The best free events at this week's Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City

Although several ticketed concerts and performances anchor Iowa City's annual Mission Creek Festival, the celebration also offers several free activities.

The festival begins Thursday, April 4 and runs through Saturday, April 6.

The Press-Citizen has compiled a round-up of free events happening during the 2024 Mission Creek Festival.

More: Experimental rock to Indie-pop, seven must-see acts at the 2024 Mission Creek Festival

Lit Walk

The annual Mission Creek Festival Lit Walk returns with several rounds of literary speakers. Embark on a journey through the heart of downtown, where familiar Iowa City hotspots transform into vibrant stages for a diverse array of voices and stories. The Lit Walk has three sessions. The first two rounds are hosted at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Revival and Willow & Stock. The final round is hosted at 7:30 p.m. at Prairie Lights.

Round One: Christine Byrne and Hannah Bonner

Christine Byrne is an MFA candidate in poetry at The Iowa Writers' Workshop. Byrne will host local Iowa City poets Devanshi Khetarpal, Dabin Jeong, and Vivien Varnell at Revival.

Hannah Bonner is a creative nonfiction MFA candidate at the University of Iowa. She will host fellow Writer's Workshops students at the Lit Walk at Willow & Stock. Readers for the installment include Alli Seamans, Constant Laval Williams, Liv Kane, and Christina Montilla.

Round Two: Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe and Becca Klaver

Mofiyinfoluwa Okupe is a nonfiction MFA candidate at the University of Iowa. She is the second-round Lit Walk host at Revival. Readers include Sunny Ahmed, James Zhenghui Zhu, Kristen Campbell, and Maxime Garcia Diaz.

Becca Klaver is an author, poet, and the program manager for the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. She will host fellow writers at Willow & Stock for the second round of the MCF Lit Walk. The lineup of readers includes Kathleen Maris Paltrineri, Haley Johannesen, Jennifer Colville, and Elizabeth Sloan.

Round Three: Critical Hits Anthology

The final round of the MCF Lit Walk is hosted at Prairie Lights, featuring a special conversation on 2023's "Critical Hits Anthology: Writers Playing Video Games." The conversation includes authors Carmen Maria Machado and J. Robert Lennon and contributing writer Larissa Pham. Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games explores the intersection between literature and gaming. The anthology features writers who blend literary analysis with personal gaming experiences.

Lit Walk After Party

Lit Walk participants are invited to the Green House for a post-event drink at 8:30 p.m. Grab a kombucha or a cocktail and chat with other attendees.

I.C.E. C.R.E.A.M. Zine Fair

Back for its seventh year is the Iowa City Expo for Comics and Real Eclectic Media Zine Fair, or I.C.E. C.R.E.A.M. This free event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at Public Space One, highlights the work of local cartoonists, zinesters, and art books/handmade book artists. Forty artists will sell their artwork, ranging from zines and prints to buttons and stickers. Stand-out vendors include Kate McDonough, Fatface Press, Esperanza Luz, and more.

Small Press and Literary Magazine Book Fair

The Small Press and Literary Magazine Book Fair highlights the best of local and national presses, bringing together some of the greatest literary magazines. The 2024 fair is hosted at SpareMe Bowl & Arcade, located in the Chauncey Building.

The Small Press and Literary Magazine Book Fair features dozens of celebrated publications, including The Iowa Review, Europa Editions, and Cleveland Review of Books.

The fair will also host a trio of book signings. Sean Enfield with Split Lip Press will sign books from 12:30-12:50 p.m. Christopher Merrill of Arrowsmith Press will sign books from 12:50-1:10 p.m. while X.H Collins of MWC Press will sing from 1:10-1:30 p.m.

Editor chats

Several publishers are also hosting a variety of brief, 20-minute editor check-ins throughout the day. The check-ins are for writers hoping to pitch their original work.

