Waukee Arts Festival: Art, Food Trucks, Live Music, and Summer Fun in Waukee, Iowa
The Waukee Arts Festival is one of those summer events that brings together just about everything people love about a good Iowa festival: local artists, food trucks, live music, a beer garden, kids activities, and a big community crowd enjoying a summer weekend outdoors.
The 2026 Waukee Arts Festival is scheduled for July 17-18, 2026, at Centennial Park in Waukee, Iowa. The festival opens Friday evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by a concert from XOLEX. It continues Saturday beginning at 10 a.m., with a full day of art, food, music, and family-friendly activities, ending with a featured concert: Born To Run: The Music of Bruce Springsteen performed by The Monday Night Live Band.
Crowds browse the artist tents during the Waukee Arts Festival.
A Summer Festival Built Around Art
At its heart, the Waukee Arts Festival is about celebrating artists and giving visitors the chance to browse a wide variety of creative work. The festival includes 100+ artist exhibits, and the Waukee Area Arts Council describes the event as a place where emerging artists can exhibit, interact with attendees, and gain exposure alongside seasoned artists.
That makes this a great event for anyone who enjoys walking through artist booths, finding something handmade, discovering a new Iowa artist, or simply enjoying the creative atmosphere.
Rows of white artist tents fill Centennial Park during the festival.
Food Trucks, Drinks, and a Beer Garden
The Waukee Arts Festival also has a strong food truck and festival food scene. Along with the artist vendors, the event features food trucks, drinks, and a beer garden.
This is the kind of festival where you can grab dinner, walk the booths, find a drink, listen to music, and spend the evening without needing to rush from one place to another.
Food trucks are part of the festival atmosphere at Centennial Park.
Festival-goers stop for drinks and refreshments during the event.
A Family-Friendly Event in Centennial Park
One of the things that stands out about the Waukee Arts Festival is how much it feels like a full community gathering. You’ll see families with kids, people relaxing in lawn chairs, visitors walking dogs, groups meeting up for food, and plenty of people just enjoying a summer evening in the park.
The festival includes kids activities and entertainment for the whole family. Dogs are allowed, but they must be leashed.
Families enjoy the festival atmosphere at Centennial Park.
Even the dogs get to be part of the festival fun.
Live Music Both Nights
The festival includes live music throughout the event, including evening concerts. Friday night features XOLEX, while Saturday night wraps up with Born To Run: The Music of Bruce Springsteen performed by The Monday Night Live Band.
Concert admission is free to the public, and the festival recommends bringing your own lawn chairs or blankets for grass seating, since only a few picnic tables are available near the beer garden.
Festival-goers settle in with lawn chairs for the evening entertainment.
What to Know Before You Go
Event: Waukee Arts Festival
Dates: July 17-18, 2026
Location: Centennial Park, Waukee, Iowa
Admission: Free to the public
Friday hours: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by concert
Saturday: Opens at 10 a.m., with a full day of festival activities and an evening concert
Website: https://www.waukeearts.org/waukee-arts-festival
Parking is available at Waukee High School, Waukee Middle School, near the ball fields, and outside the football stadium on the north side of the festival. A small number of handicap parking spots are available near the volleyball courts. Coolers are not allowed, but food, drinks, and beer are available from vendors.
Why It’s Worth the Trip
The Waukee Arts Festival is an easy summer outing for central Iowa families, art lovers, food truck fans, and anyone looking for a free outdoor event with a little bit of everything.
It’s big enough to feel like a major summer festival, but still has that community feel — people sitting in lawn chairs, kids running through the grass, dogs on leashes, friends gathering around picnic tables, and rows of artist tents waiting to be explored.
Whether you go for the art, the food trucks, the concerts, or simply the summer atmosphere, the Waukee Arts Festival is a fun July stop in central Iowa.
