Hoo Doo Days is Neola, Iowa's annual hometown festival, held every Labor Day weekend since 1946, when it began as a homecoming celebration for returning World War II soldiers. The 2026 celebration runs September 5–7 under the theme “Back to Our Roots,” with a bike ride, BBQ competition, 5K run, pancake breakfast, talent show, parade, car show, and beer garden spread across three days. In nearly 80 years, it's never once been rained out.
By Jamie Leaders, Broker/Owner | September 1, 2026
If you've never spent a Labor Day weekend in a small Iowa town, Hoo Doo Days is a good place to start. It's not a big production — it's a few hundred people, a couple of city blocks, and eighty years of a community showing up for itself. I've watched this town host it more times than I can count, and it still gets me every year.
How Hoo Doo Days Got Its Name
The name has nothing to do with the festival itself — it's a leftover from history. Neola's community celebration originally took place around Halloween, and “Hoo Doo” stuck as the name even after the event moved to Labor Day weekend decades ago. It's one of those small-town details that only makes sense once someone explains it to you, which is part of the charm.
The festival dates back to 1946, when Neola put it together as a way to welcome home local soldiers returning from World War II. Since 1957, it has also served as the town's main annual fundraiser. Money raised through Hoo Doo Days has helped pay for the ballpark, the swimming pool, ambulance service, and other projects that keep a town this size running.
What started as a homecoming has grown into a full weekend of parades, live entertainment, and community fundraising. The 2026 theme, “Back to Our Roots,” fits that history well: it recognizes the people, families, and volunteer spirit that have kept this tradition going for generations.
Hoo Doo Days is entirely volunteer-run, and its long record of supporting local projects says a great deal about Neola's pride, resourcefulness, and commitment to its shared spaces.
Your Hoo Doo Days 2026 Schedule
Saturday, September 5
- 10:00 AM — Bike Ride: Front Street, sponsored by Blue Moon & Beauty Operators. Entry is $10, with registration from 9:00 AM at Blue Moon.
- 3:00–6:00 PM — BBQ Competition: 4th Street, sponsored by West Pottawattamie Farm Bureau, with the band Perfectly Off playing.
- Vendor Market: 4th Street.
- Dusk — Family Movie Night: Neola City Park, showing Toy Story, with Twisted Hitch as the food vendor.
Sunday, September 6
- 8:00 AM — Hoo Doo Run/Walk: Online registration required. The 5K is $25, with 8:00–9:00 AM registration; the Kids 1 Mile is $10, with 8:15–9:00 AM registration.
- 8:00 AM–Noon — Pancake Breakfast: Hosted by the Neola Lions Club at NACC, with a free-will donation.
- 9:00 AM — Sand Volleyball Tournament: Buck Snort & Neola Park.
- 9:00 AM — Slow Pitch Softball Tournament: Neola Park.
- Noon — Fire Department Water Wars: Pearl Street.
- Noon–2:00 PM — Talent Show: Neola Area Community Center.
- 2:00 PM — Scavenger Hunt: Neola Area Community Center, open to adults and kids.
- 5:00–7:30 PM — Hoo Doo Dinner: Neola Fire Hall, with a free-will donation to Hoo Doo.
- 7:00–11:00 PM — Street Dance: 4th Street. Gates open at 7:00 PM, and the band Simplicated starts at 8:00 PM. Entry is free thanks to a donation from the Iowa West Foundation.
Monday, September 7
- 11:00 AM — Parade: Neola Ball Field, with registration at 10:00 AM. Gerry Gardner is this year's Grand Marshal.
- 12:00 PM — Car Show: 4th & Pearl Street.
- 12:00–4:00 PM — Hoo Doo Fun Zone: 3rd Street. A $25 wristband covers all attractions, plus Chuck-A-Luck in the Beer Garden.
- 12:00–7:00 PM — Beer Garden: 3rd Street at Buck Snort.
