For 93 years, Hawkeye Downs has been a go-to destination for family fun. But this next year may be the most exciting yet.
Hawkeye Downs -- a nonprofit organization — sits on 96 acres on the southwest side of the city. It’s home to a race track, 35,000 square foot exhibition hall, campgrounds, lots of free parking and more.
The racing season kicks off each year in May and runs all summer long. Fans looking to kick their entertainment into high gear should head to the track on Friday nights to catch weekly races along with specialty races and events such as Military Night, Spectator Drags, and vintage car shows. There’s even a kids entertainment zone to keep the little ones occupied while watching the high-speed entertainment on the ½ or ¼ mile tracks.
But the fun goes far beyond racing.
Throughout the year, Hawkeye Downs also brings a variety of entertainment options with more than 300 events drawing in more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Along with Bingo three times a week, Hawkeye Downs also holds a variety of public events including antique shows, home and builder shows, dinosaur exhibitions, concerts, holiday events and more in the exhibition hall. It is the perfect spot for hosting a trade show, convention, annual meeting, wedding reception, reunion or any other event you can dream up.
On Saturday, June 23, come out for "Down the Hatch"— a celebration of vino, brews and trucks. This beer and wine tasting event will feature a variety of food truck vendors and will be a great opportunity to sample and savor what our community has to offer.
Of course, you don’t want to miss the Zombie Run. Held around the Halloween holiday, this new event -- just in its second year includes a 5K run.
It’s an exciting time of change at Hawkeye Downs. The foundation of family entertainment — racing of course — continues to grow and strengthen while new entertainment options are expanding the possibilities for fun in the Cedar Rapids area.
There’s always something going on at Hawkeye Downs. For events and more info visit www.hawkeyedowns.org.
