Hey there, Cedar Rapids! 🎉
It’s a fall-filled weekend in Eastern Iowa! 🎃 Saturday brings the Marion Monster Mash, Mount Vernon’s 20th Annual Chili Cookoff, pumpkin picking at Bloomsbury Farm, and family-friendly trunk-or-treats throughout the area. Nature lovers can watch bird banding at Indian Creek Nature Center, while families can enjoy Spooky Skate, Wickiup Fall Fest, and Free Family Day at the Czech & Slovak Museum. 🍂 On Sunday, visit a local farmers market, make a Halloween crochet creation, or try a native plant workshop. 👻 For spooky-season thrills, check out Circle of Ash, Hocus Pocus at the Paramount, or a live conversation with Scream star David Arquette. Music fans can catch live jazz and soul at CSPS Hall, and football fans can cheer on the Hawkeyes against Minnesota. 🏈 From fall festivals and creative classes to haunted attractions and community events, there’s something for everyone this weekend!
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, October 24, 2026
Your guide to what’s happening around Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa — in five minutes or less!
🌤️ FORECAST
Partly cloudy with a high of 71° and a low of 52°.
⭐ SATURDAY’S TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS
🎃 Marion Monster Mash
🌶️ 20th Annual Mount Vernon Chili Cookoff
🍂 Iowa Fall Festival at Bloomsbury Farm
🦉 Bird Banding at the Barn
🧟 Wickiup Fall Fest
🍬 Trunk-or-Treats Around Eastern Iowa
⛸️ Spooky Skate at ImOn Ice
🏈 Iowa vs. Minnesota Football Watch Party
👻 Spooky Legends of Linn County
🎶 Home by 9 Dance Party
🌿 HEALTH, WELLNESS & ANIMALS
🐕 Low-Cost Dog Vaccine and Microchip Clinic
🕘 9 a.m.–noon
📍 Iowa Humane Alliance
The last dog vaccine clinic of 2026! Bring your dog for low-cost vaccinations and microchipping. Dogs must be on non-retractable leashes, and cash is requested. Expect a busy clinic and please be patient with staff and volunteers.
🦉 Bird Banding at the Barn
🕣 8:30–11:30 a.m.
📍 Indian Creek Nature Center, Penningroth Barn, 6665 Otis Rd.
💲 Free; donations welcome
Drop in to watch an ornithologist net, band, and release birds. Learn about bird banding and see the birds up close. Families and children are welcome. Weather-dependent; no registration required.
🎃 FALL FESTIVALS, MARKETS & SHOPPING
🛍️ Harvest Market
🕣 8:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Marion Methodist Church
Support missions while shopping and enjoying homemade food. The coffee shop serves cinnamon and caramel pecan rolls from 8:30–10 a.m., followed by ham loaf, sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts from 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
🎃 Fall Festival at Bass Family Farms
🕙 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍 Bass Farms
Pick pumpkins, browse specialty foods, enjoy a weekend hayrack ride, or treat yourself to apple butter and Snap O’ Lantern ice cream. Shop pumpkins, gourds, mums, mini hay bales, and more. No admission is required to browse the store or pick out pumpkins; a separate admission price of $12 was listed.
🍂 Iowa Fall Festival
🕙 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
📍 Bloomsbury Farm, 3260 69th St., Atkins
Enjoy u-pick pumpkins and flowers, a giant corn maze, photo opportunities, fall treats, and attractions for all ages. The festival runs through October 31.
🎟️ Tickets: https://tickets.bloomsburyfarm.com/iowa-fall-festival-2026
🛍️ Crow Party — Trinket Trading
🕙 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍 The Glittering Pear
Bring friends, trade trinkets, and build community at this gathering for treasure hunters and collectors.
🚗 October Motors and Coffee
🕚 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Craft’d
Meet at the coffee shop to talk cars, motors, or whatever comes up. If the weather cooperates, bring your work-in-progress or showpiece vehicle.
🌶️ 20th Annual Chili Cookoff — Uptown Mount Vernon
🕒 3–5:45 p.m.
