Country Bar Reopening in Corridor

Closed a little less than a year, a popular country bar is returning under new ownership.

Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon, which closed in late September of last year, is preparing to reopen early next month in Iowa City.

Via a press release, owners Scott and Thane Kading announced the country music-themed bar will reopen on Saturday, September 3.

The release announced that "Country music and BBQ will still be the core of what we do. But we also plan to branch out a bit and bring in some bigger Americana, alt. country, and bluegrass acts."

Scott Kading told the Iowa City Press-Citizen "This place is absolutely huge. It can hold 700 people, so we can bring musical acts that normally wouldn't be coming to Iowa City." Kading also owns both Gabe's and the Iowa City Yacht Club.

Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon originally opened in 2009, before closing on September 27 of last year. It's located at 4919 Walleye Drive SE, off the Herbert Hoover Highway.

Start working on your dance steps. Wildwood is on its way back and, hopefully, so will the concerts. I was there when both Justin Moore and Randy Houser absolutely rocked the place when they were just starting out.

[via Iowa City Press-Citizen]