Annual events to banned books and Caitlin Clark, here are 4 things to do in Iowa City this weekend

As the early days of spring take residents on a wild roller coaster ride, the action in Iowa City continues to heat up.

Here are five events to check out during the first weekend of spring:

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Catch J.E. Sunde at The James Theater

J.E Sunde embodies the Midwest through his folk and indie pop songwriting. Intricate melodies, poignant lyrics, and a warm, distinctive voice characterize Sunde's music. He's bringing his introspective tour to the James Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 22. Tickets are on sale and available for $20.

Find something new to read at the Shelter House Book Sale

The Shelter House Book Sale returns for another year. The facility is an emergency shelter in Coralville that assists individuals experiencing homelessness. The non-profit asks the community for annual donations of books, CDs, puzzles, vinyl records, and DVDs. The proceeds from the book sale contribute to the organization's operational costs, such as salaries, utilities, and program support. The event is happening from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, at Shelter House's home base at 860 Quarry Road.

Study acrylics with Carlos at The Artifactory

Learn how to paint in acrylic with Iowa City painter Carlos Maldonado at Artifactory. Maldonado will lead the workshop from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, March 23, where everyone will use the same reference photo and paint with him. Supplies will be provided so that everyone works with the same material. The class costs $50.

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See the forbidden at Annie's Foundation BANNED Wagon Pop-Up

Annie's Foundation is a non-profit organization from the Des Moines Metro that brings banned books to the community. The foundation believes that it is important for communities in Iowa to have unhindered access to books with characters and subjects that reflect the diversity and complexity of the world. Annie's Foundation is teaming up with the Iowa City Public Library and the bookmobile to give away free banned books from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 23 in Ped Mall.

Take in the top-seeded Iowa women's basketball team

Tickets are rather expensive, but for those wanting to catch history in action, the No. 1-seeded University of Iowa women's basketball team is hosting a first-round NCAA tournament game at 2 p.m. Saturday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The 29-4 Hawkeyes will host the winner of UT Martin and Holy Cross. Iowa is seeded No. 1 for just the third time in school history, its first top-seed since 1992.

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Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Banned books and Caitlin Clark are the things to see in Iowa City this weekend