The City's 6th annual Climate Fest is coming your way with six days of events from friday through Thursday 2025! The annual event is a celebration of the many ways our community takes action to address climate change with a series of free, family-friendly events.
Schedule of Events:
Pocket Park Celebration
Climate Fest will kick off with a special celebration of National Parking Day, joining other cities across the nation as they convert parking spaces into pocket parks to help reimagine how we use urban spaces. In Iowa City, this celebration has special meaning, as every parking ramp and meter plays a part in supporting Fare Free transit service: earlier this year when City Council voted to continue Fare Free service, they also voted to raise parking rates to help keep the buses free.
That means every time you pay to park you are contributing to the City's climate action efforts. At the same time, Fare Free service has decreased demand on downtown parking, freeing up more spaces when you need them most. Combined, these efforts help make efficient use of transportation resources.
Since beginning in 2023, the Fare Free transit program has helped increase bus ridership in Iowa City 68% and reduced total vehicle miles driven within the city by nearly 1.8 million miles! That not only cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, it also makes streets safer for biking and walking by reducing the number of cars on the road.
Come stop by the free lemonade stand in the Pop Up Parking Space Pocket Park from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the corner of Washington Street and Van Buren Street and raise a glass to this Climate Action success story! While there, get signed up for a Root for Trees voucher to help cover 50-90% of the cost of a tree from Earl May Garden Center or Iowa City Landscaping. This popular program has helped plant more than 1,600 trees in Iowa City yards over the last five years!
Walk and Roll Weekly Bonus Item
This year, Climate Fest features a special gift for anyone who comes to an event by bike, on foot, by bus, or in an EV. These active and alternative modes of transportation are an important strategy in Iowa City's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to help build a more connected, vibrant community while also reducing emissions.
To say thanks for doing your part (and keep it up!), we have a little something special to give away. (Hint: it also makes good use of natural resources by replacing something plastic with a more durable alternative.)
Just let a Climate Action and Outreach staff member know at any event if you walked, rolled, or rode there using one of these transportation modes to collect your thank you gift.
