|
|
|
|
|
|
 Recreation Marshalltown's "small-town friendly" side brings local citizens together for festivals, concerts and celebrations. Complementing our rich history, Marshalltown blends the best of today's family activities, sports and recreation to complete the experience of life in this small city. Experience Marshalltown's "small-town friendly" side that brings local citizens together on the historic courthouse square for festivals, concerts and celebrations. In the springtime, children scour the courthouse lawn for hidden Easter eggs. Throughout the summer, the community gathers at the square for weekly outdoor concerts. Taste the best barbeque south of the Iowa River in June at the annual BBQ, Buggies & Tunes Festival. This family-oriented event includes a barbeque competition, a classic car show, live bands and more! In August, The Central Iowa Music Festival combines diverse musical offerings with a feast of sweet corn and pork loin. Spread a blanket on the lawn and enjoy bluegrass, jazz, choir, symphony, blues and folk music with your friends and neighbors. Return to the square the last weekend of September for Oktemberfest. This family festival includes a Main Street parade, marching band competition, carnival rides, nightly entertainment, special activities for children, and a 10k race and 5k walk/jog. Join Marshalltown citizens of all ages in November as the community prepares for the Christmas season during the Holiday Stroll. A festive Main Street parade is culminated with the lighting of the courthouse trees, entertainment, food and a visit with Santa. The new Community Y facility opened in January 2004 and is the focal point of the Heart of Iowa Cultural and Recreational Center. The new facility includes a recreational pool with a water slide and play features, an eight-lane lap pool with seating to host swim meets, a gymnasium with two full basketball and volleyball courts, two aerobics studios, a studio for stationary cycling classes, a running/walking track, expanded strength training and cardiovascular exercise equipment areas, and child care for those using the facility. Plans are underway to remodel the original YMCA/YWCA facility for expanded cultural arts programming. One of the premier "Y" facilities in the country, Marshalltown Community Y joins the South Sixth Street Softball Complex; the Fisher Community Center Art Gallery; Martha Ellen Tye Playhouse; an eight-mile surfaced path for biking, walking and jogging; and The Aquatic Center into a campus that draws people to the center of the city. New in 2003, The Aquatic Center has zero-depth entry, play water features for tots, water slides, a drop slide, a diving board, eight lap lanes and a Lazy River. This outdoor swimming attraction is open seasonally from June through August. Golf enthusiasts will discover several excellent courses in and around Marshalltown. Public courses in the area include the 18-hole American Legion Course; Collison's Par 3 Golf Course, featuring 18 par-three holes; Lincoln Valley Golf Course at State Center; and the challenging, nine-hole Wandering Creek Golf Course. The Harvester Golf Course in southern Marshall County features an 18-hole, PGA championship-style golf course that has been rated as one of the top 100 public golf courses in the nation. Located on a beautiful 800-acre site, The Harvester boasts many natural landscape features, including a 60-acre lake, natural wetlands and densely wooded areas. The Linn Creek Indoor Golf Center has two simulator units that give accurate ball tracking and lifelike sights and sounds from over 22 PGA golf courses. Elmwood Country Club, a private, 18-hole course, is one of the top golf courses in the Marshalltown area. Rev up your engine with a visit to the Jet Karting Raceway or The Marshalltown Speedway. Exciting go-kart action is available every Sunday afternoon from April to October at the Jet Karting Raceway, also host to Grand National and international races. The Marshall-town Speedway features a lighted track that is classified as Iowa's fastest high-banked, quarter-mile dirt oval. Races are held every Friday evening from late April until late September. Marshalltown Parks and Recreation Department coordinates a variety of youth sports programs, summer activities and after-school opportunities. Enjoy excellent public park facilities and year-round family activities. Want to play (or coach) soccer, football, baseball or softball? Local sports clubs and leagues have a team for you. Explore the outdoors at the Grimes Farm Conservation Center, where you'll find 160 acres of nature trails, including prairies, timber, wetland, prairie pot-holes and sustainable agriculture. Self-guided tour maps are available, and guided tours may be arranged. An inter-pretative nature center features an exhibit hall with permanent and seasonal displays, room for classes and community meetings, and a library of reference books and field guides. How about a relaxing drive through the grounds of the Iowa Veterans Home (IVH)? Home to nearly 800 veterans, IVH opened in 1887 and now includes a special veterans cemetery, memorials for all veterans and a special memorial dedicated to those whose lives were affected by the war in Vietnam. Each year, state tournaments draw thousands of athletes and spectators to Marshalltown. Beginning in 2004, the Community Y competition pool will be the location for the Iowa State Boys and Iowa State Girls swim meets. The city also plays host for other sports tournaments, including baseball, slowpitch, golf and bowling. Does all of this activity make you hungry? You'll find what you're hungry for in Marshalltown. Choose from Mexican restaurants, barbeque, fine dining with white tablecloth service, cozy cafés and coffee shops, delicatessens, steak houses, an Italian bistro, Chinese, pizza, an assortment of fast food, and family restaurants - you won't go hungry! From activities and amenities to friendly folks and exciting events, you'll find plenty to do in Marshalltown.
|
|||||||||||||||||
