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Iowa Events

Located right in the heartland, Iowa celebrates its agriculture and multicultural heritage at fairs and festivals. You can also enjoy music festivals, haunts, and fall festivals at local farms. Beyond these festivities, you can also enjoy various comic conventions. 

Top Festivals in Iowa

While the Iowa State Fair has national renown, Iowa is also home to other fairs, festivals, and celebrations. You can find many celebrations of the different cultures in Iowa. It’s also home to several music festivals of all genres, so it’s easy to find your jam.

Native American Culture & Heritage

• University of Iowa Powwow – Enjoy arts, crafts, food vendors, and Native American traditional dances.
• Meskwaki Powwow – Celebrate hope and kinship with the Meskwaki tribe at this four-day event.
• Annual White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow – See a variety of Native American dances, crafts, and enjoy food.

Asian & Pacific Islander Culture & Heritage

• AsianFest – Celebrate diverse Asian heritage with traditional Asian fare, traditional fashion show, and dancing.
• CelebrAsian – Experience the diversity of AAPI culture with Bollywood dances, martial arts demonstrations, a fashion show, food, and more.

Latinx Culture & Heritage

• Iowa City Latino Fest – Enjoy traditional dances, food, and music from Mexico and Central American vendors and performers.
• Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival – Celebrate Latino cultural heritage with food, performances, and other family activities.

European Culture & Heritage

• St. Pat’s Irish Celebration – Celebrate Irish culture at this three-day festival.
• Maifest – Celebrate German culture in the Amana Colonies with music, a parade, Maipole dancing, and food.
• Tulip Time Festival – Celebrate Dutch heritage with tulip gardens, Dutch dancers, crafters, and more.
• Syttende Mai Celebration – Celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day with Nordic dance performances, parade, and free admission to the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.
• Orange City Tulip Festival – Celebrate Dutch culture with tulips, Dutch costumes, dances, and food.
• Tivoli Fest – Celebrate Danish culture with food, windmill tours, a parade, folk dancers, and more.
• Scandinavian Days – Celebrate Scandinavian heritage with traditional foods and folklore.
• Nordic Fest – Celebrate Norwegian culture with delicious foods, crafts, a parade, entertainment, and more.
• Iowa Irish Fest – Celebrate Irish culture with Celtic music, Irish dancing, food, beer, a 5k, and a parade.
• GermanFest Celebration – Enjoy a biergarten, kraut cook-off, homemade beer tasting, and more.
• Julefest – Enjoy Danish Christmas traditions, including food, candles, and decorations.

More Culture & Heritage

• Faces of Siouxland Multicultural Fair – Enjoy live entertainment, family activities, crafts, and diverse cuisines.
• I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa – Celebrate at this African American festival with jazz, gospel, classic, blues, and R&B music performances, dinner, dancing, and historical presentations.
• Nelson Pioneer Farm Festival – Play games, watch historic demonstrations, visit a petting zoo, shop from local vendors, and more.
• Madison County Covered Bridge Festival – Celebrate local history in Madison County with antique tractor rides, historic reenactments, shopping from local vendors, and more.

Food & Drink

• Houby Days – Celebrate mushrooms with a car show, carnival, live music, and more. (Houby is Czech for mushrooms.)
• Oktoberfest – Enjoy beer, singing, dancing, and food at this celebration in the Amana Colonies.
• Iowa PumpkinFest – See the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, carve a pumpkin, watch a parade, and enjoy a 5k, bowling, golf, and more.
• World Food & Music Festival – Enjoy international cuisines, live music, performing arts, and more.
• Iowa Craft Brew Festival – Have a good time sampling craft brews, enjoying food trucks, and more.

Music

• Burlington Steamboat Days – Enjoy live music performances along the Mississippi River banks and other family activities.
• Jazz in July – Enjoy indoor and outdoor jazz concerts across Des Moines, including performances by jazz legends.
• Glenn Miller Festival – Celebrate bandleader and composer Alton Glenn Miller with picnics, dances, a Glenn Miller Orchestra performance, and more.
• 80/35 – Enjoy pop and alternative live music alongside fitness workshops, interactive art, and shopping from local vendors.
• Hinterland Music Festival – Enjoy all music genres at this festival alongside games, arts, and crafts. You can even camp at the onsite campground.
• Iowa City Jazz Festival – Watch free indoor and outdoor jazz performances.

