The Yard and ImOn Stage will officially open to the public July 3 at Kingston Yard in downtown Cedar Rapids, marking the latest milestone in the ongoing 1st and 1st development on the west side of the Cedar River.
A grand opening ceremony is slated July 3 at 11 a.m. for The Yard and ImOn Stage, situated between Big Grove Brewery and the Pickle Palace.
According to a release, The Yard, situated in the heart of downtown Cedar Rapids, has been designed to offer an enhanced experience that harmonizes nature and community.
The grand opening celebrates the culmination of years of planning and collaboration with the City of Cedar Rapids, Confluence Landscape Architecture, and Compass Commercial Services on the project.
The Yard is free and open to the public and is designed to interact seamlessly with Kingston Yard attractions, including the Pickle Palace, opened in January 2024, and Big Grove Brewery, opened in December 2023.
Highlights of The Yard include extensive landscaping, a natural grass lawn, kids’ play area, state-of-the-art sound system, free Wi-Fi provided by ImOn, string lighting, paver walkways, and the central ImOn Stage.
Guests can bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating in the open grass area in front of the stage and enjoy food and beverages from surrounding businesses. Outside food and beverages are prohibited.
The ImOn Stage is constructed with reclaimed steel trusses salvaged from a Cedar Rapids bridge built in 1910.
The stage will feature an outdoor television screen measuring 15 feet wide and 8.5 feet tall – the largest outdoor TV screen in the Corridor – which will show live sporting events and movie nights.
The stage will also be regularly programmed with a variety of local and regional live music acts. The inaugural live music acts will be on July 4, featuring Millcreek Band from 12-3 p.m. and the Airwaves from 5-8 p.m.
“The Yard is really the key ingredient and anchor of this dynamic, mixed-use development,” said Joe Ahmann, president and founder of Compass Commercial Services and co-developer of Kingston Yard. “This public park amenity was part of the initial vision that we started dreaming up alongside staff and council at the City of Cedar Rapids back in 2019. A lot of collaboration and hard work has gone into bringing this to life. We couldn’t be happier with how it all turned out.”
“We are thrilled to support The Stage at Kingston Yard and its mission to provide accessible and enriching musical and family-friendly experiences for our community,” said Patrice Carroll, CEO of ImOn Communications. “Creating connections is ImOn’s mission, and music and entertainment have the power to inspire, connect, and uplift. ImOn is proud to be a part of Kingston Village’s vibrant cultural tapestry.”
“We are thrilled to open The Yard and ImOn Stage just in time for the Fourth of July holiday,” said Kingston Yard co-developer Nate Kaeding. “The opening marks a major milestone for the Kingston Yard development, and we can’t wait to watch Cedar Rapidians of all generations enjoy this new family-friendly public amenity. On behalf of our development team, we’d also like to publicly thank Patrice and ImOn for supporting this project. They are exemplary corporate citizens, and the scale and quality of the park, stage, and outdoor video screen wouldn’t be possible without their involvement.”
