City of Iowa City – icgov.org

Saturdays, 7:30 a.m.-noon

IOWA CITY FARMERS MARKET. 415 E. Washington St. The City of Iowa City continues its popular open-air farmers market on Saturday mornings at Chauncey Swan parking ramp and the surrounding area. Runs through October. Details here.

Grow Johnson County – growjohnsoncounty.org/

Saturday, August 8, 5-7 p.m.

ORGANIC STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING VEGETABLE PESTS WORKSHOP. 4811 Melrose Ave., Iowa City. Controlling problematic pests like Colorado potato beetles and aphids is difficult for many growers.  Join Iowa State University Commercial Vegetable Field Specialist Dan Fillius to learn about practical on-farm pest control in vegetable crops. We’ll walk through a variety of organic pest control methods, including sprays, attracting beneficial insects, and physical removal and exclusion. Safe handling of sprays and when to use each of them will be covered, as well as how to mix them and rotate between them for greater efficacy. This free event – which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. with the Johnson County Historic Farm Open House –  is open to all. Details and registration here.

Iowa Arboretum & Gardens – iowaarboretum.org

Saturday, August 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

IOWA ARBORETUM TRIAL PROGRAM FIELD DAY. 1875 Peach Ave., Madrid, Iowa. Join the Iowa Arboretum & Gardens Trial Program for its third annual Field Day. Participate in evaluating perennials and shrubs in the trial garden. The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens established an ornamental trial garden for herbaceous perennials and shrubs in Spring 2023. This public-facing trial garden provides beauty, education, and outreach, allowing for year-round visibility and observation of these plants. The Public Evaluation Day helps us in several ways. First, we get to hear from Iowa gardeners about what plants you want in your garden. Second, we show the breadth of available plants, while testing their long-term performance. Walk the garden to check out available varieties and let us know your favorites. Evaluation generally takes around 25-30 minutes; you are then welcome to walk the grounds on the west side of the arboretum. Among the event’s highlights will be a presentation by David McKinney, curator at Iowa Arboretum & Gardens, “Adapting Gardens for a Changing Climate: Building Biodiversity Through Plant Diversity.”  General admission costs $12 per adult; register by August 1. Details and RSVP here.

Iowa City Bird Club – iowacitybirdclub.org/

Wednesday, July 1, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

KENT PARK BUTTERFLY WALK. Conservation Education Center, F. W. Kent Park, 2048 Hwy. 6 NW, Oxford, Iowa. Meet leader Chris Edwards and learn how to spot and identify the park’s common butterflies. Wear long pants. If it is rainy or overcast, the walk will be cancelled – call Chris at 319-430-4732 if the weather is questionable. No registration required. Details here.

Iowa City Public Library icpl.org/

Saturday, July 11, 9-10:30 a.m.

GUIDED HIKE THROUGH F.W. KENT PARK WITH ICPL. Conservation Education Center, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy. 6 NW, Oxford, Iowa. The largest property owned by Johnson County, Kent Park’s 1,062 acres contain relic and reconstructed prairies, an oak savanna, forests, wetlands and a 27-acre lake. As part of ICPL’s Adult Summer Reading Program, Iowa DNR forester Mark Vitosh will lead a walking tour of this local gem. Free and open to everyone. Due to limited parking, registration is required. Details and registration here.

Monday, August 24, 6:30-8 p.m.

JOHNSON COUNTY POCKET PRAIRIE PROGRAM WORKSHOP. Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Rooms A, B and C, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City. The annual Pocket Prairie Program – a collaboration between Johnson County and the Johnson County Master Gardeners – provides plants, training, information, and technical assistance to guide participants in adding high-value native plants to their properties, creating a 10-foot by 10-foot pocket prairie. Native plants offer benefits turfgrass can’t match: improved habitat, richer soil, cleaner water, and dramatically better support for pollinators, birds, and home-grown food. These pocket prairies, in urban settings and unincorporated areas, bolster ecological resilience and encourage healthy, effective, and beautiful agricultural practices and landscaping. After an in-person orientation, staffers from the county’s Planning, Development and Sustainability office and a team of eight JCMGs visit each property to ensure the site is prepared so that planting can begin. Participants in the 2025 class have reported seeing more pollinators throughout the summer and said the experience has been deeply rewarding. Pocket Prairie Program applications for unincorporated areas open July 1; for those inside city limits, applications open July 15. Detailed information here. Orientation details here. Questions or concerns? Call Master Gardener Linda Schreiber at 319-936-8600 or Johnson County environmental regulations coordinator Kasey Hutchinson at 319-356-6083.

