Welcome to the website for Cedar Rapids premiere event of the summer Uptown Friday Nights is an outdoor concert series presented annually by the Cedar Rapids Jaycees. The event is held in Greene Square Park each Friday from 5pm to 8pm throughout the summer. Each week we proudly showcase one of the area's finest bands and serve concessions to our guests. While it is great entertainment, the primary purpose of Uptown Friday Nights is to raise funds for charitable projects. To date, the Cedar Rapids Jaycees have donated more than $330,000 of Uptown profits to local charitable organizations. And with your help, we hope to keep the momentum going this summer!

Live music, food and ice cold beverages are provided each Friday from 5pm 8pm for the enjoyment of thousands of people from all over the area. Last year we had a record attendance of more than 18,100 people for the summer! Admission is just five dollars, which includes the first drink for the first 500 guests. The only catch is you must be at least 21 years old, so bring your ID. If the weather looks questionable, listen to Mix 96.5 for announcements.

Local businesses take part in the festivities as sponsors of the event and a portion of the money raised at the event is funneled back into the community. This event supports projects such as scholarships, Toys for Tots, youth sporting events, and numerous other charitable causes.

So, come on out and join the Cedar Rapids Jaycees at Uptown Friday Nights. It truly is "Where your weekend begins!"

A Brief History Lesson and Milestones...

• 1988 Uptown Friday Nights begins at the Cedar Rapids Ground Transportation Center. DJ’s were used to play music for the crowd each week.

• 1994 Uptown Friday Nights moves to 2nd Street SE and moves block to block between the avenues each week. DJ’s were still being used to play music for the crowd each week.

• 1997 Uptown Friday Nights moves to the cement pad of Greene Square Park.

• June 27th, 1997 The Swing Crew is the first live band to play for the Jaycees and Uptown Friday Nights. This also marked the first time one thousand people attended one Uptown Friday Night.

• 1998 Uptown Friday Nights were moved onto the grass at Greene Square Park, with an all live band line up.

• 2001 The Large Midgets recorded the "Uptown Friday Night" theme song, which Mix 96.5 played during the Uptown promotions on air.

• 2001 The Jaycees decide to formally name the donation process of Uptown Friday Nights and decide on the name The Cedar Rapids Jaycees Uptown Friday Night Dream Makers.

• June 29th, 2001 The first time that attendance at one Uptown Friday Night exceeds two thousand guests.

• 2001 A $10,000 donation was made in care of the Downtown District for the future renovation of Greene Square Park.

• 2001 Marked the first time Uptown Friday Nights is videotaped and rebroadcast throughout the year.

• June 28th, 2002 The first time that attendance at one Jaycees Uptown Friday Night exceeds three thousand guest to hear the sounds of The Large Midgets.

• July 9th, 2004 The Cedar Rapids Jaycees Friday Night Dream Makers reach $100,000 in donations back to the community.

• June 17th, 2005 The Jaycees Uptown Friday Night Dream Makers reach $150,000 in donations back to the community.

• October 2005 The Cedar Rapids Jaycees Friday Night Dream Makers donate $20,000 to Hurricane Katrina Red Cross Relief Efforts.

• May 26th, 2006 A Record opening night crowd as three thousand guests attend The Swing Crew show.

• June 2nd, 2006 The Cedar Rapids Jaycees Friday Night Dream Makers reach $200,000 in donations back to the community.

• 2007 Pro Video and the Cedar Rapids Jaycees join forces and go high tech. Three roaming cameras are used to collect footage of patrons and the bands in the park each week. The footage is compiled into a weekly highlight reel that is then web hosted for viewing as streaming video.

• 2007 Mix 96.5 Live @ 5, the Uptown Friday Nights Experience is launched. It brings live local music back to the airwaves each week as Mix 96.5 broadcast the first hour of Uptown Friday Nights.

• 2008 Severe flooding hits Downtown Cedar Rapids and requires the Jaycees to postpone two weeks and move Uptown Friday Nights to Cabo Sports Bar and Grill for the remainder of the season.