A Quick 48 Hours: Oskaloosa, Iowa
Every Thursday evening during the summer months, the community gathers around the downtown bandstand to watch the Oskaloosa Municipal Band play.
Located in Mahaska County in southeast Iowa, Oskaloosa (pop. 11,463) is grounded by its Quaker roots, its conservation ethic, a strong focus on collaboration, and an integration of the arts.
During 2022, I interviewed a dozen Oskaloosa residents in a variety of places: Smokey Row coffee shop, private homes, downtown offices, golf carts, and Penn Central Mall. Among the myriad things I learned about the community is that’s a whole lot going on in Oskaloosa. Like a LOT.
As you travel through Iowa, I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit. Here are a few recommendations for your trip.
Over 13 miles of paved trails weave though Oskaloosa and Mahaska County, enabling walkers, bikers, skaters, golf carts, and runners to see their community at a different pace.
PLACES TO VISIT:
Art of all kinds is everywhere in Osky. Check out the sculpture and rotating public art throughout town, which is organized by the annual FACE Mahaska Sculpture Tour.
Chill on a bench by the bandstand at the heart of downtown. Music is piped or performed at the bandstand 365 days a year.
If you are a birdwatcher or you love quiet natural places, Maskunky Marsh is for you.
Located right downtown, Penn Central Mall hosts hundreds of community events each year, plus houses all kinds of great experiences, including movie-watching, game-playing, axe-throwing, food-eating, and art-seeing.
Love history? Visit Nelson Pioneer Farm to learn about the wild roots of Mahaska County, plus see new exhibitions about Buxton, Iowa .
Wander the grounds of William Penn University, a small Quaker school.
Discover the Book Vault, a terrific independent bookstore in the old bank building.
The Sculpture Workshop is the newest addition to the Oskaloosa Art Center and supported by Fine Arts and Cultural Events of Mahaska County (FACE Mahaska).
PLACES TO EAT:
Woodhaven Amphitheater houses a Summer Series for George Daily Auditorium.
THINGS TO DO:
Sign up for a class or see one of the rotating monthly exhibitions at the Oskaloosa Art Center.
Catch a performance at the George Daily Community Auditorium or at the Woodhaven Amphitheater.
If you hang around downtown long enough, you’re bound to stumble into something cool - like the Holiday Lights, the Thursday evening summer concert series by the Oskaloosa Municipal Band, or one of the annual festivals, like Art on the Square or Sweet Corn Serenade.
Test your skills at the Downtown Skate and Bike Park.
Bike, run, or walk any of the 13"+ miles of paved trail that snake in and around Oskaloosa.
Visit the Maker Space or the Seed LIbrary at the Oskaloosa Public Library.
Located right downtown, Penn Central Mall serves as almost an indoor extension of the town square and hosts hundreds of community events each year.
Beyond books, the Oskaloosa Public Library provides cultural programming, language classes, reading programs, music events, a seed library, a makerspace, a library of things, and a genealogy room.
Learn more about Oskaloosa, Iowa, here.
LOOKING FOR A FEW OTHER OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH ITINERARIES THIS YEAR? CHECK OUT MORE PLACES TO SPEND A QUICK 48 HOURS:
The Book Vault has an open-door-policy with Smokey Row, its next-door-neighbor coffee shop, with literally an open door between the two so that folks can wander in and out with books and coffee.