The Fairfield Weekly Reader

05/29/2026

Event by Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Fairfield Iowa Central Park.
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook

✂️🎀 Join the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors as we celebrate Fairfield Resilient Action Network (FRAN) with an official ribbon cutting!

FRAN is dedicated to building a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Fairfield through community connection, collaboration, and local action. We’re excited to celebrate their impact and continued efforts to support and strengthen our community.
The ribbon cutting will take place on Wednesday, July 1st at noon at the Central Park Gazebo (weather permitting).
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating FRAN and the meaningful work they are doing throughout Fairfield! 👏

📍 Central Park Gazebo
🕛 Wednesday, July 1st at Noon
***Alternate location for rain: 204 W Broadway, Fairfield (Chamber of Commerce office)

05/29/2026

Public · Anyone on or off Facebook

✂️🎀 Join the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors as we celebrate TWO Chamber members with a special ribbon cutting event!

We’ll be celebrating Fairfield CoLab and Riley Designs on Thursday, June 25th at noon at Fairfield CoLab, located at 101 N Court Street in Fairfield.

Fairfield CoLab continues to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration in our community, while Riley Designs brings creative branding, marketing, and design expertise to businesses throughout the region.

Following the ribbon cutting, Fairfield CoLab will host a special Traction Thursday presentation, giving attendees an opportunity to connect, learn, and experience the collaborative energy of the CoLab firsthand.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating these growing businesses and the exciting work happening in downtown Fairfield! 👏
📍 Fairfield CoLab
101 N Court Street, Fairfield
🕛 Thursday, June 25th at Noon

05/11/2026

Event by Cinema Fairfield
200 N. Main St., 52556
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook

MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.
PG-13 ‧ 2026 ‧ Musical/Music ‧ 2h 7m
Showtimes:
Friday, 5/8 | 7:00 PM
Saturday, 5/9 | 7:00 PM
Sunday, 5/10 | 3:30 PM, 7:00 PM
Monday, 5/11 | 7:00 PM (closed captions)
See the trailer: https://youtu.be/k-YAcjaLuSI?si=0lv516Fs_LNCYFJl
Sign up for our Reel News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/fairfieldacc/cinema-reel-news See less

05/11/2026

✂️ Ribbon Cutting Celebration for Southern Iowa Mental Health Center – Fairfield Office

Join the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors as we celebrate the Fairfield office of Southern Iowa Mental Health Center with an official ribbon cutting!

Southern Iowa Mental Health Center provides essential services that support mental health, recovery, and overall well-being for individuals and families across the region. Their Fairfield office plays an important role in expanding access to care and ensuring community members have the resources and support they need.
With a mission centered around compassionate care and recovery, their team is dedicated to helping individuals navigate challenges and build healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Come help us welcome and celebrate the Fairfield office and show your support for the important work they do in our community.
📅 Date: Tuesday, May 19
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
📍 Location: 500 N 3rd St, Suite 202, Fairfield, Iowa
Stop by on your lunch break, meet the team, and help us celebrate this meaningful addition to our community.
Learn more:

Southern Iowa Mental Health Center offers mental health therapy, substance abuse treatment and medication management services.

05/01/2026

The Fairfield Art Association announces the opening of a new exhibit by "Iowa Art Quilters and Fiber Artists" on Friday May 1st. Eight recognized Iowa artists will be included in this display in the Main Gallery at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. A reception for the artists and guests is 6 — 9 p.m.

The Art Quilt Exhibit artists include: Karen Anne Babcock Grimes, Sue Kluber, Judy Ludwick, Wendy Read, Barbara Riggs, Kathryn Roe, Jean Taft, and Patricia Weber. Up to 50 original art quilt works will be on display, in many sizes and styles, many are for sale.

Iowa Art Quilters began meeting in 2005 in Grinnell to encourage and support one another in making art quilts. A simple definition of an art quilt is “a quilt you hang on the wall” instead of a quilt you lay on the bed. Art Quilts are designed and constructed by the artist and are original. Art quilts may be abstract or representational, portraying landscapes, faces or objects, or modifying traditional quilt blocks.

Usually art quilts are considered more decorative than functional, with artists frequently using a variety of fabrics, threads and embellishments such as beads, sequins, buttons, metal, wood and other materials. Surface design, like altering the fabric itself, is a common feature. One might add or remove color using dye, paint, or bleach with brushes, stamps or stencils. Artists might go further by selectively damaging the cloth with fire or rust, or less drastically by folding, scrunching or gathering the cloth.

04/24/2026

Spring Sonata a Homecoming for Artists With Fairfield Roots

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield audiences are invited to experience an evening of elegance, warmth, and musical connection when Spring Sonata: Violin & Piano in Concert comes to Fairfield Arts & Convention Center on Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 PM. Presented as part of the Barhydt Organ Spotlight Series, the performance is free to attend, with voluntary donations accepted at the door ($10 suggested).

The concert features beloved former Fairfield residents Eugene and Nancy Gaub, returning to a community where they were long admired and warmly remembered. Their homecoming performance offers audiences a chance to reconnect with two cherished artists whose lives and music left a lasting impression here.

