Iowa City Arts Fest is a feast for all the senses. As soon as I hit the periphery of downtown, I was inundated with a thousand things to see in the white tent city. Rows of vendor tents stretched from one end of downtown to the other, and the crowds flowed among them like the waters of the Iowa River itself. I saw children sneaking touches of the sparkliest, most colorful pieces of art within their reach, as music emanated from both the main stage on Iowa Avenue and from the heart of the Ped Mall. There was something for everyone, browser and buyer alike. Pottery, jewelry, photography, paintings, metal works, wood sculpture, clothing, and likely many media I missed, were all well-represented by the artisans who took residence in this festival town for nearly three days. The smells wafting from the rows of food vendors was enough to make a hungry belly(or even a not hungry belly) growl for filling with things like funnel cake, pizza, falafel, meat on skewers and more– all from some of Iowa City’s finest eateries. Committed music fans showed up early and stayed all day to hear performances as varied as the audience members themselves.
While the lovely days that were granted to us for this year’s festival weren’t the first hot days hinting at summer, this is certainly considered the kickoff to summer by many. Take note of the Summer of the Arts website and calendar of events so that you don’t miss any opportunities to soak up sun and culture in our awesome little river town.
