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Hi everyone! Adam Wood here sending you today’s Off Hours all the way from the site of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad: Paris, France. Join me in getting as excited for the Olympics as I am!
The Deal
Here's the deal: Do you remember the last time there was a “normal” Olympics? It has been six years since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea. That was the last Olympics that did not require a gold medal effort in avoiding COVID just to get to the Olympics, much less compete. If you remember the Register’s coverage of Tokyo's Big Iowa BBQ , no one was able to actually eat inside as it was closed due to a spike of COVID cases in Japan before and during the Tokyo Olympics.
This time, the Olympics will not only be back to normal but also one of the most city centric Games yet. This will be apparent from the opening ceremony : Instead of the few to no attendees at the last two ceremonies, this ceremony will be a record breaker with more than 300,000 attendees lining a 3.75-mile stretch of the Seine River through downtown Paris. Athletes will ride boats up the river passing by many historic sites along the way.
Des Moines has its own place in Olympic history. Anyone who was in the Des Moines area in 2008 remembers when West Des Moines Shawn Johnson won gold in gymnastics. Des Moines is visited annually by Olympians at the Drake Relays and has hosted Olympic Trials for triathlon and most recently skateboarding at Lauridsen Skatepark. RAGBRAI has also had multiple Olympians along for the ride.
5 Ways to Enjoy the Olympics in Des Moines
The Games will are live on the networks of NBC, including local channel WHO 13, and stream on Peacock.
Friday: The aforementioned historic opening ceremony beings at 12:30 p.m. Central Time. Join the billons of people worldwide watching to see how Paris turns the Champs de Mars, Jardins du Trocadero, and Seine River into a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Saturday early morning: You’ll have to get up early (2:30 a.m.) but one of the biggest spectacles of the Games will be equestrian event in the courtyard of the Chateau du Versailles.
Saturday daytime: The first day of competition will be a big one with Team USA expected to bring home multiple medals from the swimming pool at Paris La Défense Arena of Nanterre. Another sight of the Games will be the beach volleyball action. The sand court has been built right under the Eiffel Tower and is sure to be one of the most picturesque sights of the entire Games.
Sunday: A sport you may not watch regularly outside of the Olympics, water polo, will feature the USA vs Italy at 8 a.m. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team also continues their campaign for gold against Germany at 2 p.m. Artistic gymnastics also beings with qualifications.
One more sports plug: Beginning on Tuesday, July 30, will be 3x3 basketball. At its debut in Tokyo, this fast-paced game was one that the few those able to attend agreed would be amazing with fans in Paris. An added bonus? Team USA is expected to contend for both the men’s and women’s gold medals.
Eat This, Drink That
Saganaki, $11.95: Talk about a show stopper. This traditional Greek dish features kasseri cheese dipped in egg batter and then served on fire at your table.
Get it: Head to Olympic Flame at 514 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines. Perhaps appropriately named, the Olympic Flame in the East Village offers authentic food from the home of the Olympics: Greece. The restaurant also features the Mirage Middle Eastern Dance Troupe live every Friday evening for added entertainment.
Shotski, depends on the shots: Grab three friends and try an Olympic sport of your own — shots served on a ski. It takes coordination to drink these at the same time, so you may need to practice.
Get it: While pickleball, axe throwing, darts, and bocce ball aren’t Olympic sports yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them while also watching a wide variety of screens showing all the action from Paris at Smash Park , 6625 Coachlight Drive, West Des Moines. If you want to start getting ready for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, curling is basically shuffleboard on ice.
48 Hours Off
Thursday night: Do some shopping for vintage clothing, art, handmade goods, and more at the Surety Hotel , 206 Sixth Ave., Des Moines. DSM Flea takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Free to attend.
Friday night: Play like a kid again during the Third Annual Adult Recess at Captain Roy’s at 1900 Saylor Road, Des Moines. It’s free to participate in the event from 6 to 9 p.m. but everyone must be age 21 or older. The event includes team competitions and live music from Electrobeast. Registration in advance is required.
