Iowa City’s premiere music and literature festival, Mission Creek Festival, just announced its 2023 lineup. The festival will be taking place on April 6-8 and if you’re a loyal festival goer, you might recognize a few names.
Among the Iowa locals hitting the Mission Creek music stage this year are Karen Meat, Extravision, Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops and Mr. Softheart.
Kevin Morby returns to Iowa City for the April festival, and Black Belt Eagle Scout, who had been scheduled for the canceled 2020 Mission Creek and performed virtually for that fall’s Witching Hour, will perform as well.
Indie rock icon Cat Power headlines the 2023 festival, in a guitar/piano duo configuration, along with another headliner to be announced next month.
Mission Creek’s literary lineup includes Iowa City writer and Little Village contributor, Lauren Haldeman; Camonghne Felix following the release of her second book in February; and Michelle Zauner, the brain behind music act, Japanese Breakfast.
The three day festival is shooting for “a continued homecoming,” according to a press release, since its return in 2022 after a hiatus due to COVID-19. “The 18th installment of Mission Creek will embrace a balance of evolution and familiarity in its ongoing exploration of independent voices in music, literature, and community.”
Tickets for Mission Creek Festival are available for members, early bird and student purchase today starting at noon CST. Full festival passes and day passes will be available for purchase on Jan. 13. Tickets range from $50-110.
Here’s the lineup that has been announced so far:
Music
Cat Power (duo) // Kevin Morby // Sudan Archives // Courtney Marie Andrews // Black Belt Eagle Scout // Divino Niño // Yasmin Williams // Natural Information Society // TEKE::TEKE // McKinley Dixon // Water From Your Eyes // Friko // Ebony Tusks // FlyLife // Greg Wheeler & The Polygamist Mall Cops // Mr. Softheart // Extravision // BCJsPs // Karen Meat // mars hojilla // Uniphonics // Pictoria Vark
Literature
Michelle Zauner // Camonghe Felix // Michael Torres // Zöe Bossiere // Joe Wilkins // Shelley Wong // Courtney Marie Andrews // LitHub Radio’s Thresholds Podcast hosted by Jordan Kisner // Lauren Haldeman
Featured Presses and Journals
The Sun Magazine // Yes Yes Books // Dorothy, a publishing project // Lit Hub Radio: Thresholds Podcast // Black Lawrence Press / Sarabande Books // Two Dollar Radio // Book*hug Press // Nomadic Press // draft: the journal of process // Fonograf Editions // Rescue Press // Partus Press // Canarium Books // The Iowa Review // Brink // Meekling Press // PromptPress // Long Day Press // TriQuarterly // Ink Lit Mag // New Moon Magazine // The City High Review // earthwords:the undergraduate literary review // 508 Press // Little Engines
Community
ICE CREAM Comics + Zine Fair // Lit Walk // Literary Magazine & Small Press Book Fair // Big Free Show // Underground Showcase
