Hoppy Tuesday!

On Saturday, country superstar Luke Combs takes the stage at Jack Trice Stadium, and the Grand Ole Opry member will be joined by Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James. They’re all better together.

Elsewhere, the library has its spring book sale, the Fab Four have your ticket to ride, the ISU Symphony Orchestra performs Hector Berlioz, Arkansauce does back-to-back nights at Alluvial and a lecture explores the impact of telenovelas on modern internet culture.

Co-Editors: Anthony Capps & Amber Mohmand
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Event Spotlight

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Calendar of Events

Ongoing

🎥 Cyclone Cinema: Anaconda
7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday | Carver 101

A group of friends (Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton) are going through a mid-life crisis. They decide to remake a favorite movie from their youth but encounter unexpected events when they enter the jungle.

FREE

📚 Book Sale
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday | Ames Public Library

Find great deals on thousands of used items, including books, movies and music. Proceeds from the sale are used to enhance Library programs and services. While admission is $1 on Sunday, everything is free.

$2 Thursday; FREE Friday and Saturday; $1 Sunday

🎭 Over the River and Through the Woods
7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday | Ames Community Theater

A funny and touching story about intergenerational relationships, deep familial love and the inevitable little heartbreaks that occur as time passes and children grow.

$20

Tuesday, April 7

👩‍🏫 Democratizing Math and STEM Success
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Namrata Vaswani, the Anderlik Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State, discusses how early math skills impact future STEM outcomes and how to improve teaching “soft skills.”

FREE

Wednesday, April 8

🎥 Carving the Divine: A Film and Discussion About the 1,400-Year History of Buddhist Woodcarving
5:30 p.m. | Kocimski Auditorium, College of Design

A documentary screening and rare look into the 1,400-year-old Buddhist woodcarving tradition with director Yujiro Seki.

FREE

🐟 From Fish to Humans: The Evolution of Vertebrates
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Paleontologist Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish, explains how our bodies contain the history of ancient ancestors. He uses fossil evidence to show the long journey from fins to hands.

FREE

Thursday, April 9

📺 “Crying in Spanish”: Telenovela Memes in Latine Social Media
6 p.m. | 2630 Memorial Union

Adriana Estill, the A.D. Hulings Professor of American Studies at Carleton College, explores the cultural impact of Latin American soap opera tropes in modern internet culture. She analyzes how these memes navigate identity and humor within the Latine community.

FREE

🎤 The Back Alley & Easy Honey
8 p.m. | The Maintenance Shop

Chicago indie rock quintet The Back Alley will make you jam out. Visiting from Charleston, S.C., Easy Honey brings a blend of “self-titled” indie-surf rock.

$15+ public; $10+ students

Friday, April 10

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
4 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

A high-stakes Big 12 series begins as the Cowgirls visit Ames. This matchup typically features elite pitching and high-level conference competition.

🎤 ISU Music & Theatre Friday Soirée
5 p.m. | The Maintenance Shop

The April installment of the Soirée series offers another chance to see student recitals in a casual setting. Join Music and Theatre faculty, staff and students in this time of fellowship and informal performance opportunity.

FREE

🎤 Arkansauce with Marques Morel (Night 1)
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

Night one of a two-night bluegrass run with the nationally touring Arkansauce. Beloved Iowa troubadour Marques Morel opens the evening with grit and soul.

$20+

🎤 Brother Trucker with Bad Vibes
7:15 p.m. | Ames City Auditorium

Brother Trucker delivers the kind of hard-hitting, blue collar Americana that could only come from Iowa’s Trailer Records lineage — gritty stories, big grooves and a live show that hits like a freight train.

$10

🎤 The Fab Four
7:30 p.m. | Stephens Auditorium

Widely considered the best Beatles tribute in the world, this show features uncanny costume changes and note-perfect performances. It tracks the band’s evolution from Liverpool to Abbey Road.

$33+

Saturday, April 11

🎭 Senior Variety Show Auditions 2026
Noon to 4 p.m. | Northminster Presbyterian Church, 1416 20th St.

Story County seniors aged 60+ are invited to bring a 3 minute, theme-related act. The show will take place Aug. 14 and 15.

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
1 p.m. | Cyclone Softball Complex

The series against Oklahoma State continues with a Saturday afternoon game. It’s a featured weekend for Cyclone Athletics with various fan promotions expected.

🎤 Saturday Night with Chris Patterson
6 p.m. | Cornbred

Chris Patterson, a founder and frontman for Great Caesar’s Goat, performs a solo show.

🎤 Arkansauce (Night 2)
7 p.m. | Alluvial Brewing

The second night of blazing bluegrass and spring vibes with the Arkansas-based quartet. Expect a completely different setlist and high-energy improvisation.

$20+

🥁 Percussion Ensemble
7:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

This high-impact concert features contemporary percussion literature using everything from marimbas to “found objects.” It is one of the most visually and rhythmically dynamic concerts of the semester.

FREE

Sunday, April 12

🎻 ISU Symphony Orchestra
4:30 p.m. | Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall

ISU Symphony Orchestra will be performing Symphony Fantastic by Hector Berlioz, a pioneering five-movement program symphony telling a tale of an artist’s obsessive love, despair and hallucinations.

$10 public; free for students

🥎 Softball: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State
Noon | Cyclone Softball Complex

The Cyclones conclude their three-game series against the Cowgirls. Sunday games at the complex are known for family-friendly events and youth activities.

Upcoming events on our radar

🎭 April 16-19: Peter and the Starcatcher, Fisher Theater

🎭 April 17-19: Something Rotten!, Wayne "Hank" Hansen Performing Arts Center

🎶 April 19: Arias in Ames, Northminster Presbyterian Church

⚖️ April 22: Channeling Conflict: The Constitution, the Courts, and the Character of American Self-Government, 2630 Memorial Union