Details Revealed For This Summer’s Cedar Rapids Market After Dark

A popular nighttime event in downtown Cedar Rapids is fast approaching.

Get our free mobile app

The 2023 Market After Dark will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, August 26. It will the eighth time the event will be held downtown with over 100 market vendors, live entertainment, and even special lighted attractions. The event is free to attend.

One of the unique things about Market After Dark is the open-container environment for people 21 and over. Open containers are allowed in the market area, which extends from 1st Ave SE to 5th Ave SE, and from 1st St. SE to 6th St SE. The policy on open-container in the market area is in effect only from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on August 26. The map below shows the layout for the event. The purple boxes are where vendors will be located.

Both wine and beer will be available for $7 in Market After Dark disposable cups and will be sold from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Alcohol will also be available at other downtown businesses that are participating in the event. Pop and water will be available for $3. There will also be a non-alcoholic beverage tent in Green Square. In that tent, Millstream soda will be $4 and floats will be $6.

According to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, this year's Market After Dark will also have a Game Zone in Green Square that includes dozens of games. There will be a picnic and a kid-friendly campfire area, along with a lighted alley that has a hall of mirrors and a string quartet performing.

A pair of stages will be included in Market After Dark. On the stage at the corner of 4th Ave. and 5th St. SE, Kevin Moore performs from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., followed by High & Mighty (video below) from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The stage at 2nd Ave. & 2nd St. SE will feature a variety of local talent.

We'll update this story with more details as they're released closer to Market After Dark.