In Memory of Trevor Lee Hopkins

Trevor Lee Hopkins is the patron saint of Mission Creek Festival. He always has been our spirit, the guardian angel carrying our work forward whether he was in the room helping out or sending good vibes from hundreds of miles away.

As a music scene steward, he saw possibility where others might have just given up. With that approach, he seeded a culturally expansive vision of The Mill (picking up where Sean Haskins had left off), helping to transform it into a community gathering space for local and international artists and fans of music, art, and friendship. Mission Creek became part of that vision, through the annual festival, and all the other shows that happened through the year.

When we first reached out to him, back in October 2005, about producing this event in Iowa City, he understood completely—without pause—why he should give us a chance. It didn't mean we would even be successful, but that we should at least have a chance to fail in good faith!

Having been involved in the San Francisco music scene before returning to Iowa, Trevor was the perfect bridge between the festival's Bay Area origins and its new chapter in Iowa City. And he valued, so deeply, the work of bringing people together through music and art. Through the years, now nearly two decades, between his move to Wisconsin and back to Iowa, Trevor was always here, spiritually and in-person, to support and guide the festival toward a meaningful outcome—always for the artists, always for our people. He was a dear friend, a real champion.

We are mourning his passing and sending love to his partner, Ashlee Hopkins. We are celebrating all the goodness he brought to this world. We are dedicating Mission Creek Festival 2023 to his memory.
 

— Andre, Tanner, Jeff, Brian,
& the Mission Creek team (past/present/future)