Swing Dancing on the Ped Mall!

Spring banished winter from Iowa City this past weekend, and the Ped Mall was in bloom with the Hawkeye Swing Festival, sponsored by the University of Iowa Swing Dance Club. Accompanying them was a lively jazz band from the University of Iowa. The Festival, which ran April 9 & 10, attracts college dance club members from as far away as Chicago and Des Moines. Music included traditional Lindy Hop style all the way to ultra smooth jazz. Downtown workers were much distracted by all the festivities, as shown in these pictures taken by staff members at Iowa Artisans Gallery. The Hawkeye Swing Festival is held every spring.

Santa & the horsedrawn carriage rides- Celebrate the Season! this Saturday

Join us for Celebrate the Season, Saturday December 4, 10am- 5pm in downtown Iowa City. This event was extremely popular last year and offered many ways for families to enjoy the holiday season together. Twenty-four businesses in the central Downtown and near Northside host open house events. Santa arrives via horse-drawn wagon at Old Capitol Mall from 12-2pm. Horse-drawn wagon rides from 12-3pm were a big hit last year. Just before that, at the 11:45am Countdown to Santa's arrival, hear Carolers from the UI School of Music. Also at Old Capitol Town Center from 11-3pm: activities for kids hosted by the Iowa Children's Museum, Penny Bear, Gingerbread House displays (vote for your favorite), cookie decorating, and refreshments.

Musical events include Tom Nothnagle at Old Capitol Town Center from 1-3pm, and the Nutcracker at the Englert, 2pm & 7pm. All events except the Nutcracker are free. Nutcracker tickets are available at the Englert Theatre box office.   

Downtown businesses hosting holiday open houses from 10am-5pm include Austin-Burke, AKAR, Bella Joli, Catherine's, Chait Galleries, Cheap 'n Chic, Discerning Eye, Domby, Dulcinea, Glassando, Hands, Herteen & Stocker, Home Ec Workshop, Iowa Artisans Gallery, Lorenz 2a, Lyla's Boutique, MC Ginsberg, Modela, Raygun, Revival, r.s.v.p., Textiles, Velvet Coat and Zender's Salon. Hothouse Yoga offers yoga for kids 11:30-12.

Stop by and enjoy the fun!

Sand in the City time! Friday-Sunday, August 20-22

Last year, I stumbled upon Sand in the City (pictures included) and it's really fun, not to be missed. Great for families. Find your beach experience!  

Hours are Friday 9am - 9pm; Saturday 10am - 8pm; and Sunday 10am - 4pm. See below for details about food, music and other activities associated with the event.


Here's basic information from the
Summer of the Arts website  (SOTA):
Sand in the City, presented by Bank of the West, is a wonderful late-summer event to bring out family and friends to downtown Iowa City for a weekend of free entertainment.  Giant sandboxes filled with fantastical sand sculptures will line Iowa Avenue (from Clinton Street to Linn Street) as well as our FUN Zone, Kids Sandbox, Artist booths and Culinary Row along parts of Dubuque St. and Iowa Avenue.

Sand sculptures will be designed and constructed by teams representing some of the community's most beloved businesses and local organizations.  Incredible sand sculptures will come to life through the collaborative and team building efforts of our teams.

The community has an opportunity to decide their favorites by contributing "sand" dollars in the name of the team building their favorite sculpture.  Event goers will also be entertained by live music and an array of adult and kid friendly activities.  Our participating businesses contribute not only their time but also financial resources that allows us to raise funds that help to support the Summer of the Arts festivals and events throughout the year.

On August 20th, the regularly scheduled Friday Night Concert Series will be pre-empted for Sand in the City's live entertainment from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. on Iowa Avenue.

It's Jazz Festival time!

 Rowell Rudd's Trombone Tribe, headliner on Saturday

Iowa City swings...Check out the Iowa City Jazz Festival, Friday through Sunday July 2-4. Saturday nights' 8pm headliner is Roswell Rudd’s Trombone Tribe. Sunday night's is the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio. And the list of ensembles is long- read more here.

Live music takes place on various stages in downtown Iowa City, Friday 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm; Saturday 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm
  and Sunday 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Sunday's performance will be followed immediately by fireworks in Hubbard Park on the UI campus. Three stages include the Main Stage at Old Capitol Building; the Youth Stage at Iowa Avenue; and the Local and College Stage at Clinton Street. Grab a bite, bring your lawnchairs and let the fun begin.

Public Property, a local favorite

The Summer of the Arts website introduces a new feature to this year's Jazz Festival: Listen, Learn and Ask Questions of Three Unique Jazz Performers. This presentation will take place Saturday, July 3rd 10am to noon in the Carver Room at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Iowa City and is sponsored by aGrant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Here's a chance to listen to some of our internationally known mainstage performers tell stories about their musical odysseys, their approaches to learning how to play jazz and answer your questions. The workshop will include:

Roswell Rudd, trombonist and composer & leader of the Trombone Tribe, performing on the mainstage at 8:00 pm Saturday evening. This year Rudd was selected as one of the top jazz trombonists in the Downbeat Magazine’s Critics poll and leader of the best jazz CD’s of the year by the Village Voice. In addition to having played with such jazz notables as Carla Bley, Archie Shepp and his long-time collaborator, Steve Lacey, Rudd also has performed and recorded world and ethnics music with traditional musicians from Mongolia, Mali and Puerto Rico.

Bob Washut, pianist, composer, arranger and educator is Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa. He has received numerous commissions for collegiate jazz ensembles and directed the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One. Washut was also the founder of the well-known salsa band, Orquestra Alto Maiz. Washut’s Dream Band will also be the headliner on the mainstage Friday evening.

Deborah Weisz, jazz trombonist and educator. From playing in the Sahara Desert, just North of Timbuktu, to creating music in a grain silo at an artist colony in upstate New York, to traveling all over the world with Frank Sinatra (1987 - 1994). Weisz will be performing with the Trombone Tribe on Saturday evening.