- 12:00–7:00 PM — Bag Tournament: 3rd Street by the Beer Garden, with custom Hoo Doo boards auctioned off.
- 12:30–7:00 PM — Live Music: 3rd Street by the Beer Garden, featuring Logan Corbino and Sam & Bailey.
- 2:00 PM — Pig Bingo: 3rd Street, with two pigs auctioned off.
- 2:00–4:00 PM — Bingo: Neola Fire Station.
Food, Tickets, and Festival Details
Food and drink vendors throughout the weekend include Charlie Lou's, Ohana Ice, Food Trough, Pims Thai, Hungry Spartan Pizza, Sugar Mountain Donuts, Los Tres Tacos, Swine-O-Mite BBQ, Lucky Wife Wine Slushies, Buck Snort, and Streetside Foods.
Blue Cow Market in Neola is the spot for 50/50 raffle tickets, Pig Bingo tickets, koozies, and 2026 Hoo Doo t-shirts if you want to take home a souvenir. For tickets, race registration, and any last-minute schedule changes, visit the official Hoo Doo Days website.
In nearly eight decades, Hoo Doo Days has never been canceled for rain. Even when the forecast looks uncertain, Neola's planning committee and residents have a way of showing up for the weekend.
Why This Small Festival Says a Lot About Neola
Hoo Doo Days has been Neola's main fundraising engine since 1957. The money it raises has paid for the ballpark, the swimming pool, ambulance service, and other projects a town this size would not otherwise be able to fund on its own. That is a pattern you see across this part of Iowa: towns small enough that everyone pitches in, and big enough to still throw a genuinely good party once a year.
That kind of stubborn community pride is hard to manufacture. It's either there or it isn't, and in Neola, it's there. For buyers considering a move, a weekend like Hoo Doo Days offers an honest look at the neighborly connections and local traditions that surround a home.
Neola Is Growing, Too
Alongside the festival tradition, Neola has new residential construction underway in the Meyering Addition. It is a sign that this small town is drawing new residents who want exactly this kind of place: close enough to Council Bluffs and Omaha for a reasonable commute, small enough to know your neighbors, and anchored by an event like Hoo Doo Days that has been bringing people together since before most of us were born.
If a weekend like this is the kind of place you'd want to plant roots, Neola is worth a closer look — whether that means an existing home or a new build in the addition. I grew up around this community and still work in it every day, so I'm happy to walk you through what's available. Reach out anytime — call or text me at 402.306.6255.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Hoo Doo Days in Neola, Iowa in 2026?
Hoo Doo Days runs September 5–7, 2026, over Labor Day weekend, with this year's theme “Back to Our Roots.”
Why is it called “Hoo Doo Days” if it's held on Labor Day?
The name is a holdover from when the celebration was originally held around Halloween. When the event moved to Labor Day weekend, the town kept the name.
How did Hoo Doo Days get started?
It began in 1946 as a homecoming celebration for local soldiers returning from World War II, and since 1957 has doubled as Neola's main community fundraiser.
Is Hoo Doo Days free to attend?
Attending is free, though individual events have their own costs — the bike ride is $10, the 5K run is $25, the Hoo Doo Fun Zone wristband is $25, and the Sunday street dance is free entry this year thanks to a donation from the Iowa West Foundation. The pancake breakfast and Hoo Doo Dinner run on free-will donation.
What should I know if I'm considering moving to Neola?
Neola is a small Pottawattamie County town with new residential construction underway in the Meyering Addition, offering both existing homes and new-build options within a reasonable commute of Council Bluffs and Omaha.
About Jamie Leaders
Jamie Leaders is the Broker/Owner of J. Leaders Realty, based near Minden, Iowa, serving the Council Bluffs/Omaha metro and the surrounding small towns of rural Iowa. She specializes in personalized, hands-on service for sellers and acreage buyers, guiding clients through every detail of the transaction with integrity and local expertise.
