Looking for things to do during October in Iowa City?
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.
Downtown Fall Gallery Walk
2026 Fall Gallery Walk – Downtown Iowa City
October 2, 5 – 8 p.m.
Downtown
Iowa City
The 2026 Downtown Fall Gallery Walk is Friday, October 2 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. This FREE event is open to everyone to enjoy a self-guided tour of shops, galleries, and museums that have featured artists and curated pieces of art.
Move It! Dit It! Do it!
Move It! Dig It! Do It! | Free | Outside Iowa Children’s Museum
October 4, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Iowa Children’s Museum
Coralville
Get an up-close look at construction equipment, big trucks, emergency vehicles, and more at our biggest outdoor event of the year! Move it! Dig it! Do it! takes place just outside the museum in the Coral Ridge Mall parking lot.
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges: Lessons in Courage
October 5, 7:30 p.m.
Hancher Auditorium
Iowa City
University of Iowa Lecture Committee presents: Civil rights icon, activist and author Ruby Bridges.
At just six years old, she became the first Black student to integrate into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Join us as she shares her historic story, her lifelong work through the Ruby Bridges Foundation, and her powerful insights on equity and leadership.
John Waters
John Waters: Let’s Take Over the World
October 9
The Englert Theatre
Iowa City
John Waters returns to Iowa City on his tour “Let’s Take Over the World” at The Englert Theatre.
Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
October 11, 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.
Iowa City Book Festival
2026 Iowa City Book Festival
October 18-25
Various locations
Iowa City
The 18th annual Iowa City Book Festival will be held Oct. 18-25, 2026, at locations throughout downtown and beyond.
Tank and the Bangas
Tank and the Bangas: The Last Balloon Tour at Club Hancher
October 21
Hancher Auditorium
Iowa City
A fusion of styles grabs hold of the heart, the mind, and the soul.
Tank and the Bangas nabbed the band’s first Grammy Award in 2025 for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for The Heart, The Mind, The Soul. Toss in styles including funk, soul, hip hop, rock, and even something the band calls “Soulful Disney,” and you get music both standout and celebratory.
Refocus Film Festival
Refocus Film Festival 2026
October 22-25
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.
Director Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers) joins us in person for his new adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s short story of the same name on opening night. Haigh will also be presented with FilmScene’s 2026 Cinema Savant award for his body of work.
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.
Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham – Inappropriate Contact Tour
October 23, 7 p.m.
Xtream Arena
Coralville
Jeff Dunham bring the Inappropriate Contact tour to Xtream Arena. Dunham has been named Billboard’s Top Comedy Tour three years in a row, cited by Forbes as the third highest paid comedian behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock, and has been profiled in virtually every publication, platform and late night variety show, including The Los Angeles Times, ABC’s Nightline, Variety, The New York Times, People, The Today Show, The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.
After Dark
After Dark: Night of the Living Toys
October 23, 7 p.m.
Iowa Children’s Museum
Coralville
Playtime isn’t over. It’s just gotten a little… strange. After Dark is BACK, and this time our grown-ups-only night at the museum has a Halloween twist.
We’re talking costumes, creepy crafts, strange happenings, drinks, dancing, trivia, and a whole museum ready for after-hours play. Grab your friends, start planning your costume, and get ready for a Halloween night out that’s anything but ordinary.
Homecoming Parade
University of Iowa Homecoming Parade
October 30, 5:45 p.m.
Downtown
Iowa City
Each year, the University of Iowa community celebrates alongside more than 20,000 Hawkeyes that come from near and far to watch the parade. Included in the parade are dozens of floats, performances, bands, dance troupes, guests of honor, student organizations, community organizations, staff, faculty, and students.
Grave Rave
Grave Rave at the Hy-Vee Center presented by Thompson & Company
October 30, 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Hy-Vee Center at Centennial Park
North Liberty
Halloween isn’t just for kids. Celebrate the season with an adult-only costume party. Hy-Vee Center at Centennial Park will be decked out with skeletons, LED furniture and more for a party like no other.
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.
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.
