Ames, Set, Go!

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

June 02, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

We have entered Summer Ames, where the college students are gone and the city’s seasonal events series are back. Ames on the Half Shell returned last week and others like Goldfinch Room and Roosevelt Summer Sundays return this week. There’s a full list if you want to see all the music acts.

Also this week, the Dragoon Trail is retraced, Jason Carter comes to Alluvial, Scandinavian Days returns to Story City, the Numbers are Alive and The Birdcage turns 30.


Anthony Capps, Editor
[email protected]

Top Story

Jordan Messerole and Casey Joe Collins perform at the Goldfinch Room reunion festival in 2024. | Photo: Fred Love

Your guide to Ames’ live outdoor summer music series

by Anthony Capps | Editor

With summer Ames having arrived, the city’s live music series have also returned. Several long-running outdoor events begin in the coming days and the performances span from rock to country and jazz to pop.

There’s schedules for Ames on the Half Shell, Goldfinch Room, Roosevelt Summer Sundays, Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market and Sunday Music at Prairie Moon.

 

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Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🥳 Scandinavian Days
Friday and Saturday | Story City
Celebrate Story City’s rich Scandinavian heritage with a traditional parade, live musical performances and plenty of family-friendly games. Visitors can stroll the decorated downtown streets to browse local craft vendors and enjoy authentic Scandinavian treats, followed by a unique farm-to-table "Fiddler's Farm Fest" lunch and theater performance on Sunday.

Tuesday, June 2

🎤 Live Music on the Patio
4 p.m. | Sixty Forward
Celebrate the start of summer with friends — both new and familiar — and an evening of jazz music from the Central Iowa Jazz Trio. Appetizers and beverages available for purchase from The Bistro. Bring a lawn chair.
FREE

 

BreAnne Stone is an indie folk/rock artist known for her raw, honest songwriting, soulful, powerful vocals and emotionally grounded live performances. After previously playing the Listening Room Series as a solo act, she returns this year with a full band — bringing a richer, more expansive sound to the stage.
$12/$15

Wednesday, June 3

A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
$2

 

👣 Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa
7 p.m. | Ames Public Library
Join historian Kevin Mason for an immersive journey along the 1835 First U.S. Dragoon Expedition route in Iowa. Blending environmental history, indigenous perspectives and the spirit of firsthand travel, this engaging presentation reveals how Iowa’s landscape still echoes with the stories of its past.
FREE

Thursday, June 4

🎤 Severio Mancieri w/ Bleujack
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing
See the return of Minnesota guitar virtuoso Severio Mancieri. He will be joined by special guest Bleujack.
$5

Friday, June 5

🎤 Ames on the Half Shell: Midnite Radio
5 p.m. | Bandshell Park
This second Half Shell of the summer brings Midnite Radio, a euphoric theatrical band that fuses soulful melodies with dynamic, larger-than-life productions.
$5

Saturday, June 6

🌽 Main Street Farmers Market
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Main Street
This week’s entertainment highlights are the Joyful Colorz Face Painting plus music from Dixie Slicks.

 

👟 Family Story Walk with NumbersAlive!
10 a.m. | Anderson Sculpture Garden
Join Sydney Marshall of University Museums for an interactive walk through the public art of Iowa State’s campus with the NumbersAlive! book. Look closely to discover mathematical concepts within the public art collection. No reservations needed. This free STEM activity gets families moving, thinking and discovering together — rain or shine. Recommended for grades K-5.
FREE

 

🎤 Jason Carter Band
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing
Bluegrass fiddle legend Jason Carter is coming to Alluvial with an incredible band. Do not miss this high-energy bluegrass performance.
$30/$35

Sunday, June 7

🚗 Classic Car Show
11 a.m. | Iowa Arboretum
Bring your classic car to show or just show up and marvel at the classic beauties lining our lot and grounds. Food trucks will be on hand so you can have a bite while you peruse the collection.
FREE

 

🛒 Lucky Star Market
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Fareway parking lot, 619 Burnett Ave.
Shop artists, small batch makers, vintage vendors, food artisans and more. Local food trucks, live music from Foxpin and Will Z. Hatchet and local nonprofits will be on site. Gather and celebrate community and support makers.

 

🎤 Sunday Music at Prairie Moon: Vinyl Five
3 p.m. | Prairie Moon Winery
Sunday Music at Prairie Moon returns for the summer. Kicking off the season is the Iowa band Vinyl Five.
$5

 

🎤 Roosevelt Summer Sundays: Weary Ramblers
7 p.m. | Roosevelt Park
The Americana duo Weary Ramblers kicks off the 23rd year of the Roosevelt Summer Sundays concert series.
FREE

🎥 The Birdcage 30th Anniversary
4 p.m. | Movies 12
A gay cabaret owner (Robin Williams) and his drag queen companion (Nathan Lane) agree to put up a false straight front so that their son (Dan Futterman) can introduce them to his fiancée’s (Calista Flockhart) conservative parents (Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest). The movie will also play on June 10.
$11.50

Monday, June 8

🎲 That's Fun: Oversized Yard Games
6:30 p.m. | Ames Public Library
Adulthood isn’t always fun, but at the library it can be. This month, unplug, unwind and let your playful side take over. Oversized yard games turn classic favorites into larger-than-life fun. Think giant Jenga, supersized Shut the Box and more. No experience necessary. This event is for ages 18 and older.
FREE

Upcoming events on our radar

🎨 June 11: Art Walk, downtown Ames
🎭 June 11-28: Footloose, Ames Community Theater
🎉 June 13: Juneteenth Celebration, Bandshell Park
✈️ June 13: Ames Fly-In, Ames Municipal Airport

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