History

In 1977, Dubuque County Fine Arts Society founders Ruth and Russ Nash brought DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival to Downtown Dubuque for the very first time. From 1977 through 2019, the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society brought this three-day festival to celebrate all the genres of art possible.  DubuqueFest 2020 was canceled for the safety of our community, we are back in August 2021 to keep the celebration going.

DubuqueFest provides a much-anticipated free community festival to people in Dubuque and surrounding communities.  With good weather, as many as 9,000 people participate in DubuqueFest over the three-day event. But we do not just serve the guests of the festival.  The Art Fair serves around 50 local and regional artists with an outlet to sell their creations and the chance to win our artist awards.  The patrons are served by learning directly from the artist and connecting the people to the art.  

Musical performers are served with paid performances and widening their audience.  We purposely book local and regional performers from different music genres to expand the diversity of music in Dubuque.  The kid’s creation station is always popular and provides an avenue for children to express themselves creatively and make art to share.  DubuqueFest is inter-generational, multicultural, and seeks diverse participants in its attractions and its audience. 

In 2021 we will work to invite more Dubuque organizations to fill the park and welcome other communities to become involved in the arts of Dubuque.