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The Middle of NOWhere Rural Arts & Music Festival

MONFest 3 Headliner Announced

Published 15 days ago • 2 min read

Did you see the news?!

We are so happy to announce that we have locked in our Headliner for our 3rd Annual Middle of NOWhere Rural Art & Music Festival and the news went live on our IG yesterday!

You're gonna wanna catch 'em all!

And especially... our HEADLINER

Blending the rich storytelling of Dungeons & Dragons with a genre-defying alternative pop sound, Naethan creates an immersive audio-visual experience like no other. From love and triumph to deep fantasy worldbuilding, his music pulls you into a universe all its own.

From small-town Iowa to stages around the world, Naethan Apollo built his rise through pure originality, the internet, and a fanbase that connects deeply with his voice and vision. Now, he’s stepping fully into his era as a headliner, and this years MONfest is the place to witness it!

The Middle of NOWhere Rural Art & Music Festival

July 11th, 1 - 9 pm

The Cellar Winery

Madrid, IA

Now that we're all caught up on that news...

Stay tuned for the rest of the lineup hitting our feeds soon!

Applications for Vendors/Artists In TWO DAYS!!! APPLY NOW!!!

We are on the final countdown for artists who would like the opportunity to be a vendor for this year's MONfest!

If you are an artist who would like to share your work, please get your application in today! The application will close by the 11:59pm on Friday April 10th.

A few things to note if you're on the fence about applying -

  1. MONfest application is FREE! We're not like some applications that require a fee to even put your name in - so there's no financial risk to you to apply!
  2. This year we are only accepting 65 artists and unlike last year, we are working to make all of the vendor sites closer to the action so we can all enjoy the music and vibes!
  3. When accepted, we have a sliding scale payment structure tailored to the size of your business, from $80-$250. We really want to make this opportunity lucrative for artists, and try our best to keep your cost as low as possible. As an artist-run team, we hope you agree that this puts our artists at the center of what we do.

Have we convinced you yet?!

Get your applications in before that form closes up!

We are loving the change in seasons bringing more warmth, sunshine, and the songs of our feathered friends returning to the Midwest.

And we're looking forward to welcoming you at our third festival in July - whether you're an artist or an art enthusiast! The excitement is building and we are glad you're here to witness and be a part of the gathering.

Sending good vibes your way,

The MONfest Team

Countdown to MONfest 3!

Count down to 2026-07-11T18:00:00.000Z​
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927 North Highway 69, Huxley, IA 50124
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The Middle of NOWhere Rural Arts & Music Festival

Bringing rural together

The Middle of NOWhere Rural Arts & Music Festival brings together artists, culture bearers, musicians and vendors in rural environments to showcase the gifts of our diverse communities. Sign up for our Newsletter to be the first in the know about our upcoming events - whether you are an artist, volunteer, sponsor, or visitor, we deliver intel directly to your inbox before it goes live on our socials.

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