Van Meter Visitor Festival

05/28/2026

We’re excited to announce Lisa Russell, better known as Cryptid Comforts, as a featured speaker for the 2026 VMV Festival on September 26th.

Creator of cryptid plushies, artist, and co-host of Squonkapalooza and Fearsome Folklore Festival, Lisa has spent the last decade studying the fascinating world of cryptids and folklore. From teaching cryptozoology classes for kids to sharing the rich history behind these mysterious creatures, her passion and knowledge make this a presentation you won’t want to miss.

Be sure to grab your tickets early.
www.chadlewisresearch.com/shop

04/27/2026

We’re excited to announce Robyn and Ted as featured speakers for the 2026 VMV Festival on September 26th.

Combining history, psychology, and decades of paranormal research, they bring a unique perspective to the stories behind hauntings.

This is a presentation you won’t want to miss, grab your tickets early.
www.chadlewisresearch.com/shop

04/15/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome Shawn Engelmann as our second speaker for the 2026 VMV Festival on September 26th. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this one. Grab your tickets early.
www.chadlewisresearch.com/shop

03/25/2026

The VIP early entrance package is back! It includes entrance to the festival at 11:00am, priority seating in the guest speaker area and a ticket for one of the Saturday afternoon walking tours! There may be a couple extra little surprises, too! Limited to 30, so order soon!

Saturday September 26th---Grab your limited V.I.P. tickets for the Van Meter Visitor Festival. These limited tickets will get you early entrance to the festival, front row seating for all the speakers, and a ticket to the Saturday Visitor Walking Tour, plus a few other cool surprises.

03/20/2026

Joshua Cutchin Meets The Van Meter Visitor!
We are very excited to announce Joshua Cutchin as our first speaker for the 2026 VMV Festival on September 26th. You will not want to miss his presentation-- so grab your tickets early www.chadlewisresearch.com/shop

03/18/2026

The ticket link is up for you to buy your general admission to this year's Van Meter Visitor Festival! https://www.chadlewisresearch.com/product-page/2025-van-meter-visitor-general-admission-ticket
The link is now on the event page itself, too. Keep an eye on this page, as we will have an early entry admission package available soon! See you in September!

Digital Ticket ---Saturday September 26th---This festival will sell out---so grab your tickets early to make sure you do not miss out on all the supernatural fun. Date: Saturday September 26Time: 11:30am -6pmWhere: 910 Main Street. Van Meter, Iowa

03/07/2026

Calling all vendors! Vendor registration is now open! Once you have submitted your form, it will be reviewed and you will receive an email back. This may take several days but we will respond to your vendor form submission. We look forward to another great festival with amazing vendors! !

Saturday, September 26, 2026 We will be at the Veteran's Reception Center, 910 Main Street, Van Meter, Ia. We will have 18 indoor spaces available and 8 outdoor spaces. Electrical is not available. Registration is not considered complete until it has been approved AND your payment is received. Vendo...

09/28/2025

What a fantastic festival yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came out! We hope you enjoyed the vendors and guest speakers. Thank you vendors! Everyone's tables looked great and we had nothing but positive comments! The guest speakers were also amazing and had quite packed audiences. Thank you Steve Ward for being our fearless emcee. Thank you to the Law Shop for generously allowing the walking tours to view the old bank vault! Thank you 5th Quarter for your support of the festival! And, thank you to the volunteers and festival committee for all their hard work! Feel free to share your pics from the festival in the comments!

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09/27/2025

It's festival day!!!! Forecast is sunny skies and a high in the low eighties, a beautiful day to come out and enjoy the festival! VIP ticket holders may enter at 11:00 am and general admission entry starts at 11:30 am. Online admission sales are over but you can still pay at the door. Our committee members will be hard at work today, so messages and inquiries may not get answered very quickly. See you in Van Meter!

09/26/2025

Here are our final group of vendors who will see you tomorrow at the festival!

We’re thrilled to welcome back Bigfoot Society to the festival! 🏕️🎙️ Stop by the Bigfoot Society booth, where host Jeremiah Byron dives into the world of Bigfoot encounters through his captivating podcast.👣 Have a Bigfoot story? Share it with Jeremiah!
🎧 Learn how you can be featured on the podcast.
👕 Check out exclusive Bigfoot Society merch!

SleepOver Clothing is a horror and paranormal-inspired apparel brand built for believers, late-night weirdos, and anyone who grew up watching scary movies at sleepovers. Our designs blend 90s nostalgia, VHS aesthetics, and the strange folklore that fuels campfire stories—from cryptids to hometown haunts. We keep things weird, fun, and just a little slimy. At the Van Meter Visitor Festival, we’re bringing exclusive designs, including cryptid-themed shirts, eerie stickers, and other spooky goods you won’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re a skeptic or an experiencer, you’ll find something that feels like it crawled out of your favorite midnight movie.

Inspired and Designed will have handmade beaded and resin jewelry, crochet items including pumpkins and resin decorations.

Send a message to learn more