Events & Attractions

You'll never run out of things to see and do in the Old Capitol Cultural District!

Iowa City's attractive Pedestrian Plaza continues to be a wonderful staging ground for festivals and events sponsored by downtown Iowa City's Summer of the Arts. The Iowa Arts Festival takes place in early June, with live outdoor music, an art fair and children's activities. On the University of Iowa Pentacrest in July, catch the Iowa City Jazz Festival, presenting well-known jazz acts along side local favorites. From May till September, Friday nights are earmarked for the crowd-pleasing Friday Night Concert Series, featuring a wide range of local favorite music groups. The Saturday Night Free Movie Series, a new hit in 2005, presents large-scale movies shown outdoors on the UI Pentacrest, along with local music acts. On other days, you might find local groups and events such as outdoor concerts by the Community Band or the Grammy award winning City High School Orchestra. Live music & entertainment venues abound in this university town.

Moving inside, check out the newly refurbished Englert Civic Theater with its schedule of national and local acts in music, theater, readings and dance. The 25-year-old Riverside Theatre continues a fine dramatic tradition in its intimate theater setting on Gilbert Street as well as during its outdoor Shakespeare Festival in City Park.

Museum lovers have several enticing options. In 1840, Iowa City became Iowa's first state capitol and the University of Iowa's Pentacrest is home to the splendid Old Capitol Museum, in final stages of restoration following a fire in 2001. Also on the Pentacrest, the Museum of Natural History is a delight for families, featuring animal exhibits and Iowa Hall, with its replica of a giant sloth.

Iowa City is a literary town, with its pre-eminent Writers' Workshop and the Summer Writing Festival at the University of Iowa. Well known writers make a point of doing readings at Prairie Lights Books, which are then carried live on WSUI Radio station. The Iowa Avenue Literary Walk features street-embedded bronze plaques with quotes by well known Iowa or Iowa-connected writers.

For visual art lovers, commercial galleries and arts businesses abound as does the local non-profit Arts Iowa City, which showcases work by the community and a September "Plein Air Event," where artists paint outdoors. The downtown Iowa City Gallery Walk takes place three times a year, in March, June and October, at about twenty venues in the Old Capitol Cultural District. The University of Iowa Museum of Art is located across the river in our sister Iowa River District, as are UI Theatre and Hancher Auditorium.

Local history buffs will find several interesting options. The Northside Neighborhood located just north of downtown, contains interesting historic references as does downtown itself. Take a walking tour! Our neighborhoods are compact and historically interesting. Check out Old Brick, the first church in the area, now serving as a community center. Those interested in genealogy and photographic archives might check out the State Historical Society of Iowa on Iowa Avenue. Celebrate local history during Irving Weber Days.

For families, the recently-expanded Iowa City Public Library is a gem, with its well appointed children's section and the playground located just outside. The Library is also a hub of year-round meeting and event activity for all ages and hosts an "Art To Go" program.

Iowa City continues to garner excellent national ratings as a place to retire to, and the Senior Center is a hub of classes and activities catering to all levels of interest and need. The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, also located in the district, is also a good resource.

There's no excuse not to have fun, so put on those walking shoes and come on by!