Pianist Eugene Gaub and violinist Nancy Gaub will present an intimate program of chamber music for violin and piano, filled with expressive melodies, rich harmonies, and the graceful interplay that comes from a lifetime of musical collaboration. Together, they create performances marked by artistry, warmth, and unmistakable connection.

For many in Fairfield, the evening will be more than a concert. It will be a joyful reunion.

“There is something especially meaningful about welcoming artists home,” said Lindsay Bauer, Executive Director of Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. “Eugene and Nancy are remembered here with so much affection, and to have them return to share their gifts in this setting is a beautiful opportunity for our community.”

04/22/2026

Garrison Keillor Brings Storytelling and Song to Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Beloved author, humorist, and radio icon Garrison Keillor will bring an evening of stories, music, and wit to the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center when Garrison Keillor Tonight comes to town on Friday, May 1 at 7:30 PM at Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Known for his warm baritone voice, sharp observations, and singular gift for finding humor in ordinary life, Keillor has entertained audiences for decades through radio, books, live performance, and public broadcasting. Best known as the creator and longtime host of A Prairie Home Companion, Keillor remains one of America’s most recognizable and cherished storytellers.

Garrison Keillor Tonight features an intimate blend of storytelling, poetry, audience reflections, and songs from across the American songbook. With a style that is both nostalgic and freshly observant, Keillor offers audiences a rare chance to spend an evening with a performer whose voice and perspective have shaped generations of listeners.

For Fairfield audiences, the performance offers something increasingly uncommon: a night built around language, laughter, memory, and the pleasure of simply being in the same room together. Keillor’s live appearances are known for their relaxed charm, literary grace, and moments of unexpected hilarity.
“Garrison Keillor is one of those artists who can make an entire theater feel like a front porch gathering,” said Lindsay Bauer, Executive Director of Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. “He brings humor, humanity, and that rare gift of helping us see ourselves a little more clearly while laughing along the way.”

Tickets for this extraordinary live experience are available at fairfieldacc.com or by calling the Box Office at (641) 472-2787.

04/22/2026

Garrison Keillor Brings Storytelling and Song to Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Beloved author, humorist, and radio icon Garrison Keillor will bring an evening of stories, music, and wit to the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center when Garrison Keillor Tonight comes to town on Friday, May 1 at 7:30 PM at Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Known for his warm baritone voice, sharp observations, and singular gift for finding humor in ordinary life, Keillor has entertained audiences for decades through radio, books, live performance, and public broadcasting. Best known as the creator and longtime host of A Prairie Home Companion, Keillor remains one of America’s most recognizable and cherished storytellers.

Garrison Keillor Tonight features an intimate blend of storytelling, poetry, audience reflections, and songs from across the American songbook. With a style that is both nostalgic and freshly observant, Keillor offers audiences a rare chance to spend an evening with a performer whose voice and perspective have shaped generations of listeners.

For Fairfield audiences, the performance offers something increasingly uncommon: a night built around language, laughter, memory, and the pleasure of simply being in the same room together. Keillor’s live appearances are known for their relaxed charm, literary grace, and moments of unexpected hilarity.

“Garrison Keillor is one of those artists who can make an entire theater feel like a front porch gathering,” said Lindsay Bauer, Executive Director of Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. “He brings humor, humanity, and that rare gift of helping us see ourselves a little more clearly while laughing along the way.”

Tickets for this extraordinary live experience are available at fairfieldacc.com or by calling the Box Office at (641) 472-2787.

04/08/2026

Fairfield Arts Center Announces New Director Search

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center announces that Executive Director Lindsay Bauer will step down from her role effective May 1, 2026.

Bauer, who began her tenure in July 2020, has accepted a new professional opportunity and will be relocating to Kansas City. During her time at the Center, she guided the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and led its recovery into a period of renewed growth and community connection.

Under her leadership, the Center expanded its programming and impact, including the launch of the Cinema Fairfield program in 2022 and the creation of the Sally Rinehart Johnston Arts in Education Program, which has provided meaningful arts experiences for area students. During the pandemic and early years of recovery, Bauer also introduced a free outdoor summer concert series featuring Iowa artists, offering a space for community gathering at a time when it was most needed. The series was thoughtfully retired in 2025 as other local summer programming returned, reflecting the Center’s commitment to complementing and supporting the broader arts ecosystem.
In recent years, the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center has seen significant growth in attendance and engagement, welcoming audiences from across the region and strengthening its role as a hub for arts, culture, and community life in Southeast Iowa.
“This work has always been about loving well, spreading joy, and building a powerful community of curious and kind adventurers here in Southeast Iowa,” said Bauer. “I am so grateful to have been part of that alongside this community.”

“While we are sorry to see Lindsay leave, we are deeply grateful for her leadership and the transformative impact she has had on the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center,” said Board President Rachel Hillier. “She leaves the organization on strong and steady ground, with a capable team and a clear path forward. The Board looks forward to building on this momentum as we begin the search for our next Executive Director, and we wish Lindsay every success in her next chapter.”

The Center’s leadership team will continue to guide day-to-day operations, ensuring continuity of programming and services. The Board of Directors has initiated a search process for the organization’s next Executive Director. Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter to [email protected].

The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center remains committed to serving the region through meaningful arts and cultural experiences that bring people together.

02/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/4222642901380483