2024 Events
Forget hibernating and embrace winter. North Liberty’s Beat the Bitter is back with activities to get you out of the house for outdoor winter games and good cheer. Brighten up the bleakest days of the year by joining us in the tundra of North Liberty, Iowa.
The festival’s core events are:
Friday, Jan. 26 – 5K-ish Glow Run
Sunday, Jan. 28 – Fire & Ice, Fireworks and Ice Sculpture Walk
Saturday, Feb. 3 – Snuggie Crawl
February – North Liberty Lights
Seasonally – Scheels Ice Rink
Plus affiliated events! Explore the full schedule.
EXPLORE SCHEDULE VOLUNTEER
Family Fun
Looking for family fun to beat the winter blues? We’ve got you covered.
Borrow figure and hockey skates from the North Liberty Recreation Department and take a spin on Scheels Ice Rink in Penn Meadows Park.
Be dazzled by North Liberty Lights.
Participate as a household in the 5K-ish Glow Run and try your hand at Ice Fishing.
Make plans to join us in Penn Meadows Park on Jan. 28 for Fire & Ice, the Ice Sculpture Walk and Fireworks.
Winter Games
Run, jog or walk the 5K-ish Glow Run on Jan. 26 as we unveil our month-long North Liberty Lights display around Liberty Centre Pond.
Race to be the fastest team to complete a puzzle in the Polar Puzzle Sprint.
Good Cheer
As always, we’ve reserved some of the fun just for adults.
On Feb. 3, 450 residents and visitors will don custom Beat the Bitter sleeved blankets for the annual sellout Snuggie Crawl presented by McGrath Toyota of Iowa City.
And later in February join us at Liberty Centre Pond for the Sip & Stroll, a free tasting event thanks to North Liberty’s City Slate sponsors on Feb. 22.
The Planning Committee
Beat the Bitter is organized by the North Liberty Betterment Group, a 501(c)(3) organization, led by City of North Liberty staff with the assistance of about a dozen local residents. Contact the organizers at beatthebitternl@gmail.com.
Interested in volunteering? We would love your help. Shoot us an email at beatthebitternl@gmail.com.
