Dubuque Rendezvous!
a cooler world gathering
Dubuque, Iowa
June 25th – 28th, 2026
Dubuque Rendezvous! a cooler world gathering, is a cultural platform, community gathering and climate forum in Dubuque, Iowa, in June, 2026. The four-day festival is free and features outdoor sculpture installations, performance projects, hands-on workshops, gallery exhibits, presentations and opportunities for community dialogue. The climate crisis affects everyone, but it is easy to feel alone.
Dubuque Rendezvous! is a collaborative production of local organizations, regional groups, national artists and over forty community volunteers. Programming emphasizes environmental awareness, cultural communication, climate sustainability and collaborative action. The Mississippi River is a gathering of tributaries and sources in the same way that a culture collects the narratives and traditions of its people. Dubuque Rendezvous! is a gathering of collective inspiration.
What would you like to see –
what would you like to do – what is important to you? Is there a topic you
would like to discuss or a project you would like to propose. What does the
Mississippi River mean to you? Please share your ideas with us!
We are all aware of climate change. The effects are undeniable and accelerating. We see the changes globally in extreme weather events, catastrophic forest fires, sea level change and the diminution of the polar regions. We experience the changes locally, in rising temperatures, droughts and a shorter winter season.
Dubuque Rendezvous! is a gathering to share our concerns, express our hopes and inspire our future. There is strength in numbers.
The Mississippi River begins as raindrops.