University of Iowa’s Big Splash! canceled

IOWA CITY — The Big Splash!, postponed from August 2020 and rescheduled for August 2022, now has been canceled, in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.

The two-day riverside festival, described as “a free outdoor extravaganza of music, dance, circus arts, and spectacle,” was set to focus on the Iowa River and the 100th anniversary of the University of Iowa’s world-renowned IIHR — Hydroscience & Engineering program housed on the banks of the river. The rescheduled 2022 date also would have coincided with the 50th anniversary of Hancher Auditorium.

“It truly breaks our heart to cancel The Big Splash!,” Chuck Swanson, Hancher’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “We were so excited about bringing this one-of-a-kind event to our campus and community. And we were so excited to work with such a great collection of partners — including the City of Iowa City and our friends at IIHR.

“Collaboration is central to our work, and The Big Splash! was really going to show the power of great partnerships. That said, the relationships we’ve all built together will last, and I know we will have other great opportunities to work together.”

“We are disappointed to cancel this event,” Gabriele Villarini, IIHR director, added. “It brought together partners from different backgrounds, and, even with this cancellation, it certainly paved the way for future collaborations between engineering and the arts.”

Some aspects of the planned event will roll into Hancher’s 2022-2023 season, to be announced this summer.

Other event changes

Nelly’s Jan. 22 concert at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in downtown Cedar Rapids has been postponed. A new date is expected to be announced soon. Details: creventslive.com/events/veue/powerhouse

Two upcoming events at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts have been canceled — Irish Winterfest, slated for Jan. 29, and the Lunar New Year Gala set for Jan. 30. For an up-to-date listing of events, go to coralvillearts.org/27/Events