Every August, a little magic happens in downtown IC. The taste of IC is a chance for local spots to…read moreshowcase their culinary prowess to the masses. Tickets for food are purchased from a number of booths set up around downtown and are $1 each. Samples from approximately 40 restaurants in the area run between 1-4 tickets each and give all comers a great chance to sample a few or many of the offerings around town. In 2012, Molly's cupcakes, Mesa Pizza, Moonrakers, Basta and Masala were our favorite spots, but it's seriously hard to go wrong when you can walk around on a nice evening for 3 hours and go costco sample style for $20. A great event for a city that's doing a good job at expanding their culinary offerings downtown. Well worth a stop by when it's going on, you won't be disasppointed and you might even find your favorite new restaurant!

Downtown Iowa City is becoming a foodie's paradise. Places like Pullman, Iowa Chop House, Atlas,…read moreBasta, Forbidden Planet, Formosa, Devotay, and Masala are a few of my favorites (yes, only a few from my favorites). There are several tents stationed around the downtown area where you can buy tickets and pick up a map. $1 gets you 1 ticket (sold in bundles of 5). All the participating restaurants then have tables set up outside their storefronts where they're serving sample-sized versions of items on their menu and sampling these items requires anywhere from one to three tickets. My personal favorite of everything I tried this year was Pullman - their cinnamon roll with ice cream on the side melts in the mouth but the pulled pork sandwich was incredible. Let me say that again... incredible. I also really enjoyed the samples from Formosa, Iowa Chop House, and Pop's Old-N-New BBQ. Oh my word, I can hardly wait until my next dine-in experience at any of these restaurants! I love this event since it's an opportunity to sample new dishes and new restaurants without the commitment of ordering the full dish. The Taste of Iowa City seems to be growing in popularity and in offerings, with live bands and performances, plus a giant blow-up Herky on the Ped Mall, all upping the ante and making this a fun chance to slow down and enjoy the atmosphere of Downtown Iowa City.

Loved this FREE event at a gorgeous North Liberty park. Recognized some familiar names on the…read morevending and music lineups and figured I'd make the drive from Marion to support my friends. I knew it was a longstanding community event, but didn't realize the scope of production that goes into it. The stage is MASSIVE and they had some really cool artists performing throughout the day. There was plenty of room to set up a blanket or chair, sip your beer, and enjoy the music. (It did start to fill up quickly in anticipation of the last two acts, so grab your spot early!) There were stations with fans blowing cool mists, free ice water tanks, and a few places to get out of the sun. The Blues & BBQ sign is a great photo opp. In addition to the beer tent by the stage, there were about ten vendors or so offering a variety of sips and bites. A little something for everyone, including multiple bbq options, tacos, shaved ice, and ice cream. I know the beer tent is a big factor in keeping this free, so it would be great if there was more than one non-alch option (and ideally root beer wouldn't be the same price as a beer - say $4 or $5 instead of $7). All in all, really great community event. I heard a rumor the park is being renovated to add shade and other amenities, so next year there will not be a festival. I'm sure it'll come back bigger and better than ever!

Fun event and free for everyone! Had great weather this year that made it comfortable to enjoy the…read moreshows and food a little bit more. All musical acts were awesome and were so fun to listen to in front of the stage or out about the park. Inflatables and other park equipment for kids to climb and a good amount of shaded seating for everyone to enjoy. The food truck options keep growing so anyone can find something they like. I like to go sometime earlier in the day and then come back later to hear the final show, all while trying some good brisket or pulled pork.

I went to the Festival of Iowa Beers in Amana, Iowa with my boyfriend and we met up with some…read morefriends while we were there. The line was really long to get in, but the people working came down the line and checked our tickets and gave us wrist bands before the gates opened; so, when the gates did open, the line moved super fast, which was awesome! There were so many different beer vendors set up with booths all around lined up in the field where the event was taking place. Also, there was a live band called, "Dogs On Skis," playing nearby in the field of the event, which was very awesome. It was a hot day, but most of the booths had shelter to provide shade to both those working at the event and those who were enjoying the event. There were also 3 food trucks nearby for people to eat as they tried all if their different beers. The food wasn't bad; my boyfriend got a pizza from a food truck and liked it a lot, and the price of food wasn't too bad either. Overall, great event! Can't wait until next year!

i know i'm writing a review for an event that occurs just once a year, but this is gotta be one of…read morethe better kept secrets of eastern iowa. for $15 entry, you can taste all the beer you can handle. a few local brewers and a few that have traveled a few more miles. ipa's, various flavor inspired beers, a hat contest, live music, and just an area to lounge around and enjoy a lazy afternoon. look forward to going back for more.

So many food trucks to choose from and they all smell terrific! Prices are reasonable. Also so much…read morefresh veggies, beautiful plants and fun locally made crafts. Service of vendors vary with most being above average. Loved the market it's a must visit!

There are some unique gems like hand crafted candles, some baked goods and some "trinkets" that…read morelook really cool, just not something I need. There was a gentleman performing solo music that was fun to sit and listen. Front Street brewing has a stand here - and each of the two times I've purchased a beverage (different trips), I have had a less than enjoyable interface with the team staffing the cart. Turns me off to FSB to be honest. The produce is over priced for the most part but I do enjoy fresh and tasty tomatoes as well as sweet corn. To me the pricing would be ok if it was for organic produce. But we all know this is sprayed and probably GMO. That said, it makes for a fun few hours. Park area for the kids to enjoy, as well as a petting zoo.

