There is no better way to take in the sights and sounds of the holiday season than a Tractor Wagon Ride around downtown. Enjoy a FREE whimsical ride in an antique tractor provided by Bass Farms.
For the safety of attendees, the wagon ride will be in an open-air carriage with limited and spaced seating (15 spots per ride). For COVID-19 precautions, we ask families to sit together and that all riders wear a mask (except 2 & under). Hand sanitizer will also be available to use. Riders should come 15 minutes prior to their time but no earlier. All waiting will be done outside.
Available times will be on a first-come-first-serve basis and are 100% free. Times can be reserved in advance. 15 riders will be allowed on each ride. Rides will be every 15 minutes until 4:00pm. Come to the corner of Washington St & Clinton St. to check-in, wait in line, and schedule a time to ride. This way no one waits in a long line…instead you will get a ticket with the ride time.
All parties must sit together
Please practice physical distancing
Masks are required
Small Business Saturday is an event that began in 2010 as a way to encourage people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday has become a national holiday campaign, and Downtown Iowa City as a regional center of locally owned businesses once again will celebrate in the importance behind shopping local.
Thanks to the City of Iowa City, all parking ramps downtown will be FREE on Saturday, November 28th.
Join us for the Downtown Hunt for the Elves, a FREE kid-friendly scavenger hunt in downtown Iowa City! Starting Saturday, November 28th, there will be elves hiding in different downtown businesses waiting to be found! Make sure to check the sign on the shop’s door to see if their elf is hiding in the front window or inside the store. Please remember to wear a mask and keep a safe distance while doing the hunt. Shops who are hiding the elf inside will have capacity limits while the shops who have the elf hidden in the front window will allow you to search from outside.
Once you have found the elves in each participating store, get a stamp on your card or write in the name of the elf on the card to show proof you found it. Most elves hiding inside will have a stamp with their name for you to use and the elves hiding in the window will have a nametag next to them so you can write their name in the blank as proof you found them. Turn in your completed cards after finding 10 of the elves to Iowa Book to receive a small prize and to be entered to win a grand prize gift basket.
Iowa Book Hours: 8 S Clinton St, Iowa City, IA 52240
Monday-Friday – 9:30-5:30
Saturday – 10:00-5:00
Sunday – 11:00-4:00
There is no other place like Downtown for the holidays–
Come experience the holiday season in Downtown Iowa City and explore the Downtown Holiday Pop-Up Market, back again in the heart of the city!
Beginning November 16th, the beautiful pop-up market, sponsored by GreenState Credit Union will transform Black Hawk Mini Park into a festive holiday destination. Each week new pop-up shops will fill the spaces. For COVID-19 precautions, there will be limited capacity for each shop. Customers are required to wear a face-covering while shopping and hand sanitizer will be provided for each shop.
Here is the full calendar of shops that will be joining us for the 2020 Holiday Pop-Up Market:
*Nov. 16-19 – Om Gifts for Body & Soul
*Nov. 20-22 – Revival, Om Gifts for Body & Soul, and Volition Skate Co.
*Nov. 23-25 – Revival, Om Gifts for Body & Soul, and Volition Skate Co.
*Nov. 27-29 – Luxe Interiors, Om Gifts for Body & Soul, and Volition Skate Co.
*Nov. 30-Dec 3 – Om Gifts for Body & Soul, Black Liberation Spaces, and Gingerbread House Kits and Gift Sets from the online Downtown Iowa City Holiday Market
*Dec 4-6 – Om Gifts for Body & Soul, Black Liberation Spaces, and The Knit Hole
*Dec 7-10 – Om Gifts for Body & Soul, Black Liberation Spaces, and Riverside Theatre
*Dec 11-13 – MADE Community, Riverside Theatre, and Volition Skate Co.
*Dec 14-17 – Josh Meier Photography, Sweets & Treats, and MADE Community
*Dec 18-20 – Revival, Sweets & Treats, and MADE Community