RIVERSIDE CASINO & GOLF RESORT
July 1 - 2, 2022
With the Class of 1981’s “40+1” reunion only eight weeks away, you might be wondering about the “after parties” - where to go when official events have ended. Well, the Friday, July 1, and Saturday. July 2, events are being held at Riverside Casino& Golf Resort, so class members and their guests who enjoy gaming should be able to find plenty of action. The venue should also, however, provide opportunities for fun for those who don’t want to risk losing their nest eggs at the roulette table.
Let’s start with the gaming, though: The casino, which opened in 2006, has both smoking and non-smoking areas and features tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat. Many tables for poker are in a special poker room. There are also machines for video poker and keno –and, of course, slot machines, including a high-limit slot area.
In the middle of the casino is “a central bar where most people gather,” commented Shaundria Squiers, the Riverside Casino group sales coordinator who has been working with the reunion planning committee.
For those who want to hear live music, there is another bar called the Show Lounge that is open until midnight on both Friday and Saturday and never charges a cover. Squiers said the musical acts playing in July have not been released yet, but that the Show Lounge often features “some really great entertainment. If they are popular, we have them back over and over again.”
The Draft Day Sports Lounge is another place where people can gather. You can wager on sporting events here – or just watch sports on TV. It has a full bar and a menu with appetizers, salads, flatbread pizza, burgers, a chicken sandwich, and a shrimp basket. The kitchen for this area is open until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and the bar stays open until 10 p.m. on Friday and 11 p.m. on Saturday.
The Draft Day Sports Lounge also includes two Topgolf Swing Suites, bays that seat up to eight people and can be rented for $35 an hour from 4-6 p.m. and $60 an hour from 6-10 p.m.According to Squires, the simulators included in the Topgolf Swing Suites can be used to play a variety of games other than golf – one she highlighted is called “Zombie Dodge Ball.”She said each game lasts a couple of minutes and 1-2 people play at a time. People renting the bays can play as many games as they can fit into their hour.
The Riverside Casino also has several restaurants where class members could get together. Ruthie’s Steak & Seafood is a classic, upscale steakhouse that is open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Squires recommends that people thinking about eating there when not attending reunion events make reservations, including for a private dining room within the restaurant.
The 22 & Vine Café is more casual. Along with drink service, it has a menu featuring pizza, burgers and lots of other sandwiches, and several main dishes, too. This restaurant is open until 11 on both Friday and Saturday nights and starts serving breakfast at 10:30 on both Saturday and Sunday morning. Squiers notes that is also has a “grab-and-go” selection of items – including pizza, pastries, and ice cream – that is available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day.
No casino would be complete without a buffet and Riverside has one of those, too. Robert’s Buffet has an actual French chef, Christian Arlaud, who began his cooking career more than 30 years ago at a culinary school in Grenoble. After nights of partying, class members might be interested in $15.99 breakfast buffets served from 7-10:30 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Those who want to sleep in and eat later on Sunday could treat themselves to the $24.99 champagne and prime grade sirloin brunch, which is served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Riverside Casino also features an indoor-outdoor pool. The reunion events will include a Pool Courtyard Reception from 5-7 p.m. on July 1, but in July in Iowa people will likely want to get in the pool at other times. Squiers does note that swimming in the pool is available only for hotel guests. The Blue Top Ridge Golf Shop sells beverages and food from a limited menu in the outdoor pool area. For people who want to enjoy the fresh air around the pool but avoid the sun, wooden gazebos are available for rental for $75 for four hours.
The Spa at Riverside offers massages, skin care, nail services, hair design, waxing, as well as “aqua body polish” and “aroma hydrating” treatments. The spa does haircuts, facials, and manicures and pedicures for men, too.Squires definitely recommends that people interested in using Spa services get reservations well ahead of the reunion weekend, saying, “Out of all of our amenities,that fills up most quickly.”
If you would like a discounted rate on a hotel room at Riverside Casino, reserve your room before June 1. To make reservations, call Riverside Casino directly at 319-648-1234 and tell them you are making the reservation as part of the City High Class Reunion Block.
Here is a link to the Riverside Casino website: