Looking for things to do during April in Iowa City?
Events are springing up all around as fast as the flowers are blooming across town! From alternative media expos to trivia nights, music festivals and lectures there’s a wide variety of experiences coming up this month.
Check out these events going on throughout the month in our collection of curious communities.
Find more things to do by visiting our events calendar or to submit your own event here.
Sign up for our free events e-newsletter #ICtheWeekend.
Public Space One Presents: ICE CREAM
Iowa City Expo for Comics and Real Eclectic Alternative Media
April 3, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
April 4, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Public Space One Close House
Iowa City
2026 marks 10 years of ICE CREAM, and to celebrate we have a whole weekend of FREE events celebrating comics, zines, and DIY media!
Join us Friday April 3 for a line-up of pre-party events including:
4-5pm: Reading by Sam Szabo, author of Enlightened Transsexual Comix, Momix, Girl Hell, and more
5:30-6:30pm: Comics Karaoke featuring Jackson Palmer and Rv. Xen, with live music by Antifahorn
7-10pm: Screening of John Porcellino’s documentary “Root Hog or Die” in the Media Arts Co-op
Then, Saturday April 4 is the fest! Open to the public 11am-5pm, with over 40 artists tabling and selling their work.
Stop/Time Festival
Stop/Time Festival
April 3-4
Various locations
Iowa City
Stop/Time Festival is a two-day, multi-venue, multi-artist spring festival produced by Hancher Auditorium and devoted to innovation and independence in contemporary music and the arts. This is a festival of discovery—opening our ears and minds to new sounds, ideas, and possibilities.
Presented in spaces throughout downtown Iowa City and across the University of Iowa campus, the festival highlights the region’s century-long tradition of creative experimentation. Musicians will present work spanning psych, jazz, creative music, contemporary classical, avant-garde performance, alternative folk, ambient, noise, and electronic sound. Alongside them, writers and interdisciplinary artists will offer readings, activations, and collaborations that extend the conversation across art forms.
Stop/Time welcomes everyone, offering an open invitation to experience new ideas, new collaborations, and new horizons in sound and performance.
Adult Easter Egg Hunt
Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Tin Roost
April 4
Tin Roost
North Liberty
Back by popular demand!! Leave the kids at home while you have some adult egg fun! Hosted outside in our giant fenced in lawn, the Adult Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Sunday, April 5th.
Each time block’s max capacity is 40 tickets.
– Early Birds: Check in starts at 8:45AM. Hunt is at 9AM.
– Boozy Bunnies: Check in starts at 11:15AM. Hunt is at 11:30AM.
– Hoppy Hunters: Check in starts at 1:45PM. Hunt is at 2PM.
Tickets are $15 and include 1 FREE mimosa, a $5 Tin Roost Gift Card, and the Easter Egg Hunt. Tickets are not transferrable between the two hunts (Morning Hunt ticket holders cannot join in for the Afternoon or Evening Hunt instead).
Loudon Wainwright III & Chris Smither
Englert Presents: Songwriter Series Loudon Wainwright III & Chris Smither
April 9, 7:30 p.m.
The Englert Theatre
Iowa City
In concert.
Here’s a rare chance to see two venerable musicians.
It was the late 1960’s on Charles Street in Boston, outside one of the legendary clubs during the folk revival era, these two new-to-the-scene young musicians first met. They’ve stayed friends ever since with their paths crossing at folk festivals and concert halls and folk clubs.
After Dark
The Iowa Children’s Museum After Dark
April 17
Iowa Children’s Museum
Coralville
Your inner child called—they want another night out! After a sold-out debut, After Dark is returning to The Iowa Children’s Museum for a grown-ups-only night of play, presented by The Jill Armstrong Team.
This is your chance to explore the museum after hours, act like a kid again, and forget about bills, deadlines, and that laundry you still haven’t folded.
Soulja Boy and Lil Xan
Soulja Boy and Lil Xan at Wildwood
April 21, 7 p.m.
Wildwood BBQ & Saloon
Iowa City
Presented by First Fleet Concerts
The Drip Tour
Soulja Boy with Lil Xan
All Ages
Fran Lobowitz
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
April 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Englert Theatre
Iowa City
In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators.
Her essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. The New York Times Book Review calls Lebowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.
Tickets: Free and open to the public.
Sculpture Walk
Iowa River Landing Sculpture Walk
April 25
Johnson County Historical Society
Coralville
Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Robert Cray is all these things – and more.
Robert Cray Band performs at the Englert Theatre on Sunday, March 22 in Iowa City.
As an artist Robert Cray’s aged like fine wine – his voice has developed a greater range and expressiveness, this he’s put to use on masterful interpretations of such Southern soul standards.
XFC 54
XFC 54: The Ascension
April 25
Xtream Arena
Coralville
MMA is coming back to Coralville!
XFC 54: Ascension hits Xtream Arena on April 25 — tickets start on sale!
Don’t sleep on this one.
Trivia Night with Iowa PBS
Trivia Night with Iowa PBS at Deadwood Tavern
April 29, 4 p.m.
Deadwood Tavern
Iowa City
Think you know Iowa?
Put your knowledge to the test at Trivia Night With Iowa Life! Join Charity Nebbe on April 29 at 6 p.m. at the Deadwood Tavern in Iowa City for a fun evening of trivia celebrating the people, cultures and stories that make Iowa unique.
The evening will feature three rounds of trivia, each inspired by memorable stories and individuals featured on Iowa Life. Participants will work together in teams to test their knowledge of Iowa and the remarkable people who call it home.
Appetizers will be provided to all attendees and Iowa-themed prizes will be awarded to the teams with the top three scores.
Participation is free, and registration is encouraged. Grab your friends, form a team and see who comes out on top!
Enter our spring photo contest
Send us photos from your adventure for a chance to win a prize pack.
How to enter
1) Upload your photos showcasing the Iowa City area to our photo contest page.
2) Enter your name and email along with a description of where you captured the images.
3) Hit upload! We’ll be in contact if you’re a winner!
Spring 2026 photo contest – Mud, sweat and cheers
Spring is here — get outside and show us what you’ve got! We want to see Iowa City adventurers in action: hiking the trails, biking along the riverfront, kayaking, fishing, or just soaking up that long-awaited sunshine. Skip the flower close-ups and show us YOU out there living your best spring life. Submit your best outdoor adventure shot for a chance to win!
March 20-June 20
Submit your Event
We’re the go-to source for what’s happening in the Iowa City area, and your event should be part of it. It’s easy, free, and a great way to get in front of locals and visitors who are looking for things to do.
