Welcome to the Top 10 Events in Iowa
Explore the selection of the top 10 annual events and festivals, fairs and celebrations (listed in calendar priority) across the State of Iowa, including events in Des Moines.University of Okoboji Winter Games
January
Okoboji, Iowa
The University of Okoboji is a fictitious school created to sponsor fun events such as the annual Winter Games.
Held over a weekend each January, the Winter Games feature broomball (a form of ice hockey without ice skates), miniature golf on ice, softball, snowmobile races, flag football, freeze your fanny bike rides, snow shoe hikes, ice bowling, arm wrestling, polar beat swims and more.
For more information visit: www.vacationokoboji.com
‘50s in February
February
Clear Lake, Iowa
This annual festival celebrates rock ‘n’ roll – and memories – at the legendary Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper performed their last show. The plane crash site is located just outside of town.
For more information visit: www.clearlakeiowa.com/fifties
Tulip Time Festival
May
Pella, Iowa
Tulip Time is held the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in May. The festival celebrates Pella's Dutch Heritage with parades, stage performances, a Dutch market, and quilt and flower shows.
Streets are scrubbed for twice-daily parades complete with Dutch dancers in authentic costumes in 3 afternoon and 3 lighted evening parades.
For more information visit: www.pellatuliptime.com
Glenn Miller Festival
June
Clarinda, Iowa
On the second weekend in June, visitors and entertainers from around the world will converge in Clarinda, Iowa to celebrate the music and memory of Alton Glenn Miller, American bandleader, composer and arranger who disappeared while directing the Glenn Miller AAF Band during World War II.
For more information visit: www.glennmiller.org
Des Moines Arts Festival
June
Des Moines, Iowa
The Des Moines Arts Festival, presented by The Des Moines Register, founded by the Des Moines Art Center and produced by Downtown Events Group, is a top-ranked downtown festival with a field of national artists and continuous live entertainment.
Features include 175 professional juried artists, emerging Iowa artists, a Student's Vision K - 12 Art Exhibition, Interrobang Film Festival, over 25 family and adult art activities, performing arts stage, eclectic food booths, live music, street theatre, sculpture garden, and fireworks
For more information visit: www.desmoinesartsfestival.org
RAGBRAI
July
across Iowa
Held in July, the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (The Des Moines Register is the statewide paper in Iowa) is an annual, seven-day, 500-mile bicycle ride across the state. It is is the oldest and largest touring bicycle ride in the world.
Each year is a new route.
For more information visit: www.ragbrai.org
Iowa State Fair
August
Des Moines, Iowa
Featured in the New York Times’ "1000 Places to See Before You Die" as one of the world's must-see events, and named the #2 choice for summer fun in America by USA Weekend, the internationally-acclaimed Iowa State Fair annually attracts more than a million fun-lovers from around the world.
Special features include one of the world's largest livestock shows, the country's largest state fair foods department (approx. 900 classes), the state's largest arts show, hundreds of competitive events and wacky contests; 600 plus exhibitors and concessionaires selling quality and tasty treats, and 160 rolling acres of campgrounds.
For more information visit: www.iowastatefair.org
Knoxville Nationals
August
Knoxville, Iowa
Conceived in 1961 as a two-day event, the Knoxville Nationals has grown into the country’s largest sprint car event attracting more than 30,000 enthusiasts and featuring a purse close to one million dollars.
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed specifically for short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Knoxville is referred to as the Sprint car capital of the world.
For more information visit: www.knoxvilleraceway.com
Madison County Covered Bridge Festival
October
Winterset, Iowa
The Madison County Covered Bridge Festival has been a time-honored tradition in Madison County, Iowa since 1970. Each year on the second full weekend in October, county residents gather under the brilliant hues of autumn to celebrate their historic covered bridges.
The festival features a wide variety of food, antique and craft vendors, nonstop music and entertainment, artisans demonstrating the old-fashioned ways, qulit show, car show, an antique vehicle parade, and guided bus tours of the covered bridges.
For more information visit: http://www.madisoncounty.com/bridge_fest.html
National Farm Toy Show
November
Dyersville, Iowa
The best place to buy, sell and trade in the farm toy capital of the world.
This show, affectionately referred to as the “Grandaddy of ‘Em All” was started 1978 by Claire and Cathy Scheibe, publishers of the popular Toy Farmer Magazine.
Today, the show has become an annual attraction drawing more than15,000 visitors each year.
For more information visit: www.toyfarmer.com
