Hopping for Spring: Community Activity Highlights for March 2023

You can get a copy of the full guide to classes and programs in our Community Center, which includes our Recreation Center, Library, Aquatic Center, Gerdin Conference Center and other spaces, published three times each year, in person at the Community Center, 520 W. Cherry St., or online. These highlights of the coming month are published on the third Thursday of each month. You can sign up to have this emailed to you at northlibertyiowa.org/subscribe.

News & Updates

The summer activity brochure will be published in March, and registration for most Recreation Department programs will open on April 1 for North Liberty residents (no joke).

Our indoor basketball courts are used each Saturday for Youth Supreme Basketball, so we can’t accommodate other uses on those days.

The Penn Meadows Park pickleball and tennis courts have reopened for outdoor play. Indoor pickleball is available at the Community Center with two courts Monday through Friday, 6 to 8 a.m.; four courts Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and two courts Monday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m.

In Case You Missed It

We’re hiring swim instructors ($15.25 an hour), lifeguards ($14.73) and concessions staff ($14) for the summer. Job perks include on-the-job training, free uniforms, free gym and pool memberships and a great work environment. Apply online at northlibertyiowa.org/jobs.

City Slate Events

There’s always something free and fun to do in North Liberty. The City Slate offers events all year long, and is made free with the support of A2Z Heating and Plumbing, Centro, Inc, Collins Community Credit Union, The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID, Hills Bank, MidWestOne Bank, South Slope Cooperative, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Urban Acres Real Estate and Veridian Credit Union. More at northlibertyiowa.org/cityslate.

Operation Leprechaun
March 9–17, Recreation Center, Free
Start at the Recreation Center and then follow the string of clues through town to help capture a runaway leprechaun. They’re tricky — watch out for traps!

Bunny Clue Trail
March 23, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Community Center, Free
Explore springtime dioramas, take photos with spring inflatables and other décor and earn spring treasure. Part of the Recreation Department’s Eggstravaganza!

The Balloon Freak John Cassidy
March 23, door open at 3:30 p.m., show starts at 4:00 p.m., Community Center, Free
Cassidy is a professional comedian, magician and balloon artist who holds several Guinness World Records for balloon sculpting speed. He brings his hilarious performance of magic and balloons to North Liberty for a free show.

Other Upcoming Events

North Liberty Optimist Pancake Breakfast
March 9, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m., Community Center, $8 for 10  and up/$4 under 10

The 50^th annual community breakfast with all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, coffee and drinks helping the Optimists donate $50,000 to local kids’ programs each year. To-go food is available.

Egg Decorating & Coloring
March 23, 8:30 – 10 a.m., Community Center, Free

Kids ages 6 to 10 can decorating wooden eggs to take home. We supply the wooden eggs, markers and spinners to decorate as you wish! Part of the Recreation Department’s Eggstravaganza!

Underwater Egg Hunt
March 24, 9:45 or 11 a.m., Aquatics Center, Free

Talk about a twist to your typical egg hunt: our indoor pool will be full of eggs for participants to collect followed by open swim. Raffles, arts and crafts and goodie bags also included. This event is split between ages 1 to 5 (9:45 a.m.) and 6 to 10 (11 a.m.) and has limited space; registration opens on March 17 at 8 a.m. Part of the Recreation Department’s Eggstravaganza!

Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

Doodlebugs with the Cedar Rapid Museum of Art
March 25, 10:30 a.m., Library, Free
Learn about cool and warm hues as we create colorful scenes “swimming” with sea creatures. Every Doodlebugs class starts with a story and ends with imagination and creation!

School-Aged Youth

Teen Lock-In: Mac & Murder
March 22, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Library, Free
Bring your friends for mac and cheese, snacks, games, crafts and a murder mystery. Scream, shout and run around with us after hours at the library. Registration opens March 4.

Tweendom: Breakout Room
March 19, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Library, Free
Do you love escape rooms? Well, join us for our Breakout Box where you can follow clues to break into the box and solve the puzzle.

Teen Tuesday: Orbeez
March 26, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., Library, Free
Destress from school by creating a jar full of orbeez! Watch your orbeez grow and pick your desired colors, then take it home to keep on your desk when you get stressed out by homework or life!

Banned Book Club
Mar. 23, 2-3 p.m., Library, Free
Join the North Liberty Youth Council in reading and discussing recently banned and challenged books. This group meets monthly on the fourth Saturday. All teens are welcome!

Adults & Senior

North Liberty Coffee Connections
March 1, 7:30 a.m., Library, Free
The Greater Iowa City, Inc. Coffee Connections bring together business professionals, community leaders and city officials. All are invited to share and learn about city plans and events, local resources, and business news. Join us for coffee, brief updates and informal networking.

55+ Connections Tuesday Gathering
Tuesdays, 10 a.m., Library, Free
A weekly social gathering featuring rotating activities — board games, puzzles, art, book discussions and more — to do while chatting! No registration is required, and coffee and snacks will be provided.

Learn to Play Pickleball 2.0
Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m., Recreation Center, $50
Get to learn the sport of pickleball a little more through these additional beginner classes. If you have taken the 1.0 class this is a great way to increase your knowledge and skill of the game. Continue through the basics and get to learn some strategies.

Families

Miss Carole’s Macaroni Soup
March 19, 6:30 p.m., Gerdin Conference Center, Free
Join us for this sing-along, dance-along, do-along concert for families! Miss Carole’s concerts are fun, sneakily educational and include an epic snowball freeze fight.

No School Open Swim
March 4, 1-4 p.m., Aquatic Center, $2 for children / $4 for adults
Join us for open swimming during a day off of school.

Spring Break Open Swim
March 11, 13 and 151-4 p.m., Aquatic Center, $2 for children / $4 for adults
Extra open swims during spring break.