Happy first week of school!
Our highlight this week is Taste of Campustown, a district wide event that let’s patrons tour not only the shops but also taste what the eateries have to offer. Of the 50 businesses in the campus-adjacent business district, 17 will have specials and promotions. However, I could be biased for this event.
Also this week, the Allman Brothers music closes Roosevelt Summer Sundays, the Ames Voice returns to the Main Street Farmers’ Market, Dog-Eared has a girls night out, Harry Potter’s story returns to the big screen, pollinators bring magic, take an art tour of wood and Cyclone Cinema is amaze, amaze, amaze.
Anthony Capps, Editor
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Email the event information (what, where, when, summary, cost) to [email protected]. Including a link — even a Facebook event — and/or related photos we could use are a big plus.
Deadline: 3 p.m. Friday is the cutoff to submit for the following Tuesday’s Ames, Set, Go!
Event Spotlight
Community
4 p.m. Thursday, Campustown
Taste of Campustown celebrates the diverse cuisine found within the Campustown Business District. Businesses will be selling samples of their most popular offerings or run specials. This is the perfect opportunity to see what Campustown eateries have to offer.
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Project Hail Mary (via Giphy)
Calendar of Events
Ongoing
🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Project Hail Mary
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Carver 101 — A science teacher (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth’s sun and realizes that an unexpected friendship may be the key. (Free)
✨ Harry Potter: 25 Years of Magic
9:45 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Movies 12 — Celebrating 25 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, all eight films will be presented during the weekend in release order with four on Saturday and four on Sunday. ($7 to 9 per movie)
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Other events
📖 Better Birding Book Club — 5:30 p.m., Ames Public Library
📖 Deep Roots Book Group — 7 p.m., Ames Public Library
💡 Trivia Night — 7 p.m., Mary Jane’s Bar & Stage
Wednesday, Aug. 26
🎨 Art Walk: The Iowa Landscape
Noon, Advanced Teaching Research Building — From rolling fields to native flora and fauna, Iowa’s scenery inspires artists in countless ways. Explore the Art on Campus Collection to see how different artists capture the beauty and richness of the Iowa landscape. (Free)
Other events
🩺 Living Your Personal Best with Parkinson’s — 1 p.m., Mary Greeley Medical Center Auditorium
💡 Brains & Brews Trivia — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing (Free)
Sports
⚽ Soccer: Iowa State vs. Iowa — 6 p.m., Cyclone Sports Complex
Thursday, Aug. 27
☀️ Solar Showdown: Sun, Fun & Sustainability
4 p.m., SunSmart Ames Community Solar Farm, 623 Airport Road — Learn how the solar farm supports sheep, bees and native plants while enjoying games, trivia, guided tours and up-close visits with the sheep. (Free)
Other events
🎤 Ames Chamber Artists Open House — 5:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames
📖 BetterMENt Book Club — 7 p.m., Ames Public Library (Free)
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Friday, Aug. 28
Live music and other events
📖 BOO*-k Club — 6 p.m., Raygun (Free)
🎶 Never Come Down w/ Ella Voloshen (folk, bluegrass) — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing ($12/$15)
🎶 Tiny Deck Concert: Doomed Pioneers (folk) — 7 p.m., Wheatsfield Co-op (Free)
🎶 Casey Joe & the Foxes, Travis Wayne & the Troubled Sons, Fred Love & the Bakersfield Brawl (rock, blues) — 7 p.m., Mary Jane's Bar & Stage
Sports
🏐 Volleyball: Iowa State vs. Loyola — 6:30 p.m., Hilton Coliseum ($7)
Saturday, Aug. 29
🌽 Main Street Farmers’ Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main Street — This week’s special event comes from Meyer’s Pony Rides, plus music by Shirley by the Sea. The Ames Voice will also be there. Stop by and say hello!
🦋 Monarch Magic
10 a.m., Ada Hayden Heritage Park — A family-friendly event featuring local conservation groups, crafts and an obstacle course. Explore the wonders of pollinators by joining in the bioblitz or buy raffle tickets for prizes. (Free)
Live music and other events
🎶 Live at The Railyard with The Jenny Kohls Band (rock) — 6 p.m., Cornbred
🎶 Indigo Monks (jazz) — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing ($10)
🎶 Orchid Donor (indie rock) — 7 p.m., Mary Jane's (Free)
🎥 Family Movie Night: Disney's A Bug’s Life — 7 p.m., Reiman Gardens ($18 public, $8 youth, discounts for members)
Sports
🏐 Volleyball: Iowa State vs. Georgia Tech — 4 p.m., Hilton Coliseum ($7)
⚽ Soccer: Iowa State vs. UNI — 7 p.m., Cyclone Sports Complex
Sunday, Aug. 29
🪵 Curator’s Tour: Wood for Function & Expression
2 p.m., Brunnier Art Museum — From seating to sculpture and beyond, wood has been utilized for thousands of years for both function and expression. Brunnier Art Museum curator Adrienne Gennett will lead a tour of both the functional and sculptural works of art made of wood from the permanent collection.
Live music
🎶 Summer Sundays: Opus Taylor (rock, blues) — 3 p.m., Prairie Moon Winery ($5)
🎶 Roosevelt Summer Sundays: Southbound (Allman Brothers tribute band) — 7 p.m., Roosevelt Park (Free)
🎶 Harlem Hayfield (soul) — 3 p.m., Mary Jane’s ($5)
Sports
🏐 Volleyball: Iowa State vs. UNI — 2 p.m., Hilton Coliseum ($7)
On our radar
🏈 Sept. 5: Iowa State vs. Southeast Missouri, Jack Trice Stadium
🎭 Sept. 10 to 20: Come from Away, Ames Community Theater
In Case You Missed It
Recent headlines from the Ames Voice
🇯🇵 A summer trip for some Ames Middle School Students to Japan showed the lasting impact travel abroad can have on young students
🏫 The new Gilbert Elementary School is ready just in time for the 2026 school year.
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