Rescue Press will be available from 2-2:20 p.m. A representative with Fonograf Editions will take pitches from 2:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. Featherproof Books representatives will be available from 2:40 p.m. to 3 p.m. while Prompt Press will chat with writers from 3 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.

Frictions Media and UI Nonfiction Writing Program Panel Discussion

The Frictions Media and the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program Panel will showcase transnational nonfiction podcasts and audio literature. The discussion will be led by Walid Rachedi, writer and Managing Editor of Paris-based Frictions Media; Lionel Ruffel, Professor of Comparative Literature at Université Paris 8; Lynne Nugent, writer and editor-in-chief of the Iowa Review; and students from Frictions and the University of Iowa.

The panel discussion, moderated by Sarah Minor, will explore the craft of "writing for the ear," successful podcast production strategies, and the implications of writing for a global audience.

A collaboration from the University of Paris 8 and University of Iowa MFA students delves into the theme of "belonging," addressing topics such as disability, queerness, accents, and modes of welcome.

The panel and discussion will start at 1 p.m. and last until 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. It will be held in theater three at FilmScene's Chauncey location.

Prairie Lights Reading Series 

Prairie Lights Books and Cafe will host a three-part reading series on Saturday.

Zachary Pace and Fulla Adbul-Jabbar

Zachary Pace and Fulla Abdul-Jabbar will read from and discuss their books, "I Sing to Use the Waiting," and "Who Loves the Sun," at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 6.

Zachary Pace is a writer and editor who lives in New York City. Their writing has been published in multiple publications, like Interview Magazine and the Los Angeles Review of Books. "I Sing to Use the Waiting" is Pace's first book, a collection of essays structured like a mixtape.

Fulla Abdul-Jabbar is a writer, artist, and editor living in Brooklyn, where she teaches in the department of writing at the Pratt Institute. Abdul-Jabbar's debut novel, "Who Loves the Sun," studies scientific posters to comprehend both the object and its creators.

Cindy Juyoung Ok and Thea Brown

Cindy Juyoung Ok and Thea Brown will read from "Ward Toward" and "Loner Forensics" at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 6.

Cindy Juyoung Ok is the author of Yale Younger Poets Prize-winning "Ward Toward." The former high school science teacher now teaches at Kenyon College as a MacDowell Fellow and Kenyon Review Fellow. She is also poetry editor at Guernica magazine

Thea Brown graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. She'll discuss her third collection of poetry, "Loner Forensics."

Jessamine Chan and Hadara Bar-Nadav

Jessamine Chan and Hadara Bar-Nadav, will read from "The School for Good Mothers" and "The Animal is Chemical" at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

Jessamine Chan is the author of "The School for Good Mothers," which was a New York Times bestseller and one of Barack Obama's favorite books of 2022. "The School for Good Mothers" delves into the story of Frida Liu, a young mother who is sent to a rehabilitation center called the "School for Good Mothers" after her toddler son goes missing.

Hadara Bar-Nadav is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry. Her latest release, "The Animal is Chemical," is a poetry collection that explores the intersection of the natural world and human experience. Through her poems, Bar-Nadav examines themes of transformation, survival, and the intricate connections between organisms and their environments.

MCF Vinyl Pop-up

From 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 6, head to ReUnion Brewery's Iowa City location to flip through crates of vinyl and discover your new favorites. Vendors include Bog's Vinyl, Banana Boy Records, and Rochester Records. There will also be live music from the Blake Shaw Big-ish band, Subatlantic, and the Dave Helmer Band.

KRUI's 40th Birthday Bash

University of Iowa's college radio station, KRUI, is celebrating 40 years of broadcasting and invites the community to its birthday bash. The anniversary celebration starts at 3 p.m. and includes birthday cake in the Hawkeye Room, formerly the Wheelroom at the Iowa Memorial Union. KRUI is also hosting a concert by Ohyung and Blist Her to honor the milestone. Doors to the free concert open at 4:30 p.m. The concert begins at 5 p.m.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Check out the best free events at this year's Mission Creek Festival