THE WEEKENDER

Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium

More festival action and a plethora of outdoor music opportunities, as well as special events for the beer connoisseurs out there with the kickoff of Cedar Rapids Craft Beer Week and more! Don’t forget to get a little Smash action in while you’re at it!




Figge Art Museum

Alternating Currents Fest 2021

Aug 19 – Aug 22 – 3:45pm

Scattered throughout the downtowns of the Quad Cities, Alternating Currents offers 20+ venues and more than 100 performances, screenings and art events. Venue COVID protocols vary.


More info >>





Wilson’s Apple Orchard

Live Music with Pinicon Drift

Aug 19 – 5:30pm

Pinicon Drift plays its own blend of American roots musicโ€”rock, folk, pop, country, and soul.


More info >>





Noelridge Park

Jazz Under The Stars

Aug 19 – 7:00pm

Live jazz at Noelridge Park. This week: Craig Erickson Quartet.


More info >>





Lower City Park

The Comedy of Errors

Aug 19 – 7:30pm

โ€œHow many fond fools serve mad jealousy!โ€ Free Shakespeare returns with a Nashville-inspired farce of mistaken identities.


More info >>





The Treehouse

Willow Creek Theatre Company: ‘[title of show]’

Aug 19 – 7:30pm

A Broadway musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical!
Presented by Willow Creek Theatre Company. COVID precautions in place.


More info >>





Downtown Pedestrian Mall

Friday Night Concert Series – Crystal City w/ Brass Tower

Aug 20 – 6:30pm

Summer of the Arts presents Crystal City with Brass Tower, the Deleters at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage on the Ped Mall.


More info >>





Wild Culture Kombucha Taproom

The Soft and Low

Aug 20 – 7:00pm

Jeffrey C. Capps and Tara McGovern will be playing outside under the stars this Friday on the patio at Wild Culture Kombucha in Iowa Cityโ€™s eternally charming Northside district.


More info >>





Lower City Park

The Comedy of Errors

Aug 20 – 7:30pm

โ€œHow many fond fools serve mad jealousy!โ€ Free Shakespeare returns with a Nashville-inspired farce of mistaken identities.


More info >>





The Treehouse

Willow Creek Theatre Company: ‘[title of show]’

Aug 20 – 7:30pm

A Broadway musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical!
Presented by Willow Creek Theatre Company. COVID precautions in place.


More info >>





Museum of Natural History

Pentacrest Museums Grand Re-Opening

Aug 21 – 10:00am

In a celebration of our communityโ€™s resiliency and all that was accomplished in the UI galleries, exhibits and behind-the-scenes while you were away, the Pentacrest welcomes you back to explore.


More info >>





Benz Beverage Depot

Drink Local Festival

Aug 21 – 1:00pm

Join the Cedar Rapids Brewing Society, homebrew clubs from across the state, and professional craft brewers in celebrating the art of craft beer.


More info >>





NewBo City Market

Barks & Brew 2021

Aug 21 – 2:00pm

Last Hope Animal Rescue presents their largest FUN-draiser of the year! This outdoor event is fun for the whole family.


More info >>





Yoshis Tronics

Super Smash Bros. Melee Tournament

Aug 21 – 4:00pm

Do you enjoy playing Smash? Do you want to win a $50 gift card to Yoshi’s Tronics? Do you just want somewhere to hang out for a few hours?


More info >>





Penn Meadows Park

Concert in the Park

Aug 21 – 5:00pm

An evening of good company and good music, curated by The Englert Theatre.


More info >>





RavenWolf Stage

Brad and the Big Wave

Aug 21 – 6:30pm

Brad Pouleson with his new band, Brad and the Big Wave, including veteran musicians John Kramer on bass & Doug Langbehn on keyboards, as well as Connor Wade on drums & vocalist Allison Hershberger.


More info >>





The Bohemian

Dandelion Stompers

Aug 21 – 7:00pm

Stop in for some cool vibes and hot horns!


More info >>





The Treehouse

Willow Creek Theatre Company: ‘[title of show]’

Aug 21 – 7:30pm

A Broadway musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical!
Presented by Willow Creek Theatre Company. COVID precautions in place.


More info >>





Lower City Park

The Comedy of Errors

Aug 21 – 7:30pm

โ€œHow many fond fools serve mad jealousy!โ€ Free Shakespeare returns with a Nashville-inspired farce of mistaken identities.


More info >>





CSPS Hall

Improv Incubator

Aug 21 – 8:00pm

Join Improv Incubator as they look back on the toughest of years in education through those who experienced it firsthand; administrators, teachers, parents and students.


More info >>





Thew Brewing Company

Beer Run – Thew Brewing

Aug 22 – 11:00am

Join Iowa Brewery Running Series for a fun run with great incentives!


More info >>





Online

What if Grant Wood Had Been a Girl?

Aug 22 – 2:00pm

Grant Wood historian Deba Leach discusses the remarkable coincidences in the lives, careers and sensibilities of Grant Wood and Doris Lee.


More info >>





Lower City Park

The Comedy of Errors

Aug 22 – 7:30pm

โ€œHow many fond fools serve mad jealousy!โ€ Free Shakespeare returns with a Nashville-inspired farce of mistaken identities.


More info >>

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & DINING





Is there anything this cast canโ€™t do? Riversideโ€™s โ€˜The Comedy of Errorsโ€™ full of unsuppressed energy
Angie Toomsen, director of Riverside Theatreโ€™s production of The Comedy of Errors, brilliantly brought together two things that theater historians might compare to orange juice and toothpaste: 1970s country and Shakespeare.




Getting to know Iowa (and Midwest music) at Grey Area festival
The last time I went to a music festival was two years and two months ago, AthFest in Athens, Georgia, the town I called home until a few weeks ago. And while Iโ€™ve seen live music here and there during the pandemic, I have really missed the festival atmosphere: the food trucks, the ambient music and all the moving pieces.




The once and future Olympic Theater
Once upon a time in Cedar Rapids, there was an Olympic Theatre. Located at 1124 3rd St, the records of the History Center show that it was built as a private home, but became the Olympic in 1912, remaining under that name until 1939. โ€œThe building showed silent flicks early on and then often showed Czech films during the 1930s,โ€ the History Center shared in an email.




Teeโ€™s Liberian Dish brings West African cuisine to Cedar Rapids
Teepeu Pewu had been thinking about opening a restaurant for a few yearsโ€”and made that dream a reality earlier this summer. Pewu is the owner of Teeโ€™s Liberian Dish at 1271 1st Ave SE, the space that used to house Brewed Awakenings coffee shop. It is the only Liberian restaurant in the area, according to Pewu.




โ€˜[title of show]โ€™ an optimistic debut redux for Willow Creek Theatre Company
Willow Creek Theatre Company kicked off its opening season in January 2020, and after just one production, Matt & Ben, they were forced to close their doors [insert groan]. But [title of show] marks a new beginning for WCTC, and this DIY space is aiming to grow community roots in their โ€œMoving Forwardโ€ season.