Entertainment, Arts & Culture

ENJOY, SOCIALIZE, MUSIC, FUN, FINE ARTS

The Fort Dodge region boasts endless options to keep you and the whole family entertained with an average of over 40 arts and cultural events each month. Browse through our local art museum and galleries. Listen to our symphony orchestra, local bands, blues society shows, choral ensembles, school groups, as well as other performing ensembles and live music.

• The Annual Shellabration live concert event brings top name musical acts to Fort

Dodge, like Sammy Hagar and the Circle with special guest Vince Neil of Motley

Crue in 2019. • The Frontier Days festival, held annually on the first weekend in June, features a parade, historical reenactments, family activities and live entertainment. • Applefest, held each fall at the Community

Orchard, attracts families from around the state.

• Gowrie’s Annual 4th of July Celebration includes days of fun activities. • Manson Greater Crater Days celebration is held the last weekend each June.

• Downtown Country Jam is an exciting night of well-known country music artists.

Located in Historic Downtown Fort Dodge, concertgoers can expect an evening with some of their favorite tunes with a few thousand of their closest friends.

• Dayton PRCA National Championship

Rodeo brings riders from throughout the nation to compete over the Labor Day weekend.

• The Karl King Band is a municipal band that holds an annual concert series in the

Karl King Bandshell during June and July and indoor concerts at Decker Auditorium in February and March.

ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & CULTURE

Fort Dodge is fortunate to have 3 theatre groups: • The Hawkeye Community Theatre, which was founded in 1957, provides an annual dinner theatre, annual dessert theatre, and six shows each season.

• Comedia Musica Players, a local musical theatre troupe, was founded in 1968 and performs one full-length musical theatre production annually in the fall.

• Stage Door Productions, which is currently beginning its 7th season, delivers musical theatre training and experiences for youth, including a

Summer Musical, 2 Cabaret shows and a small cast adult winter production. SDP also provides a variety of educational opportunities for youth and adults each year.

• The Blanden Art Museum has an extensive permanent collection as well as touring exhibits and was the first public museum of art to open in

Iowa.

• The Fort Museum and Frontier

Village hosts Frontier’s Day in

June which features historical reenactments, family activities and live entertainment.

• The Fort Dodge Public Arts

Coalition was formed to place, enhance, share, and celebrate visual art in public spaces throughout Fort Dodge.