ImprovFestivals.orgFloodwater Comedy Festival
| Dates | October 16-17, 2026 |
| Location | Willow Creek Theatre, 327 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City, IA, USA |
| Website | floodwatercomedy.org |
| Organizer | Willow Creek Theatre Company (volunteer-run, 501(c)(3)) |
| facebook.com/floodwaterfest |
Overview
Floodwater Comedy Festival is an annual comedy festival in Iowa City, Iowa, that brings together improv, standup, and experimental comedy under one roof. It is produced by the Willow Creek Theatre Company, a volunteer-run indie theatre and local 501(c)(3) that bills itself as the home of improv in Iowa, and it takes place at the company's Willow Creek Theatre in downtown Iowa City. The 2026 edition runs October 16-17. Recent programs pair local Willow Creek house teams (Lady Franklyn, Cool Shoes, Pope Cactus) with visiting improv troupes and performers from Chicago (including iO and Second City connected acts), Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Madison, and Minneapolis, alongside a deep roster of touring standup comedians and improv workshops.
The festival traces back to the late 2010s as a larger multi-venue event across downtown Iowa City, returned in 2023 after a three-year pandemic hiatus, and has since been reorganized as a focused single-venue weekend at Willow Creek. Improv remains a core element of the program, billed first in the festival's own description and supported by improv classes and workshops run through the theatre.
Submissions
Submissions for the 2026 festival are open to stand-up comedians, improvisers, sketch groups, and other acts through August 3, 2026. There is a $20 submission fee, after which applicants complete a form describing their act. Apply via the festival's Eventbrite submission page.