If you want to stay on top of all the fun things to do in Des Moines, sign up for Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register that showcases all things fun you can do in central Iowa. Recently, we've written about karaoke bars, where to go thrifting, where to buy crafts, vegan restaurants, gluten-free options, the Amana Colonies and where to buy plants. If you sign up for our newsletter, you get a whole list of fun places to go, things to do, what to eat, and more early Thursday morning in your inbox.
Des Moines Challenge
Friday morning: See the No. 1 disc golf player in the world, Gannon Buhr, the 19-year-old Urbandale native, compete in the Des Moines Challenge at Pickard Park, 2205 E. Second Ave. in Indianola Friday through Sunday. Tickets start at $10.
Goodguys 33rd Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals
Friday morning: Ogle thousands of hot rods at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E. Grand Ave. in Des Moines, when the Goodguys 33rd Speedway Motors Heartland Nationals takes over. The three-day event spans 5,000 of the Midwest’s hot rods, trucks, customs, muscle cars and classics built before 1999. The event includes classic Performance Products AutoCross racing series, a swap meet, Cars 4 Sale Corral and vendor midway, live music and prizes for top awards of the weekend. Stop by on Saturday night for fireworks, and on Sunday, all years of American-made or powered show cars can join the Meguiar’s All-American Sunday celebration. The event takes place Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets start at $25.
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First Friday
Friday evening: If you didn’t get enough art in your system after the Des Moines Arts Festival last weekend, head to Mainframe Studios, 900 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines, for First Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. The event celebrates Latino art and culture with food trucks, piñatas, lowriders and art activities — all designed and organized by artists Seso Marentes and Siricasso. Explore five floors of open artist studios and view works on exhibit by Miriam Alarcon Avila, Anthony Arroyo, Ashley Guzman, Linda Eclat, and an exhibition, “smile now, cry later,” by Siricasso. The event is free.
Max Wellman Big Band
Friday night: Enjoy a slice of nostalgia when the Max Wellman Big Band plays the beloved songs of Frank Sinatra and more during “Fly Me to the Moon” from 7 to 9 p.m. at Noce, 1326 Walnut St., Des Moines. The show includes songs by Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé, Dean Martin, and more, as well as newly commissioned arrangements from some of today’s great Big Band arrangers. Tickets start at $25.
Pork Tornadoes
Friday night: Take in a free show when the Pork Tornadoes plays at Rendezvous at Riverview at 710 Corning Ave., Des Moines. This cover band features Mason Greve, one of 100 finalists on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2014, and gets the crowd to sing along to the likes of Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. The event at Riverview Park runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. with fireworks after.
Blank Park Zoo
Saturday morning: Stop by the Myron and Jackie Blank Discovery Center at Blank Park Zoo, 7401 S.W. Ninth St., Des Moines, to see a new exhibit showcasing reptiles, amphibians and insects. New animals include a Jamaican Boa, an axolotl, an arboreal alligator lizard, green mantillas, Golfodulcean poison dart frogs, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and an emperor scorpion. The zoo also added a Fiji banded iguana and a prehensile tail skink, while a pheasant pigeon chick hatched in the Discovery Center. See the animals daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. including the Independence Day holiday. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children.
Beaverdale Books anniversary
Saturday morning:Beaverdale Books turns 18 and celebrates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with temporary tattoos of the bookstore’s mascot, Beaverdale Rex; drawings for gift certificates to Beaverdale restaurants; voting for favorite bestsellers; and more. “The Thunderbolt Kid” by Bill Bryson was the top seller at the store the year it opened. So far in 2024, “Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines: A History” by Mary Christopher and Mike Rowley is the best seller at the store. Stop by the shop at 2629 Beaver Ave., Suite A, Des Moines.
‘Pelleas & Melisande’
Saturday night: Iowa baritone John Moore debuts as Pelléas in the Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of “Pelleas & Melisande.” Claude Debussy’s only completed opera tells the tale of two brothers who love the same woman. No one wins. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show at the Blank Performing Arts Center, 513 N. D St., Indianola, start at $25.
Festival of Decades
Saturday night: Adventureland Park celebrates its 50th anniversary with the all-new Festival of Decades with giveaways, concerts, light shows, and more. The show Saturday brings Direct from Sweden, performing the music of Abba. Buy tickets for a day at Adventureland for $39.99 to see the show.
Music Under the Stars
Sunday night: Cap off the weekend with Music Under the Stars at Lauridsen Amphitheater at Des Moines Water Works Park, 2251 George Flagg Pkwy., Des Moines, when the Des Moines Metro Concert Band & Big Band, Andy Classen on trumpet and vocalist Napoleon Douglas perform selections from “Mama Mia.” The free outdoor concert starts at 7 p.m.
The Baseball Project
Sunday night: See former R.E.M. members Peter Buck and Mike Mills, along with Scott McCaughey of Minus 5 and Young Fresh Fellows, Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate, and Linda Pitmon of Filthy Friends and Alejandro Escovedo of The Baseball Project when the band plays Wooly’s, 504 E. Locust St., Des Moines. The band embarks on a tour in support of last year’s album “Grand Salami Time.” Tickets for the 7 p.m. show start at $25.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
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