Waukee Arts Festival 2026

The Waukee Area Arts Council presents the 11th Annual Waukee Arts Festival on July 17-18, 2026 in Centennial Park. The festival opens Friday, July 17 from 5pm-8pm with a concert featuring XOLEX, and reopens Saturday at 10am with artist vendors, daytime music, food and beer trucks, concluding with a Springsteen Tribute concert. Artist vendors are open from 10am to 8pm both days. The festival draws more than 13,000 people from across the Midwest and features 100+ artist exhibits, headlining concerts, acoustic music acts, food vendors, a beer garden, and kids activities.

Booth spaces are available with a capacity of 140 booths. Single booth spaces (12' wide, 10x10 tent) are $100; double booth spaces (24' wide, 10x20 tent) are $175; student artist booths are $65; and natural products booths are $100. Booth fees increase by $25 after April 18, 2026. Only handmade items by the artist are allowed; commercially made items and resale are prohibited. To ensure vendor diversity, only 10% jewelry and 12% pottery are accepted. Artists must exhibit both Friday evening and Saturday all day. A tent is required and must be secured for wind. Artists are responsible for their own insurance, setup, and teardown.

Judged awards include Best of Show ($500), Second Place ($300), and Third Place ($200). Artist support includes shuttles to and from parking, free water stations, booth sitters and volunteers, exclusive Artist Lane concessions, overnight security, and relaxed setup anytime Friday from 8am-3pm. All exhibits must be in place and staffed no later than 1 hour before the event opens; judging begins at 4pm. Refunds of booth fees are available if cancelled before March 18, 2026. The event is rain or shine with no refunds for light rain. All proceeds benefit the community through artistic engagements, future festivals, and scholarships for local high school students pursuing arts education.