The city of Ames, as well as Cambridge and Huxley, have been very busy this weekend with the Summer Iowa Games taking place.

The Summer Iowa Games kicked off on Friday night with the Athlete Jamboree and Opening Ceremony. Jack Trice Stadium played host to both of those events, with local businesses offering fun events and activities for the public.

All the athletes that are competing in the Summer Iowa Games participated in the Parade of Athletes and were introduced to a crowd of supporters at Jack Trice Stadium.

On Saturday, 26 events took place, with the majority of them taking place on the Iowa State campus. The events started bright and early, with 13 events starting at around 8 a.m., and ran all day. Athletes of all ages and abilities competed this weekend.

With most of the athletes in the Summer Iowa Games being from Iowa, some of the athletes begin to become familiar with one another over time.

“I’ve been doing this now for almost 18 years now and for the most part people don’t know each other but it’s kind of like a family reunion,” Iowa Games Fencing Commissioner Steve Behrends said.

“You get to see people from around the state that you don’t get to see that often. It’s a fun way to get to together,” Behrends said.

Since the Summer Iowa Games is such a big event, proper preparation becomes a big factor in whether or not the Summer Iowa Games are run well.

“The Iowa Games crew does an amazing job of getting things ready to go,” Behrends said.

The Summer Iowa Games will continue on Sunday, with 18 events taking place in Ames and Huxley. Additionally, the Baseball, Flag Football, Figure Skating and Pickleball events will all be taking place in Ames next weekend.