Looking for things to do during October in Iowa City?
From cultural festivals to spooky celebrations, comedians and live music, there’s a variety of fun activities going on in the Iowa City area this month to explore!
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. For information about weekly farmers markets in the Iowa City area click here.
African Festival of Arts and Culture
2025 African Festival of Arts and Culture
Oct. 4, noon to 9 p.m.
Pedestrian Mall
Iowa City
The African Festival of Arts and Culture returns on Saturday, October 4 from noon to 9 p.m. in downtown Iowa City’s Ped Mall. The festival will showcase the vibrant presence of Africans in Iowa and will highlight the rich cultural traditions they have brought with them.
Africa is a hugely diverse continent with 54 countries, hundreds of languages, and thousands of ethnic groups.
Africa Fest performances and booths will showcase some of the cuisines, musical traditions, fashions, and art of the African groups who call Iowa home.
G Herbo performs at Xtream Arena
G Herbo performs at Xtream Arena
Oct. 4, 8 p.m.
Xtream Arena
Coralville
G Herbo performs live at Xtream Arena on October 4, doors open at 7 p.m.
“It’s like finding your roots, getting in touch with your old self and that hunger you had when you first started, the energy that made the world fall in love with Lil Herb,” says G Herbo of his new project, Lil Herb. Named after the moniker he broke through with 15 years ago, it’s both an album and a time machine.
Wings & Wild Things Festival
Wings & Wild Things Festival
Oct. 5, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
F.W. Kent Park
Oxford
Celebrate Iowa’s natural world during the second year of the Wings & Wild Things Festival. Wings & Wild things showcases the wild and wonderful flora and fauna of our region, as well as outdoor recreation activities in our area. Grab food from local food trucks and enjoy a day spent exploring Johnson County’s Kent Park.
The event will feature hands-on learning activities, guided exploration, and animal meet & greets. Meet a live owl, study Iowa’s threatened box turtles, get your hands dirty making milkweed seed balls, pick up native plants for your yard, explore eco arts practices, and more. Visitors can also enjoy guided bird walks, mushroom forays, and fishing activities.
Iowa City Book Festival
Iowa City Book Festival
Oct. 5-12
Various locations
Iowa City
The 17th annual Iowa City Book Festival will be held Oct. 5-12, 2025, at locations throughout downtown and beyond. It will showcase a dynamic mix of original events and collaborative programs with partner organizations, all celebrating the power of the written word and the exchange of ideas.
The festival overlaps with FilmScene’s Refocus Film Festival, which will be held Oct. 9-12, and ICON 49.5, a celebration of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction, on Oct. 11.
The festival website, www.iowacitybookfestival.org, is the place to find the most up-to-date information about events.
Refocus Film Festival
Refocus Film Festival 2025
Oct. 9 -12
Various locations
Iowa City
DOZENS OF Films, LIVE MUSIC AND ART, 4 Days, 1 pass
Movie lovers rejoice! The Refocus Film Festival returns for another year with four days of film screenings, each proceeded by live local music or multimedia art to form a kaleidoscopic impression of the many artistic disciplines that inform our big screen experience.
The festival opens with a film adaptation of Train Dreams, the beloved novella by Iowa Writers’ Workshop alum Denis Johnson.
Refocus Film Festival is much more than films. Go deeper into the the art through filmmaker and author dialogues, curated alongside Iowa City Book Festival.
Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
Oct. 12, 2 – 5:30 p.m.
Terry Trueblood Recreation Center
Iowa City
Indigenous Peoples Day is a day to recognize the indigenous people of our community and beyond and celebrate the journey they have been through and are still going through each day.
Food by Chef Anthony Warrior.
Music by the Eagle Feather Singers.
No fee.
Move it! Dig it! Do it!
Move It! Dig it! Do it!
Oct. 12, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Iowa Children’s Museum
Coralville
Grab your hard hat and take an up-close look at large construction equipment, big trucks, and emergency vehicles! Our biggest outdoor event of the year takes place just outside of the museum in the Coral Ridge Mall parking lot.
Please join us for games, activities, and vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Check back soon, as more details and event activities will be added as the day approaches.
Outdoor activities are FREE of charge. To play in our indoor exhibits, tickets must be purchased at the door.
Fred Armisen
Fred Armisen | Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome
Oct. 15, 7 p.m.
The Englert Theatre
Iowa City
Fred Armisen is a comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s
Emmy-nominated series Portlandia. He is in the hit Netflix series Wednesday as Uncle Fester. He stars in HBO’s Los Espookys, which he co-wrote and executive produced. He can also be heard in the hit animated Super Mario Bros movie. Armisen stars in, writes, and produces IFC’s hit show Documentary Now.
He has also appeared in HBO’s Our Flag Means Death, Judd Apatow’s The Bubble, and Amazon’s series Forever. He voices characters in Big Mouth and The Mitchells vs. The Machines. He is currently starring in the Broadway play All In. Armisen is an 11-season veteran of Saturday Night Live. From 2014- 2024, Armisen was band leader of the 8G Band on Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Treats on the Wine Trail
Treats on the Wine Trail Benefit for CommUnity Crisis Services
Oct. 19, 4 – 7 p.m.
Walker Homestead
Iowa City
Celebrate autumn at Treats on the Wine Trail, a family-friendly fundraiser supporting CommUnity Crisis Services. Guests will stroll a festive one-mile “Great Pup-kin Walk” through the vineyard and gardens, collecting sweet and savory treats along the way.
Enjoy live blues and soul from Kevin B.F. Burt, join in the Pet Costume Parade, try your hand at pumpkin throwing to feed the animals, and bid on unique items in the silent auction—all while savoring farm-fresh food and wine in a breathtaking fall vineyard setting.
100% of proceeds from this event directly support CommUnity Crisis Services, helping provide critical resources for neighbors in need.
Grave Rave
Grave Rave at the Hy-Vee Center presented by Thompson & Company
October 24, 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Hy-Vee Center at Centennial Park
North Liberty
North Liberty’s newest venue, Hy-Vee Center at Centennial Park, will open in October and host its first indoor ticketed event, the Grave Rave, on Friday Oct. 24.
The Grave Rave presented by Thompson & Company Salon Parlors is an adult-only (21+) costume party. Ticketholders will have a spooktacular evening packed with live music, variety entertainment, a cash-prize costume contest and more.
Full details at northlibertyiowa.org/graverave.
Spooky Night @ the Museum
Spooky Night @ the Museum
Oct. 29, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Old Capitol Museum
Iowa City
Happy Spooky Szn, Hawkeyes!
The Pentacrest Museums are excited to put on Spooky Night @ The Museum, open for all of our campus and community to enjoy. We’ll keep the Old Capitol Museum open after hours for guests to find a treat and roam the galleries. Stumble upon docents with some slightly spooky history to share with you in our galleries like the original University President’s Office, the original UI Library, and the original Iowa House Chamber where our Iowa Constitution was first drafted and signed (if only walls [and ghosts] could talk…). On your way in (or out) be sure to say “hi” to the Ghostbusters of Iowa who will be ready to take a photo with you, their special vehicle, and of course, Old Cap as the backdrop.
Don’t miss out on the fun! Bring a friend, bring a date, bring your family, wear a costume if you’d like!
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.
