Traditionally, the City of North Liberty hosts its Beat the Bitter festival in January, encouraging residents to embrace winter. Instead, the city used the 2026 winter to announce the inaugural lineup for the new Hy-Vee Center and Amphitheater, marking the return of major community events at Centennial Park.
The schedule arrives after completion of the first phase of the $16 million Centennial Park expansion. The 13,000‑square‑foot, $8.8 million facility held a ribbon-cutting in October.
As the calendar turns to the new year, the new event space is poised to host thousands of guests.
“The Hy-Vee Center and Amphitheater represent a milestone in North Liberty’s growth. One shaped by years of thoughtful planning, collaboration, and of course, community vision,” North Liberty City Administrator Ryan Heiar said during a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 11. “This project set out to be more than just a municipal building. It was designed to become a gathering place, a creative hub, and a source of pride for our entire region.”
What free events will be held at North Liberty’s Hy-Vee Amphitheater?
Kicking off the inaugural season, North Liberty will host a free party at Centennial Park on Friday, May 22, anchored by a concert from The Pork Tornadoes.
Mike Shulte, the band’s drummer, is “excited” to play the venue, noting that a concrete pad with roofs and air-conditioning facilities is a nice perk.
Other Free Events: Ballet Des Moines’ summer Transformations tour visits Saturday, June 6; Fanfare and Flight arrives on Thursday, July 2; The Elemental Circus flies into town on Sunday, July 26; and Buckets N Boards, a family-friendly percussion comedy show, is in North Liberty on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Hy-Vee Center will host the popular Blues and BBQ
Blues and BBQ, an event that draws more than 20,000 for a celebration of blues-inspired artists and local pitmasters, will return Saturday, July 11.
North Liberty community relations director Nick Bergus said the community felt the festival’s absence in 2025 due to construction at the event center, which forced it to take a brief hiatus.
“Our community is really looking forward to [Blues and Barbeque] coming back,” Bergus said. “There was this hole in the calendar.”
The Main Squeeze, a five-piece funk band from Los Angeles that has toured with George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic and Marcus King, will headline Blues and BBQ.
Hy-Vee Center set to host exlusive, ticketed events
The Englert Theatre and the City of North Liberty have partnered to host several ticketed shows at the event center.
The yet-to-be-finalized lineup includes A Night at the Movies with Orchestra Iowa on Saturday, May 30, featuring music by composer John Williams, known for his scores of cult classic films like Jurassic Park.
What is next for the Centennial Park expansion?
The 40-acre Centennial Park at 1565 St Andrews Dr. was purchased by the city in 2010. It opened in 2013 and became the city’s largest park. The four-phase expansion is expected to make the park more accessible and increase capacity for concerts, festivals, and other events.
Phase two of the project is anticipated to be completed in the summer of 2026 and will include a splash pad, a shade shelter, and another set of restrooms.
Phase three introduces an open-air pavilion for a farmer’s market or outdoor activities. The cost is estimated at roughly $3.5 million with no set deadline.
Phase four will incorporate an honor garden and additional parking for $950,000.
As one of Iowa’s fastest-growing cities, North Liberty’s revamped Centennial Park and the accompanying events center are vital for the community to continue to thrive.
“People need places to live. They need their basic necessities,” Bergus said. “But it’s also important for people to have their community be nice; reasons to stay here, reasons to get out of their house and engage with their neighbors. The arts are a great for that. Festivals invite people in for music and for fun, but also, that’s how you get to know the folks that live down the street, or that live across town. That’s what builds community.”
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached atJRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Who’s playing at North Liberty’s new events center in Centennial Park
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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