Free Week is bringing no-cost arts and entertainment to Iowa City in February

IOWA CITY — A new winter festival is launching in February to energize the lull between the holidays and spring — and it’s free.

Free Week, a new celebration of Iowa’s largest arts and culture district, will open performances, hands-on workshops and live music to the public at more than 15 venues throughout Iowa City from Feb. 18 to 22.

Presented by X Marks the Arts in collaboration with the Downtown Iowa City Cultural & Entertainment District Committee, the new event offers a unique chance to explore the vibrant venues, historic theaters, and rich culture in the city billed as “the Greatest Small City for the Arts.”

“This new initiative shines a spotlight on the Downtown Iowa City Cultural & Entertainment District as a premier entertainment hub in Iowa and the Midwest, encouraging everyone to connect with the venues, artists and experiences that define downtown Iowa City as a vibrant, year-round destination,” said Christopher Hunter, director of marketing at the Iowa City Downtown District.

Organizers hope that the new event, a first of its kind in the area, will draw a broader tourism audience while making the arts accessible to residents of Johnson and surrounding counties.

Offered over five days, residents are encouraged to explore Iowa City in spontaneous ways they may not have before.

“One of the things about the cultural district is you can come down and pop into these venues and find something,” Hunter said.

Free Week’s offerings will envelop audiences in intimate performances, live music, theater and comedy, art workshops, film screenings, literary events, museums and visual arts. A full schedule of events will be released in January.

With stipends for programming costs, each venue will cover Free Week programming in its own unique style while maintaining a schedule of other paid events that will not be part of the festival. Participants will include venues like Space Place Theater at the University of Iowa, The Englert Theatre, The James Theater, Riverside Theatre and El Ray’s Live and Dive.

“Free Week is all about accessibility and connection,” said John Schickedanz, executive director of The Englert. “This festival invites everyone to come together, embrace our community and experience the warmth and creativity of Iowa City’s arts scene during the quieter winter months.”

Free Week’s first year will overlap with Think Iowa City Restaurant Week, as well as the One Book Two Book Festival by Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.

February is a challenging time for restaurants and businesses after the hustle and bustle of the holidays subsides. It’s the reason restaurant weeks in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids are organized in February.

Monica Nieves Hirsch, vice president of marketing and communications for Think Iowa City, said Free Week is another tool to attract new audiences while lowering the barrier to arts and culture institutions. She also hopes Free Week will help Johnson County further develop its tourism infrastructure — for any season.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll have some folks come in during this February time, but then come back again in the summer,” she said. “They’ll continue to make Iowa City and Johnson County a destination they return to over and over again because there’s so many opportunities for entertainment and things to do here.”

The festival takes inspiration from the Red River Cultural and Entertainment District in Austin, Texas, which launched a Free Week in 2003 as a way to support venues during the slower winter months. In contrast to Austin, Iowa City’s festival will focus more on showcasing local and regional talent.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.