Iowa River Landing – iowariverlanding.com/events

Wednesdays, July 1 through August 5, 4-7 p.m.

CORALVILLE FARMERS MARKET. Iowa River Landing, East Second Avenue, Coralville.The 2026 Coralville Farmers Market runs every Wednesday night through August 5. Browse local vendors’ offerings of fresh produce, baked goods, and handmade goods while enjoying live music and the lively community atmosphere. At 5:30 p.m., take part in a free group walk, run, or bike ride through the area – a perfect way to get active, connect with others, and recharge in the middle of your week. Details here.

Johnson County Conservation – johnsoncountyiowa.gov/department-of-conservation

Tuesday, July 7, 9-10:30 a.m.

WILDFLOWER HIKE. Frytown Conservation Area, 2198 Angle Road SW, Kalona, Iowa. Join a naturalist for a guided 2.5-mile hike at Frytown Conservation Area to view the summer’s wildflowers. Learn more about wildflowers, wildlife partners, and about the uses of these wonderful plants. This free program is open to all ages and experience levels. Registration required. Details and registration here.

Wednesday, July 8, 5-6 p.m.

SUMMER BIOBLITZ SERIES. Valley View Trailhead, F.W. Kent Park, 2048 Hwy. 6 NW, Oxford, Iowa. Enjoy the best of Johnson County’s natural spaces and contribute to citizen science at the same time! A BioBlitz is a group effort to identify what kinds of wildlife are thriving in a given area. This event is the first of our Summer BioBlitz Series, where we will explore the Valley View Trail at the northeast corner of Kent Park. We will focus on using the iNaturalist app to record observations of plants, animals, and fungi.This free program is open to all ages and experience levels. We will meet at the parking lot of the Valley View Trailhead. Participants will receive a brief introduction to using iNaturalist before we head out along the half-mile trail and discover what kinds of wildlife are thriving in the area. Details and registration here. For the July 18 BioBlitz at Pechman Creek Delta, sign up here.

Tuesday, July 14, 9-10:30 a.m.

WILDFLOWER HIKE. Ciha Fen Preserve, 145th St. NE, Lisbon, Iowa. Join a naturalist on a mile-long hike near a fen and through a sand prairie to view summer wildflowers. Along with learning about the wildflowers and wildlife partners, learn about the tales and uses these wonderful wildflowers have carried through history. This free program is open to all. Registration required. Details and registration here.

Tuesday, July 14, 5-6:30 p.m.

NATIVE TREE ID. Youth Group Camp, Kent Park, 2048 Hwy. 6 NW, Oxford, Iowa. Examine the native trees found around Iowa. Learn how to identify, history, and the ecological roles of trees you have in your own backyard. The trees we will examine are influential to our ecosystems and native fauna. This hike will be less than a mile on grass with uneven terrain. This free program is open to all. Details and registration here.

ISU Extension – Johnson County – extension.iastate.edu/johnson/

Saturday-Wednesday, July 25-29

JOHNSON COUNTY FAIR. Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4262 Oak Crest Hill

Road SE, Iowa City. The fair is “Barn in the USA!” in 2026, in celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday. Take a walk through the barns to see animals, have a seat in the arena for livestock shows, check out the 4-H projects, the Butterfly House, and the JC Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden while finding some shade, and take in many more fair activities. For more information, visit the fair’s website. 

