72 for youth ages 3-12 up to
$41.75 for an adult dinner theater ticket.
Shelly Brown looks forward to this particular
show every year, though there is one particular
challenge to putting it together.
“I always say there is such an abundance of
!"#$% &'() | STAFF WRITER
wonderful, inspiring music, so it’s hard to just
choose two hours worth!” Shelly said. “We could
do 10 shows with all different music, but with this
one there will be new music, a lot of praise and
worship music, old hymns, and, of course, some
classics that everyone enjoys.”
One new twist will be Michaela Brown showcasing
the newest instrument in her repertoire
– the harp.
“It’s a beautiful instrument and a challenge
to learn but it’s going well,” Michaela said. “It’s
such a unique sound so it will be really neat to
incorporate harp music into all our shows now,
including the beautiful hymn I’ll be playing in
this one.”
Those who opt for the dinner theater tickets
will also enjoy a homecooked meal prior to the
performance.
It’s another aspect of their shows that Michael
particularly enjoys.
“We always love that aspect of sharing a meal
with friends and family, whoever you come with
to the show, and having that time of fellowship
around the table,” Michaela said. “It’s fun to
match the menu with the season and the show
we’re doing and this one is very much about Easter
and spring, especially with the sugar glazed
ham and the pineapple casserole stuffing that is
really unique to the season.”
A fantastic meal followed by an uplifting and
joyful concert is a perfect recipe for an Easter
Celebration. F
Getting there:
(&$*+ Easter Celebration Concert
(&)!)+ Browns Century Theater, 11 Central Ave.
NW, Le Mars, IA
(&)%+ April 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19
,'-*+ From $11.72 to $41.75
,'%*$,*+ 712-546-5770
'%#.%)+ www.thebrownstheater.com
Dinner Theater Menu:
Sugar Glazed Ham
Poppy seed Chicken
Pineapple Casserole
Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Garden Green Salad
Hot Rolls
Cheesecake Dessert
Le Mars | Iowa

6 | APRIL 5, 2025 | DISCOVER!
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DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025 | 7
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APRIL 5, 2025 | DISCOVER!
8 |
Sounds
/#'0 .*1'
)#,&(2#'+3
'.,#( "*!& | STAFF WRITER
And the
!-((&'
is...
!hen numerous talented musicians
gather together it’s sure
to be a fun and exciting event.
That’s exactly what will happen during
the sixth annual Midwest Country
Music Organization Award Show on
Saturday, April 12, at the Roof Garden
Ballroom in Arnolds Park.
Celebrating all the fantastic musicians
in the region as well as showcasing
their talents on stage throughout
the evening, it figures to be an experience
to enjoy for artists and audiences
members alike.
Doors open at 5 p.m. with the show
getting underway at 7:30 p.m. and
tickets are on sale to the general public
starting at $50 per person.
This is the third consecutive year
the Roof Garden has hosted the event
and marketing director Chris Swanson
is looking forward to another exciting
evening.
“It’s a super fun event,” Swanson
said. “Earlier in the year nominations
It’s a great opportunity
for us as a venue to see a
lot of entertainers who
we’ve then had either up
on the Lake View Deck or
maybe opening for one
of the artists out on the
green space.
CHRIS SWANSON
went for everything from Breakthrough
Artist of the Year to Entertainer of the
Year and Band of the Year and it’s really
fun. It’s basically just like the big time
award shows but for artists here in the
Midwest. Everyone gets dressed up,
they all have their tables and if they get
called up they’ll give as speech and in
between all the announcements different
groups and individuals will perform,
so it’s an evening of a lot of music
and a lot of excitement.”
And just like any awards show, there
is plenty happening leading up to the
main event.
Artists will be escorted to the doors
and enjoy a full red carpet experience
with bright lights and photographs and
interviews with local media.
From there it’s on to the main event.
“It’s just a gorgeous night and a neat
thing to be able to experience,” Swanson
said. “There’s a lot of talent in the
Midwest and being the third year here
it’s been fun to see someone that’s been
nominated for best new artist come
back the next year and be nominated
for song of the year or album of the year,
so it’s really neat to see their progression.”
Audience members to will see and
And the nominees are:
Check out the full list of nominees for this year’s show at www.midwestcountrymusic.org/2024-midwest-cmo-nominations/
hear some familiar acts as well as
perhaps get a preview of performers
that they’ll see on stages in the Iowa
Great Lakes during the summer season.
“It’s a great opportunity for us as a
venue to see a lot of entertainers who
we’ve then had either up on the Lake
View Deck or maybe opening for one
of the artists out on the green space,
in fact, Corey Waller and the Wicked
Things, they’re part of the Midwest
CMO and will be opening for the Alabama
tribute act we have this summer.”
A fun event and fantastic experience
for everyone involved – enjoy the Midwest
CMO Award Show at the Roof
Garden. F
At a Glance:
!"#$% Midwest CMO Award Show
!"&'&% Roof Garden Ballroom, 91
Lake St., Arnolds Park, IA
!"&(% Doors open at 5 p.m. Show
starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12
)*+$% $50 for general admission
)*($#)$% 712-332-2183
*(,-(&% www.roofgardenballroom.
com
Midwest CMO returns to Roof Garden for annual award show
Arnolds Park | Iowa

