Celebrate Public Safety and Public Works on May 30 at the Farmers Market

Community members are invited to City Services Saturday, a celebration of public safety and public works, at City Hall, 410 E. Washington St., from 7:30 a.m. - noon, Saturday, May 30, 2026. Festivities will take place in the east parking lot of City Hall and along Van Buren Street.

Participants will be able to check out equipment used by police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and public works staff, ask questions, and engage in fun and exciting hands-on activities. The event is free to the public.

City Services Saturday is a collaboration between the Iowa City Police Department, Iowa City Fire Department, Johnson County Ambulance Service, and Iowa City Public Works to celebrate National Police Week and National Public Works Week.

About National Police Week

National Police Week is May 11-17, 2026.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The Memorial Service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, the event, more commonly known as National Police Week, has grown to a series of events which attracts thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to our Nation's Capital each year.

More information on National Police Week can be found here.

About National Public Works Week

National Public Works Week is May 17-23, 2026.

National Public Works Week is an annual celebration of the vital importance and hard work of public works employees. Organized by the APWA (the American Public Works Association), the week spotlights the work that public works staff do in our communities. In Iowa City, our engineers, equipment staff, resource management staff, landfill operators, streets employees, water providers, and our wastewater staff, all contribute towards making Iowa City a great place to live.

The theme for this year's National Public Work's Week is "Rooted in Service, Powered by Community," an acknowledgement of the roots of service that run deep in public works.

Film screening

City Services Saturday will feature screenings of the documentary, "Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong," throughout the morning. The film explores wastewater plants, their environmental benefits, and challenges. Screenings will take place inside Emma Harvat Hall at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. Participants are free to come and go or stay for the entire 73-minute screening.