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🛷 Nov. 20 - 23 | Your Johnson County Weekend Plans

🛷 Nov. 20 - 23 | Your Johnson County Weekend Plans

The JoCo Know
November 20, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

The pre-Thanksgiving buzz is officially here 🦃✨ and you can feel the holidays starting to brew🎄☕️. Our 2025 Holiday Events & Activities Guide lands in your inbox next week, but until then, here’s everything happening this weekend:

A NIGHT (OR DAY) OUT 🍻

Sleigh Your Weekend Plans

Sponsor Highlight

Sleigh Bar Christmas Pop-Up | Opens Nov. 20 | 📍 Tin Roost
🎄 Step into a festive pop-up packed with twinkling lights, cozy vibes, cheerful cocktails, and fun photo ops. Bring your friends, rock your ugly sweater, and make merry—reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are always welcome! 🎅🏼 ✨

And more ideas for outings:

Thursday, 4:00 - 7:00pm: Tipsy Turkey Sip & Shop (Swisher)
Thursday, 6:00pm: Farm To Fork (Vue Rooftop)
Thursday, 6:00 8:30pm: Samba Nights (Tavern Blue)
Friday, 4:00pm: Jefferson County Ciderworks Tasting (BlackStone)
Friday, 6:00pm: Little Lights on the Lane Concert (West Branch)
Friday, 8:00pm: Karaoke Night (Club 76)
Friday, 8:00pm: Don’t Tell Comedy (TBD Iowa City Location)
Friday, All Day: Pink Friday in West Branch (Main Street West Branch)
Saturday, 7:00pm: Friendsgiving Feast (Wilson’s Orchard)
Saturday, 8:00pm: Handsome Heroes Ladies’ Night (First Avenue Club)
All Weekend: ICCT Inspecting Carol (Dream City)
All Weekend: Trivia and Game Nights (BowlDogs, Harry’s Bar & Grill, PinSeekers, Barrel House, Tailgators, Watermill Kitchen + Bar)

FAMILY FUN 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Puck Drops, Fun Pops

Sponsor Highlight

🏒 Iowa Heartlanders Home Games | Fri. & Sun. | 📍 Xtream Arena
From heart-pumping hits to themed fun, the Heartlanders are turning up the fun this weekend! This weekend’s home games include Dash’s Derby and Wands & Wizards. Get your tickets now and join the excitement! 🎟️

More fun for the fam:

Thursday, 2:30pm: Kids Art Club (Artisan Insight Studios)
Thursday, 3:30pm: The Picture Show - Toy Story (FilmScene)
Friday, 5:00pm: ‘Tis the Season Downtown Festive Fridays (Downtown IC)
Saturday, 9:30am: Music4TOTS (Music4Life)
Saturday, 10:00am: Family Craft Time (Springmier Comm. Library)
Saturday, 10:30am: Story Time (IC, NL and Coralville Libraries)
Saturday, 10:30pm: Limitless Youth Art Collective (UAY)
Sunday, 2:00 - 4:00pm: Sunday Fun Day Craft (ICPL)
Sunday, 4:30 - 7:30pm: Movies & Pizza Night (Tavern Blue)
All Weekend, Times Vary: A Storybook Nutcracker Ballet (Hancher)
All Weekend, Times Vary: Into the Woods Jr. (The James Theater)

GET CREATIVE 🎨

Friday, 4:30pm: DIY Stained Glass Plant Stake (Earl May Garden Centers)
Sunday, 2:30pm: Write at the Stanley (UI Stanley Museum of Art)
All Weekend: Pottery, Splatter and Seasonal Painting (Brush & Barrel)
All Weekend: Jewelry Making Classes (Beadology)

GIVING BACK 🤝

Thursday, All Day: Plated for a Purpose (Big Grove Iowa City)
Thursday, All Day: IC Free Lunch Program Fundraiser (Rusciano’s)
Thursday, All Day: IC Free Lunch Program Fundraiser (Twelve01 Kitchen & Tap)

ODDS & ENDS 🤸

Thursday, 4:30 - 7:30pm: Greater IC Annual Meeting (Hyatt Regency)
Thursday, 5:00pm: Press Presents - Jenn Patterson (Press Coffee)
Thursday, 6:00pm: Community Reads - Kala (Springmier Comm. Library)
Thursday, 6:00pm: Kaden Wetjen Meet & Greet (The Vine)
Thursday, 6:00pm: Novel Conversations (Coralville Public Library)
Friday, 12:00 - 6:00pm: Pink Friday (Radiant Boutique By Rhi)
Friday, 5:00 - 9:00pm: Humble Roots Beer Release (Field Day)
Friday, 6:30pm: Samba Nights (Tavern Blue)
Friday, 7:00pm: Renee Zukin (Prairie Lights Bookstore)
Saturday, 3:00 & 5:30pm: Open Skate (Robert A. Lee Comm. Center)
Sunday, 1:00 - 6:00pm: Pool Tournament (BowlDogs)
Sunday, 1:00 - 3:00pm: Community Partner Celebration (The Englert)
Sunday, 12:30pm: Stories of Community 2025 Roundup (FilmScene)

LIVE MUSIC 🎸 & ENTERTAINMENT 🎭

AND GO HAWKS! 💛🖤

🏊 Thu. & Fri., 10:00am: Swimming & Diving Hawkeye Invitational
🏀 Thursday, 6:00pm: Men’s Basketball vs. Chicago State
🤼 Friday, 7:30pm: Men’s Wrestling vs. Pittsburgh
🏈 Saturday, 2:35pm: Men’s Football vs. Michigan State

🏈 Need a watch party spot for Saturday? Checkout Big Grove Iowa City, Big Grove Solon, BlackStone, BowlDogs, and Field Day.

NEXT WEEK 📅

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

Nov. 24: Caribbean Prix Fixe Dinner | Big Grove Solon | 4:00pm
Nov. 25: Wreath Workshop | Bella Sala Event Ctr | 6:00pm
Nov. 26: Friendsgiving Trivia | Shuey’s | 6:30pm
Nov. 26: Ladies Night | Tavern Blue | 11:00 - 9:00pm
Nov. 26: Neighborhood Market | Big Grove Iowa City | 6:00pm
Nov. 26: Trophy Dads | Solon American Legion | 7:00pm
Nov. 28: UI Women’s Basketball | Carver | 6:30pm
Nov. 28: Black Friday Murder Mystery | Walker Homestead | 6:00pm
All Weekend: Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap | Riverside Theatre

And for the fam:

Nov. 24: DoodleBugs | NL Library | 10:30am
Nov. 25: Music4Tots | Music4Life | 3:00pm
Nov. 25: Book to Art Club | ICPL | 4:00pm
Nov. 26: StoryJAM | ICPL | 10:30am
Nov. 27: Holiday Lights at the Lake | Iowa City | 5:30 - 8:30pm
Nov. 28: Meet Santa! | Wilson’s Orchard | 12:00 - 4:00pm
Nov. 28: Family Free Night | Coral Ridge Mall | 5:00 - 8:00pm
All Weekend: Tree Fest | Colony Acres Family Farm

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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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