A pedestrian observes the main stage of the 2013 Iowa Arts Festival before the festivities. — Rachel Jessen/Little Village

Streets in downtown Iowa City will be closed to traffic starting at 6 a.m. on Friday morning, as crews begin to set up this year’s Iowa Arts Festival. The three-day long event kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon. It’s the first weekend-long event of Iowa City’s annual Summer of the Arts

Starting at 6 a.m. on Friday, Clinton Street from Jefferson Street to the alley north of Joseph’s Steakhouse, Washington Street between Capitol Street and Linn Street, and Iowa Avenue from Clinton to Dubuque Street will be blocked off. The streets are scheduled to reopen late Sunday night. 

The festival will also affect bus service downtown, as the stops in the blocked off area will be inaccessible, and routes change to accommodate the blocked streets. On Friday, the bus hub will temporarily move from Washington and S Clinton to Court Street between Clinton and Dubuque.

Normal service will resume on Monday. Iowa City Transit does not provide bus service on Sundays.

Street closure map for 2024 Iowa Arts Festival — City of Iowa City