Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
DUBUQUE NIGHT
DUBUQUE NIGHT. Popular annual political event copied by other Iowa communities. Begun in 1976 by Robert M. CARR, Gene KENNEDY, and Allan THOMS, the festivity brought together legislators and Dubuque County residents for an evening of socialization. Legislators and state officials were given free tickets, while Dubuque-area legislators sold tickets to lobbyists and non-legislators. Some years saw as many as four hundred in attendance with Dubuque-area residents arriving by chartered bus.
In 1992 lawmakers put a $3 limit on gifts including food. On March 16, 1994, the event was resumed with everyone attending being required to pay the admission price of $5.00.