Cedar Rapids To Host Another Outdoor Country Concert This Summer

It's going to be a busy summer on the banks of the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids and we're happy to announce a third country show featuring a national recording act.

Parker McCollum will grace the stage at the McGrath Amphitheatre on Saturday night, July 17. McCollum hit the top spot on the country chart last winter with the hit song, "Pretty Heart." At the time, he said,

To have this song really and truly succeed on big-time radio is a dream come true. And for it to happen during such an insanely crazy year makes it just that much more special.

Though "Pretty Heart" was McCollum's debut single for MCA Nashville, he's released a pair of albums and several EPs over the last six years. His current single, "To Be Loved By You" continues to climb the charts.

Tickets go on sale for Parker McCollum's Cedar Rapids show on Friday. More details are available HERE.

McCollum's show will be the second of three country concerts now announced for the McGrath Amphitheatre this summer. The first is Lee Brice on Thursday, June 17 with Jake Owen being the other. Jake's show is on Sunday, August 15. You can get more information on those two concerts HERE (Lee) and HERE (Jake).

It's definitely going to be a fun summer of live music in eastern Iowa, and downtown Cedar Rapids will be hosting plenty of them.

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Iowa

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Iowa using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Gallery Credit: Keri Wiginton