7 things to do this weekend in Johnson County include Earth Day festivities at the Pentacrest in Iowa City

Paris Barraza, Iowa City Press-Citizen

April 19, 2023 at 1:00 PM·5 min read

Give the planet some extra attention through art, tree tours and more with an Earth Day celebration Saturday afternoon.

Later Saturday night, Chicago acts Ratboys and Dos Santos will take the Hancher Auditorium stage, bringing both indie rock and groovy, sometimes psychedelic sounds to the performing arts venue. Or, spend Sunday evening expanding your a cappella knowledge outside of "Pitch Perfect" with a performance from The Iowa Hawkapellas.

Here are seven things to do this weekend in Johnson County.

Embrace Earth Day with these activities

An empty sidewalk leading towards Macbride Hall is seen, Monday, March 30, 2020, on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

Saturday afternoon: Flag making workshops, tree tours and meeting birds of prey part of the Iowa Raptor Project are just some of the many festivities planned for Earth Day in Iowa City, all presented by the UI Office of Sustainability and the Environment in partnership with UI Pentacrest Museums and Public Space One. These festivities will be located on the Pentacrest and the ground floor of Macbride Hall, 17 N. Clinton St. People are invited to come out, join the Community Color Guard and fly a handmade flag, whether its one made from previous PS1 flag-making workshops held this month or one made day-of at the Pentacrest. This community-wide art project is meant to be festive and utilize upcycled or surplus materials to create the flags, according to PS1. Enjoy watercolor painting and drawing demonstrations, tree seedling giveaways and more in addition, all from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the University of Iowa's website for a full schedule of activities.

Groove out with Chicago acts Ratboys and Dos Santos at the Hancher Auditorium

A portrait of Chicago-based band Dos Santos.

Saturday evening: Ratboys, the indie rock band from Chicago, and Dos Santos, the Chicago-based quintet performing Latin alternative music, are coming to Hancher Auditorium, presented by both the performing arts venue and UI Scope Productions. Ratboys, comprised of Julia Steiner, Dave Sagan, Marcus Nuccio and Sean Neumann, formed in 2010. Their second album, “GN,” was listed as one of Rolling Stone’s 15 Great Albums You Probably Didn’t Hear in 2017. Following Ratboys is Dos Santos at 9 p.m. Made up of Alex Chávez, Peter Vale, Daniel Villarreal-Carrillo, Jaime Garza and Nathan Karagianis, Dos Santos performed at Mission Creek Festival last year. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $20 for general public. Tickets can be purchased on Hancher Auditorium’s website. Hancher Auditorium is located at 141 Park Rd.

Shop the work of local artists at Big Grove Brewery

People dine outside on the patio, Tuesday, July 6, 2021, at Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Iowa City, Iowa.

Sunday afternoon: Catch a beer at Big Grove Brewery, then enjoy another installment of Public Space One’s Art Market at the brewery from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Expect to see ceramics, mixed media and more from local artists all for sale in the game room. Big Grove Brewery is located at 1225 S. Gilbert St. Visit Public Space One’s website for more information.

Catch humorist and writer David Sedaris

Friday and Saturday evening: Humorist and author David Sedaris brings his wit to the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., for two nights. Sedaris is the author of “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” a collection of personal essays, as well as “Barrel Fever,” “Calypso” and more. The Grammy nominee has contributed to The New Yorker to Esquire, and has released a new collection of essays, “Happy-Go-Lucky,” an exploration of America following the pandemic, social justice movements, and his own personal life changes. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $58 and can be purchased on the Englert Theatre’s website.

Hear an a capella concert at the Englert Theatre

People walk towards the Englert Theatre during Mission Creek Festival, Friday, April 7, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa.

Sunday evening: The Iowa Hawkapellas, an all-female identifying acapella group established in 2001, are having their spring concert at 4 p.m. at the Englert Theatre. The University of Iowa acapella group participates yearly in the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella and performed in February in St. Louis, Missouri with a set that included “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar to “Fighter” by Christina Aguilera. Sunday’s spring concert is free admission.

Attend a springtime arts and craft show in Coralville

Saturday morning or afternoon: The Hyatt Regency Conference Center is hosting a spring arts and craft show, featuring over a hundred exhibitors selling furniture, paintings, jewelry, pottery and much more. In addition to home décor and art, homemade food and beverages, including wine, jam, bread and more will be available for purchase. Admission to the show is $5 and free for anyone 10 and under. The show is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Hyatt Regency Conference Center is located at 300 E. Ninth St.

Eat brunch or hang with friends at happy hour in Johnson County

30hop is seen on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, at 900 E 2nd Avenue, Coralville, Iowa.

Friday evening: Grab a drink at the east side Iowa City bar 2 Dogs Pub. Happy hour is from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with $3 Busch Light drafts and $1 off wells, bottles and craft drafts.

Saturday or Sunday morning: Head to the Iowa River Landing for brunch at 30hop, 900 E. Second Ave., starting at 10 a.m. Enjoy a tater tot breakfast bowl loaded up with green chili queso, bacon and scrambled eggs, a breakfast burger topped with sunny side eggs and pico de gallo or opt for French toast with a blueberry lemon sauce with a brown sugar mascarpone stuffing. Bottomless mimosas are available Sunday only until 2 p.m.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Things to do this weekend in Iowa City include Earth Day at Pentacrest

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