Have Some Fun With Annual Events in Okoboji, Iowa
Okoboji’s calendar runs all year, giving you a reason to visit in every season. From the decades-old Okoboji Summer Theatre to the spirited University of Okoboji Winter Games and cozy holiday gatherings, these annual events make it easy to plan a romantic getaway in Iowa worth returning to.
Annual Events in Okoboji
Okoboji has a year-round calendar that makes it easy to build a trip that goes way beyond time on Lake Okoboji or Spirit Lake. From summer performances and concerts to signature winter weekends, these events in Okoboji are some of the best ways to plan a fun itinerary. Not only that, but the help elevate romantic getaways in Iowa, ensuring you’ll have a memorable destination to return to year after year.
The Best of Summer in Okoboji
Summer is peak event season, with the widest variety of concerts, performances, and classic Okoboji traditions. Okoboji Summer Theatre is one of the season’s signature events, with a lively lineup of comedies, musicals, and crowd-pleasing shows that have delighted audiences for decades. Make it a dinner-and-a-show evening, then come back and enjoy the slower pace at our hotel afterward.
You will also find frequent live music, community events, and lake town programming that make it easy to stay busy without overplanning. If you like having an extensive list of options for things to do in Okoboji every day, summer is your season.
Okoboji Summer Theatre
One of the longest-running summer stock programs in the country, Okoboji Summer Theatre is a must-see for anyone visiting the area during its season. The season features comedies, musicals, and crowd-pleasing productions, performed by Stephens College theatre students alongside professional faculty and guest artists. With shows running from June through August, it is an easy way to build a perfect “dinner and a show” night into your Okoboji itinerary.
Don't Forget Winter Getaways to Lake Okoboji
Winter in the Iowa Great Lakes is built for cozy escapes and high-energy community weekends. The headline event is the University of Okoboji Winter Games, a multi-day celebration that typically includes games, themed events, outdoor activities, and classic winter traditions that bring visitors back every year.
Holiday season events also offer a compelling excuse to plan a romantic getaway to our hotel, with seasonal gatherings, shopping weekends, and special ticketed experiences that create an easy excuse to get away. That includes, of course, our annual Christmas Tea held each December.
University of Okoboji Winter Games
This is the marquee event for winter travel in the Lakes Area is the annual University of Okoboji Winter Games, held each January. This event turns cold weather into a reason to visit, with four days of community-wide fun and unapologetically quirky traditions. Expect everything from broomball and bags tournaments to chili cook-offs and the Chocolate Classic, plus crowd favorites like the polar plunge, fireworks, and the always-anticipated Burning of the Greens.
It’s equal parts competition, spectacle, and local personality, and it’s one of the best ways to experience Okoboji outside of summer.