Seasonal Fun

Spring

honey creek creamery

Bent tree golf club

Dream playground

Council Bluffs comes to life during the springtime! We have diverse activities and opportunities perfect for a spring getaway. There are tons of adventures to uncover, from goat yoga classes to scenic rides on your bicycle and teeing off at a local golf course.

Goat yoga

Be one with nature while the baby goats at Honey Creek Creamery delight you and add laughter to your day during a Goat Yoga class! The classes are taught by high-quality certified yoga instructors who provide 45-minute lessons with the ‘kids’ joining in. The classes typically take place from late April through the end of May while the babies are still small. Check out the community calendar on our website for upcoming yoga dates.

Teeing off!

From city skylines and lake views to quiet, semi-private rolling hills, our local golfing options are nothing but exceptional. Put your golf game to the test with a round at any of the conveniently located greens in or near CB. Visit the beautiful Bent Tree Golf Club, which features more than 225 acres of bentgrass fairways, Dodge Riverside Golf Course, which offers stunning tree-line fairways and vistas of the Missouri River, or Fox Run Golf Course, a semi-private course. In the rural areas of Pottawattamie County, there are four more courses to choose from, including Avoca CountryView Golf, Oakland Riverside Golf Course, Quail Run Country Club, and Shoreline Golf Course.

Treasure Cove Disc Golf Course is another springtime gem. Located on Iowa Western Community College’s campus, this 18-hole disc golf course is nestled among the Loess Hills and offers manicured fairways and elevation changes giving you the challenge you’ve been looking for.

Play the day away

Local kiddos love Dream Playground, the largest ADA accessible playground in Iowa, located at Lake Manawa State Park. The playground was inspired by drawings submitted by over 1,800 local children and is a great place to enjoy a spring afternoon. After playing, take the family over the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge so you can stand in two states at the same time! On the Omaha side of the bridge, be sure to stop by and say hello to OMAR the Troll! He’s a huge hit with the kids.

summer

Live Music + Concerts

Live music is a highlight of the summer! From top touring acts to large rock festivals and spectacular symphonies, the potential for an unforgettable evening out in Council Bluffs is unequaled. Unleash the beat at Stir Concert Cove, CB’s premier outdoor live music venue. Their season usually runs from May to October, and they host large acts, like Diana Ross, Train, Sam Hunt, Poison, and more. Other local venues, including Westfair Amphitheater, McCoy’s at Thunderbowl, and Full Fledged Brewing Co., also host live music throughout the summer. Check out the community calendar on our website for upcoming performances!

Annual celebrations

Summertime brings some of Council Bluffs’ most anticipated community events to life! Caddy’s Kitchen & Cocktails hosts the annual Pride on the 100 Block in June. This fabulous street festival includes outdoor drag shows, food, drinks, vendors, and more to celebrate love and expression of all kinds. The 100 Block of West Broadway hosts Bikes on the 100 Block monthly throughout the summer. The event features incredible live music, a block-long beer garden, and other great entertainment. Later in the summer, Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard hosts the annual Fields of Flight Hot Air Balloon Festival. Watch as hot air balloons take to the sky as you enjoy live music, food trucks, and local shopping! Visit our website to start planning your CB summer vacation!

Splish splash! Summer fun

Cool off in the summer at one of our local pools and splash pads! Pirate Cove Water Park features two excellent water slides, a climbable pirate ship, a diving board, and a zero-depth area, making it perfect for swimmers of all ages. Katelman Water Park is another great public pool offering a drop slide, diving board, a sand area with play features, and sand volleyball courts to enjoy. Three exciting splash pads in town give you more summer experiences. You can find them at Bayliss Park, Fairmount Park, and Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park.

katelman water park stir concert cove ditmars fields of flight event

Fall

Pumpkin patches + orchards

Nothing says fall like a visit to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch! Ditmars Orchard & Vineyard has 10 acres of pumpkins to peruse, tons of festive activities to enjoy, delicious hard cider flights to try, and so much more. Welch’s Pumpkin Patch is a small family-owned patch with the “Ma and Pa” feel we all love. They have a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds available to purchase, along with ample space to run free. Pioneer Trail Orchard & Pumpkin Patch is ideal for families and groups with young children featuring a kid-friendly corn maze and play area.

