Freedom Festival Staff

  • Brittany Barnhart

    Executive Director
    Brittany@freedomfestival.com

    Brittany is a native of the Marion area and has always been passionate about organizing events and bringing fun and educational activities to the community. With over 5 years of experience in the events and marketing industry, her love for this field continues to grow. She now serves as the Executive Director for the Freedom Festival, after serving as the Events Coordinator during the 2024 festival. Brittany is excited to be a part of the Freedom Festival team once again and is looking forward to making it an even better experience for everyone. Brittany, along with her daughter Lillian and their two dogs, reside in the Cedar Rapids area.

  • Emma Ridder

    Marketing Assistant
    Emma@freedomfestival.com

    Emma was born and raised in the Cedar Rapids area and started attending Freedom Festival events at a young age. Emma graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2022. During her time in college, she found a passion for anything related to events and small businesses. Following her junior year at UNI, Emma interned for the Freedom Festival and loved being a part of the behind the scenes work that goes into producing the events she remembers going to as a kid. Emma, now serves as a Marketing Assistant and is excited for her fourth festival with the Freedom Festival team. Emma and her husband, Kelvin, live in Iowa City.

  • Emily Brunscheen

    Social Media/Marketing Assistant brunscheen.emily@gmail.com

    Emily was born and raised in Cedar Rapids and has a passion for community, events, and nonprofits. Emily graduated from the University of Iowa in 2023 with a degree in Marketing and Event Management. While in college she interned for the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival and fell in love with the community and mission it brings to Cedar Rapids. As an intern, that worked on all events of the festival, she found her favorite events being DockDogs, Balloon Glow, and our Celebration of Freedom on July 4th! Emily now serves as a Marketing Assistant and is looking forward to her third year with the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival!