List of Events
Ice Skating
Take advantage of the Penn Meadows Park 100-foot by 100-foot outdoor ice rink installed on top of the tennis courts! Bring your own skates or borrow skates from the Recreation Center. RINK HOURS The rink is open to all ages for free public skating from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily during the season (December-March) as long as weather conditions are agreeable. The rink lights will be on from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. Enter using the southeast corner gate…
One-Mile Treadmill Run/Walk/Crawl
Join in the Beat the Bitter fun and get active. To compete, runners/walkers/crawlers just need clean shoes, to jump up on the We Run treadmill during the festival and complete one mile. Names will go into a daily drawing for a cool We Run prize. One grand prize winner at the end of the week will be drawn for a free pair of shoes! All winners will be announced on the We Run Facebook page. Stop by during regular hours,…
Games of the Norse
Come play Norse-inspired games Champions of Midgard, Raiders of the North Sea, Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries or Isle of Sky, and join a local community of gamers. These and hundreds of other games are available to play for free from Geek City's demo library. Or bring in your favorite game and show it to others.
Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Plunge
Kick-off Beat the Bitter with the coldest and most challenging feat of the week, a polar jump into Centennial Park Pond (on St. Andrews Drive) on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. The plunge will take place during the Wintry Warm UP festivities. Organized by the North Liberty Police Department, the Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Jump will raise funds to provide support and training for the NLPD's K-9, Falco. Falco will also be onsite during the polar jump for a…
Sip & Ceramics: Snowflake Platter
Make a beautiful ceramic snowflake platter while enjoying hot chocolate, spirits and light refreshments. Tickets, including drinks, materials and instruction, are $35. Register
Pizza making with Gennaro
An event for the entire family! Neapolitan pizza chef Gennaro Rusciano will teach youngsters (5 years and older) the process of making the perfect pizza while the accompanying adult relaxes with a beverage (wine, beer or soda) and appetizers. After the children make the dough, put on the toppings and cook the pizza, they will serve the adults, dig in to the custom pizzas and enjoy a delicious dessert together. Space is limited and registration is required. The cost for…
Live Music by Cole Thomas
Enjoy your Sunday afternoon listening to the talented Cole Thomas! Celebrate Beat the Bitter week at Cafe Muse. Open to public.
Talk Tech & Sip Joe
Join us for a special social and technology help hour. We’ll kick off this week of Beat the Bitter with staff on hand to help you navigate or set up your devices: e-readers, tablets, smart phones, etc. There will be extra breakfast goodies and coffee.
Reds Luau
Join Reds Alehouse for an Luau including food and drink to beat away the winter blues. Chef Abe is putting together a delicious buffet style menu featuring a whole roasted hog and traditional Hawaiian dishes. Combine the mouthwatering food with perfectly paired tropical inspirited beer and cocktails for a fantastic trip, without ever having to leave North Liberty. Your $35 ticket will include buffet, a specialty punch cocktail, two beer pairing, games and activities. Attendees will also have access to have…
Community Connections through Conversation
Join NLPD Officer Scott Sammons and librarian Erin Silva to discuss safety in our community. Kids will have their own session on safety with a police officer and an opportunity to meet Falco the police service dog, if he’s not called away to duty.
Coffee Talk
Come in and chat with our baristas. Talk espresso, milk steaming, pour over, tea, weather... anything goes. Celebrate Beat the Bitter week at Cafe Muse.
Skate-in Movie: Mighty Ducks
FilmScene brings their theater out onto our ice with the family-friendly classic, Mighty Ducks. Bring your skates (or a chair and a blanket) for this free skate-in movie. If they do this in Minnesota, we can do it here. Quack quack quack!
Fearless Pickleball Fun
Adults are invited to learn how to play one of the fastest growing sports in the world: pickleball, a mini version of tennis played on a smaller court with a wiffle-type ball and a paddle. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. There are indoor and outdoor opportunities to play throughout the year, making it great for active adults 55 and older.…
Winter Storytime with the Iowa Children’s Museum
Come Beat the Bitter at the North Liberty Community Library with our Winter-themed Storytime! The Iowa Children’s Museum will join us for this special winter storytime; our regularly scheduled storytime will be followed by a special activity provided by the ICM Playologists.
Kidz Hip Hop Heat
Drop it like its hot with some fresh new dance moves to beat this winter's cold. At All The Way Up Studio, Iowa's first and only hip hop and breakdance studio, you will learn how to stay warm in a fun, funky way featuring classic and new party hits. Beginners are welcome! Join us for a night full of chilling surprises and dance the frost away. We can't wait to vibe out with you and the North Liberty community! This event is…
Cork & Canvas Winter Scenes
Join us for adult art painting with a work called Fire & Ice, at Cafe Muse with Cork N Canvas. No experience necessary, just a thirst for creativity and the passion for a good time. Class lasts two to three hours. All supplies (16" × 20" canvas, paints, brushes and apron) are provided. and drink available at additional cost, please no outside food or beverage. Classes are for adults 18 and older. +, please only one painter per ticket. Register
777: 7 Marathons in 7 Days on 7 Continents
In 2018, Debra Carneol of North Liberty ran a marathon in Antarctica. Then, over the next six days, she ran six more, each on a different continent. She'll talk about her journey and overcoming the hurdles, preparing and then running 183.4 miles in a week. The presentation will be followed by a Q and A. Drinks and appetizers will be available, courtesy of our hosts at Keystone Place at Forevergreen.
