There’s a lot to look forward to this year! Here are some of my favorite Eastern Iowa events on the schedule for 2025:
Fork & Knife Feast – Epic Event Center, Marion
You’re telling me I get to try food from 20 local restaurants in one night?! COUNT ME IN. The annual Fork & Knife Feast is the kick off event for Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week, and all of the participating restaurants are there to serve up samples of some of their Restaurant Week specials. You also get the opportunity to vote for your favorite food and beverages.
I attended my first Fork & Knife Feast in 2024, and my suggestions are:
- Try not to eat anything throughout the day
- PACE YOURSELF. If you want to try everything, you need to take it slow so you don’t feel like you’re going to keel over
Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week is scheduled for February 21st through March 2nd, 2025, and Fork & Knife Feast will be held on Thursday, February 20th.
Iowa City also has its own Restaurant Week, which is set for February 15th through 24th. Their 15th annual Top Chef: Downtown event is scheduled for Monday, February 24th.
SaPaDaPaSo St. Patrick’s Day Parade – Downtown Cedar Rapids
Is there anything more fun than a St. Patrick’s Day that falls on a weekend?! March 17th is on a Sunday this year, which likely means Downtown Cedar Rapids will be packed for the 49th annual SaPaDaPaSo St. Patrick’s Day Parade (as long as the weather cooperates, of course). Whether you’re in the parade or watching from the street, St. Patrick’s Day in Cedar Rapids is always a blast. In the ten years that I’ve lived in Iowa, I’ve never had a bad one!…