Support Public Media During Festival 2025

Get ready for a week that celebrates Iowa and beyond—because Iowa PBS is kicking off Festival 25, offering an exciting lineup of diverse programs that span music, culture, food and storytelling. This isn’t just TV: it’s an opportunity to experience and support the best that public broadcasting has to offer.

Here’s why you absolutely can’t miss it:

Unforgettable Music Moments

We begin Festival 25 with Studio 3 LIVE at 9 p.m. on Feb. 28, featuring incredible live performances. When you donate, you can choose fun thank-you gifts, like tickets to see the acclaimed Irish rock band Socks in the Frying Pan live in March and local favorite Kevin Burt & Big Medicine in May. These exclusive experiences are just one way we thank you for supporting Iowa PBS.

The excitement continues with a musical marathon! On March 1, enjoy two nostalgic hours of Lawrence Welk at 6 p.m., followed by the moving sounds of The Texas Tenors: Faith and Inspiration, filmed right here in our studios. Who knows, you may even spot a familiar face in the audience!

March 2 brings an entire day of legendary music, starting at 3:30 p.m. with the Everly Brothers, followed by performances from Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett and classical concerts with a pop twist. Throughout these shows, your donations can earn you DVDs, CDs, books and more—allowing you to relive these special moments long after Festival 25 ends.

Fans of Stevie Ray Vaughn won’t want to miss his concert on Feb. 28, and on March 1, get ready to groove with Earth, Wind & Fire and The Spinners. The week continues with Fleetwood Mac: The Dance on Friday, Best of the 60s on Saturday, and a magical evening with the Bee Gees: One Night Only on Sunday.

Transcript

♪ I believe in something so much bigger than us. ♪

We're the Texas Tenors.

Don't miss our new special Faith & Inspiration.

Coming soon to this public television station.

♪ That's a God thing. I don't know what it is but I know it's a God thing. ♪

Saturday evening at 8.

Culinary Adventures Await

Saturday, March 1 is a feast for food lovers! Join us for six straight hours of back-to-back cooking shows, beginning with Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen, followed by America’s Test Kitchen and America’s Home Cooking. Whether you're eager to perfect pastries or stretch your budget with thrifty cooking tips, these shows will help you elevate your kitchen game.

Supporting public media and how-to programming go hand in hand. Help us continue to bring you these cooking shows and more while you try out the shows' recipes with our thank-you gift cookbooks.

Fascinating Programs to Fuel Your Curiosity

Festival 25 isn’t just about entertainment—it's about enriching your mind. Don’t miss the premiere of Dogs of Service on Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m. This heartwarming documentary follows service dogs through their remarkable two-year training journey, showcasing the life-changing impact they have on their handlers.

And that’s only the beginning! Throughout the week, tune in to inspiring programs such as Kinnick: The Documentary, Women of WWII: The Untold Stories, Tractor Wars, Ken Burns: One Nation, Many Stories, Historic Buildings of Iowa: Council Bluffs, and Lucy Worsley’s Holmes vs. Doyle. These are the stories that deepen our understanding of the world.

Transcript

I always say that PTSD is realizing

that you'll never be that cool ever again.

Because when you do go overseas,

there's that feeling of you are you are in control.

I mean, once you've driven in that situation,

it just makes you nervous.

You see a box along, sitting alongside a road over there.

It could have been an IED.

And here.

You know, it's not.

Your mind knows it's not.

But your instincts tell you that it could be,

but you just had to be on a higher alert all the time.

That's what I really couldn’t turn off coming back.

And they're like, oh, you're back.

Just, you know, now you can chill out and

well, I didn't I guess I never really quite

figured out how to chill out so much.

I didn't leave the house a lot.

It's a culture shock to go from active duty

to the civilian world.

The structure is gone, and for a lot

of a lot of service members, I think that's what

what drives em crazy.

And then this year, just by having Koko, it's amazing.

“Give a warm welcome to Scott and Koko...”

The way it changes your life.

“Aren’t they cute?”

It takes two years

and $25,000 and countless,

countless hours from volunteers to train service dog

asking a dog to be a service dog.

It's a big task.

We are testing these dogs,

watching these dogs and making sure they are really good fits

for what we're asking them to do.

They've got a great job.

They get to be with their person all the time, every day.

Every dog wishes they could do that. Almost.

But when that kit comes off, I want you to turn into a dog.

I want you to dig holes. I want you to roll in the grass.

Be a dog.

We're handed some of the top 1% most well-bred

dogs on the planet,

and we know that

they're going to someone, that it will change their life.

I get to watch that puppy develop to an adult,

and then I get to watch them pair with a veteran.

I get to watch families come back together.

If the things that you have given your country

cause you to not be able to leave your house.

Those are the people we're after.

I know for a fact I can change your life.

I mean, I sob it every single time

because I'm like,

you have no idea how much your life is going to change.

Support What You Love—Donate to Iowa PBS Today

Festival 25 is your chance to help sustain the programs you love on Iowa PBS. Your support directly fuels our ability to bring you this unique blend of entertainment, education and inspiration. When you donate, you’ll receive exclusive thank-you gifts, from concert tickets to DVDs, that allow you to enjoy these moments long after the week ends. Check out all the wonderful gifts!

In a world filled with endless options for TV, Iowa PBS stands apart. We curate the very best programming that informs, inspires and entertains—programs you won’t find anywhere else. So, mark your calendars, set your DVRs, and get ready to enjoy this unforgettable celebration of music, food, culture, and stories.

Festival 25 on Iowa PBS—where entertainment meets community and your support makes it all possible.

See additional program highlights for Festival and the full upcoming schedule across all our channels to see when to tune and and how you can continue to support us.