📍 Historic 1st Street, Mount Vernon
Celebrate two decades of chili, friendly competition, and fall fun. Public tasting runs from 3–5:30 p.m., with awards announced at 5:45 p.m. Local businesses will also offer special promotions and activities. Arrive early to shop and explore Uptown Mount Vernon.
👨👩👧 FAMILY, KIDS & HALLOWEEN FUN
🎃 Wickiup Fall Fest
🕙 10 a.m.–noon
📍 Wickiup Hill Learning Center
💲 $3 per child
Kids ages 3–10 can wear costumes and collect treats along a gentle woodland trail, try pumpkin bowling and a straw scramble, and meet friendly critters. Younger and older siblings are welcome, too.
👻 Marion Monster Mash
🕙 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
📍 Uptown Marion
💲 Free
Dress up for a family-friendly Halloween celebration featuring trunk-or-treating, games, and activities. Hosted by Farmers State Bank, the City of Marion, and Uptown Marion.
🎟️ Details: www.cityofmarion.org/fallintomarion
🍬 Saving Us Presents 2nd Annual Trunk-or-Treat
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 Washington High School
💲 Free
Bring the kids for costumes, candy, games, music, and community fun at this family-friendly Halloween event.
🎃 Treats Without Tricks — Sensory-Friendly Trunk-or-Treat
🕒 3–5 p.m.
📍 Balance Autism, 700 Bell Drive SW, Cedar Rapids
💲 Free
Enjoy a welcoming, sensory-friendly Halloween celebration with decorated trunks, treats, activities, photo booths, and a trunk-decorating competition. Families are encouraged to RSVP using the event flyer’s QR code.
🍬 Trunk-or-Treat at Infuse Church CR
🕓 4–6 p.m.
📍 Infuse Church CR
💲 Free
Trick-or-treat from decorated cars, play Halloween games, win prizes, and explore the Haunted Forest if you dare. Families are welcome, and community members can sign up to decorate a trunk.
🏥 Haunted Hospital
🕞 Sensory-friendly time: 3:30–4 p.m.
🕓 General admission: 4–7 p.m.
📍 Katz Family Healthcare Simulation Center, second floor of Linn Hall, Kirkwood
💲 $6 per person
The Respiratory Therapy Club brings back its Haunted Hospital. Enjoy a spooky experience, with free popcorn and candy.
🎃 4th Annual Legion Trunk-or-Treat
🕔 5–7 p.m.
📍 American Legion Post 298, Marion
Bring the little ghosts, goblins, and superheroes for decorated vehicles, candy, costumes, and community Halloween fun.
🎃 Halloween Parade 2026
🕡 6:30–7:45 p.m.
📍 NewBo Neighborhood
Celebrate Halloween with a neighborhood parade. Wear your costume and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
📚 LIBRARIES, HISTORY & CULTURE
🪵 Cedar Valley Woodcarvers
🕤 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
📍 Marion Public Library
Woodcarvers welcome patrons of all ages to stop by, ask questions, and see what members are working on.
🗳️ Short-Term Satellite Voting at the Busse Branch
🕙 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
📍 Busse Branch Library, Children’s Program Room
Cast your in-person absentee ballot ahead of the upcoming election. You must vote your ballot at the satellite location and cannot take it home. Voter ID is required; an accessible ballot-marking device is available for voters who need assistance.
📚 “The Hunger Games” Movie Showing
🕐 1–3:30 p.m.
📍 Cedar Rapids Public Library, Whipple Auditorium
🎬 Rated PG-13
Watch the original The Hunger Games as part of the library’s fall movie series leading up to the release of Sunrise on the Reaping. Additional series events include Catching Fire on October 31, Mockingjay, Part 1 on November 10, Mockingjay, Part 2 on November 12, and Hunger Games-themed activities on November 14.
🗂️ Preserving Your Family Treasures
🕐 1–3:30 p.m.
📍 Cedar Rapids Area Genealogy Library
Learn foundational preservation practices for books, documents, and family heirlooms. The presentation will cover materials and techniques for caring for treasured items and how to find professional conservation or restoration services.
🚶 New Bohemia Walking Tour
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 Meet at 917 2nd St. SE, Cedar Rapids
💲 $10 for NCSML members; $15 general admission
Join Cedar Rapids historian Mark Stoffer Hunter to explore historic New Bohemia, its architectural landmarks, and the stories behind this fascinating neighborhood. Plan for a 1.5–2-hour walk and wear comfortable shoes.
