With a location that fully experiences the four seasons, Dubuque and its surrounding area have plenty of occasions to celebrate each of them. Country lakes and streams that are explored by swimmers and boaters in the summer play host to skaters and ice fishers in the winter. Beautiful trails traversed by hikers and bikers in the spring explode into fiery color collages in the fall as the foliage changes and marks harvest time. Year round, there is a lively mix of festivals, concerts, theatre, and holiday celebrations in the streets, on the riverfront, in the parks, at the fairgrounds, and in other venues. Choosing from so many options is the hard part.

The year kicks off in January with Ice Fest held at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. A winter music festival follows, and in the bloom of spring, a weekend of arts comes alive in historic downtown. Events heat up along with the temperature, as summer brings outdoor concerts, a toy show, a river festival, Independence Day, food competitions, and the county fair. The crisp air of fall welcomes arts and crafts fairs, a chili cookoff, a dragonboat festival, farmer's harvests, and changing of the colors tours. Farmers continue to sell their goods throughout the winter while an abundance of events mark the Christmas season, with holiday light tours, nativity scenes, concerts, pageants, and plays.