Madison County Covered Bridge Festival
October 11 - 12, 2025
9:00 am to 5:00pm
The first Madison County Covered Bridge Festival was held in 1970, started by a group of active and passionate citizens. Every second full weekend in October, the Winterset courthouse square is filled with over 140 food, and arts and crafts vendors, old-time demonstrations, live music, children's activities, and much more.
If you’d like to visit some of our historic covered bridges during the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival, there’s an easy way to do it! The Winterset Rotary Club hosts bus tours of the covered bridges on Saturday from 10am to 3pm and Sunday from 10am to Noon. The tour is approximately two hours long and there is a $15 fee per person. With a knowledgeable step-on guide full of covered bridge history and lore, you’ll visit Roseman, Hogback, and Cutler-Donahoe bridges, in addition to the North River Schoolhouse. Tickets can be purchased at the Rotary booth on 1st Avenue near the Winterset Livery. Tours depart from 1st Avenue and Washington Street, near the George Stout public art project. It’s a great way to see the bridges without navigating through festival traffic and gravel roads.
The Covered Bridge Festival experience would not be complete without a visit to the Madison County Historical Complex for their "History on the Hill" activities, including free admission, horse and wagon rides, a Civil War camp and skirmishes, and Saturday evening s'mores and popcorn event. Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. Parking is limited. Free shuttles run between the festival grounds and the historical complex throughout both days.
SUNDAY ONLY: Just off the square around the Winterset Elementary School, the massive car show organized by the Central Iowa Auto Club is a car-lovers dream! The Covered Bridges Festival parade takes place at 3 pm on Sunday as well.
Don’t miss Madison County’s signature annual event!