🌍 Free Family Day
🕚 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
📍 National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
Create chalk art outside, explore museum exhibits, watch a Little Mole (Krtek) movie, and enjoy hands-on activities. The Museum Store will offer special discounts on Czech and Slovak gifts, books, toys, and more.
🎟️ Details: https://ncsml.org/event/free-family-day-2026/
🎨 ARTS, CRAFTS & CREATIVE EXPERIENCES
🏺 Ceramics Across History
🕘 9–10 a.m.
📍 Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio
💲 $45; preregistration required
Explore the history of ceramics from ancient times to modern art. Learn how cultures, techniques, materials, and influential artists have shaped the craft through discussion and a lecture-style class.
🧵 The Art of Astrid Hilger Bennett: Making Her Mark
🕙 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
📍 Grant Wood Studio
Explore a fiber-art exhibition celebrating Iowa City artist Astrid Hilger Bennett, whose work uses hand-painted and monoprinted fabrics inspired by the natural world. On view September 12, 2026–January 3, 2027.
🪡 Threading the Needle: Fiber Art in Iowa
🕙 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
📍 Grant Wood Studio
Discover Iowa fiber and textile artists through this juried exhibition highlighting the medium’s history, craftsmanship, experimentation, and contemporary themes. On view October 3, 2026–January 17, 2027.
🎨 Free Family Day at NCSML
🕚 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
📍 National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library
💲 Free
Enjoy hands-on creative activities, chalk art, museum exhibits, and a Little Mole movie as part of Linn County’s Free for All: Arts & Culture Week.
🥣 Glass Branch Bowl Workshop
🕥 10:30 a.m.–noon
📍 Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio
💲 $60; preregistration required
Create a six-inch fused-glass bowl featuring an organic branch design. Choose your glass colors and learn the fundamentals of cutting, arranging, and kiln-forming glass. No experience is needed. Finished bowls will be ready for pickup in about three weeks.
💍 Art at Brucemore: Wire Wrap Jewelry
🕐 1 p.m.
📍 Brucemore Carriage House, 2160 Linden Dr. SE
💲 $50 per participant
Learn decorative wire-wrapping techniques to create a necklace and earrings. Beginner-friendly and recommended for ages 12 and up; children must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration is required.
🎨 Artist Forum
🕑 2–5 p.m.
📍 DKW Art Gallery and Studios
Artists of all ages, media, and skill levels are invited to connect, share work, exchange ideas, ask questions, or simply enjoy creative company. No membership, dues, or formal program required.
⛸️ SPORTS & GAME DAY
⛸️ Spooky Skate at ImOn Ice
🕜 1:30–4:30 p.m.
📍 ImOn Ice Arena
💲 $15 per person, including skate admission and rental
Enjoy skating, spooky treats, crafts, and Halloween activities. Costumes are welcome. Rental skate sizes are limited and available first-come, first-served.
🏈 Iowa vs. Minnesota Football Watch Party
🕝 2:30 p.m.
📍 Big Grove Brewery, Cedar Rapids
Cheer on the Hawkeyes with the game playing throughout the taproom and on the large Kingston Yard stage, with sound on. Game-day food specials, beer buckets, and game-day bingo will be available.
👻 SPOOKY EXPERIENCES & ENTERTAINMENT
🔥 Spooky Legends of Linn County
🕕 6–9 a.m. the following morning
📍 The History Center
💲 $6 general admission
Hear authentic Linn County ghost stories from storyteller Darrin Crow, with campfires, s’mores, hot cocoa, Almost Famous Popcorn, and a cash bar. Pumpkin painting begins at 6 p.m.; the storytelling program begins at 7 p.m. Bring a lawn chair for this outdoor event.
📚 Author Event: Hazel Beck
🕖 7–8 p.m. | Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
📍 Granger House Victorian Museum, Marion
Meet author Hazel Beck for a discussion of Some Kind of Haunted, a cozy autumnal horror romance set in the fictional town of Midas, Iowa. Tickets include a copy of the book and light refreshments.
🎟️ Tickets: https://swampfoxbookstore.com/hazelbeck
🎃 Circle of Ash — 25 Years of Scares
🕖 7–11 p.m.
📍 Linn County Fairgrounds, 201 Central City Rd., Central City
💲 $31.58 online / $35 at the gate
Take on three haunted attractions in one night: Frightmare Forest, The Manor, and Socko’s Fun House. Running Friday and Saturday nights through October 31.
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/CircleOfAsh
🧙 Hocus Pocus
🕢 7:30–10 p.m.
📍 Paramount Theatre
💲 $31–$65
Enjoy the beloved 1993 Halloween comedy about three mischievous witches outwitted by a group of kids and an enchanted cat.
🎭 Dial M for Murder
🕢 7:30–10 p.m.
📍 Giving Tree Theater
A fresh take on the celebrated murder mystery that inspired Hitchcock’s classic. A husband’s jealousy and suspicions about his wife spiral into a dangerous web of deception.
🎸 Vandello
🕗 8–10 p.m.
📍 CSPS Hall
Enjoy a modern-vintage mix of jazz, pop, and soul with influences from Amy Winehouse and Postmodern Jukebox. Expect inventive covers and saucy originals with plenty of retro flair.
🎳 Spare Time After Dark
🕙 10 p.m.–midnight
📍 Spare Time Cedar Rapids
💲 $15.99 per person
Keep the night going with two hours of unlimited bowling, shoe rental, music, and a light show. Offered Friday and Saturday nights.
☀️ CEDAR RAPIDS DAILY
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Your guide to what’s happening around Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa — in five minutes or less!
🌤️ FORECAST
A slight chance of showers with a high of 67° and a low of 50°.
⭐ SUNDAY’S TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS
🦉 Bird Banding at the Barn
🍂 Iowa Fall Festival at Bloomsbury Farm
🎃 Fall Festival at Bass Family Farms
🧺 Hiawatha Farmers Market
🎱 Sunday Bingo at NewBo City Market
🧶 Halloween Crochet Class
🌱 Native Plant Seed Processing Workshop
🌿 Terrarium Bar at Moss
🎸 Linn County Uke Jam
👻 Circle of Ash: Light Fright
🌿 NATURE, WELLNESS & OUTDOORS
🧘 Sunday Morning Hatha Yoga
🕘 9–10 a.m.
📍 Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center
Start Sunday with gentle, grounding yoga led by Sarah Cram Driscoll of Breathing Room Yoga Studio. This all-levels class focuses on breath, mobility, and mindful movement. Registration is preferred but not required.
🦉 Bird Banding at the Barn
🕣 8:30–11:30 a.m.
📍 Indian Creek Nature Center, Penningroth Barn, 6665 Otis Rd.
💲 Free; donations welcome
Watch an ornithologist net, band, and release birds while learning about the process and seeing the birds up close. Families and children are welcome. Weather-dependent; no registration required.
🌱 Native Plant Seed Processing Workshop
🕐 1 p.m.
📍 Moss: Plants, Gifts, Decor
💲 $5
Learn to extract seeds from dried native plants, including coneflowers, rattlesnake master, and penstemon. Find out how to grow the seeds you process, and take some home. Each participant receives a door prize.
🎟️ Registration: https://www.mossplantshop.com/workshops
🌿 Terrarium Bar
🕑 2–3 p.m.
📍 Moss: Plants, Gifts, Decor
💲 $55 for a Moss terrarium vessel option; $30 registration fee for bring-your-own-vessel option
Build a closed tropical terrarium with guidance on plant selection and care. The Moss vessel option includes the container, three plants, moss, soil, substrates, and decorative rock. Bring your own lidded vessel for the $30 option; additional material costs may apply.
🎟️ Registration: https://www.mossplantshop.com/workshops
🎃 FALL FESTIVALS & LOCAL MARKETS
🍂 Iowa Fall Festival
🕙 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
📍 Bloomsbury Farm, 3260 69th St., Atkins
Enjoy u-pick pumpkins and flowers, a giant corn maze, photo opportunities, fall treats, and attractions for all ages. The festival runs through October 31.
🎟️ Tickets: https://tickets.bloomsburyfarm.com/iowa-fall-festival-2026
🎃 Fall Festival at Bass Family Farms
🕙 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📍 Bass Farms
Pick pumpkins, browse specialty foods, take a weekend hayrack ride, or try apple butter and Snap O’ Lantern ice cream. Shop pumpkins, gourds, mums, mini hay bales, and more. No admission is required to browse the store or pick out pumpkins; a separate admission price of $12 was listed.
🧺 2026 Hiawatha Farmers Market
🕙 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
📍 Guthridge Park, Hiawatha
Shop farm-fresh produce, homemade baked goods, handcrafted items, and ready-to-eat favorites. The market runs Sundays from May through October and is a great way to support local vendors.
📚 COMMUNITY, LIBRARY & LEARNING
🗳️ Short-Term Satellite Voting at the Busse Branch
🕜 1:30–4:30 p.m.
📍 Busse Branch Library, Children’s Program Room
Cast your in-person absentee ballot ahead of the upcoming election. You must vote your ballot at the satellite location and cannot take it home. Voter ID is required; an accessible ballot-marking device is available for voters who need assistance.
🎱 Sunday Bingo at NewBo City Market
🕛 Noon–1:30 p.m.
📍 NewBo City Market
💲 Free
Play bingo, enjoy the community atmosphere, and compete for prizes. Cards are provided, and no outside food or beverages are allowed. Sponsored by Collins Aerospace.
📖 Wha’cha Reading Book Club — Sunday Edition
🕐 1–2 p.m.
📍 Craft’d, 333 1st St. SE, downtown Cedar Rapids
Gather with fellow readers for the Sunday edition of this book club. Arrive early to grab food and a drink, and select an advanced reader copy to take home after the discussion.
🎨 ARTS, CRAFTS & CREATIVE EXPERIENCES
🧶 Halloween Crochet Class
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 NewBo City Market
💲 $35
Create your own friendly—or delightfully fearsome—yarn monster! This family-friendly class welcomes beginners and experienced crocheters, with hooks, colorful yarn, googly eyes, and stuffing provided.
🎸 Ukulele Club / Linn County Uke Jam
🕑 2–4 p.m.
📍 Marion Public Library
Players of all skill levels are welcome. Beginners can join a clinic from 2–2:30 p.m., followed by a group jam until 4 p.m. Chords, lyrics, and extra ukuleles are provided. The club is geared toward ages 9 and up.
🌸 SOCIAL CONNECTION & PERSONAL GROWTH
💛 Building Your Next Chapter: A Grief & Joy Barn Conversation for Midlife Women
🕐 1–4 p.m.
📍 Grief & Joy Barn
💲 $59 | Limited to 10 participants
Spend an afternoon connecting with women navigating change and thinking about what comes next. The gathering includes conversation, midlife bingo, a guided “Surviving to Thriving” reflection, drinks, and light snacks. Designed for women balancing transitions, new possibilities, and the many emotions that come with midlife.
👻 HALLOWEEN & HAUNTED EXPERIENCES
🎃 Circle of Ash: Light Fright — A No-Scare Halloween
🕠 5:30–7 p.m.
📍 Linn County Fairgrounds, 201 Central City Rd., Central City
💲 $25 per family of up to four
Bring little ones for a family-friendly Halloween experience without the scares. Enjoy free candy, friendly characters, and gentle versions of Socko’s Fun House and Frightmare Forest.
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/CircleOfAsh
🎬 Behind the Scream: David Arquette Live
🕖 7–9:30 p.m.
📍 Paramount Theatre
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Scream with a special screening followed by a live conversation and Q&A with David Arquette, who played Dewey Riley in the franchise. Limited VIP tickets include premium seats and an exclusive post-show photo opportunity.
🎭 The Exorcist
🕢 7:30–10 p.m.
📍 Theatre Cedar Rapids
Experience the stage adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s bestselling novel, adapted by John Pielmeier. This chilling theatrical production explores faith, fear, and the battle between good and evil. Running October 9–November 1.
⚠️ Content advisory: Graphic language, loud noises, simulated medical procedures, violence, and depictions of demonic possession.
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
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