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Check out the swimming, museums, plays, music and more from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City and beyond

Monday is Labor Day, a day when most people don’t labor, unless they have a home improvement project just crying out for a hammer or paint brush.

So if you’re looking for fun in the waning summer sun, here are some ways to plunge into the long holiday weekend.

Noelridge Aquatic Center, 1248 42nd St. NE: open Saturday 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for lap swim and 1 to 6 p.m. for open swim; Sunday 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for lap swim and 1 to 6 p.m. for open swim; Monday, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for lap swim and 1 to 5 p.m. for open swim, then closing for the season at 5 p.m. Details: cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/noelridge_aquatic_center.php

Splash Pads: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 5; various city parks; cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/splash_pads2.php

City Park Pool, 200 Park Rd.: through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lap swim; Saturday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details for all Iowa City pools: icgov.org/pools

Mercer Park Aquatic Center, 2701 Bradford Dr.: open 6:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St.: open various hours daily; icgov.org/pools

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Splash pads: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. to Labor Day; Wetherby Park Splash Pad, 2400 Taylor Dr.; Fairmeadows Park Splash Pad, 2500 Miami Dr.; Tower Court Park Spray Pad, 1124 Tower Ct.

Iowa Craft Beer Bash: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, Millstream Brewery Co., 835 48th Ave. Unlimited beer tastings from more than 50 Iowa craft breweries, plus music by Jake Schrodt & the Goats. Tickets: $60 VIP admission noon to 4 p.m.; $45 general admission 1 to 4 p.m., $5 designated driver, at millstreambrewing.com/event/iowa-craft-beer-bash/

Women’s Arts Festival, NewBo City Market: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3. Celebrating women through musical performances, visual art demonstrations, culinary arts, a large arts guest vendor market, and more; free admission.

FRYfest: 9:45 a.m. to fireworks at dark, “FRYday,” Sept. 2, Iowa River Landing. Hawkeye celebration with food, trade show, pep rally, contests, kids’ activities, block party; evening outdoor concert by Restless Road, $5; fireworks. fryfest.com/ The Hawkeyes tackle South Dakota State at 11 a.m. Saturday in Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City.

Remembrance Park dedication: 10:30 a.m. Monday, at the corner of Sand Road and Napoleon Street, south of Iowa City. Wildflower park dedicated to the memory of the diverse groups who helped shaped Johnson County. Event includes unveiling of plaques, music, speakers and a Meskwaki festive dance. johnsoncountyremembrancepark.org

Midwest Old Threshers Reunion: Sept. 1 to 5, McMillan Park, 405 E. Thresher Rd. Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday. See and hear transportation from yesteryear, including steam engines, antique cars and trucks, tractors, gas engines and horses, as well as grandstand entertainment, the Cavalcade of Power, Harvest Day Parade, horse pull and other attractions. And grab a bite or sit a spell to refuel your own engine. Admission: $15 one day, $10 on Labor Day, $25 multiday pass; country music free with gate admission or $10 for a reserved seat. oldthreshers.org/

Northeast Iowa Steel Guitar Show: Sept. 2 to 4, Bien VenU Event Center at the Holiday Inn and Suites, 4700 Hudson Rd.; 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to p.m. Sunday; featuring 1990s country hitmaker Wade Hayes, Leona Williams and son Ron Williams on Friday; other steel guitar players from Nashville and the Midwest on Saturday and Sunday. Benefits the Shriners Hospitals For Children Transportation Fund. Admission: $35 three-day pass or $15 Friday, $25 Saturday, $20 Sunday, at the door or steelguitarshow.com/tickets

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, 401 Third Ave. SE: Admission is free through Sept. 4. Time is running out to see “Tomas and Charlie Lasansky: An Artistic Union,” in the museum through Sept. 11. While there, stroll the galleries to see works by Tomas’ father, Mauricio Lasansky, as well as the artistry of Dick Pinney, Grant Wood, Marvin Cone, abstract art and “Art in Roman Life.” Hours this weekend: noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (other hours during the week). Details: crma.org/

