City of Iowa City news release
The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department invites you to Get Outside!- An Outdoor Recreation Festival.
This new festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at lower City Park in Iowa City. Get Outside! will highlight the many opportunities our natural landscapes provide through various outdoor recreational and wellness activities. Attendees will have the chance to engage in a wide range of hands-on experiences, try something new, and be inspired to get outside! There is no fee to attend this event and all are welcome.
Don’t miss the Skydive demonstration jump scheduled for noon! Six jumpers from Skydive Iowa are set to jump into the large field in lower City Park.
Recreate with regional experts and learn new skills
Attendees can try their hand at the following:
- Cycling and bike maintenance demos
- Canoeing on the Iowa River
- Fishing
- Archery
- Rock climbing
- Strider bike racing and obstacles course
- Plein air painting
- Survival skills, such as shelter building & campfire cooking
- Yoga in the park
- Wildlife meet & greets
- Guided bird walks
- Disc Golf
- Kite flying
- Horseshoes
- Camping set-up & gear testing
- Sand volleyball
- Garlic Processing & Crafts
Music in the Park
Bring your dancing shoes (or hiking boots) and enjoy a live performance by Dave Zollo & the Body Electric from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Fuel Your Adventure
Local food trucks and food vendors will be on-site from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. to make sure participants are fueled for their adventures throughout the day. Come for breakfast and stay for lunch! Choose from a variety of vendors, including Caribbean Kitchen, Dr. Skewer, Lunas’s Tacos, Nomadic Foods, and Snacky Mini Mart.
Supporting Partners
This event is possible due to our participating partner organizations including: World of Bikes, The University of Iowa Recreational Services, Johnson County Conservation, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa City Bird Club, United Action for Youth, Iowa River Disc Golf Club, Bicyclists of Iowa City, ArtiFactory, Bike Iowa City, Parkrun, Raptology, Grow: Johnson County, the Yoga Collaborative at PS1, and more. Additional information will continue to be announced as the event approaches, so stay tuned and get ready for adventure!
Event Map & Schedule of Events
View the Get Outside! Festival Map
Most activities are available on a walkup basis throughout the entire event. A few activities have set start times and those are listed below. Maps will be available on site.
Skydiving Demonstration
View a skydive demonstration with six jumpers from Skydive Iowa. Demo Jump will be located in the large field as you enter lower City Park. Starts at noon.
Prairie See Harvest w/IC Parks Division
Learn about prairie seed collection and help build a seed bank for future park projects. Starts at 10:30 a.m.
Wildlife Meet & Greets
Learn about Iowa’s native wildlife, including reptiles and raptors.
- 11 a.m. Reptiles w/Johnson County Conservation
- 1 p.m. Raptors w/Raptology
Guided Bird Walks w/Iowa City Bird Club
Bird walks are open to beginner, advanced, and birders in between. Some binoculars will be available to borrow. Bring your own, if preferred.
Bird walks will be held at the following times: 10:15 a.m., 11:15, 12:15 p.m., 1:15.
Group Bike Rides w/Bike Iowa City
Join Bike Iowa City for a short, 30 minute bike ride. Helmets are required.
- 11 a.m.
- 1 p.m.
Bike Maintenance Clinics w/World of Bikes
Get answers to basic bike maintenance questions and become more prepared for your next cycling outing.
- 10:15 a.m.
- 1:15 p.m.
Guided Canoeing w/University of Iowa Recreational Services
Enjoy a guided canoe experience and basic paddling instruction. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. All participants will receive basic safety instruction and sign a participation waiver. Minors must have a guardian signature to participate.
Canoeing sessions will be held at the following times: 10:30 a.m., 11:30, 12:30 p.m., 1:30.
Yoga with the Yoga Collaborative at PS1. Yoga sessions will be held at the following times: 11 a.m., 1 p.m.
- 11 a.m.
- 1 p.m.