Five Festivals in the Iowa City Area to Mark on Your Calendar
1. Iowa City Jazz Festival
Held around the 4th of July every year, the Iowa City Jazz Festival has become a staple event in our community and will be held in 2023 on June 30 – July 3. Presented by Summer of the Arts, patrons enjoy three days worth of live music, great food, cold drinks, and more. Taking up parts of Downtown Iowa City, there are multiple stages with live music line-ups so you can jam out wherever you go. A fireworks show caps off this festival with an amazing view over the Old Capitol Museum.
2. Coralville 4thFest
4thFest in Coralville is also around the 4th of July as the name suggests and will run July 1-4, 2023. The majority of the prgramming take place in and around S.T. Morrison park. It includes a free concert, a carnival with rides and food, 5K, and the biggest parade in the area. Families can also enjoy fun activities in the park. It wouldn’t be a 4th of July festival without fireworks and this one ends with a great show. Check out this drone video with from the fireworks show in 2022.
3. North Liberty Blues and BBQ
Blues and BBQ is a festival held every year at Centennial Park in North Liberty. The event will be on July 8, 2023 and brings together live, blues-inspired, music and amazing food under one umbrella. The festival strives to keep the Iowa connection to musicians, beverages, and vendors. Those 21+ will enjoy the beverage garden while kids will love the inflatable obstacle courses, bouncy house, and slides. It might already be a given because of the name but a good plate of BBQ is must as well. Those who want to have some fun a day early can pay into the Pig & Pint Prelude for VIP-like treatment.
4. Downtown Iowa City Block Party
Taking up over 14 city blocks, the Downtown Iowa City Block Party is our area’s biggest event. Taking place Saturday, June 24, 2023 from 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm, all activities are free and targeted towards all ages. Everywhere you go there is a different set of programming from dueling pianos, to a drag show, to sand volleyball, pro wrestling, and much more. Buy a cup and you are able to carry your drink around every single block. Make sure to get a hotel room early so you can stay for the whole event!
5. FRYfest
It’s a Celebration of All That is Hawkeye! FRYfest is always held on the FRYday (get it?) before the first Iowa Hawkeye football game of the season. In 2023, the fun will take place on September 1. The festival is named after former Iowa football coach, the legendary Hayden Fry. FRYfest is packed with a full day of programming including the world’s largest Hawkeye tradeshow, panels, autographs, bags tournament, pep rally, concert, and more. All programming is completely free. This is a must-attend for all Iowa Hawkeye fans and will quickly become an annual tradition for you! Make sure to follow FRYfest on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