Festive fall attractions

Get into the fall spirit by visiting one of our many attractions! The Cryptic Room is a live-action, team-based escape room perfect for the Halloween season. Once you’re inside one of the themed rooms, the clock starts ticking! Madness Haunted House, located at Pioneer Trail Orchard & Vineyard, will give you all the scares you need this season! If scary isn’t your thing, try exploring the Loess Hills on horseback or a scenic hayrack ride at Shady Lane Ranch! They even offer private bonfires after your unforgettable ride.

Fall foliage

Nothing beats a relaxing autumn afternoon checking out Iowa’s stunning fall foliage. Lucky for you, there are numerous spots in the area to take in those perfect fall hues! See them for yourself at Fairmount Park, along the ISD Nature Trail, on the shoreline of Lake Manawa State Park, up at the Lewis & Clark Monument Scenic Overlook, or along the Wabash Trace Nature Trail. Catch all the colorful hues before they’re gone! In addition to the locations we mentioned, the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway is an excellent course already mapped out for you that’s perfect for an autumn afternoon.

Is the squirrel cage jail haunted?

The most “haunted” attraction in Council Bluffs is said to be the Historic Squirrel Cage Jail. The unique jail was built in 1885 on the site of an old church morgue; one of 18 revolving jails built – and the only one with three stories. While the paranormal popularity has grown in recent years with flashlight tours and paranormal investigations, guests and residents since the early 1900s felt something was amiss. The jail has even received national attention with spots on Travel Channel’s Most Terrifying Places and Ghost Adventures Serial Killer Spirits. 14 UNleashcb.com

ditmars orchard + vineyard

shady lane ranch

groovybarnes

ditmars orchard + vineyard

erinpalmerramirez

squirrel cage jail

winter

Indoor activities

There is tons to do on cold, wet, and snowy days in Council Bluffs! The Hub Trampoline Park is the place to be for year-round family fun. The Trampoline Park features an open bounce area, dunk hoops, a dodgeball court, a battle beam to joust on, a large arcade, axe throwing, and more! Looking for more excitement? Head over to Joe’s Indoor Karting! They offer fast and furious kart racing, with European indoor karts racing up to speeds of 45 mph. Bowling at Thunderbowl, putt-putt golfing at Pirate Putt, and catching a movie at AMC are other great ways to spend the day.

Exciting casino gaming

Council Bluffs is home to three casinos, Ameristar Casino and Hotel, Harrah’s Casino and Hotel, and Horseshoe Casino. All three casinos offer slot games, table games, and sports betting! Each property features several dining options like Amerisports Bar at Ameristar, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar at Harrah’s, and Jack Binion’s Steak House at Horseshoe.

Enjoy the snow!

For those who enjoy winter sports like skiing, sledding, or snowboarding, Pottawattamie County’s Mt. Crescent Ski Area is the place to be! They provide visitors with various slopes to intrigue newcomers and challenge those who are more experienced. If you enjoy the brisk winter breeze, try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail or at Hitchcock Nature Center! During the winter months, you can rent snowshoes from the lodge at Hitchcock and take to the trails for an unforgettable and peaceful experience.

Holiday fun!

Every year in November, the City of Council Bluffs hosts Winterfest at Bayliss Park to celebrate the holidays! During this much-anticipated event, a holiday light ceremony is held, illuminating more than 40,000 twinkle lights in our beautiful historic park. The Makers Village provides you with a one-of-a-kind experience where you can shop unique handmade holiday gifts from local vendors. The event also features live music, a movie screening, and other holiday traditions.

The Hub Trampoline park mt. crescent harrah’s casino + hotel