First Friday Jazz, Opus Concert Cafe, 119 Third Ave. SE: 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, Invisible Jazz; $12, artsiowa.com/tickets/

Grant Wood Studio, 810 Second Ave. SE: noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday; free docent guided tours of the second-floor home and studio where Wood painted “American Gothic”; crma.org/grant-wood

The History Center, 800 Second Ave. SE: See the exhibit “Running Toward Danger,” exploring the history of local firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and law enforcement. Hours: noon to 4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (other hours Tuesday, Thursday); admission $7 adults, $5 students, free ages 4 and under. Details: historycenter.org/

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 1400 Inspiration Place SW: Various exhibits, including “Amazing Athletes” and “Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II.” Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; admission $10, with discounts for seniors, veterans, students and youths, free ages 5 and under; Free First Saturday for students. Details: ncsml.org/

“Once”: Theatre Cedar Rapids musical at Brucemore’s Peggy Boyle Whitworth Amphitheater, 2160 Linden Dr. SE; 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, through Sept. 11. On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. During one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story. Tickets: $30, theatrecr.org/event/once/2022-08-26/

Rock the Block, NewBo City Market lawn, 1100 Third St. SE: Friday, Sept. 2, Cedar County Cobras, 6 to 8 p.m.; free admission, bring seating. Details: newbocitymarket.org/rock-the-block

“Wings“: Sept. 2 to 4, Young Footliters at Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth St. Visit a world where teenagers come of age by getting their wings to fly high. Along the way they discover that wings can also hurt others. One teen chooses to fight tradition and find a new way to fly. coralvillearts.org/27/Events

University of Iowa’s Stanley Museum of Art, 160 W. Burlington St.: “Homecoming” exhibition, featuring more than 600 works of art, including Jackson Pollock’s “Mural.” This weekend: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday; noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday (other hours during the week, closed Mondays); free admission; stanleymuseum.uiowa.edu/

Cirque Italia, Crossroads Center, 2060 Crossroads Blvd., Waterloo: Water circus pirate adventure, various times today to Monday; $10 to $50, cirqueitalia.com/Water-Circus-Silver

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, 110 Parkside Dr., next to the museum: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Blacksmith demonstrations 9 to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 1 to 3. Ranger Talk 10:15 to 1:45 a.m. and 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. Sept. 3, meet at Hoover Birthplace Cottage. nps.gov/heho/index.htm

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, 210 Parkside Dr.: Exhibits include “Deliverance: America and the Famine in Soviet Russia, 1921-1923” and “The Hoover Story”; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; free ages 5 and under to $10 ages 16 to 61; hoover.archives.gov/

Old MacDonald’s Farm, Bever Park, 2700 Bever Ave. SE: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; petting farm with chickens, cattle, waterfowl, goats, lambs, pigs, rabbits; free admission. cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/old_macdonald_s_farm.php

Hercules’ Haven Open Barn Day, 3043 Springville Rd.: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3. Meet the residents and hear their rescue stories. Bring a blanket and pack a plant-based picnic lunch. Explore the property, relax and renew; $5 to $10; herculeshaven.org/events/

AKC Amana Colonies Cluster Dog Show: through Monday, Sept. 5, Amana RV Park & Event Center, 3850 C St. See hundreds of dogs strut their stuff to win prizes; also includes vendors and health clinics. For updates: facebook.com/amanacoloniesdogshow

Family Friday Bingo, inside NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2; the-district.org/things-to-do

Game Night: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2, Giving Tree Theater, 752 10th St. Shall we play a game? Put together your team of up to four players and compete in a variety of games for the chance to win prizes; $24 entry per team; register at givingtreetheater.com/

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com

Arts & Entertainment Writer, The Gazette

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