Madison County Covered Bridge Festival

A community tradition since 1970, the annual Madison County Covered Bridge Festival is right around the corner! On Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, the Winterset Courthouse Square is cordoned off and the streets around the historic Madison County Courthouse are lined with over 150 arts, crafts, food, and beverage vendors. In keeping with the authenticity and history of the festival, all vendors (apart from the vendors located in the Winterset Livery) are required to have no less than 50% of their merchandise made by their own hands and the majority of the festival’s vendors are local to Madison County or Iowa. In addition, there are a handful of craftspeople who demonstrate skills such as weaving, sewing, wood working, and glass blowing. This year’s festival honors the 30th anniversary of the story that put Madison County on the map - The Bridges of Madison County! The 1995 movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood and Meryl Streep, was filmed nearly in its entirety in Madison County. Special events include the following: • Rachael Waller, daughter of the late Robert James Waller, will be sharing stories about her father and his creation of his novel on Saturday, October 11th at 11 am in the Iowa Theater on the Winterset Courthouse Square. The moderated discussion and Q&A with Rachael and Marianne Fons will be free with paid festival admission. • Festival-goers will also be treated to several free performances of the songs from the Broadway musical version of The Bridges of Madison County. Christine Hope, who will be singing the role of Francesca, is an award-nominated actress and singer with off-broadway, touring, and regional theatre experience as well as recording, commercial, and television credits. The rest of the ensemble will be filled with local and regional talent. The performances take place on Saturday, October 11th, at 1 and 3 pm, and Sunday, October 12th, at 12 and 2 pm. All at the Iowa Theater and free with paid festival admission. Also new this year are extended festival hours on Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm, and shorter hours on Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, with the parade still taking place at 3! Live entertainment continues throughout the festival weekend on the Benge Family Stage which returns to the south side of the Winterset courthouse. The Other Brothers take the stage on Saturday from 5:00-7:00 pm. Other local and regional artists include Casey Peasley, Emma Butterworth, Kara Christensen, Patricia Holly, and much more. Travel out to see the real stars of the festival, the world-famous covered bridges of Madison County! The Winterset Rotary Club offers two-hour tours on school buses that depart between 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, and 10 am to noon on Sunday. Tickets are $20 ($15 for youth 15 years and younger) and may be purchased at the Rotary booth on the SW side of the festival grounds on W. Washington Street near the Winterset Livery. Proceeds benefit Winterset Rotary. The Madison County Historical Complex hosts its annual free activities during the festival on Saturday and Sunday between 11 am and 4 pm. Tour the museum and Bevington Mansion, enjoy a free horse and wagon ride around the grounds, watch reenacted Civil War Skirmishes, and partake in free s’mores and popcorn on Saturday evening starting at 6:45 pm. While Saturday is popular with festival-goers who want first dibs at the shops and booths around the festival, Sunday’s additions make it worthwhile to attend for a second day! Registration for the massive Annual Madison County Car Show, located around the grounds of the Winterset Elementary School, opens at 8 am. Hosted by the Central Iowa Auto Club, judging begins at 1:30 pm and awards are presented at 3:00 pm. At 3:00 pm, the Covered Bridge Festival Parade also begins. Festival-goers won’t want to miss it! Admission to the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival are $3 or two for $5 at any of the festival gates. Free shuttle rides are a great way to enjoy the festival without the hassle of finding parking! Both are available from 9 am to 7:30 pm on Saturday, and 9 am to 4 pm on Sunday. Free parking and an ADA accessible bus, provided by HIRTA, will be available at Remington Seeds, located at 801 N. 10th Street in Winterset. This shuttle will run between the festival grounds on the Winterset courthouse square and back. A school bus shuttle and free parking is also available at the Madison County Fairgrounds. This shuttle runs between the fairgrounds, the Madison County Historical Complex and up to the festival grounds. Of course, there is much more entertainment and activities throughout the weekend. For all of the details, head to exploremadisoncounty.com!

Event Links

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3270448-0

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