🎟️ Dec. 5 - Dec. 8 | Your Johnson County Weekend Plans

TOGETHER WITH

DINNER + A SHOW 🎭

Feasts, Festivities & Fantastic Shows

The Nutcracker | Dec. 5-8 | The Englert Theatre
Celebrate 20 years of Nolte Academy's The Nutcracker! Enjoy five performances from December 5–8, featuring Nolte dancers, a live orchestra, stunning costumes, enchanting sets, and captivating choreography by Loren Williams.

• All Weekend (Showtimes Vary): Anastasia (CCPA)

• All Weekend (Showtimes Vary): Dear Evan Hansen (Hancher)

• All Weekend (Showtimes Vary): It’s a Wonderful Life (Riverside Theatre)

• Friday, 4:00 - 7:00pm: Seafood Boil with Bill Prout (Crosspark Rd. Hy-Vee)

• Friday, 6:00pm: Murder Mystery Dinner - Bad Santa (Walker Homestead)

• Friday, 8:00pm: Don’t Tell Comedy (TBD Location)

• Sunday, 3:00pm: UI Band Extravaganza (Xtream Arena)

• Sunday: 4:30pm: River Glen & Band: Live Album Recording (The James Theater)

GIVING BACK ❤️

With the holiday spirt in mind, here’s a few ways to give back this weekend:

• Thursday, 5:00pm: Giveback Night (Micky’s Irish Pub)

• Thursday, 6:00pm: Thu. - Fri. (All Day): Toy Drive (McGrath Toyota)

• Friday, 2:00 - 4:00pm: Team Breast Friends Fundraiser (Kendra Scott)

• Sunday, 10:00 - 2:00pm: Holly Jolly Fundraiser (Holiday Lights at the Lake)

• Sunday, 4:00 - 6:00pm: The Eye Opener 2024 (FilmScene)

• Sunday, 4:00 - 6:30pm: Holiday Benefit Concert (Wildwood Saloon)

Check out United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties Adopt a Family Program and Volunteer Portal for more ways to make an impact.

HOLIDAY EVENTS 🎄

Santa Sightings & Holiday Happenings

A Christmas Past | Fri. - Sat. | Historic West Branch
West Branch’s annual A Christmas Past returns this weekend! Enjoy holiday festivities throughout Main Street like their festival of trees, train display, photos with Santa
🎅, silent auction, holiday elf hunt, holiday treats, pop-up shops, and so much more.

THURSDAY
✨ Magical Night | Uptown Mount Vernon | 5:00 - 8:00pm
🎄 Merry Little Christmas Party | SCHEELS | 6:00 - 8:00pm
🚴 Ride to Holiday Lights on the Lake | World of Bikes | 6:30pm
🥃 MockTales | Coralville Public Library | 6:45pm

FRIDAY
🎄 Light Up Oxford Fun Night | Oxford Public Library | 4:00 - 8:00pm
🎄 X-Mas Trivia Night | First Avenue Club | 7:00pm

SATURDAY
❄️ Winter Wander-land | Field Day & Tin Roost | All Day
🎅 Breakfast with Santa | NL Comm. Center | 8:00 - 12:00pm
🍪 Holiday Cookie Walk | NL Library | 8:00 - 12:00pm
🎅 Santa Visit | Hills Bank | 9:00 - 11:00am
🎅 Storytime at the Station | Tiffin Fire Dept. | 10:00 - 12:30pm
🎅 Solon Christmas Tree Walk | United Methodist Church | 10:00 - 3:00pm
🚜 Tractor Wagon Rides | Downtown IC | 10:00 - 4:00pm
🎅 Christmas Event | Calyx Creek, Oxford | 11:00 - 2:00pm
🎅 Santa Saturdays | FilmScene (Chauncey) | 11:30 - 2:30pm
🎅 Santa at Sidekick | Sidekick Coffee & Books | 2:00 - 4:00pm
🎄 Ugly Sweater Party | Big Grove Solon | 5:00pm
🎅 Cookies & Cocoa | Regina Catholic Edu Ctr | 5:30pm

SUNDAY
🎅 Santa on the Rooftop | The Heights Rooftop | 9:00 - 12:00pm
🎅 Santa Brunch Friendsmas | Cedar Ridge | 9:00 - 1:00pm
☕ Cocoa & Carols | Trinity Episcopal Church | 9:00am
🐴 Horse Drawn Carriage Rides | Colony Acres | 10:00 - 5:00pm
🎁 Prints & Cocoa | IC Press Co-op | 1:00 - 3:00pm
🎄 Gingerbread House Craft | ICPL | 2:00 - 4:00pm
🎄 Aisle of Lights | Coralville | 5:00 - 9:00pm

ALL WEEKEND
🎄Hunt for Elves (Downtown Iowa City), 🧸 Teddy Bear Room (Hilton Garden Inn), and 🎄Holiday Lights at the Lake (West Overlook Campground)

LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 🌟

Radiant Road Mobile Spray Tans | IG & FB | 📍 North Liberty
Launching in August, owner and Certified Spray Tan Artist, Megan Bernhard, has always been passionate about beauty and wellness and saw a need for a convenient, high-quality spray tanning service. Feel beautifully bronze, every season - especially this holiday season! Use code: JOCO for $15 OFF your first spray tan.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING 🛍️

