Happy Tuesday!
The Rolling Hills Music Festival is a new classical musical event that spotlights local musicians and Iowa’s music history. The weekend event is helmed by Ames native and violinist Ari Dubin and spans five concerts over four days.
Also this week, the symphony plays tunes outdoors, Danny Grause provides Sunday music, salsa will be judged at the farmers’ market and families escape, Renaissance style.
Anthony Capps, Editor
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Top Story
Ames native and violinist Ari Dubin is helming the Rolling Hills Music Festival, a weekend celebration of music at a variety of local places. (Photo: Ari Dubin)
by Kate Laffey
Ari Dubin grew up in Ames before leaving for college and living a few years on both the east and west coasts in her career as a violinist. But after recently having a baby, Dubin found herself back in Ames — and rediscovering its charms.
“I was living life, going to the park, Reiman Gardens, and I found myself feeling really inspired. It’s so nice here, and what if there was a concert?” Dubin said.
The result is the Rolling Hills Music Festival, Ames’ first classical music festival. Featuring Iowa musicians and composers, the festival begins Thursday with a concert at McFarland Park and concludes Sunday with a children’s concert.
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Calendar of Events
Ongoing
🗝️ Renaissance Festival Escape Room
3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Ames Public Library — Prithee gather your friends and work together to collect clues and solve puzzles with a renaissance theme! Huzzah! This escape room experience is for families or teens in groups of 2 to 5 individuals. (Free)
🎶 Rolling Hills Music Festival
Thursday through Sunday, various locations — Experience homegrown classical music in the heart of Iowa with five events across four days. Music in the park, an ensemble music performance, a family concert and even joining musicians with your own instrument are on the schedule.
A Walk in the Park — 6:30 p.m. Thursday, McFarland Park
Homeward Bound — 7:30 p.m. Friday, Reliable Street Art Gallery
Community Play-Along — 1 p.m. Saturday, Ames History Museum
Iowan Sounds — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames
Children’s Concert — 3 p.m. Sunday, Ames Public Library
Tuesday, Aug. 4
Live music
🎶 Larry & Joe – An Evening of Latingrass (Venezuelan, Appalachian) — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing ($15/$20)
Wednesday, Aug. 5
🎥 Summer Movie Clubhouse for Kids: Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie
10 a.m., Movies 12 — Gabby and Grandma Gigi’s road trip takes an unexpected turn when Gabby’s prized dollhouse ends up with eccentric cat lady Vera. Gabby embarks on an adventure to reunite the Gabby Cats and retrieve her beloved dollhouse before it’s too late. ($1.75)
🎥 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 55th Anniversary
4 p.m., Movies 12 — A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka’s (Gene Wilder) mysterious chocolate factory. ($11.50)
More events
🎤 Open Mic — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing (Free)
Thursday, Aug. 6
🎻 Summer Symphony Concert
8 p.m., Bandshell Park — It’s time for some summer symphony in the park! Bring lawn chairs or blankets, and relax and enjoy some music from The King and I, Hamilton, The Music Man and Raiders of the Lost Ark as well as music by Boccherini, Puccini and Mozart. (Free)
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Friday, Aug. 7
Live music
🎶 Tiny Deck Concert: Todd Partridge (blues, folk) — 7 p.m., Wheatsfield Co-op (Free)
🎶 Right Hand Red / Kyanite (prog, punk) — 9 p.m., Mary Jane’s Bar & Stage ($5)
Saturday, Aug. 8
🌽 Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main Street — This week’s special events are Joyful Colorz Face Painting and the Bookmobile as well as a salsa contest. There will also be music from Asphalt & Stained Glass.
Live music
🎶 Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (bluegrass) — 7 p.m., Alluvial Brewing ($20/$25)
🎶 Dang Felton (soul, folk) — 7 p.m., Mary Jane’s Bar & Stage ($5)
Sunday, Aug. 9
Live music
🎶 Sunday Music at Prairie Moon: Danny Grause (country, soul) — 3 p.m., Prairie Moon Winery ($5)
🎶 Roosevelt Summer Sundays: Matt Terronez Band (funk jazz, rock) — 7 p.m., Roosevelt Park (Free)
On our radar
🎭 Aug. 14 and 15: 30th Annual Senior Variety Show, Ames City Auditorium
In Case You Missed It
Recent headlines from the Ames Voice
🎤 Alluvial Brewing’s open mic nights feature locals sharing their music and poetry.
🔊 The book club WALK lets people get to walking while listening to audio books.
⚡ The Ames City Council voted for a nine-month pause on new data center projects while the city studies them.
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