Make a weekend of it.
Here’s how to get to Burlington, where to stay, and what happens between the blocks.
Downtown Burlington, on the river.
SNAFF runs July 9–12, 2026 at the Capitol Theater, 211 N 3rd Street, in downtown Burlington, Iowa. The theater, restaurants, and nightly after-parties sit within a few walkable blocks.
The three closest airports are Cedar Rapids (CID) in Iowa, and Moline (MLI) and Peoria (PIA) in Illinois. On-street parking and city lots are available within a short walk of the Capitol Theater.
Hotels, B&Bs, and a few good Airbnbs.
Burlington offers a range of places to stay, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and short-term rentals. These are within a short drive of the theater. Festival weekend fills up, so we recommend booking early.
The festival doesn’t stop at the credits.
Each night, after the last block, the festival moves down the street.
- Thursday
- La Bohème
Table reads and the awards.
Live screenplay table reads take the Capitol stage between the afternoon and evening blocks — Thursday 4–6 PM, and Friday and Saturday 5–7 PM — performed by local talent.
The festival closes Sunday with the awards ceremony, 5–6 PM. It’s free and open to everyone.
- How does ticketing work?
- Audiences buy tickets to blocks, not to individual films. Each block is a curated program of seven to eleven shorts.
- Is seating reserved?
- No. Seating is general admission for everyone — no reserved seats, no priority seating, and no standby lines.
- What's your refund policy?
- All sales are final. We don't offer refunds.
- Are there student or senior discounts?
- No — a single ticket is $8 and day passes keep things affordable, but we don't run student or senior pricing.
- Is the awards ceremony ticketed?
- The awards ceremony closes the festival on Sunday and is free and open to everyone. Printed programs are free for all, too.
- Are all the blocks family-friendly?
- No. While content varies from block to block, SNAFF programs are curated for adult audiences and are not intended for children. Films may include mature themes, strong language, violence, sexual content, or other adult subject matter. The SNAFFter Dark blocks and Saturday Morning Cartoons block often contain particularly mature content. Despite the name, Saturday Morning Cartoons is not a children's screening.
Bringing a film or a script?
Submissions open each year through FilmFreeway, where you’ll find current deadlines, fees, and rules. Selected screenwriters are invited to a live table read on the Capitol stage.
Submit on FilmFreeway →Questions? info@snakealleyfestivaloffilm.com.