Events And Activities

Donate Blood Friday, July 19th From 2:30pm - 5:30pm US Bank Community Room LifeServe Blood Center provides blood to our very own Virginia Gay Hospital! Mark Your calendar & Save a Life (or 3)!    Did You Know? 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives Someone needs blood ever 2 seconds Females receive 53% of blood transfusions There is no subsitute for Human Blood Donate Blood on Friday, July 19th from 2:30 - 5:30pm at the US Bank Community Room (414 A Avenue, Vinton).

VPRD has some upcoming events that give you opportunity to stay active during this long, hot stretch of summer! On the morning of Saturday, July 27th, VPRD will be hosting its 4th annual 'Kids Triathlon.' The race is divided out by age divisions and gender. The 7-8 year olds will do a 50 meter swim, 1.2 mile bike ride, and a 0.

PEO Chapter MZ will meet to carpool to Cedar Rapids at 10:00 AM on Monday, July 22.

“ASK THE EXPERT” TO BE AT THE IOWA STATE EXTENSION AND OUTREACH BOOTH AT THE BENTON COUNTY FAIR on July 25, 26 and 27. The Benton County Extension Council is pleased to announce that we will be featuring local and regional area specialists at our booth in the exhibition building at the Benton County Fair. Some of the experts include: Rachel Wall, Nutrition and Health Program Specialist, Jim Fawcett, Crops Field Specialist, Greg Brenneman, Ag Engineering Field Specialist, Edwon Yedlik, Master Gardener and Master Conservationist, Ryan Drollette, Farm Management Specialist, and Phil Shaff, Master Gardener.

We invite families to get off the couch, put away the electronic games and get out and experience these adrenaline filled opportunities to experience the Iowa Outdoors in ways you may not have tried or even known existed as options.  Extreme Outdoors is a series of adventuresome, fun, challenging, exhilarating and safe outdoor recreational activities sponsored by naturalists with Buchanan, Bremer, Benton, and Chickasaw Counties.

The Iowa Master Gardener program is once again offering a series of summer garden webinars to be hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Because weather patterns over the past couple of years have moved rapidly from drought to flood, the theme of the 2013 series is "Moisture Extremes in the Landscape." “Iowa Gardeners are dealing with a variety of extreme conditions this summer,” said Denny Schrock, state Master Gardener coordinator.

A Vinton-Shellsburg alumni softball game is scheduled for Friday, August 9th at 7pm. Cost is $20 to play and includes an alumni softball t-shirt. Waivers and money will be turned in and signed the day of the game. There will be a gate fee to enter the game; cost TBA. All money raised will support the V-S softball program.

Creating a transition plan to make sure a farm continues as a productive business can be challenging. Farm women can learn how to plan a successful farm transition in a five-session course offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The “Managing for Today and Tomorrow: Farm Transition Planning” program, a new Annie’s Project course, has been scheduled in Iowa City on Tuesday evenings, August, 20th through September, 17th.

Here's your chance to catch up with fellow Vinton residents and catch a baseball game at the annual "Vinton Community Night at the Cedar Rapids Kernels." The Kernels will take on the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Saturday, July 13th with the game getting underway at 5:05 PM. A post-game concert and fireworks will follow the conclusion of the game.

Hundreds of classic and antique car lovers from eastern Iowa and beyond will join Vinton vehicle owners in bringing their rides downtown for the 29th Annual Cruise on Saturday, July 20.  Registration is from 3-6:45 p.m on the courthouse lawn. The cruise will begin at 7 p.m.  T-shirts from this year's cruise, previous Vinton cruises and other cruises will be for sale along with food and beverages.