Friday evening: Just look up. The 2024 National Balloon Classic kicks off in Indianola with 100-plus hot air balloons filling the sky. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. with fireworks later at night. Each day through Aug. 3 features different things to do with the hot air balloons, from a parade and morning competitions to lighting up the night and rides. Tickets start at $11.50.
Friday night: Country singer Maren Morris brings her “RSVP Redux” tour to Vibrant Music Hall, 2938 Grand Prairie Parkway, Waukee. The singer behind “Circles Around This Town,” “Chasing After You,” and “My Church” performs at 8 p.m. with tickets starting at $54. For every ticket sold, $1 will be donated directly to LGBTQ organizations serving youth in their communities in partnership with nonprofit and LGBTQ support organization the Ally Coalition, according to Live Nation.
Saturday afternoon: You have an excuse to discover new food vendors, artists, and more during Cornbred Cornbread Festival at Riverview Park, 710 Corning Ave., Des Moines. The free festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “brings the best of Iowa culture in all its corny glory together in one spot.” Find out more online at cornbreadiowa.com .
Sunday afternoon: For those who celebrate Christmas and just can’t wait until December, the Des Moines Biergarten and Water Works Park team up for a festive event from 2 to 6 p.m. Christmas in July at 2251 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines, features an appearance by Santa from 2 to 4 p.m., family-friendly games, a gingerbread-themed bounce house, and a dunk tank. Kelsie James will perform live music and the Biergarten will be serving up steins of German beer and German street food. Bring a donation with a value of $10 or more for Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa and receive a half liter of beer. Raffle tickets for donated bike jerseys can be purchased with all proceeds going to Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa and Everybody Wins! Iowa. —Susan Stapleton
Olympic deals
Two restaurants in the Des Moines metro have specials inspired by the Olympic Games, taking place in Paris through Aug. 11.
Django, the French restaurant in downtown Des Moines, offers some classic Parisian street foods, to give diners a taste of France without leaving Des Moines.
Django Dog: Returns to the menu after a long absence. The dog comes on a South Union Bakery New England roll with boudin blanc, truffle aioli, and celery root remoulade.
Lobster Roll Escoffier: Features lobster, black truffle butter, and chives on a South Union Bakery New England roll.
Lamb Burger: Forget the regulation burger. The lamb burger features a za'atar spiced lamb patty, cucumber-dill yogurt sauce, red onion, tomato, and shaved lettuce on a South Union Bakery bun.
Profiterole: This cream puff comes with house-made strawberry ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Find it: Django , 1420 Locust St., Des Moines.
For a more casual approach to the Olympic Games head to Zombie Burger in the East Village for international flavors of poutine.
Asia: These fries come topped with gochujang fried chicken bites, cheese sauce, cheese curds, kimchi, green onion, and sriracha mayo.
Africa: Shakshuka sauce, fried egg, cheese curds, green onion, and cilantro top these fries.
Europe: This version of poutine combines beef bourguignon, roasted pearl onions, cheese curds, and red wine gravy atop fries.
South America: Seared skirt steak, sautéed red onion, tomato and poblanos come together with cilantro white rice and aji limon crema on fries.
Australia: The land Down Under is represented with fries topped with smashed avocado, feta cheese sauce, pickled red onion, spiced pepita, and diced tomato.
North America: Try classic poutine for the regular menu. This dish comes topped with cheese curds and gravy. Also available as a vegetarian dish.
Find it: Zombie Burger + Drink Lab , 300 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines. —Susan Stapleton
My Day Job
Thanks for reading!
While normally I manage server and storage infrastructure across the USA TODAY NETWORK, right now I am in Paris supporting our team on the ground in Paris. Over the last five years (yes, we’ve been planning for five years) we’ve planned how we can take a photo in Paris and have it available for you online in under two minutes. (Yes, it really does move that quickly.) It’s great to see our planning finally come to action. Be sure to catch all of our coverage!
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Off Hours: How to celebrate the Olympic Games in Paris right here in Des Moines
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