.#'/ 0*1'
)#,&(2#'+3
DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025
Playbill | 9
$"&#$'& 4*'
#,, #5&+
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER
At a Glance:
!"#$% “Senior Living”
!"&'&% Spencer Community Theatre,
518 1st Avenue East, Spencer,
IA
!"&(% 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday,
April 11 and 12
)*+$% $10
)*($#)$% 712-262-7336
*(,-(&% www.sctplayhouse.com
Spencer
Community
Theatre offers
up play on
April 11-12
$heatre is for everyone.
All ages can enjoy the theatre experience
either from a chair in the audience or by performing
onstage.
And the Spencer Community Theatre’s next
production is a show aimed at demonstrating that
you are never too old to get up onstage.
“Senior Living” will be onstage at 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12. Tickets are
on sale for $10 and can be purchased in person at
Spencer Community Theater, online through their
website, or via their Facebook page.
“The playwrights (Tor Hyams and Lisa St. Lou)
describe it this way: ‘This is a play about people
dying to live. It is not a play about old people or
death. It focuses on love and hope, the combination
of which creates meaning to lives that still
have much to look forward to.’ The characters are
facing many of the situations, both positive and
negative, that all of us face as we age,” said Connie
Goeken, the director for this show. “There are a lot
of laughs that come out of the reality of their experiences.
And a talent show is at the center of the
plot, so we get singing and dancing and comedy in
addition to wonderful acting.”
This show is a special one.
“‘Senior Living’ is being presented as part of our
Spare Change Theatre programming. Plays produced
through Spare Change Theatre are works
that have something that sets them apart from
our Mainstage offerings – they may be edgier, be
shorter, smaller pieces, or be staged in a way very
different from what you would see on our normal
schedule,” said Goeken. “This gives both our audiences
and our performers an opportunity to see or
act in some nontraditional types of theatre.”
One of the interesting things about this show is
the age of the actors involved.
“In producing ‘Senior Living,’ we’re reaching out
to actors over the age of 50 who might like to participate
but either don’t want to memorize or commit
to an eight-week rehearsal period,” Goeken
said. “We’re presenting the play as a type of modified
readers’ theatre – actors will use scripts, but
will be acting, using props and sets, just as if they
were memorized, but with a safety net, if you will.
‘Senior Living’ lends itself very well to this type of
presentation, as it is a series of vignettes centered
on the residents of an independent senior living
facility called Riverdale Manor.”
This play has something for everyone.
“There are so many things an audience can take
away from ‘Senior Living.’ One, it’s possible to do
great theatre on a small budget. Two, there’s a way
for everyone – no matter their age or experience –
to participate in community theatre,” Goeken said.
“And, three, the play itself is an affirmation that, at
every stage of our lives, we can still have hopes and
dreams, and we can make the most of whatever
time we have left.” F
Spencer | Iowa

DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025 | 10
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DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025
new
at the
box office
Limited release movies are not included in “What’s New.” Only films that receive an average “C”
or better rating by movie critics on both coasts and the Midwest are included in “Good Stuff.”
A Minecraft Movie
PG | 101 min. | ★★★★★
Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four
misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious
portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
good stuff still playing
Death of a
Unicorn
Snow White
R
103 min.
★★★★★
Elliot and his daughter Riley accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a
weekend work retreat, where Elliot’s billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s
miraculous curative properties.
PG A live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film. The magical music
117 min. adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful,
★★★★★ Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.
A Working Man
R
116 min.
Levon Cade left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple
what you can rent or stream
Companion R
97 min.
A weekend getaway at a remote cabin turns to chaos when it’s revealed that one
A Complete
Unknown
Dog Man
★★★★★
★★★★★
R
141 min.
★★★★★
life working construction. But when his boss’s daughter, is taken by human traffickers,
his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption.
of the guests – a subservient android built for human companionship – has gone
haywire.
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A Complete Unknown
follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric
rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts.
PG When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together
89 min. on the job, a harebrained but lifesaving surgery fuses the two of them together
★★★★★ and Dog Man is born.
The Brutalist R
216 min.
Escaping postwar Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to
★★★★★
Memoir of a Snail
R
94 min.
★★★★★
Screen | 11
rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced
apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes.
From Academy Award winning animator Adam Elliot comes this bittersweet memoir
of a melancholic woman called Grace Pudel – a hoarder of snails, romance
novels, and guinea-pigs.

DISCOVER! | APRIL 5, 2025 | 12