Backbone Bluegrass Festival
1358 110th St, Strawberry Point
The Backbone Bluegrass Festival has been around since 1981 and brings a mix of bluegrass, country and gospel acts to the northeast corner of Iowa. Held in Strawberry Point on the last weekend of July, this summer’s fest is Friday to Sunday, July 26-28. Aspiring musicians can check out the festival’s guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and upright bass workshops on Saturday morning, or go fully immersive by attending the Strawberry Jam Camp or the Songwriters Workshop, July 24-26 ($300). Campers also perform the first night of the festival.
Tickets for the festival are $554, which includes five shows and the Saturday workshops. (Individual day passes are also available.) Teens 13-16 years old are just $5 per day, and children 12 and under are free. Camping is available on festival grounds for $20 per night (a limited number of 30 Amp sites are available at $25 per night). There are hot showers and a food stand on the grounds.
If camping on festival grounds isn’t your thing, consider making a reservation at Backbone State Park (and the sooner the better). There are two separate campgrounds to choose from, including both non-electric and electric sites and four-season cabins. Backbone is Iowa’s first state park, and it boasts one of the highest points in northeast Iowa, the Devil’s Backbone.
Codfish Hollow Barnstormers
5013 288th Ave, Maquoketa
@realcodfishhollow
Codfish Hollow is a one-of-kind venue located just outside Maquoketa, and a magical place to soak up music and retreat from it all. If you’re heading out for a show this spring or summer, be sure to take advantage of the complimentary camping. Trust, you will want to stay out there as long as you can.
Camping is available the night of a show only. Plan to arrive two hours before the show’s door time to set up. There’s no formal campground, but attendees are welcome to set up in the field and take advantage of the few fire rings and wood onsite. Codfish welcomes campers, pull-behinds, RVs and tents. Be aware there’s no running water, and just a few porta-potties are located near the camping area.
Sleeping on Codfish’s land is ideal both because of its beauty and its practicality. Have a few beers at the barn, then at the end of the night, jump back on the iconic hayride to be taken straight to your bed. But just in case you’d prefer another place to crash, consider Maquoketa Caves State Park and Horseshoe Pond Park, both nearby.
Note: Shows sell out quickly at the barn. Be sure to buy tickets as soon as possible once shows are announced.
Upcoming shows at the barn
- Pieta Brown w/ Chastity Brown, Jody McGill, Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m., $35
- Charlie Parr Record Release, Sunday, May 26 at 8 p.m., $25
- Them Coulee Boys w/ Long Mama, Saturday, June 8 at 8 p.m., Cedar County Cobras, $30
- Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts w/ Erik Koskinen (trio), Marques Morel, Saturday, June 15 at 8 p.m., $30
- Murder By Death w/ Wildermiss, Saturday, June 22 at 7 p.m., $30
- Lucero, Tuesday, June 25 at 8 p.m., $40
- Barn on the Fourth: Lady Liberty (ft. Lolo, Annie Humphrey, Awful Purdies,
- Diane Patterson & Lojo Russo, Thursday, July 4 at 5 p.m., $40
- Wilderado w/ HARBOUR, Windser, Tuesday, July 23 at 8 p.m., $25-110
- Horseshoes & Hand Grenades w/ Flash In a Pan, Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m., $35
Turkey River Cabin Concerts
24199 295th St, Elkader
@turkeyrivercabinconcerts
Turkey River Cabin Concerts cultivate community through intimate shows, all taking place in a (very) remote section of the Turkey River Valley. There’s no running water and often spotty phone service, but attendees can enjoy the river views, sand volleyball court and miles of trails to explore onsite. You can count on folks doing yoga on Sunday morning.
Tickets to concerts include tent camping, parking and activities. You’ll want to bring your own food and beverages, and what you pack in, you need to pack out. Carpooling is recommended, or take advantage of the canoe/kayak shuttles.
For the more adventurous concert-goer: BYOB (bring your own boat). Consider kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, tubing or floating three miles of the river to the concert site. The float takes approximately 1.5-2 hours.
Upcoming shows
Pistol Whippin Party Penguins, Texas Toast, Willy Tea Taylor, The Turkey Buzzards, Clare Doyle, Saturday, May 18 at 3 p.m., $45-85
Pokey LaFarge, Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m., $50
Hinterland
3357 St Charles Rd, St Charles
@hinterlandiowa
Central Iowa’s beloved three-day music and camping festival in St. Charles is returning for its ninth year the first weekend of August — Friday to Sunday, Aug. 2-4. The lineup, announced in January, includes heavy-hitting indie musicians Hozier, Vampire Weekend, Noah Kahan and Mt. Joy.
Hinterland is known for its sometimes worrisome weather conditions (that is, August in Iowa). So if you’re planning to camp, be prepared for it all; festival-goers have experienced heat, mud and severe storm warnings. Rest assured, Hinterland will go on rain or shine.
The festival is only 30 miles south of Des Moines, so making the trek back and forth each day is doable. Staying over is convenient, though, especially since this year, camping is included with all festival tickets. The type of camping available depends on the ticket purchased. (As of press time, all weekend passes are sold out, but General Admission tickets still remain for Saturday at $145, and SAINTS tickets, $750 per day, are available for Friday and Saturday.)
Tip: Venture to the late-night Campfire Stage. The performances are exclusive for campers each night after the festival headliners finish (around 11 p.m.) until approximately 2 a.m.
Seed Savers Benefit Concert
3074 North Winn Rd, Decorah
The nonprofit Seed Savers Exchange seeks to steward America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and crop legacy. They educate and connect people through sharing seeds, plants, stories, and from time to time, music! Their annual benefit concert among the gardens will be held at Heritage Farm on Saturday, Aug. 10.
Go early for wine, beer and a garden tour with Seed Savers founder Diane Ott Whealy. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. One confirmed artist is David Huckfelt; stay tuned for the full lineup announcement. Food trucks will be present, and Toppling Goliath will serve beer and seltzer.
There will not be camping onsite, but organizers highly encourage booking at Pulpit Campground, about a 10-minute drive south.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s April 2024 issue.