THURSDAY
Holiday Market | Field Day Brewing Co. | 5:00 - 8:00pm
NDAC Holiday Vendor & Craft Fair | NDAC | 5:30 - 8:00pm

SATURDAY
Holiday Vendor Fair | NL Comm. Center | 8:00 - 12:00pm
Holiday Puzzle Sale | Solon Public Library | 8:00 - 12:00pm
Lord’s Portion Sale | Tiffin Grace UMC Church | 9:00 - 1:00pm
ICPLFF Arts & Crafts Bazaar | ICPL | 10:00 - 3:00pm
Holiday Open Houses | Downtown Iowa City Shops | 10:00 - 5:00pm
Handmade Holiday Market | United Action for Youth | 12:00pm
Merry & Bright Pop-Up Art Market | The Green House | 2:00 - 6:00pm

SUNDAY
Artisan Pop-Up Shop | Rayo’s | 9:00 - 2:00pm
Johnson Co. Market | JoCo Fairgrounds | 11:00 - 2:00pm
Holiday Open Houses | IRL Shops | 12:00 - 4:30pm
Modela’s Holiday Pop-Up | Revival | 12:00 - 5:00pm

ALL WEEKEND
Eastside Artists Annual Show | IC Masonic Building | Fri. - Sun.
Modela’s Holiday Pop-Up | Revival | Sat. & Sun.
Holiday Thieves Market | Hyatt Regency | Sat. & Sun.
Downtown Holiday Pop-Up Market | Ped Mall | All Weekend

GETTING CREATIVE 🎨🖌️

From wreath making to knitting, here’s a few crafty events worth checking out:

• Friday, 6:00pm: Art & Write Night (UI Museum of Natural History)

• Friday, 6:30pm: Cocoa, Cookies & Knitting (NL Library)

• Friday, 6:30pm: Perfect Tree Painting (Brush & Barrel)

• Saturday, 2:00pm: Lavender Wreath Workshop (Calyx Creek)

• Saturday, 2:00pm: Wreaths & Wine (Vue Rooftop)

• Saturday, 6:30pm: Pour Painting Ornaments (Brush & Barrel)

• Sunday, 1:00pm: Holiday Charcuterie Class (Colony Acres)

• Sunday, 1:00pm: Paint & Sip (Big Grove Iowa City)

• Sunday, 5:00pm: Second Sunday Sketch (Press Coffee Iowa City) 

LIVE MUSIC 🎸 & ENTERTAINMENT 🎭

THURSDAY
🎵 UI Black Pop Music Ensemble | Wildwood Saloon | 6:00pm
🎵 Joe Pug & Robert Ellis | The James Theater | 7:30pm

FRIDAY
🎵 Mullins Brothers | Cedar Ridge | 6:00 - 9:00pm
🎵 Jeffrey Foucault | The James Theater | 7:30pm
🎭 Tinfoil Hat Committee Improv | Willow Creak Theatre Company | 7:30pm
🎭 Myocardium; Graphite | The Artifactory | 7:30pm
🎵 The Dawg Bone Jazz Trio | The Black Angel | 9:00pm
🎵 Rattlebox | J&A Tap | 9:30pm

SATURDAY
🎵 Billy Heller | Cedar Ridge | 5:00 - 8:00pm
🎵 Kevin BF Burt | Club 76 | 6:00 - 9:00pm
🎵 Well Strung | Shuey’s Restaurant | 6:30 - 9:30pm
🎵 Christmas Jazz | La Wine Bar | 7:00pm
🎭 Lady Franklyn Improv | Willow Creek Theatre Company | 7:30pm
🎵 Cedar County Cobras + Awful Purdies | The James Theater | 7:30pm
🎵 Trophy Dads w/ Camp Cardinal | Wildwood | 8:00pm
🎵 Thomas Pace w/ Dave Whiting | The Black Angel | 9:00pm

NEXT WEEK 📅

No #SundayScaries! Here are a few things to look forward to next week:

• Dec. 9: Iowa City Rocks! | Press Coffee | 5:00 - 8:00pm

• Dec. 9: Hawk Talk (Jan Jensen) | Hyatt Regency | 6:00pm

• Dec. 10: Holiday Charcuterie Workshop | White Pumpkin Studio | 6:00pm

• Dec. 10: Sip & Paint | Vue Rooftop | 6:00pm

• Dec. 11: Iowa Heartlanders | Xtream Arena | 10:30am

• Dec. 11: Bingo Night | Big Grove Solon | 5:00pm

• Dec. 12: Santa Paws | Pet Health Center of Tiffin | 4:00 - 6:00pm

• Dec. 12: Sip & Shop with Santa | Swisher | 4:00 - 7:00pm

• All Week: Cocktail Week! | Tin Roost | All Day

And Who Are We?
We’re Hayley and Andy, parents of two toddlers and lovers of Johnson County. We’re always planning our next outing and exploring what’s new locally. Living in the area for almost 20 years, The JoCo Know is a passion project for us and is truly an extension of what we love to do - plan, explore, enjoy, and repeat.

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