2023 Recap

On a postcard-perfect summer day, August 12, the Okoboji Blue Water Festival unfolded in Preservation Plaza at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park. The all-day family event continued to provide the public with a celebration of clean water while also addressing the challenges of water quality issues in the Iowa Great Lakes and beyond. 

Beginning with Chalkstock early in the morning and concluding with evening concert performances, record crowds attended the premier clean water event in Iowa.

More than 30 conservation groups graced the winding sidewalk and provided diverse natural resources information to interested passersby. In the expanded Kid’s & Family area, parents chaperoned children through fun and education-filled activities. A fishing seminar, a local and state clean water panel discussion and a keynote address all drew engaged crowds under the big tent in the green space.

To celebrate clean water achievements, A.J. Croce and Elle King rocked into the night before one of the biggest crowds of concert goers ever to fill Preservation Plaza.