We are pleased to announce a new initiative here at Mission Creek Festival: FOOD! Why food? Well, just as Iowa City is a great place for musicians and writers, it is also a wonderful place for food. A wealth of natural farms surround our small town and, as a consequence, there are several cutting-edge restaurants and chefs who provide tasty, organic options for the inhabitants of Iowa City. This year, Mission Creek Festival: Food will celebrate the chefs, restaurant owners and wonderful waitstaff of our town with a series of special events including the first-ever Mission Creek Brunch and Food & Lit Crawl. See specific details below.

Saturday, March 31

  • Food & Literature Crawl @ Multiple Venues

    5 - 8PM FREE

    The Food & Lit Crawl will be an amazing experience. Running from 5 - 8PM in various venues across downtown Iowa City you will be able to hear a host of wonderful readings while munching very tasty food. The Lit portion of the crawl features several readings happening at several venues (at the same time) during every hour slot: 5 - 5:45; 6 - 6:45; 7 - 7:45. As a complement to those readings a different restaurant will provide a food pairing -- appetizers in the first round; main dishes in the second; and a dessert in the final round. Food sponsors include Leaf Kitchen, Banditos, Deluxe Cakes & Pastries, Takanami, Nodo, and more to come... Full schedule developing below:

    Venues
    5 - 5:45; White Rabbit / Times Club / M.C. Ginsberg
    6 - 6:45; Dublin Underground / Takanami / RSVP
    7 - 7:45; Banditos / Foxhead

    • Sunday, April 1

    • Mission Creek Brunch @ The Mill

      11am - 2pm $25

      Join us at the first annual Mission Creek Brunch. Have a mimosa or two, some hair-of-the-dog, and nibble a couple of beignets, and then get ready to eat. The menu includes smoked fish “Benedict” and braised greens from David Wieseneck of Motley Cow Cafe, Caesar salad from Kurt Friese of Devotay, then crawfish étouffée from Eric McDowell at Chef’s Table. Ben Halperin of Augusta (Oxford, Iowa) will add grits and pork grillades and we will finish with Kurt’s bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce. The brunch ticket includes the meal as well as free mimosas while supplies last.

      Mission Creek Brunch is presented by: Motley Cow Cafe, Devotay, Chef's Table and Augusta.
      Tickets are available online at Midwestix.com and the Mill beginning Monday, Feb 27.
      NOTE: Festival Pass DOES NOT include brunch.