Iowa Lawmakers Advance Bill to Study Reviving VEISHEA Festival

Proposed legislation would require Iowa State University to examine feasibility of bringing back historic celebration

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:55am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

More than a decade after Iowa State University canceled its historic VEISHEA festival due to repeated incidents of violence and rioting, state lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require the university to study the feasibility of reviving the celebration.

Why it matters

VEISHEA was a beloved annual tradition at Iowa State for over a century, but the festival was plagued by alcohol-fueled riots and violence in the 1980s and 1990s, including a fatal stabbing in 1997. The university has struggled to find a way to celebrate its history and community while ensuring public safety.

The details

House Study Bill 545 would mandate that the Iowa Board of Regents conduct a study to "determine whether it is practical and beneficial to reinstate VEISHEA." The bill comes just over a decade after the university permanently canceled the festival in 2014 following an incident where crowds swarmed the streets, toppled light poles, and critically injured a student. Previous attempts to reform VEISHEA, such as instituting keg bans and relocating the event, failed to curb the violence.

  • VEISHEA was founded in 1922 and celebrated for decades.
  • In 1997, a 19-year-old partygoer was found stabbed to death on a fraternity lawn during VEISHEA.
  • Between 1985 and 2014, VEISHEA incited violence or disruptive behavior in at least 12 years.
  • In 2014, crowds tore down light poles, seriously injuring a student, leading Iowa State to cancel the rest of the event.
  • Iowa State permanently canceled VEISHEA in 2014 after the 2014 incident.

The players

Iowa State University

The public research university where the VEISHEA festival was held for over a century.

Iowa Board of Regents

The governing body that oversees Iowa's public universities, including Iowa State, and would be required to conduct the feasibility study under the proposed legislation.

Rep. Ross Wilburn

A Democratic state representative from Ames who raised concerns about the bill, citing VEISHEA's history of violence and riots.

Rep. Heather Hora

A Republican state representative from Washington, Iowa, who signed off on the bill and advanced it out of committee.

Steven Leath

The former president of Iowa State University who canceled VEISHEA in 2014 after the riots and formed a task force to evaluate the festival's future.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Historically, there have been riots as a result of choices and behavior under the influence of alcohol. One individual was stabbed — an out-of-town visitor was killed.”

— Rep. Ross Wilburn, State Representative (thegazette.com)

“VEISHEA has been suspended a couple times throughout its history. It started off as celebration of the colleges that we have at Iowa State, but definitely some public safety concerns that we've had in the past — with riots and things that have happened. So that would likely show up in the report.”

— Jillian Carlson, Board of Regents Lobbyist (thegazette.com)

What’s next

The Iowa Board of Regents would be required to submit a report on the feasibility of reviving VEISHEA to the state legislature by November.

The takeaway

The proposed legislation to study reviving VEISHEA highlights the university's ongoing struggle to balance its historic traditions with public safety concerns. Any decision to bring back the festival would need to carefully address the root causes of the past violence and riots in order to avoid repeating those problems.