Celebrate Creative Culture with These Iowa Art Festivals

Marion Arts Festival, Marion

This one-day art festival combines the best of big city events and small-town gatherings. Every May, the Uptown Marion overflows with booths showcasing the creations of nationally recognized artists that guests can chat with while also enjoying live music, local food vendors and shopping at surrounding boutiques.
 

Iowa Arts Festival, Iowa City

A community tradition for over 40 years, the award-winning Iowa Arts Festival treats visitors and locals alike to a lively mix of art, music and food in the heart of downtown Iowa City. Held annually in early June, the event features over 100 artists showing off their expertise in everything from painting and pottery to handcrafted jewelry, woodwork and photography. Live music and food trucks help keep the energy high throughout the three-day festival.
 

Snake Alley Art Fair, Burlington

Winding down the historic and unbelievably crooked Snake Alley, this day-long celebration in June started as a small gathering of local artists over 50 years ago. Today’s event now welcomes artists from across the Midwest who show off an eclectic mix of handmade creations, including one-of-a-kind paintings, woodworking, jewelry, glass art, knitting, sculptures, metal art and more. Add towering trees, historic architecture, live music, kids’ activities and food vendors, and it’s a festival that’s as memorable for its atmosphere as it is for the art.
 

Blanden Arts Festival, Fort Dodge

With endless interactive activities and plenty of opportunities to engage with artists, the Blanden Arts Festival operates more like a community celebration of creativity. Held each June right outside the city’s beloved Blanden Art Museum, it invites local artists to share their paintings, pottery, jewelry and more, musicians to share their magical tunes and food vendors to show off their iconic flavors.  
 

MacNider Arts Festival, Mason City

This vibrant celebration unites art enthusiasts each June on the lawn of the MacNider Art Museum for a day filled with creativity and community. The festivities kick off with a free pancake breakfast followed by kids’ activities, an art market featuring unique pottery, jewelry, sculptures, glass art and more, and live music.
 

Art on the Square, Oskaloosa

Oskaloosa’s Art on the Square is a lively festival of creativity and expression set in the heart of historic downtown. This artful gathering occurs each June and brings together talented artists from near and far, transforming the square into an open-air gallery. The day is filled with music, flavorful fare from local food trucks, window art displays and a puppet parade.
 

Des Moines Art Festival, Des Moines

Nationally-award winning, the Des Moines Art Festival draws almost 200 of the nation’s top artists to the heart of Des Moines every year in late June. The three-day event transforms Western Gateway Park into a bold and impressive juried art show and also features live music, film screenings, interactive art experiences and a wide variety of food and drink vendors, all with Pappajohn Sculpture Park as the backdrop to complete the scene.
 

Art in the Park, Clear Lake

Blending lakeside beauty and artistic vision, this one-day art festival is held in Clear Lake’s City Park, which is just steps from the water. Each July, over 60 local and regional artists set up shop on the shoreline, where guests can stroll between the booths as well as enjoy live music and grab a bite from local food vendors. More fun can be found at the Clear Lake Arts Center, including free face paintings, giveaways and more art booths.
 

Indianola Summer Art Festival, Indianola

As balloons lift off for the National Balloon Classic in late July, artists take over Indianola’s Buxton Park for the coinciding two-day Summer Art Festival. Admire the colorful balloons overhead while admiring the works of over 30 artists and the flavors of local food vendors. As a bonus, the weekend festivities also include the Indianola Hometown Celebration and parade, creating the ultimate blend of local culture and small-town charm.
 

DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival, Dubuque 

DubuqueFest has been a beloved staple of the local arts scene for decades and is known for taking over Washington Park every first weekend in August. The park’s sidewalks are lined with booths showcasing the handmade creations of over 50 regional artists while a dynamic music lineup, diverse food vendors and hands-on activities add to the festive atmosphere and round out the event’s reputation as one of Iowa’s premier summer art festivals.
 

Amana Festival of the Arts, Amana Colonies

Discover a unique blend of history and artistry at the Amana Festival of the Arts, which is held in the German colonies’ Market Barn. Held in early August, this vibrant one-day celebration brings together 30 local and regional artists, showcasing a dynamic mix of contemporary media and traditional German-inspired art. The community’s German heritage also shines through via the event’s food vendors, where items like fresh apple fritters delight visitors of all ages.
 

