Illinois Families Will Love This Baby Animal Festival in Iowa

If seeing baby animals is one of your greatest joys in life, I just found the perfect festival for you to visit in Iowa this June.

Calling All Animal Lovers

I have zero shame admitting that I love animals more than I love most people, and my two daughters are the exact same way. With two dogs, two bunnies, one cat, two toads, and two frogs living at our house, it often feels like we're living in a mini zoo... but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's where the problem comes in: whenever I see a baby animal, an intense urge hits to add another animal to our crew. I may have learned how to suppress those urges, but that doesn't mean I don't want to snuggle baby animals any time I get the chance!

Today this post popped up on my social feed, and it stopped me dead in my tracks:

A baby animal festival?! I'm in, and I don't care how far away it is from where I live in Illinois!

Baby Animal Festival at Bloomsbury Farm

Bloomsbury Farm, home of the Baby Animal Festival, is in Atkins, Iowa, which is located just outside of Cedar Rapids. The farm hosts many family-friendly events throughout the year, but for a few weeks every June, the farm is all about showing off adorable baby animals!

From ducklings to puppies, cows and goats, there are so many baby animals at Bloomsbury Farm to ooh and ahh over during the festival.

Ready for more great news? Baby animals are only party of the fun at Bloomsbury Farm!

Bloomsbury Farm Attractions

Bloomsbury Farm is packed with fun activities for both kids and adults.

There are giant slides, jumping pillows, hayrack rides, barrel train rides, mini zip lines, giant yard games, pig racers, bubble barns, tractor tire mountains, and even a western town to explore... plus there's food, wine slushies, and a beer garden too!

The 2026 Baby Animal Festival at Bloomsbury Farm begins June 12, and your chance to grab discounted tickets begins on June 1.

Bloomsbury Farm is about a 3-hour drive from Illinois, but when the alternative is hearing “I’m bored” 700 times during summer break, cuddling baby animals on a farm in Iowa suddenly sounds like a genius parenting decision.

Start planning your trip at bloomsburyfarm.com.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany