Fall has *almost* arrived and with it comes fun, autumn-themed, family-friendly events and activities! Start planning with this Guide to Fall Family Events in the Iowa City Area! Get your calendars ready, and choose a few activities to enjoy. Many thanks to our friends with The Bails Team Urban Acres Real Estate for making this guide possible.
Guide to Fall Family Events in the Iowa City Area
September
{Recurrent Events}
What: Friday Family Fun Nights
When: Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Where: Wilson’s Orchard
Know Before You Go: Starting September 1, every Friday night Wilson’s will host family activities all night! Free Tractor Rides, Free Yard Games, Crafts for Kids, Pizza + Cider Specials, Seasonal You-pick Offerings.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Picnic tables are available on a first come, first served basis – seating is not guaranteed, but camp chairs are welcome! Well-behaved pets are welcome! Pets must be leashed at all times, and owners are required to clean up after their animals.
**Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the Farm Market and our Pizza Shack.
What: Sunday Funday
When: Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Where: Wilson’s Orchard
Know Before You Go: Starting September 3, every Sunday afternoon (3-6PM) Wilson’s will host LIVE music in the picnic area!
This event is FREE and open to the public. Picnic tables are available on a first come, first served basis – seating is not guaranteed, but camp chairs are welcome! Well-behaved pets are welcome! Pets must be leashed at all times, and owners are required to clean up after their animals.
**Outside food and beverages are not allowed. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the Farm Market and our Pizza Shack.
Weekend of September 9-10
What: Opening Fall Festival
When: Sept. 9-10, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Bass Farms
Know Before You Go: It’s opening Fall Festival Weekend at Bass Family Farms! Bring your family to pick out your pumpkins, shop the country store, and have some family fun. Activities include hay rack rides, giant jumping pad, grain cart basketball (NEW), soccer ball billiards (NEW), sling shots, spider webs, 18 hole mini-golf, tire playground, pedal carts, GIANT tic tac toe, GIANT checker board tables, teeter totters, LIFE size connect four, GIANT Jenga, photo ops, candy corn bag toss, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin slide, corn hole and much much more!
When: Sept.9, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hancher Auditorium
Know before you go: Herbie Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings. In the 1970s—with record-breaking albums like Head Hunters—he combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. Future Shock, which included the landmark hit “Rockit,” marked Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds. During the same period he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P. Hancock has collected 14 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award across his astonishing career.Hancock, who hails from Chicago and who attended Grinnell (Iowa) College, will perform music highlighting the acoustic and the electronic paths he has charted over the years.
Weekend of September 16-17
What: Apfelfest
When: Sept.16-17, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Amana Colonies
Know before you go: Apfelfest is a festival dedicated to America’s favorite fruit! It’s a beautiful time to visit the Colonies and you’ll find apple treats, apple gifts, and apple desserts at many of the businesses. Of course, Allen’s Orchard of Marion, IA will be on site a the Visitors Center to sell you fresh apples to take home.
Take the Apfelfest Sampling Stroll and visit a variety of businesses that will all have something apple for you to sample, then when you’ve finished turn in your brochure and be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. You can visit all the businesses for an extra chance to win! Find the Sampling Stroll passport and all the great Apfelfest events in our event brochure, available at various businesses and the Amana Colonies Visitor Center.
What: Colony Pumpkin Patch Opening Day
When: Sept. 16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Colony Acres, North Liberty
Know Before You Go: We are excited to share a whole new experience at Colony with the addition of our new retail barn and food areas! You can enjoy goodies including homemade donuts and sweets, personal pizzas, and even a beer from the beverage shed while you enjoy hours of fun on the farm! Bring the whole family to enjoy the activities and U-pick pumpkin patch as there is something for every age to enjoy, even some admission free sitting areas.
Harvested pumpkins, mums, corn stalks, and hay bales will be available to purchase out front so grab them before you leave or stop in on your way home!
Weekend of: Sept. 22-24
What: Iowa City Farmers Market Kids Day
When: Sept. 23, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Where: Iowa City Farmers Market, Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp
Know Before You Go: The Kids Day at the Market is where kids get to be a vendor for a day. Kid vendors will set up outside of the ramp and offer items that they have made, grown, or produced themselves for sale. **This year’s vendor spots are full, but please come out and support them as shoppers!!
What: Ayodele Casel at Hancher
When: Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 23, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Hancher Auditorium
Know Before You Go: “Who can make the stage come to life like Casel?” asks The New York Times—and you would be hard pressed to come up with an answer. With Rooted, the tap dancer and choreographer traces the roots of her artform, building on a rich history while forging the future as well. The performance, featuring live music and some of today’s best hoofers, will be presented with the audience seated on stage for an intimate, exhilarating experience.
What: Northside Oktoberfest
When: Sept. 23, all-day
Where: Northside Neighborhood, Iowa City
Know Before You Go: The Northside Oktoberfest, benefiting Iowa City area nonprofits, showcases the Bohemian nature of the Northside Marketplace with great craft beers, neighborhood food, beer games, and much more! Join us as we take over the streets of the Northside, just blocks north of downtown Iowa City. This year, Northside Oktoberfest celebrates 27 years and will include Iowa City BrewFest, your beloved sampling event, and the Outdoor Beer Hall. Iowa City BrewFest, sponsored by FLY CID, will be the traditional sampling event you love and ONLY ticket holders will be allowed to sample from multiple vendors and the Outdoor Bier Hall will be a general admission anyone is welcome to stop by and enjoy.
What: Farm Cycle
When: Sept. 24, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Iowa City Bike Library
Know Before You Go: Bike the farms! Benefiting the Iowa City Bike Library, join us for a day of bicycling local farms, food, and ferments. Each farm will be paired with a local chef serving seasonal food. Ingredients come from they farms we visit.
Weekend of: Sep.29- Oct. 1
What: Kalona Fall Festival
When: Sept. 29, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sept. 30, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Kalona
Know Before You Go: Come and enjoy great food, live entertainment, and so much more in beautiful Kalona! This two-day event will provide entertainment for all ages! The cost of admission will be $8 for adults, kids 5-12 $3, and those 4 years of age and under get in for FREE!
What: Move It! Dig It! Do it!
When: Oct. 1, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Coral Ridge Mall, located in the parking lot behind Target
Know Before You Go: This event is a must-attend for kids who love things that go! Participants will enjoy outdoor activities and tons of trucks and equipment to check out.
What: Oktoberfest
When: Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
Where: Amana Colonies
Know Before You Go: Enjoy beer, live music, games, German food, and so much more all through the Colonies during this festival weekend.
What: STEM Family Free Night
When: Sept. 30
Where: Iowa Children’s Museum
Know Before You Go: Join the museum on the last Friday of each month for free museum admission and a STEM activity!
Weekend of: Oct 6-7
What: Sidewalk Sales in West Branch
When: Oct. 6-7, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: West Branch
Know Before You Go: Stroll around to eat, shop and explore with our small businesses. Find your new favorite fall decor, outfit or start your holiday shopping early! Pop-up shops, special offers and fall menu items will be featured both days throughout our historic Main Street district.
What: University of Iowa Homecoming Parade
When: Oct. 6, 5:45 p.m.
Where: downtown Iowa City
Know Before You Go: The Homecoming Parade is an annual tradition that brings Hawkeyes together from both near and far. Parade participants include students, staff, faculty, and members of the Iowa City and surrounding communities.
What: University of Iowa Homecoming Football Game
When: Oct. 7
Where: Kinnick Stadium
Know Before You Go: Iowa will take on Purdue in this homecoming tradition. Check out our Hawkeye Football with Kids Gameday Guide before you go!
Weekend of: Oct 13-15
What: Iowa City Book Fair (part of the Iowa City Book Festival)
When: Oct. 14, 10 a.m.
Where: MERGE Iowa City
Weekend of: Oct 20-23
What: Floating Pumpkin Patch
When: Oct. 22, 10 a.m.
Where: North Liberty Community Center
Know Before You Go: Jump into the indoor pool and swim to your favorite pumpkin. Enjoy raffles, a pumpkin decorating station and goody bags. Registration is required and opens on Oct 16. Open swim to follow.
Weekend of Oct. 27-29
What: 10th Annual Halloween Bash
When: Oct. 29, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Where: Scanlon Gymnasium at Mercer Park Aquatic Center
Know Before You Go: One of our favorite days of the year! Join us for games, crafts and activities, indoor trick-or-treating, and returning this year–the GIANT CANDY GRAB! Costumes are encouraged, but not required. And don’t forget your candy buckets, because you’ll go home with TONS of goodies!
**There are two time shifts for this event; this is to help minimize the crowds and lines at activities.
What: STEM Family Free Night
When: Oct. 28
Where: Iowa Children’s Museum
Know Before You Go: Join the museum on the last Friday of each month for free museum admission and a STEM activity!
When: Oct. 28-30
Where: Iowa Children’s Museum
Know Before You Go: Join the ICM for a weekend of not-too-scary Halloween activities that kids of all ages will enjoy! They will have spooky science experiments, creepy cardboard creations, and other special Halloween activities on Friday (11 a.m. & 3 p.m.) Saturday (11 a.m. & 4 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. & 4 p.m.).
Throughout the weekend, you can also make creepy crafts in the Art Studio, use peculiar toppings in Pizzeria Pie, complete a Halloween scavenger hunt, and have fun with other rotating Halloween activities like pumpkin bowling!
Costumes are encouraged (but not required)! Our team will join the fun as well, so keep an eye out for dinosaurs, superheroes, and other silly characters. All activities are included with museum admission. FREE for members!
Happy Fall! We hope you’ll enjoy these fall family events in the Iowa City area.
This is a sponsored post. Iowa City Moms was compensated for sharing this piece. We love connecting our readers with people and organizations that are doing good in our community, and we think you will find this information helpful and informative!
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