No day looks the same in Iowa thanks to four beautiful seasons that offer stunning views, outdoor adventures and thrilling events year-round. Here’s all you need to know about Iowa’s cool springs, hot summers, colorful falls and snowy winters.

Spring

MAIN EVENTS

APRIL
Iowa Eats Food & Drink Festival, Waterloo: Explore the best of Iowa’s food and drink products, chefs, artisans and agriculture-related goods via tastings, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment in Waterloo.

MAY
Tulip Time, Pella: Help Pella commemorate their Dutch heritage during Tulip Time, which offers a parade, dance performances, historic tours, Dutch foods and thousands of colorful tulips.

North Iowa Band Festival, Mason City: Mason City’s North Iowa Band Festival is the largest free marching band competition in the Midwest and a Memorial Day weekend event staple.

Tivoli Fest, Elk Horn: Join Elk Horn in celebrating its Danish-American heritage with Tivoli Fest, which includes free admission to the Museum of Danish America, a craft fair, live music and plenty of food.

Snake Alley Criterium, Burlington: This Burlington extravaganza is one of the most physically demanding bike races in the country and challenges bikers to ride up the famous Snake Alley, deemed “unbelievably crooked” by Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

BEST THINGS TO DO

Get up close to cows, horses, pigs, goats, llamas, alpacas and even kangaroos at Iowa farms like Hansen’s Dairy (Hudson), Rusty Stars Alpacas (Winterset) and Red Rock Farms (Oelwein).

Admire public murals and sculptures in Dubuque, Council Bluffs, Charles City, Des Moines and Le Mars.

Embrace spring flowers at Reiman Gardens (Ames), Dubuque Arboretum (Dubuque), Cedar Valley Arboretum (Waterloo), Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (Des Moines) and more.

As the weather clears up, embark on a food tour to sample nationally recognized flavors. Add Archie’s Waeside (Le Mars), Ox Yoke Inn (Amana), Brazen Open Kitchen & Bar (Dubuque), Ramen Belly (Iowa City), Rube’s Steaks (Montour) and 801 Chophouse (Des Moines), among others, to your list.

Summer

MAIN EVENTS

JUNE
Cherokee PRCA Rodeo, Cherokee: The Cherokee PRCA Rodeo in Cherokee kicks off with a kids’ rodeo, followed by a weekend filled with professional rodeo performances, kids’ activities, pony rides and great food.

Bell Tower Festival, Jefferson: Jefferson’s Bell Tower Festival features arts and crafts vendors, food trucks and games, and the town’s 168-foot-tall bell tower is open extended hours for tours.

JULY
RAGBRAI, statewide: Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) brings people from all over the world together for an epic annual eight-day rolling festival of bicycles, music, food, camaraderie and community. It is the oldest, largest and longest recreation bicycle touring event in the world.

JULY–AUGUST
Field of Dreams Ghost Players, Dyersville: On select Sundays, visitors to Dyersville can join the Field of Dreams Ghost Players in enjoying America’s favorite pastime. Watch players emerge from the corn to the movie soundtrack then play a game on the famed field.

AUGUST
Iowa State Fair, Des Moines: The internationally acclaimed Iowa State Fair in Des Moines is the state’s largest event and welcomes Iowans and visitors alike to enjoy a never-ending collection of fried foods, live performances, agriculture exhibitions and the best people-watching around.

Great River Tug Fest, Le Claire: This unique event is the only tug-of-war competition that takes place across the Mississippi River. Watch as teams from Le Claire, Iowa, and Port Byron, Illinois, battle for bragging rights.

BEST THINGS TO DO

Spend your summer embracing Iowa’s agricultural roots. Shop fresh produce and local goods at farmers’ markets in Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Sioux City and more. Visit county fairs throughout the state, including the Great Jones County Fair (Monticello). Sample local flavors at farm-to-table dining experiences hosted by Harvestville Farm (Donnellson), Walker Homestead Farm & Winery (Iowa City), the Wallace House (Des Moines) and others.

Take advantage of the warm weather by exploring Iowa’s 83 state parks and recreation areas, most of which are free to visit. Download the DNR’s State Park Passport to check in at exciting locations like Maquoketa Caves State Park (Maquoketa), Backbone State Park (Dundee) or Loess Hills State Forest (Pisgah) to earn rewards.

Escape the summer heat and take to the water. The Iowa Great Lakes (Okoboji), Lake Red Rock (Pella), Lake Icaria (Corning) and others offer all kinds of lake-life fun. Or, go with the flow on popular river trails found on the Raccoon, Middle and West Nishnabotna Rivers, to name a few. For thrill seekers, test your skills at one of Iowa’s three whitewater parks (Charles City, Elkader and Manchester).