Hip Hop Heat
Drop it like its hot with some fresh new dance moves to beat this winter's cold. At All The Way Up Studio, Iowa's first and only hip hop and breakdance studio, you will learn how to stay warm in a fun, funky way featuring classic and new party hits. Beginners are welcome! Join us for a night full of chilling surprises and dance the frost away. We can't wait to vibe out with you and the North Liberty community! This event is…
A Winter Comedy Roast at Roost
It's about to get toasty in here...Tin Roost is hosting our very first comedy night. Brace yourself as comedian Carl Giannetto brings the heat with some jokes and good old fashioned roasting. Carl Giannetto is a comedian and a person. He started doing stand-up comedy at age 14 during the intermission of his eighth-grade school play. However, he’s come a long way since then, like for instance, he’s older than that now. Carl was the first person to perform at Jokers Club in…
Snorkeling
Dreaming of the Beach? Come take a Snorkeling Class with Diventures at the North Liberty Aquatic Center. Snorkeling is quickly becoming one of the largest water sports in resort areas. It is an easy activity for the whole family and is a perfect introduction to a whole new environment of the underwater world. You will learn proper fit and use of the snorkeling system and the fundamentals of snorkeling from a certified instructor so you can be more comfortable and…
First Friday Coffee Connections
An hour of energetic networking before you head off for the daily grind. All are welcome. First Friday Coffee Connections is hosted in North Liberty by the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce the first Friday of each month. On Feb. 1, the event will be held at the office of Christa Payne - Country Financial at 655 Liberty Way, Ste 6. Join the Facebook event.
Polar Bear Painting
Join us for a special winter crafting, come Beat the Bitter by painting Polar Bears with bubble wrap.
Angkor Wat Travelogue
Head to the steamy jungles of Cambodia for a reprieve from the Iowa cold. After the Senior Dining meal, resident adventurer Jeff Milton will give a presentation on his travels to the temples of Angkor Wat. This event is part of Senior Dining, a weekly lunch open to residents of North Liberty and surrounding area aged 55 and over. Register between Monday, Jan. 28 and noon on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, by calling the recreation department at (319) 626-5716. Cost…
Toasty Trivia & Fireworks
Get in on the fun! We’ll be hosting a night of trivia around Reds Alehouse's outdoor fire pit and torches before the fireworks. Tickets for prime seating, a specialty drink and trivia are $5 each. After the fireworks, take your ticket inside and warm up where your Toasty Trivia ticket will get you 50 percent off your entrée. Registration required and must be 21 or older with a valid photo ID to attend. Additional food and beverage purchases are at…
Burrrrito Breakfast
At its core, Beat the Bitter is about bringing folks together on the bleakest days of the year. What better way to do that than a community breakfast! The North Liberty Lions Club will be serving up breakfast burrrritos from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, February 2, in Penn Meadows Park. Don’t worry, you won’t have to freeze to take part. The event will take place under a large heated tent. $6 at the door will get you…
Fat Tire Bikes
Our friends at Sugar Bottom Bikes, will lead a 20-mile group ride starting at Sugar Bottom Bikes, through North Liberty (and Coralville's Woodpecker Single Track). All bikes are welcome, but the route does have some off-road single track, dirt road, paved trails and streets, and fat-tires are recommended. Upon return to the shop, stick around for free drinks and snacks. Participation is free, no pre-registration required.
Cookie & Cocoa Party
Forget tea and join us for our Cookie & Cocoa Party. Vanilla Beans and Daydreams is providing delicious cookies for kids to decorate, there will be stories, hot cocoa and no winter party is complete without a fluffy snowball fight. Registration required and limited. Register via Eventbrite.
Ice Skating
Take advantage of the Penn Meadows Park 100-foot by 115-foot outdoor ice rink installed on top of the tennis courts! Bring your own skates or check skates out from the Recreation Center for free. RINK HOURS On Saturday, Feb. 2, Beat the Bitter is hosting a Curling Tournament and Broomball Tournament on Penn Meadows Ice Rink. This will effect open skate hours. Instead of the seasonal 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours, open skating will only be available from 2 p.m.…
Chili Supper
The annual Chili Supper — a nearly 40-year tradition — is North Liberty Boy Scout Troop 216's primary fundraiser for the year, with funds going to provide scouts with experiences that they will learn from and look back on throughout their life. The supper includes all the homemade meat or veggie chili you care to eat, toppings, bread, drinks, and homemade desserts, featuring Dutch oven cobblers fixed on site. Tickets are only $5, with children under 5 free, and will…
Daddy/Daughter Prom
Dads, it's time to dust off your dancing shoes and boogie on down with your daughter at the Daddy Daughter Prom hosted by Debut Dance. Join us Saturday, Feb. 2 at Garner Elementary. The festivities kick off at 5:30 p.m. with dinner, followed by an evening of fun and, of course, dancing! Prom tickets may be purchased online at debutdancestudio.com for $21.90 per person, including fees. Questions? Contact Debut Dance Studio at 319-626-3390. Register …
Murder Mystery
The star actor, Austin Jane, has been murdered in the library! The prime suspects are his fellow actors, but who could it be? Join fellow teens for food, hot chocolate, and fun and see if you can solve the mystery for yourself.
Questions? The organizer's contact information is above.