Mission Creek Festival Comes to Iowa City, 4/2-7

The eighth annual Mission Creek Festival returns April 2-7, 2013. The six-day event takes over music venues and art spaces in downtown Iowa City, creating a community-wide celebration of music, literature, and food.

As with past festivals, this year features a strong balance of national, international and regional musicians, writers, and artists performing and exhibiting their work in venues throughout downtown Iowa City. Writers, small presses, and literary journals from across the country will appear alongside musical acts such as Grizzly Bear, Divine Fits, Deerhoof, Iris DeMent, Tig Notaro, Killer Mike, JEFF the Brotherhood, Pallbearer, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, Owen Pallett, Exitmusic, William Basinki, Ducktails, White Lung, Mucca Pazza, & many more. In sum, over 100 events take place during the festival. In addition to the concerts and readings, the festival will present the Iowa premier of the critically acclaimed documentary Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer.

The festival is not just a series of concerts, readings, and shows: it is a happening - a gathering that brings together artists and culture-lovers in the cozy, intimate confines of Iowa City. Every venue is within five minutes of every other venue. The largest venues rarely hold more than 750 people and sometimes the smallest hold just 50 people. Iowa City is a great walking town: in between events, attendees go eat at the diner where presidential candidates vie for the ears of caucus voters or grab a beer where folks like Raymond Carver and Kurt Vonnegut used to hang out. And then head back out to another show. Whatever people do, it's a great time.

All-Access Festival Passes are still available, and individual tickets can be purchased online at midwestix.com. For complete lineup and schedule, visit missionfreak.com.

The 2013 Mission Creek Festival is supported by title sponsor University of Iowa Community Credit Union. Additional sponsors include the City of Iowa City, Jim Beam, New Belgium Brewing, Iowa City / Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Iowa City Downtown District, Little Village Magazine, M.C. Ginsberg, Bradley & Riley, Hancher, Iowa Public Radio, West Music, and Sheraton Iowa City.