Art in the Park Fine Art Festival, Elkader

Set along the scenic Turkey River, Elkader’s art festival transforms Founders’ Park into a weekend destination every third weekend in August. For two days, over 50 regional artists showcase stunning paintings, jewelry, woodwork and more while food vendors delight with local flavors and wineries and breweries offer delicious samples. Experience it all while live music provides a serene soundtrack to this vibrant event.
 

ArtSplash Art Festival, Sioux City

A can’t-miss late-summer art event, ArtSplash offers two days of creative excitement every Labor Day weekend. Artists and art lovers alike flock to the Sioux City Art Center, where over 70 regional creators show off their works while live musicians provide entertainment and food vendors serve up exquisite flavors. Visitors can also enjoy interactive art zones for all ages plus the pop-up short-film showings from the Sioux City International Film Festival inside the art center.
 

Newbo Arts Fest, Cedar Rapids

Further enhancing the creative buzz of Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village & New Bohemia District, this festival is held each year on the last Sunday in August. Started in 2007 as a music festival, it has since evolved into a celebration of visual and performing arts and features a variety of works from regional artists plus live music, dances and cultural cuisine. Guests can also enjoy the vibrant neighborhood, which boasts endless specialty shops and boutiques.  
 

ARTapalooza, Cedar Falls

A signature fall tradition, ARTapalooza transforms Cedar Falls’ Main Street into a colorful art gallery showcasing the creations of artists from across the region. It takes place on the first Sunday in September and features a vibrant mix of paintings, pottery, fiber art, mixed media, metal work, glass art, sculptures and more, plus artist demonstrations, interactive activities for kids and live music performances.
 

Octagon Art Festival, Ames

Located on Ames’s charming main street, the Octagon Art Festival has been a beloved community tradition for over 50 years and occurs on the last Sunday of September. Nearly 100 artists set up booths and chat with visitors about their ceramics, paintings, photography, garden art, jewelry and other unique goods. Other fun includes live music performances and local food vendors, plus shopping at more than 50 locally owned specialty shops.
 

Riverssance Festival of Fine Art, Davenport

Set against the scenic backdrop of the Mississippi River, Riverssance is a two-day event that’s known as one of the Midwest’s premier fine art festivals. Every September, over 90 of the region’s top artists take over Davenport’s Lindsay Park, where visitors can admire an endless array of paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media and more, as well as delicious food, beer and wine tents, live entertainment and hands-on art activities for kids. Please note that admission is $5 for those aged 18 and older.
 

Southwest Iowa Art Tour

Embark on a creative road trip of southwest Iowa with this self-guided art tour, which spotlights the rich artistic talents of the area’s rural communities. Held annually the third weekend of September, this event invites participants to meander between designated Gathering Places – local venues such as galleries, studios and community centers – which are spread across over 10 communities and feature over 80 artists and a diverse range of works. It’s the perfect way to explore charming communities like Clarinda, Red Oak, Malvern, Glenwood, Neola and others, and discover hidden artistic gems like the Art Church, The Painted Camel Gallery and Brenda Scott Studios.
 

Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour

Immerse yourself in the art world by participating in the Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour, held annually over a weekend in October. With Decorah acting as the central hub, this event invites participants to embark on a self-guided tour of studios, galleries and home workshops of artists within a 40-mile radius. At each location, visitors can meet the artist, watch demonstrations and purchase original paintings, ceramics, glass works, mixed media pieces and more unique creations. Its sure to be a weekend packed with behind-the-scenes experiences and breathtaking views of the northeast Iowa’s wooded hills and winding rivers.
 

Art on the Prairie, Perry

Join Perry on the second weekend of November in a celebration of small-town living, art, music and literature. Art on the Prairie takes over the historic downtown for two days of family-friendly fun, including over 50 art booths presenting everything from paintings and sculptures to ceramics, jewelry and other handmade works, plus live music, poetry readings and story times across a handful of community venues. The event also pulls in local restaurants, shops, permanent art installations and collections and historic attractions like Hotel Pattee and the Carnegie Library to show off its community spirit.