50th Celebration Event
Saturday, October 14, 2023
6:00 – 9:00 P.M.
Amazing Space at Indian Creek Nature Center
Celebration Tickets: $50
VIP Tickets: $100
Indian Creek Nature Center is turning 50!
Let’s party in the prairie with good music, good food and good company.
5:00 VIP Reception
5:30 – 6:00 Live Performance by Marc and Brandi Janssen
6:00 Celebration Begins
6:30 – 7:00 Live Performance by Marc and Brandi Janssen
7:00 Program
7:20 Live Auction
7:45 – 9:00 Live Performance by Dandelion Stompers
8:30 Last Call
Live musicians will be performing under a 200-person tent in the grass field south of the patio.
5:30 – 6:00 P.M. and 6:30 – 7:00 P.M Marc and Brandi Janssen
7:45 – 9:00 P.M. Dandelion Stompers
Bon Appetite
All guests will be treated to a walkable evening meal, appetizers and a dessert from local caterers.
Blend Events will craft a barbecue-inspired entree in a portable food boat.
Hangry Lady will serve charcuterie cup appetizers perfect for snacking and mingling.
Jen Juhl of the White Tree Bakery in Mount Vernon will whip up some hand pies for dessert.
Wet Your Whistle
Celebration tickets ($50) include 1 free drink. VIP tickets ($100) include free drinks at the open bar during VIP reception.
Alcoholic beverages from local brewers such as Lion Bridge Brewing Co. and Big Grove Brewery will be on tap. Non-alcoholic beverages such as water, soft drinks, sparkling water and Wilson’s Orchard Sparkling Apple Cider will also be available.
Guests are invited to participate in a live auction with the proceedings going directly to support Indian Creek Nature Center’s mission.
Auction items:
Hot Air Balloon Ride sponsored by Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
Exclusive seasonal organic produce packages from Etzel Sugar Grove Farm (includes a personal tour of the farm operations)
Three original tree prints designed from derecho-damaged trees
Private 12-person Farm to Table dinner
Framed original Penningroth Barn painting by local artist Bill Stamats
Barn at Indian Creek Nature Center
by Bill Stamats
An original painting of Indian Creek Nature Center’s first home by local artist and long-time nature center advocate Bill Stamats will be up for auction during the 50th Celebration Event.
This painting is also featured on limited edition postcards, notecard sets and 16″ x 20″ prints signed by Bill. Stop by the Creekside Shop to purchase your piece of ICNC history!
Frequently Asked Questions
Free parking is available for all guests. Once the main parking lot and overflow lots at 5300 Otis Road SE are full there is more overflow parking at the lot across the street from Penningroth Barn (6665 Otis Rd SE).
A golf cart shuttle will be available to help guests get from the overflow lots to the event. Also, guests are welcome to enjoy the trails connecting the barn overflow lot to the Amazing Space campus.
All guests are asked to stop by a check-in table along the main sidewalk leading up to the building where they will receive a wristband. Please bring ID.
VIP guests are welcome to begin check in at 5:00 PM when the VIP reception, sponsored by Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, starts. Celebration ticket holders are invited to check in beginning at 6:00 PM. Guests arriving early are encouraged to explore the grounds until thier check in time.
This event is casual and outdoors, and guests are encouraged to dress comfortably.
Whether your celebration outfit includes a tie and jacket, a sun dress, your favorite fall sweater vest or a pair of cowboy boots, please dress as yourself and keep in mind that the event will be outdoors rain or shine.
There will be a pair of photo opportunities, sponsored by Carson Wealth, perfect for couples or groups to capture their evening. We recommend using these before sunset (~7:16 PM).
Yes! VIP ticket holders will be able to drink free during the VIP reception and Celebration ticket holders will receive one free drink. Any drinks purchased beyond that can be purchased with cash or card.
Also, the Creekside Shop will be open. There you can purchase shop items and you can pay to take home some of the mums and gourds decorating the event space.
Charcuterie cup appetizers by The Hangry Lady will be available throughout the event, including the VIP reception. The main entree (a barbeque-inspired dish by Blend Events) will be set out at 6:00 PM. After the entree, guests can enjoy hand pies from Jen Juhl of White Tree Bakery.
All food is catered by local businesses, is included in the price of admission, and served in portable (and compostable) containers that allow guests to mingle as they eat.
Sadly, yes. The fun and dancing will wrap up at 9:00 PM.
Last call at the bar will be around 8:30 PM and the Dandelion Stompers live performance will end by 9:00 PM.
All guests are able to take home a special thank-you gift from Frontier Co-op and Hills Bank. A golf cart shuttle will be available to help guests return to their vehicles. If you want to enjoy a night hike back to your car, please prepare by bringing a flashlight or headlamp.
You are invited to celebrate 50 years of creating Champions of Nature!
The 50th Celebration Event, held Saturday, October 14 from 6:00 – 9:00 P.M, will feature live music, food and dessert from local caterers, drinks from local brewers, and hundreds of people connected by their love for nature. The celebration will be outdoors with the bands, program, bar, and a live auction happening under a tent surrounded by the beauty of our restored prairie in the fall.
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, all proceeds from this event will directly impact Indian Creek Nature Center’s mission to promote a sustainable future.
Ticket Options:
- Celebration Ticket: includes 1 free drink ($50)
- VIP Ticket: includes open bar during an exclusive reception ($100)*
- Ticket Bundles: Buy 9 tickets and receive 10th ticket free (Celebration or VIP)
Please join us as we remember the past, celebrate the future and enjoy the present.
Need childcare during the event? The Indian Creek Nature Center education team will provide high-quality drop-off care and nature-inspired activities for children so guests can celebrate the Nature Center’s first 50 years knowing their kids are in safe hands. There are only 20 childcare spots available. You can reserve childcare spots on a first come basis when you purchase your ticket(s).
Musical Performers
Marc and Brandi Janssen
Dandelion Stompers
Thank you to our sponsors!
