THE WEEKENDER
Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium
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It’s a slow crawl to summer, but the heat’s ahead of the game! Head down to Wilson’s Orchard tonight for their Farm Sessions Open Mic, then swing by again during the weekend to pick your own strawberries. Celebrate Juneteenth at the Englert with Charlie and the Wolf — no, not Peter and the Wolf. This entirely new opera imagines a meeting between Charlie Parker and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for a genre-blending world premiere that’s free to attend! And get another dose of Pride as Iowa City celebrates on Saturday.
Top pick: Take your dad or dad-adjacent life figure out for Father’s Day to the Amana Wurst Fest, with live music, stein holding, family friendly events and most importantly the Best of the Wurst competition, A.K.A. your opportunity to sample the best the weinermongers have to offer. Don’t miss the Dachshund Derby, where you’ll find out who the fastest weiner in the Seven Villages is and support Safe Haven of Iowa County, a no-kill animal shelter.
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The Weekender is sponsored by:
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Wilson’s Orchard & Farm
Thursday Night Farm Sessions
Jun 15 – 6:30pm
Open Mic Hosted by J. Knight
More info >>
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Mirrorbox Theatre
The Way We Say Goodbye
Jun 15 – 7:30pm
The Way We Say Goodbye is a collage of the many ways we bid farewell to people, places, and things.
More info >>
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Public Space One
Brazilian Social Dance: The Samba
Jun 15 – 7:30pm
Looking for an active way to be physically, intellectually, and emotionally involved with classmates? Want to learn about a Social Dance from Brazil?
More info >>
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Wilson’s Orchard & Farm
You-Pick Strawberry Season
Jun 16 – 9:00am
You-Pick Strawberry Season is here!
More info >>
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The Sawmill Museum
Norwegian Style Wood Carving Class
Jun 16 – 4:00pm
Join Rebecca Hanna, a Norwegian style wood carver, and make your very own carved piece of decorative wood! These classes will cover the basics of how to carve in the Norwegian kroting style
More info >>
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Amana Colonies
Amana Colonies Wurst Festival
Jun 16 – 5:00pm
Kick off Father’s Day weekend at the Market Barn on Friday at 5pm. Our Wurst Kick Off Party Ever is returning with music by The Swampland Jewels! Plus Brats and Beer of course.
More info >>
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The Lucky Cat Comedy & Events
Drag Bingo
Jun 16 – 6:00pm
Join Queen Lexi Belle and Paris Jackson for an outrageous night of drag and bingo!
More info >>
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Gabe’s
Worst Impressions, Fishbait, Two Canes, Bone Bruis
Jun 16 – 8:00pm
Worst Impressions, Fishbait, Two Canes and Bone Bruise
More info >>
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CSPS Hall
Lilli Lewis
Jun 16 – 8:00pm
Folk Rock Diva and a voice for the voiceless.
More info >>
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Cedar Rapids Public Library-Downtown
Friends Of the Cedar Rapids Public Library Farmers Market Sale
Jun 17 – 7:30am
Visit the Urban Plaza outside the Downtown Library to purchase new or gently used books in support of literacy programs during the Downtown Farmers Market.
More info >>
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National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
Brilliant Bohemian Garnets
Jun 17 – Jan 14 – 9:30am
Brilliant Bohemian Garnets is a one-of-a-kind exhibition of nearly 200 priceless antique and modern garnets from the National Museum in Prague.
More info >>
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PS1—Close House
Children’s Storytime
Jun 17 – 10:00am
Join us for a morning of movement, songs, and books for a Storytime experience you’ve never had before!
More info >>
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The Weekender is sponsored by:
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Downtown Iowa City
Iowa City Pride Festival
Jun 17 – 12:00pm
We realized we are Stronger Together, so let’s have a party about it! Join us for a Parade, Entertainment and a Vendor Fair!
More info >>
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Cedar Rapids Public Library-Downtown
Martika: The One Woman Stunt Show
Jun 17 – 1:00pm
Martika will dazzle crowds in the morning with her Circus Variety Show and outdoors with her Fire Arts Show in the afternoon. Join us for one or both!
More info >>
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CSPS
Bonner Black
Jun 17 – 8:00pm
Classically trained ballerina turned singer-songwriter
More info >>
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The Englert Theatre
Charlie and the Wolf – Juneteenth Celebration
Jun 18 – 1:00pm
Everyone is playing with the same notes… we just interpret them differently!
More info >>
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Wilson’s Orchard & Farm
Sunday Funday with the FunkDaddies
Jun 18 – 3:00pm
Free Outdoor Live Music
More info >>
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Riverside Festival Stage
Free Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night
Jun 18 – 7:30pm
Riverside Theatre returns to Lower City Park for our free show, Twelfth Night! Shakespeare’s iconic and hilarious play, set in a resort paradise, will make this a summer you’ll never forget.
More info >>
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Hancher to debut Infinite Dream Festival this fall — two weeks of music, conversation and a spaced-out art installation
by Sid Peterson, Jun 14
Infinite Dream Festival, a new two-week, multidisciplinary festival will debut in Iowa City this October, organizers announced Wednesday. The festival is a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement.
Infinite Dream will include orchestral, jazz and alternative music; a conversation with Iowa Writers’ Workshop alums John Irving and director Lan Samantha Chang; and N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars), a performance installation work by theater, video and arts technologist Andrew Schneider that will inhabit Hancher’s Strauss Hall.
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Cedar Rapids Opera celebrates Juneteenth with new, kid-friendly show mixing Mozart and Charlie Parker
by Isaac Hamlet, Jun 14
Since its early days, the Cedar Rapids Opera has sought to add original works to their repertoire.
“I started the company 25 years ago,” said Dr. Daniel Kleinknecht, the opera’s founder, who still serves as artistic director. “It was an idea I had, kind of because in the ’80s, ’90s, so many of my friends had died of AIDS and a couple of my friends who were tenors passed away and I was fumbling about [for] a way to make life meaningful ….
“In our third year [as an opera] we produced a piece called Too Many Sopranos … a two-act comic opera that has really gotten a lot of performances.” |
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