Iowa Debut: ‘Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn’ Vol. 2 to Appear at Monster-themed Van Meter Visitor Festival Sept. 26, 2026!

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Middle West Press LLC, a Johnston, Iowa-based independent micro-press, will debut its latest anthology of corn-fueled horror and humor at the Van Meter Visitor Festival in Van Meter, Iowa Sat., Sept. 26, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Established in 2013, the Van Meter Visitor Festival annually celebrates all things cryptids—but most notably the 1903 sighting of strange, bat-winged creatures in the coal-mining and railroad town of Van Meter, which at the time had a population of 400. Witnesses at the time said the beasts also shot beams of light from their foreheads.

The second volume of Cryptids, Kaiju & Corn: Poems and Micro-Stories about Modern Midwest Monsters, launches on-line Sept. 8, 2026. The book collects nearly 70 short poems and 400-word narratives of mythic beasts that illuminate, celebrate, or challenge stereotypes of Midwestern identity.

The festival will be the first time Middle West Press LLC has participated as a vendor in the Van Meter event. The festival takes place both indoors and outdoors, centered on the town’s Veterans Reception Hall / American Legion Post at 910 Main St. The town of 1,500 people is located in Dallas County, and is a 20- to 30-minute drive west of Des Moines. General admission is $10.

“We’re excited to share with festival-goers our love of dark and creepy stories both old and new, our growing catalog of genre anthology titles, and some of our unique ‘Midwest Cryptid’ merch,” says Editor-Publisher Randy “Sherpa” Brown. “And, for the first time, we’ll also featuring ‘Blind Date with a Book’ products specially curated for us by Quad-Cities-based bookseller The Macabre Librarian!”
“Middle West Press LLC (www.middlewestpress.com) is a Johnston, Iowa-based editor and publisher of non-fiction, journalism, and poetry. As an independent micro-press, we publish one to four titles annually. Our projects are often inspired by the people, places, and history of the American Midwest.”

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