ISU Extension – Linn County – extension.iastate.edu/linn/

Saturday, July 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

LINN COUNTY MASTER GARDENER 2026 GARDEN WALK. A self-guided tour through four private gardens in south Cedar Rapids, Solon, and the Shueyville area. Visitors may explore at their own pace, choose their own route, and engage with knowledgeable Master Gardener volunteers along the way. Tickets are $10 each for adults; kids under 18 are free. All proceeds support the Master Gardener goals to provide research-based gardening education and fight food insecurity in Linn County. Details and tickets here.

Project GREEN – projectgreen.org

Saturday, August 1, 9-11 a.m.

BIOBLITZ AT PROJECT GREEN GARDENS. Project GREEN Gardens, 820 Park Road, Iowa City. This bioblitz is part nature scavenger hunt, part citizen science, and all about discovery. In two hours, we’ll see how many plants, bugs, birds and other creatures we can find in the eight-acre gardens at the historic Ashton House along the scenic Iowa River. Bring your smartphone with the iNaturalist app to snap photos and identify species. Great for families, nature nerds, and anyone curious about digital ecology. No experience required. Johnson County Master Gardeners and Project GREEN are partnering for this event with the City of Iowa City, Hills Bank, Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainability, and the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment. Free and open to the public. Details and registration here.

Solon Public Library – solon.lib.ia.us/

Tuesday, July 28, 6-7 p.m.

MASTER GARDENERS PRESENT: POLLINATOR GARDENS. Solon Public Library, Community Meeting Room, 320 W. Main St., Solon, Iowa. Want to know what it takes to make a garden that welcomes bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollen/nectar-loving friends? Marie Schmidt, Garden Center Manager and Greenhouse Specialist at Forever Green, will lead this free, hour-long program. Please call 319-624-2678 or email staff@solon.lib.ia.us for access needs. More info here. 

Solon Recreation Nature Area – solon-iowa.com/293/Solon-Recreation-and-Nature-Area-SRNA

Thursday, August 20, 6-7 p.m.

POLLINATOR GARDEN EDUCATIONAL EVENT. Solon Nature and Recreation Area, Timber Dome Lodge, Racine Avenue, Solon, Iowa.The SNRA trails act as a gateway between Solon and the area’s wider trail system. Johnson County Master Gardeners maintain the trailhead gardens and have created a welcoming pollinator garden next to which thousands of people walk, run, and ride weekly. Which of our pollinator friends have visited so far this summer? How might we increase the diversity for future years? What is the best way to observe and enjoy the hundreds of pollinator species visiting our gardens and natural areas? Join former Wisconsin Master Naturalist and new Solon resident Jess Alexander to learn more about this special garden and how it interacts with other habitats. The event is free and families are welcome to attend. Details and registration here. For more info, email Rhonda Roskos at roskosrt@gmail.com.

University of Iowa – Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory – sees.uiowa.edu

Saturday, July 11, 9-11 a.m.

ASHTON PRAIRIE 2026 BIOBLITZ. Ashton Cross Country Course, 3310 Hawkeye Park Road, Iowa City. Join researchers at the sixth annual BioBlitz to help collect, observe, and record the biodiversity (plants, animals, and fungal life) at Ashton Prairie. The findings inform a major research project and will contribute to the multiyear documentation of how diversity changes at this site over time. The collections, maintained by the UI Museum of Natural History, are accessible for comparative data analysis for generations. Participants can examine insects using professional microscopes, learn how to identify a variety of species using iNaturalist and the naked eye, and come to understand how the collections and observations contribute to more research and ecological health. No experience is required, and families are welcome. The activity is free – everyone is welcome to participate. Details and registration here.

Wild Ones – Cedar Rapids, Iowa City Chapter – cedarrapidsiowacity.wildones.org

Saturday, July 25, 1-3 p.m.

WILD ONES CHAPTER SOCIAL. 501 Lake Macbride Trail, Solon, Iowa. Join us for a social meetup with other native plant enthusiasts at a local home garden in Solon. Everyone is welcome – from beginners to seasoned gardeners – and you don’t need to be a Wild Ones member to attend. Visit a newly established 2,400-square-foot native garden in its second year. The garden is located in a new housing development built on previously agricultural land; the lot abuts the Johnson County Greenway and Hoover Trail, which feature copious native plantings and prairie restorations. Details and RSVP here.