Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DUBUQUEFEST/VERY SPECIAL ARTS
DUBUQUEFEST/VERY SPECIAL ARTS. Annual fall festival complete with ethnic foods, sidewalk shopping, an arts and craft fair and music. The goal of the celebration has been to make art more accessible to the public.
The first Dubuquefest was held in 1979. Featuring local artists, the event lasted three days, operated on a budget of $8,000, and drew approximately thirteen thousand visitors. By 1988 the festival's budget included forty thousand dollars in donations and featured national and international talent. Crowds estimated to reach sixty thousand were expected to attend the five-day event. The presence of DRAGON BOAT RACING created an international flavor for the event.
In 1988 Dubuquefest was joined with VERY SPECIAL ARTS FESTIVAL, an organization whose goal is to showcase the talents of the physically and mentally disabled. Dubuque was selected that year as one of two model sites in the United States for integrated arts festivals.
Annually a royal couple is elected to preside over the festivities and be honored for their outstanding contributions to the arts in the Dubuque area.