The Scarlet & Black

The Independent Student News Site of Grinnell College

The Scarlet & Black

The Scarlet & Black

Summer in Grinnell

The fabled [iasummer] is a mythical beast. This May, dozens of students will watch their comrades depart for summer internships and jobs in exotic locations. These students will be starting their own journey–living in Grinnell for the summer.

Whether you’re doing a MAP, working at the College, or just plain bumming around, you are going to need some stuff to do. The S&B sent out an appeal to [iasummer] veterans, professors and community members to compile the ultimate list of must-dos. Rip this checklist out, fold it up and stuff it in your pocket, because you have some new life goals.

-Brave the red slide at the Grinnell Mutual Family Aquatic Center
-Go skydiving in Brooklyn
-Visit the Amana colonies
-Join an Iowa City Ultimate Frisbee team or play pick-up on Mac Field
-Buy fresh produce and baked goods at the downtown Farmer’s Market on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
-Enjoy free Music in the Park on Thursdays at 5:30 in Central Park
-Work your way through the menu at Dari Barn
-Take part in the local Grinnell Games June 11-12
-Attend the Des Moines Arts Festival June 24-26
-Watch the fireworks at Grinnell’s 4th of July Festivities
-Go to the Poweshiek County Fair in Grinnell July 16 & 20-24
-Watch Ragbrai bikers arrive in town on July 28 and attend Ragbrai events
-Attend the National Hobo Convention in Britt August 11-14
-Eat your fill of fried food at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines August 11-21
-Go to the rollerskating rink in Oskaloosa
-Have a picnic at Rock Creek State Park
-Go to the Community Meal at Davis Elementary for free dinner on Tuesdays
-Harvest free vegetables from the Student Garden near Younker
-Go geocaching
-Make a giant slip-and-slide or fight with water balloons
-Go on a bakery run at 2 a.m. at the Danish Maid
-Have a party in a cornfield
-Go ice-skating in Iowa City at the Coral Ridge Mall
-See a play at the Civic Center or the Playhouse in Des Moines
-Watch a movie or two at the Valle Drive-In movie theater in Newton–shows start at dusk
-Cool off at Iowa’s largest water park–the Lost Island Water Park in Waterloo
-Watch a minor league baseball game featuring the Iowa Cubs or the Cedar Rapids Kernels
-Go to tastings and music events at local wineries
-Spend the day at Adventureland Amusement Park in Altoona
-Go frisbee golfing at Lake Nyanza
-Start an account at Family Video and get half-price movies for a month
-Golf at the Grinnell Country Club with a student discount
-Play pool at Rabbitt’s Tavern until close
-Grill and barbecue outside
-Spend time at Lonnski’s Pub, preferably with alumni bartenders
-Go to the Iowa Speedway in Newton or see camel and ostrich races at Prairie Meadows in Altoona
-Have a sleepover in Noyce
-See the World’s Largest Strawberry (statue) in Strawberry Point
-Visit the Field of Dreams in Dyersville
-Take a hike around Arbor Lake or at the Krumm Nature Preserve
-Visit the Faulconer Gallery–there’s a new exhibition opening June 24
-Get a library card at Drake Community Library and expand your horizons
-Take a class at the Grinnell Area Arts Council
-Check out the “Big Treehouse” in Marshalltown
-Take part in (or watch) productions by the Actors’ Theatre of Grinnell
-Catch a Little League baseball game on a weeknight at Ahrens Park
-Pick strawberries in June and blueberries in July, then share
-Invent a new ice cream flavor at the Marketplace on Main
-Go on a road trip or take the Megabus to Chicago
-Volunteer! Visit Grinnell’s community service website for a list of local organizations
-Tweet a whole bunch #bored

Thanks to our contributors: Holden Bale ’12, Caitlin Beckwith-Ferguson ’14, Ryan Creps ’12, Michael Dougherty ’12, Clinton Follette ’11, Austin Frerick ’12, Maja Gamble ’11, Chanel Griggs ’12, Stephanie Haines ’14, Grace Hazeltine ’12, Adam Lange ’11, Ian McCallum-Cook ’12, Colin McCallum-Cook ’12, Jack Menner ’13, Robbie Menner ’14, Cyrus Mistry ’11, Bill Mogavero ’12, Wenyang Qian ’12, Veronica Reavis ’11, Ben Saderholm ’12, Emily Stanfield ’12, Jarrett Thompson ’14, Ariel Vinson ’12, Kristin Watson ’11, Lyle Bauman, Doug Cutchins ’93, Janet Davis, Lesley Delmenico, Karen Edwards, Jen Jacobsen ’95, Elaine Marzluff, Claire Moisan, Molly Rideout ’10, J. Montgomery Roper, Asani Seawell, Deanna Shorb, Howie Stein, Barb Trish, Royce Wolf, Tilly Woodward, Lesley Wright and the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce.

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