From small town celebrations to Freaky Friday, here are some things to do in the Ames area this weekend
The Ames area offers several family-friendly events during the upcoming weekend — from small-town celebrations and outdoor music to community theater featuring a Southern comedy-musical.
There are also events for adults to unwind with a cocktail or a beer and take in the talented local music scene. A concert at The Angry Irishmen will also raise money for the trans community.
Cambridge and Jewell celebrate their hometown pride
Celebrations in Cambridge and Jewell this weekend offer quintessential small-town Iowa experiences. Cambridge’s annual Firemen Days feature an ice cream social, Ballard Community Choir and Band performance, and fireworks on Friday. Saturday, the parade begins at 10 a.m. and maid rites will be available for lunch. Old-fashioned games are offered in the city park from noon to 2 p.m. while the fire department’s pork tenderloin dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the community center.
This weekend's Jewell Jubilee will feature the popular central Iowa rock band, The Sons of Gladys Kravitz, at the beer tent Friday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. There is no cover charge but bring a lawn chair. A Main Street BBQ from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday will feature turkey sandwiches as the main attraction. Lots of family-friendly entertainment and activities will also be held downtown, and a fireworks display will blast off Friday night. The parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday is accompanied by a Triple Crown Tournament later in the day which pits contestants against each other in a trifecta of golf, darts and bags.
Music and comedy shine in ACTORS production
ACTORS is staging the Southern musical-comedy, “Pump Boys and Dinettes” which opened Thursday night and continues with shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It also runs next weekend. The show is set in a combination gas station and diner on Highway 57, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina. Directed by Stan Rabe and Susan Glass, the show has several colorful characters. The diner’s two waitresses, played by Julie Minot as Rhetta Cupp and Amy McGrew as Prudie Cupp, are affectionately known as the Dinettes. The Pump Boys are the six gas station attendants, played by Tom Box, Kaleb Roberson, Brayden Bond, Emil Polashek and Tim Berven. Tickets are $25 and are available at actorsinc.org and at Alpha Copies in west Ames.
Freaky Friday raises money for a good cause
The Angry Irishmen in downtown Ames will feature Freaky Friday starting at 10 p.m. (Friday, obviously). A $5 cover will raise funds to support the local trans community. Musicians V Ellsbury and Walker Pett will “attempt to switch bodies using improvised loops, multi-instrumental psychedelia, ethereal echolalia, and other musical paraphernalia, all based on wisdom they got from a fortune cookie,” according to the Facebook event.
See Love and the Brawl at the Railyard
Local musicians Fred Love and The Bakersfield Brawl will perform at Cornbred’s outdoor music venue, The Railyard, at 8 p.m. Saturday. The musicians play rock and roll with a twang and country music that thrashes. Cornbred’s award-winning BBQ menu and drink concoctions will be available in the Railyard. The event is free of charge
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More: ACTORS show 'Pump Boys and Dinettes' brings a Southern flavor to the stage
Noir features Vintage Cafe, Stranger Than Fiction
Noir bar in downtown Ames continues its musical lineup in a speakeasy setting. Vintage Cafe will perform jazz and classics from the 1950s and '60s at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Local folk rock band Stranger Than Fiction will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The bourbon-forward bar offers a menu of thoughtfully crafted cocktails and flatbread pizzas with options such as the Caprese, with house-made pesto sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and fresh basil.
More: Live music and good vibes: Don't miss these free and low-cost outdoor concerts this summer
Ames area’s outdoor music scene heats up this weekend
Ames Jaycees host “Ames on the Half Shell” at Bandshell Park, with Suede performing from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Admission is $5 cash; food and beverages will be available for purchase.
The Cellar Winery near Madrid offers free live music Friday and Sunday. Ryne Doughty performs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, and Jana & Tim West will be featured from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards hosts live music featuring Stranger Than Fiction at its Corn Crib stage from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. A $5 admission includes a free glass of sangria. Brick-oven pizzas, charcuterie boards and a wide range of beverages are available for purchase.
Roosevelt Summer Sundays’ free concert will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Roosevelt Park. David Zollo and The Body Electric are the performers. There’s no charge, but free-will donations will be accepted.
More: Noir bar in downtown Ames offers jazz club feel, bourbon-forward menu
Ronna Faaborg covers business, education and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: See a play, listen to music: The weekend is busy in the Ames area
