Events for Friday, August 8th, and August 9th, 2026.

Hey there, Cedar Rapids! 🎉

Welcome to Cedar Rapids Daily, your quick guide to everything happening across Eastern Iowa! This weekend edition for Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9, is packed with summer fun for all ages. We're highlighting the St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival, Movies on the Riverbank, K9Splash, Uptown Marion Market, farmers markets, live music, Dear Evan Hansen, family activities, wellness events, car shows, and so much more. Whether you're looking for free family fun, outdoor adventures, local festivals, or a great night out, Cedar Rapids Daily helps you discover the best events happening across Eastern Iowa—in five minutes or less.

A big shoutout to our sponsors, Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust for helping make Cedar Rapids Daily possible and supporting all the amazing things happening in our community.

☀️ Cedar Rapids Daily | Saturday, August 8

🌤️ Forecast

Mostly sunny with a high of 84° and a low of 69°. It’s shaping up to be a beautiful summer Saturday—perfect for festivals, farmers markets, family fun, live music, and outdoor adventures across Eastern Iowa.

🌟 Today's Highlights

🌽 St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival
🎬 CRBT Movies on the Riverbank: Elio
🎨 End of Summer Party at Greene Square
🐶 K9Splash at Bever Park Pool
🛍️ Uptown Marion Market
🎭 Dear Evan Hansen at Theatre Cedar Rapids
🎶 Music in the Yard: The Taxmen
🍅 Marion Farmers Market

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Fun

🌽 St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival

📍 St. Jude Catholic Church
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
💲 $5 | Kids 10 & under & adults 60+ FREE
One of Cedar Rapids' favorite traditions returns with fresh sweet corn, carnival rides, bingo, live entertainment, great food, and family fun all day.

🎨 End of Summer Party & Back-to-School Social

📍 Greene Square / Cedar Rapids Public Library
🕙 10:00 a.m. – Noon
💲 FREE
Celebrate the end of summer with climbing walls, spin art, dance parties, crafts, story time, scavenger hunts, and school bus exploration.

🐶 K9Splash

📍 Bever Park Pool
🕘 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
💲 $15 per dog
The dogs take over Bever Pool for a full day of swimming, splashing, and tail-wagging fun.

🎒 Back-to-School Bash

📍 Lindale Mall
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
💲 FREE
Free school supplies for the first 150 children plus games, face painting, and family activities.

🚗 Orange Track Racing

📍 Grace Street Church
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
💲 Registration begins at 25¢ per car
Race Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars in this family-friendly monthly competition.

🎨 Messy Play

📍 Indian Creek Nature Center
🕘 9:00–11:00 a.m.
💲 $15 per child
Paint, water play, shaving cream, and sensory activities designed for toddlers through age 8.

🛍️ Markets & Shopping

🛍️ Uptown Marion Market

🕗 8:00 a.m. – Noon
💲 FREE
Browse artisan vendors, local food, entertainment, and family activities throughout Uptown Marion.

🥕 Marion Farmers Market

📍 Willowood Park
🕗 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.
💲 FREE
Fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, meats, crafts, and more from local vendors.

🛒 Mt. Vernon Sidewalk Sales

🕘 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Enjoy huge discounts from participating businesses throughout Mount Vernon and Lisbon.

💪 Health & Wellness

🌅 Sunrise Yoga

📍 Lowe Park
🕢 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
💲 FREE

💪 TAP IN Bootcamp

📍 Big Grove Brewery
🕣 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
💲 FREE

🏃 Group Fitness with The MAC & iGym

📍 Kingston Yard
🕙 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
💲 FREE

🌿 Family Nature Therapy

📍 Prairiewoods
🕘 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
💲 Free (donations encouraged)

🎵 Sound Healing

📍 Unity Center of Cedar Rapids
🕐 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
💲 Love Offering

🎨 Arts & Culture

🖼️ Free Summer Admission

📍 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
💲 FREE

🎨 Kovačica Naïve Art Workshops

📍 National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
🕚 11:00 a.m. & 🕑 2:00 p.m.
Create colorful folk-inspired artwork with visiting artists.

✍️ Author Signing: Reenie Eire

📍 Swamp Fox Bookstore
🕥 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

🎭 Defying Gravity

📍 First Street Community Center – Uptown Theatre
🕢 7:30 p.m.

🎭 Dear Evan Hansen

📍 Theatre Cedar Rapids
Winner of six Tony Awards, this powerful musical continues its run through August 16.

🌙 Evening Entertainment

🎬 CRBT Movies on the Riverbank – Elio

📍 McGrath Amphitheatre
🕖 Gates open at 7:00 p.m. | Movie at dusk
💲 FREE
Enjoy family activities, food vendors, inflatables, and Disney/Pixar's Elio under the stars.

🎶 Music in the Yard – The Taxmen

📍 The Yard
🕖 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
💲 FREE
Milwaukee's Beatles tribute band performs a night of classic hits.

🎤 Melissa Tormene

📍 Brucemore
🕢 7:30 p.m.

🔭 Cedar Amateur Astronomers Public Night

📍 Eastern Iowa Observatory
🕗 8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Learn about gravitational lensing and enjoy an evening under the stars.