Experience the flavors of Iowa’s breweries, wineries and distilleries by downloading Iowa’s three savory passports. Pair your brewery/winery/distillery visit with nearby hiking or biking trails for the ultimate
summer adventure. Must-visits include Toppling Goliath (Decorah), Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery (Swisher) and Century Farms Distillery (Spencer).

Fall

MAIN EVENTS

SEPTEMBER
Clay County Fair, Spencer: Billed as “The World’s Greatest County Fair,” the Clay County Fair in Spencer features blue-ribbon competition, entertainment, family-friendly activities and your favorite Fair foods.

Germanfest, Guttenberg: This Oktoberfest-style celebration is centered around Guttenberg’s Biergartens, German music, dancing, wiener dog races and more.

Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, Davenport: This two-day music festival in Davenport highlights award winning contemporary blues artists.

OCTOBER
Clarinda Craft Carnival, Clarinda: Known as one of the state’s largest craft shows, this event welcomes more than 450 Midwest crafters across five locations around Clarinda.

Madison County Covered Bridges Festival, Winterset: Yes, those bridges! Winterset’s most popular event features old-time craft demonstrations, 140+ food, arts and craft vendors, live music and family-friendly activities.

BEST THINGS TO DO

Join in on favorite fall activities at Iowa’s apple orchards and pumpkin patches, which offer you-pick fun as well as corn mazes, hayrides, farm animals, apple slingshots and more. Be sure to add Deal’s Orchard (Jefferson), Bloomsbury Farm (Atkins) and Pinter’s Gardens and Pumpkins (Decorah) to your list.

Take a scenic road trip along the Great River Road, Driftless Area and River Bluffs byways to easily follow and admire the fall foliage. Download the Scenic Byway Passport to track which routes you’ve traveled and earn rewards.

Fall is also a great time of year to explore the state’s 2,500+ miles of bike trails. Loops trails range from the 11-mile Trout Run Trail, which wraps around Decorah while crossing trout streams, to the 100+-mile Cedar Valley Nature Trail running between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. The famous High Trestle Trail bridge (Madrid) was named to BBC’s list of Eight Amazing Footbridges. Experience a different kind of biking and even more stunning views with the Rail Explorers railbikes that cross the Des Moines River Valley (Boone).

Iowa’s landscape is at its most beautiful, making it a great time to visit the state’s nature centers, such as the Hitchcock Nature Center (Honey Creek), Lime Creek Nature Center (Mason City), Hartman Reserve Nature Center (Cedar Falls) and more.

TIP: Subscribe to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Color Report to find the best fall views. Peak fall color viewing usually falls in mid-October.

Winter

MAIN EVENTS

DECEMBER
Lighted Christmas Parade, Atlantic: Watch fireworks over Atlantic’s Historic Rock Island Depot, then admire the glow of floats as they drive down Chestnut Street.

JANUARY
University of Okoboji Winter Games, Okoboji: The fictional University of Okoboji comes to life with three days’ worth of Winter Games featuring activities like broomball, bags, a polar plunge and glacial golf.

Bald Eagle Appreciation Days, Keokuk: This two-day event connects curious visitors and locals with professionals to admire our national bird from the banks of the Mississippi River and enjoy educational exhibits, vendors and food.

FEBRUARY
Bike Ride to Rippey, Perry: Bike enthusiasts from near and far set off on a 24-mile Bike Ride to Rippey (BRR) from Perry and back, regardless of the weather. The ride is followed by prizes and live entertainment.

Oneota Film Festival, Decorah: Enjoy free admission to the Oneota Film Festival in Decorah to see a variety of documentary films and engage in discussions with filmmakers from around the world.

BEST THINGS TO DO

Hit the slopes (yes, Iowa has hills) at the state’s skiing/snowboarding resorts. Sundown Mountain (Dubuque) offers adaptive skiing for all abilities, while Seven Oaks Recreation (Boone), Cone Park (Sioux City) and Mt. Crescent (Honey Creek) boast several runs and tubing hills.

Embrace holiday cheer by visiting Iowa’s brilliant light displays. Painting with Lights (Oskaloosa), Jolly Holiday Lights (Des Moines) and Christmas Acres (Le Mars) are especially impressive.

Escape the cold by visiting the state’s impressive collection of museums. They include everything from famous art pieces and quirky artifacts to agricultural equipment, railroad memorabilia and more. Some of Iowa’s most well-known museums include the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (Dubuque), Figge Art Museum (Davenport), Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center (Sioux City), John Wayne Birthplace & Museum (Winterset) and the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum (Waterloo).

Support local businesses by shopping your way through Iowa’s numerous historic downtowns and charming main streets. Discover a variety of shops in Manning and Audubon, the Historic Valley Junction (West Des Moines), Decorah, the Amana Colonies, Cedar Falls and Sioux City’s Historic 4th Street District.

TIP: Use the Iowa Department of Transportation’s 511 website or app to track road conditions.