Festivals in Cedar Rapids, Clarion, Osceola and West Liberty take place Sept. 12, followed by celebrations in Fort Madison, Iowa City, Davenport, Muscatine and Des Moines.
By Hola Iowa
Updated Sept. 12, 2026.
Nine Latino and Hispanic heritage celebrations are still ahead in Iowa this September, with events scheduled from Cedar Rapids and West Liberty to Fort Madison, Iowa City, Muscatine and Des Moines.
Four take place Saturday, Sept. 12: Festival Latino in Cedar Rapids, Fiesta Cultural in Clarion, the Osceola Latino Festival and Fiesta Latina in West Liberty. More festivals follow through Sept. 27.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, but many Iowa communities hold their independence and heritage celebrations before or around the official starting date.
Regional events are also continuing in East Moline, Siouxland, Omaha and Lincoln, while ArteLatinX programming in the Omaha area extends through Oct. 16.
Four Iowa festivals take place Sept. 12
Festival Latino — Cedar Rapids
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12 | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: McGrath Amphitheatre, 475 First St. SW, Cedar Rapids
Admission: Free
Festival Latino celebrates its 15th anniversary with live music, food, cultural performances and activities for children and families.
Event information is available through Festival Latino of Cedar Rapids.
Fiesta Cultural 2026 — Clarion
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12 | Noon to 10 p.m.
Location: Gazebo Park, 107 2nd St. NW, Clarion
Admission: Free; Kids Zone wristbands cost $15
Fiesta Cultural brings music, dance, food and family activities to downtown Clarion. The program includes live performers, cultural dance groups, Lotería, contests and a Kids Zone operating from 1 to 6 p.m.
Osceola Latino Festival — Osceola
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12 | 1 to 8 p.m.
Location: Historic Downtown Osceola Square, 100 S. Main St., Osceola
The Osceola Latino Festival will feature music, food, cultural traditions and family activities in the downtown square.
Current event information is available through Osceola Chamber Main Street.
Fiesta Latina 2026 — West Liberty
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12 | 3 to 10 p.m.
Location: Downtown West Liberty
Admission: Free
Fiesta Latina brings live music, folkloric dance, Mexican and Latin American food, family entertainment, mechanical rides, raffles and other activities to downtown West Liberty.
Fort Madison’s 105th Mexican Fiesta runs Sept. 17-19
The 105th Fort Madison Mexican Fiesta begins Thursday, Sept. 17, and continues through Saturday, Sept. 19, in the Mexican Village near 34th Street and Avenue Q.
Carnival rides and vendors open at 4 p.m. Thursday, followed by a street dance with Blue Zillion at 7 p.m.
Friday’s schedule includes the pageant crowning at 6 p.m., Crooked Cactus at 8 p.m. and El Grito at 11 p.m. Saturday begins with a 5K at 8 a.m., followed by a bike parade and helmet giveaway at 11 a.m., carnival activities, food contests, live music and another El Grito at 11 p.m.
The 5K costs $25. Race-day registration and shirt pickup run from 7 to 7:45 a.m.
The complete schedule is available through the Fort Madison Mexican Fiesta.
Iowa City and Davenport host festivals Sept. 19-20
Iowa City Latino Fest — Iowa City
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 19 | Noon to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Ped Mall, 210 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
Iowa City Latino Fest will fill the downtown Ped Mall with music, dance, food and cultural activities throughout the afternoon and evening.
The festival schedule is available at Iowa City Latino Fest.
St. Anthony’s Festival — Davenport
Date and time: Sunday, Sept. 20 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: St. Anthony Catholic Church, 417 N. Main St., Davenport
St. Anthony’s Festival will include live entertainment, food, games and face painting for children.
Related: LULAC’s Mexican Independence Day Parade returns to East Moline Sept. 13
Muscatine and Des Moines celebrations arrive Sept. 26-27
Viva Muscatine — Muscatine
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 26 | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Downtown Muscatine
Admission: Free
Viva Muscatine is a community block party celebrating Hispanic heritage and culture while connecting families with the Muscatine community.
Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival — Des Moines
Dates and times:
Saturday, Sept. 26 | 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 27 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Western Gateway Park, downtown Des Moines
Admission: $5 for adults; free for children under 12
Parking: Free at the Nationwide ramp, 1100 Walnut St.
Iowa’s largest Latino cultural festival returns for two days of live music, dance, food, art, cultural exhibits and children’s activities representing Latino communities from across the state.
Photo by Tar Macias / Hola Iowa
Festival information, programming and participation details are available through Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival.
East Moline, Siouxland and Nebraska events continue through Oct. 16
Fiestas Patrias Omaha — Omaha, Nebraska
Dates: Sept. 11-13
Location: Historic South 24th Street
Admission: Free
Fiestas Patrias continues through Sunday with live music, food, cultural programming, carnival activities, lucha libre and other family events. Saturday’s parade begins at 11 a.m., and Kumbia Kings perform at 8:45 p.m.
Latino Festival — Lincoln, Nebraska
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 12 | 2 to 7 p.m.
Location: Antelope Park, 1630 Memorial Drive, Lincoln
El Centro de las Américas’ annual Latino Festival includes food, live entertainment, cultural activities, local vendors and community organizations.
LULAC Hispanic Heritage Parade and Fiesta — East Moline, Illinois
Date and time: Sunday, Sept. 13 | Parade at noon; fiesta through 9 p.m.
Location: 15th Avenue and Runner’s Park, 742 15th Ave., East Moline
The parade travels along 15th Avenue from Third Street to 10th Street. The celebration continues at Runner’s Park with food, exhibitors, music and community activities, with proceeds supporting LULAC Council #5285’s college scholarship program.
Celebrando Siouxland — Sioux City and South Sioux City
Dates: Sept. 14-20
The week includes cultural and family events in Sioux City and South Sioux City. A parade is scheduled Friday, Sept. 18, on Dakota Avenue, and the Latino Heritage Festival closes the celebration Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Jefferey Dible Soccer Complex.
ArteLatinX 2026 — Omaha and Bellevue, Nebraska
Dates: Sept. 18-Oct. 16
ArteLatinX opens Sept. 18 at El Museo Latino in Omaha. Additional programming includes a Sept. 23 keynote with Lalo Alcaraz, a Sept. 30 lecture with art historian Rose Salseda, an Oct. 8 floral workshop in Bellevue and an Oct. 14 talk and tour in Omaha.
Fiesta on the Green — Lincoln, Nebraska
Date and time: Friday, Sept. 25 | 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Nebraska Union Memorial Plaza, Lincoln
Admission: Free
The annual public celebration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will feature music, food and Sangre Azteca Folkloric Dance performing traditional, mestizo and Indigenous dances from 10 Mexican states.
Iowa’s September calendar concludes with Viva Muscatine and Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival on Sept. 26-27, while ArteLatinX remains on the regional calendar through Oct. 16.
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