🎭 Dinner Detective

📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids
🕕 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Solve a hilarious interactive murder mystery while enjoying dinner.

🎶 Dogs on Skis

📍 House Divided Brewery
🕓 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

🎸 Hostage

📍 Moose Lodge
🕓 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

🎨 Arts After Hours

📍 Eastern Iowa Arts Academy
🕕 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
💲 $10

🦁 Leo Night: A Royal Celebration

📍 The Ideal Theater & Bar
🕗 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Celebrate Leo season with themed drinks, music, and prizes.

☀️ Cedar Rapids Daily | Sunday, August 9

🌤️ Forecast

A slight chance of storms with a high of 87° and a low of 70°. Expect a warm summer Sunday with plenty of opportunities to enjoy local markets, live music, family activities, theater, and community events before the new week begins.

🌟 Today's Highlights

🌽 St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival
🚗 El Kahir Shrine Car Show
🐾 Pups, Pints & Patio Jams
🎭 Dear Evan Hansen
🎬 Mini Pines "Golf Cart" Movie Night
🛍️ Hiawatha Farmers Market
🎨 Free Summer Admission at CRMA
🎉 Sunday Bingo at NewBo City Market

👨‍👩‍👧 Family Fun

🌽 St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival

📍 St. Jude Catholic Church
🕛 Noon – 6:00 p.m.
💲 $5 | Kids 10 & under & adults 60+ FREE
Wrap up the weekend with fresh sweet corn, carnival rides, live entertainment, bingo, delicious food, and family fun.

🚗 El Kahir Shrine Car Show

📍 El Kahir Shrine
🕗 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Classic cars, custom vehicles, and a fun day for auto enthusiasts of all ages.

🎉 Sunday Bingo at NewBo City Market

🕛 Noon – 1:30 p.m.
💲 FREE
Enjoy free bingo, prizes every round, and lunch while you're at the Market.

🌿 Family Nature Experience

📍 Indian Creek Nature Center
🕐 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
💲 $5 per person
Pond dipping, nature hikes, fossil digs, and hands-on outdoor fun for the whole family.

🍦 Sundae Sundays

📍 Big Grove Brewery
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Kids 12 and under receive a FREE scoop of ice cream every Sunday.

🛍️ Markets & Community

🥕 Hiawatha Farmers Market

📍 Guthridge Park
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
💲 FREE
Shop fresh produce, baked goods, handmade crafts, flowers, and locally prepared foods.

📸 Linn Area Photo Club

📍 IBEW Local 405
🕜 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Photographers of every experience level are welcome to connect and learn.

🎨 Arts & Culture

🖼️ Free Summer Admission

📍 Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
💲 FREE
Explore the museum's galleries at no cost through the end of August.

🎷 Beauty Through Sound

📍 United Methodist Church
🕒 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.
💲 Free (donations appreciated)
Enjoy an afternoon recital featuring internationally acclaimed saxophonist Kenneth Tse.

🧶 Let's Get Hooked: Crocheting for Adults

📍 NewBo City Market
🕐 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Learn crochet basics and leave with your own starter kit.

🧵 Crochet Level 2

📍 NewBo City Market
🕝 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Take your crochet skills to the next level while creating a colorful granny square.

🏛️ Underground Railroad Trial of 1850

📍 Granger House Victorian Museum
🕐 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Become part of a live historical courtroom reenactment centered on Iowa's Underground Railroad history.

💪 Health & Wellness

☯️ Qigong with Gina Molby

📍 Illuminations Cedar Rapids
🕣 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
💲 $20
A gentle, meditative movement practice designed to reduce stress and improve energy.

🎭 Live Entertainment

🎭 Dear Evan Hansen

📍 Theatre Cedar Rapids
One of Broadway's most acclaimed musicals continues its award-winning run through August 16.

🎭 Defying Gravity

📍 First Street Community Center – Uptown Theatre
🕑 2:00 p.m.
A moving drama inspired by the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.

🐾 Pups, Pints & Patio Jams

📍 Big Grove Brewery
🕓 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Enjoy live acoustic music, patio drinks, raffle prizes, and help raise money for Dogs Forever rescue.

🎬 Mini Pines "Golf Cart" Movie Night

📍 Mini Pines Miniature Golf
🕡 Mini golf begins 6:30 p.m. | Movie at 8:15 p.m.
💲 $15
Play a round of mini golf before watching Field of Dreams under the stars.

🧀 Summer Italian Fondue Night

📍 Cedar Ridge Winery, Swisher
🕔 5:00 p.m.
Enjoy an authentic Italian fondue experience paired with locally crafted wine.

Special Thanks

A big shoutout to our sponsor: Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust.

With five convenient locations across the greater Cedar Rapids area and yes, the best cookies on the planet, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust is a place where relationships and service truly matter. From personal to business banking, CRBT is here to support you every step of the way. Come meet the People you can bank on at crbt.bank. Member FDIC

Thank you for being part of the Cedar Rapids Daily community. We can’t wait to see you at these events! Until next time, stay curious and keep exploring.

Warm regards,

The Cedar Rapids Daily Team

Upload Media Group and its partners are not responsible for any issues, errors, or misunderstandings that may arise from the use of AI - assisted content.