Other Fairs & Festivals

• Des Moines Art Festival – See arts and crafts from local artists and artisans alongside live music and other activities.
• Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival – Enjoy parades, outdoor concerts, barbecue competitions, and more during this two-week festival.
• Iowa State Fair – Considered one of the best state fairs in the country, you won’t want to miss carnival rides, concerts, livestock shows, and more. Of course, you also need to get a strawberry shake with fresh dairy and fresh strawberries.
• Clay County Fair – Enjoy live concerts, chuck wagon races, rodeos, carnival foods, arts and craft stalls, and more.
• Iowa National Balloon Classic – Enjoy hot air balloons, open-air market, live music, fireworks, and more.
• Capital City Pride Festival – Enjoy live music, shows, a parade, and local vendors at this celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Top Sports in Iowa

Enjoy minor league baseball, professional hockey, soccer, minor league basketball, and collegiate sports – football, basketball, etc. 

Iowa’s baseball teams include the Iowa Cubs, Cedar Rapids Kernels, and the Sioux City Explorers. Hockey teams include Iowa Wild, Sioux City Musketeers, and the Des Moines Buccaneers. Iowa also has teams for football (Iowa Barnstormers), basketball (Iowa Wolves), and soccer (Des Moines Menace).

Top Haunts in Iowa

Iowa offers several options for haunted houses to enjoy, including

• Eclipse Haunted Attraction – Walk through a no-touch haunted house.
• Mayhem Haunted House – Experience one of the best haunted houses in Iowa.
• KW Paintball Zombie Shoot – Take a ride on a custom trailer through a paintball park and take out the zombies lurking in it.
• Thrashers House of Terror – See scary clowns and mad doctors.
• Circle of Ash – Enjoy multiple haunted attractions, including Socko’s Fun House and Frightmare Forest.
• Scream Acres – Visit three indoor haunts and a haunted cornfield.
• The Heart of Darkness – See Darkhold Castle, Nightmare Bus, Outbreak Outpost, a fog maze, merch shop, concessions, and more.
• Scare Central – Experience two attractions called Nightmare on 4th Street and The Fear Factory.
• Sleepy Hollow’s Haunted Scream Park – Walk through Castle of Dr. Demonik, Nightmares Asylum, Chaos RED, and other attractions.
• Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction – Enjoy this underground haunted attraction with Hollywood-level effects and sets.
• Barnum Circus of Freaks – See haunted spectacles and costumes.
• Linn’s Haunted House – Enjoy a haunt focused on suspense instead of blood and gore.

For Halloween enthusiasts looking for something more fun instead of scary, check out the corn mazes and pumpkin patches below:

• Sherman’s Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze – Enjoy a corn maze, trunk or treat, and other fall harvest activities.
• Howell’s Greenhouse & Pumpkin Patch – Complete an obstacle course, see farm animals, launch a pumpkin cannon, do paintball, and more.
• Solsma’s Punkin Patch and Fireworks – Experience a corn maze, face painting, food trucks, and free backyard games.
• Hoefling’s Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze – Have fun in a lighted corn maze decorated for Halloween. 

Top Conventions, Expos, and Tradeshows in Iowa

Iowa hosts several annual conventions, expos, and tradeshows. A few of the most popular ones are listed below.

• QuadCon – Visit a QuadCon in Iowa or other parts of the Midwest to enjoy cosplay, a free comic show, and celebrate pop culture.
• AniAmes – Participate in a cosplay contest, hear a panel, and shop from local businesses.
• Des Moines Con – Enjoy costume contests, gaming tournaments, panels, and more.
• American Institute of Architects Iowa Annual Convention – Network with Iowa architects and industry professionals.
• Iowa League of Cities Annual Conference – Network with other cities within Iowa.
• Iowa Ag Expo – See the latest ag innovations and connect with ag professionals.
• Association of Iowa Fairs Conference & Annual Meeting – enjoy workshops, networking, and live entertainment.

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