If you are looking for something fun to do come to the pumpkin patch!! I had no idea they put in a…read moresunflower extravaganza every year, but we were very excited to have stumbled upon it and gone this year. They had three acres of the most beautiful variety of sunflowers! It's so fun because they hand you some cutters, and you get to go out and pick your favorites and take them home. The only problem is they are all so beautiful it's so hard to stop. Is that a bad thing though? If sunflowers aren't your thing, but Fall sounds more your speed then PLEASE go there for their Fall Festival. We went two years ago (last year was rained out), and fully plan on going this year as well. It's so much fun with food trucks, vendors, etc If you miss the Fall Festival that's ok! Their corn maze is open for awhile so you still have time for fun activities. I've also done the zombie paintball and holy smokes! I had no idea it would be so satisfying to hit zombies with paintballs!

How have I never written a review!?…read more Colony Acres Family Farm is an NL staple-- having been around for over 25 years! In the summer it boasts sunflowers. In the fall there's games, food/drinks, pumpkin patch picking, a market and of course, the corn maze. In the winter Colony Acres offers fresh-cut trees and Santa. I've only event ventured here during the fall-- tickets are $11-16. (*Pro Tip: order online to save a few bucks a ticket.*) My kids adored the zip line, slides, train ride, bouncy pad and corn maze. We typically don't get pumpkins here but there's a wide selection of those-- mums, corn stalks, hay bales and more. The farm is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during the fall. It allows dogs! There's plenty of parking. Staff is uber friendly. Stop by.

Another great time in Amana for Oktoberfest…read more We were here all week but spent the most time in town on Friday. The weather was great. We did quite a bit of shopping at the quaint shops in town, then had lunch under the Oktoberfest tent. The Trotter (smoked pork shank) was excellent! We made our way into Festhall and sat with our friends and was entertained by Barefoot Becky and her band. Saturday brought the rain to Oktoberfest but there were still a lot of people in town. We look forward to our next time here in Amana at a future Oktoberfest.

I went to Amana Oktoberfest while going to the Amana Wurst Festival. I met up with some friends and…read morewe went and explored the Festival. I loved getting the Amana Wurst Festival pint mug that was made out of silicone and tie-dyed in color; however, I feel like it was way overpriced, as it cost $17 and then I had to pay for the beer inside of it and it was $5 per fill. The Festival was kind of a disappointment with the disorganization of events hosted during the Festival and with the long lines that you had to wait in just to taste a piece of what they were selling. And oh boy if you were in the wrong line, or if you wanted to try more than one item, then you pretty much had to be there all day with the slow-moving lines. It seemed like the whole event could have been planned out better with the landscaping available. I will probably not be making it back to this event.

Yay for QCPF! We came down after hearing about this from a friend. We came late and there was a bit…read moreleft to be desired as we were 4 of probably 50 people in attendance at that point. We had a nice time though. We had good use of the bouncy house - admission to which was 25 cents - papa love good cheap entertainment. Also on the quarter bandwagon was a seriously awesome tractor train with barrels showcasing local businesses. Our 3 year old did both about 5 times and it set us back around $2 - sold! Pork burgers abounded as did spanky the bull from Wildwood. We also witnessed the burger eating contest where a dude downed 4 burgers in 3 minutes and won himself half a pig - we need to get to know this dude! A fun afternoon and we should have come in earlier, but we'd go back if for nothing else than to support the nice folks in Wellman!

A fun County Fair atmosphere that brings in big name national entertainment. Typical Fair…read moreadmission and average prices for food, drink and rides. There were plenty of food/drink choices. Quite a few side stage acts if you're not interested in the grand stand headliner. I will say the beer stand near the grand stand bleachers is handled atrociously and they are leaving a lot of dollars behind. On two successive nights A lengthy line and only one cash taker, who spent as much time talking to people with her head in the clouds as she did selling drinks. This system could and should run much smoother. I waited in line 20 minutes during the show for two drinks (unacceptable)... We saw Kid Rock, Nelly & Flo Rida and enjoyed our time at the Fair.

Kids were crying after getting off rides they shouldn't even get on till adult and rides were…read moresketchy on safety last year going to fair they don't even check heights for rides anymore

A yearly wonderful celebration of all things Art in the Iowa City and surrounding area. It takes…read moreplace throughout downtown with whole streets lined with shops showcasing just about any art medium you can think of. We saw some great blown glass, plenty of paintings and lot in between. Everyone here is obviously proud of what they're doing and it shows in the pricing. Worth you time if you're looking for something out of the ordinary. The food row is the same stuff that often shows up downtown and ranges from Gyros, to chicken to Korean tacos and bubble tea. It's good stuff and an increasing number of them are taking credit cards, which makes things a lot easier. There's plenty for kiddos and a parade of Friday evening. Well worth checking out, with or without the kids.

Very nice art festival held typically the first week of June in downtown Iowa City. You can expect…read morea lot of different art vendors, live music, and fresh prepared food trucks. They do a good job of kicking summer off right. I've been a few times and have always enjoyed it.