A Rural Art and Music Festival

The Middle of NOWhere Festival brings together artists, culture bearers, musicians and vendors in rural environments to showcase the gifts of our diverse communities. Through facilitating exciting arts and cultural events we engage visitors who might be crammed up in the city with a chance to connect to the rural places that we love.

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color exist in rural places.

However, our communities are often made invisible in national narratives about Midwestern rural spaces. When folks on the Coasts describe the Midwest as a “flyover” country, they are discounting the rich histories of diverse cultures of this land. The Middle of NOWhere Festival demonstrates how rural, Central Iowa is not just corn fields – but rather a rich tapestry of many peoples.

We honor our past, present and future connections to rural places and foster new communities that embrace our unique cultural traditions while also aiming for unity. Whether urban or rural, BIPOC or white, queer or straight, trans or cis, we know these polarities serve nobody.

We honor differences and strive for a respectful community around our shared appreciation of art and music.