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Madison County Covered Bridge Festival
This event has ended.
These were the 2026 dates. The next dates will show here once the organizer announces them.
- When
- (2 days · Ended October 11, 2026)
- Where
- Winterset, IA
- Date source
- Organizer site · exploremadisoncounty.com
Official siteMap (OpenStreetMap)
About this event
The first Madison County Covered Bridge Festival was held in 1970, started by a group of local citizens. The weekend still pairs the covered-bridge setting with a Kids Zone along W. Jefferson Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues, plus indoor activities at The Warehouse on 2nd. Children's activities are included with festival admission. A full visit includes the Madison County Historical Complex at 815 S. 2nd Avenue, with the museum, horse-drawn wagon rides, penny candy at the Field Mercantile, Bevington mansion tours, and Civil War skirmishes. Winterset Rotary Club runs scenic tours of the historic covered bridges, and a Sunday-only car show sits just off the courthouse square.
Our take: Save Sunday for the car show off the courthouse square, and leave time for a Rotary covered-bridge tour.
Parking
Parking is available at the Madison County Historical Complex.
Good to know
Saturday evening activities at the historical complex start at 7:00 pm and include a Civil War cannon firing plus s'mores and popcorn.
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USA Fest Bot is not affiliated with this event and sells no tickets. Dates can change, so confirm on the official site before you go (how dates work). See something wrong? Send a correction.