dsmWeekly: July 17, 2018

The salsa group Son Venezuela will close out this year's Latin Music Festival, performing Saturday from 11 p.m. to midnight.

MORROW LATIN MUSIC FESTIVAL SATURDAY

The seventh annual Warren Morrow Latin Music Festival fires up música Latina at Brenton Skating Plaza this Saturday, July 21. Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight. Click here to read a story about the festival and organizer Amner Martinez from the current issue of dsm magazine.

Performers include Son Venezuela; El Santo Golpe; Izcalli; Parranderos; Tres Letras; El Comandante; Son Peruchos; Girls Rock & DJXan. The performance schedule and other details are available here.

Admission is $30 in advance ($55 for VIP seating). Ages 12 and younger are free. Want tickets? Click here. General admission at the gate costs $35.

A Thai specialty, the yum beef salad at Fawn's includes sliced cooked beef, slivered onions, shredded carrot and diced red peppers.

LUNCH OF THE MONTH: FAWN'S ASIAN CUISINE

By Wini Moranville

In my quest for salads that aren’t predominantly anchored by lettuce, I generally do well at restaurants specializing in Southeast Asian food. My recent foray to Fawn’s Asian Cuisine was no exception.

Though I was tempted to order my Vietnamese standby—vermicelli salad featuring slick and cool rice noodles, crispy eggroll bits, fresh vegetables and an addictive peanut sauce—my dining companion snagged that choice. In the line of duty, I tried the yum beef salad, a Thai specialty that brought sliced cooked beef, slivered onions, shredded carrot and diced red peppers. What sealed the deal here was the irresistible flavorings: Each forkful brought something that made me just so happy—a hit of lemongrass here, a burst of basil or cilantro there and throughout, the funky flavor of fish sauce tempered by sugar and sparked by hot chilies.

One caveat: If you love the umami-esque sensations that fish sauce brings to recipes like Laotian green papaya salads and pad Thai, you’ll like what it does to this salad. If that fishy-salty-sweet angle isn’t for you, Fawn’s still has you covered. The menu of Lao, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese selections is vast, and in my experience, they serve admirably fresh, à la minute versions of classics such as Mongolian beef and cashew chicken, as well as a good take on angry fried catfish.

Fawn's Asian Cuisine is at 1107 E. University Ave.; 515-266-0664; fawnsasiancuisine.weebly.com

Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.

Coming fast: The 2018 AAU Junior Olympic Games will be held in Des Moines July 25 through Aug. 4.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR JUNIOR OLYMPICS

Later this month, 14,000 athletes from across the United States will arrive in Des Moines for the 2018 AAU Junior Olympic Games. The games, which run July 25 through Aug. 4, will bring in an additional 40,000 visitors to Central Iowa; the economic impact is expected to exceed $27 million.

The Games include competition in 15 sports; a full schedule is available here. Most events will take place at Drake University’s Drake Stadium and the Iowa Events Center. The swim competition will take place downtown at the Wellmark YMCA.

For an event this large, our friends at Catch Des Moines need volunteers for registration, sports assistance, hospitality, and awards ceremonies. Each volunteer will receive a credential to the AAU Junior Olympic Games and a T-shirt. Visit catchdesmoines.com/aaujo for ticket details, volunteer information and more.

Author and journalist Jeff Goodell addresses environmental issues in two Des Moines presentations this week.

ROLLING STONE WRITER SPEAKS ON ENVIRONMENT

When the investigative journalist and Rolling Stone contributor Jeff Goodell agreed earlier this year to speak in Des Moines, the city’s rivers were still obediently flowing in their banks. But the epic storm of a few weeks ago have made his upcoming lecture even more relevant.

The author of "The Waters Will Rise: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Reshaping of the Civilized World" will deliver a keynote address in the Tomorrow Plan Speakers Series at noon Friday, July 20, at the State Historical Building. The series hosts national thought-leaders who share insights and inspiration to advance the sustainable development of Greater Des Moines. Attendance is free, but registration is recommended. RSVP online and order an optional $10 sack lunch from Café Baratta’s at app.tikly.co/events/2853.

Goodell also plans to speak at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, July 21, during the National Alliance for Preservation Commissions Forum 2018 at the Embassy Suites, 101 E. Locust St. The biennial forum July 18-22 will gather more than 600 historic preservationists from across the country and is co-presented by the National Alliance, the city of Des Moines, and the State Historic Preservation Office of Iowa, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Admission, $60 at regonline.com/napcforum2018, includes lunch. Reservations are required.
More information is available here: napcommissions.org/forum.

Auto experts offer free advanced training for young drivers in a traveling program coming to Grimes next week.

FREE LIFE-SAVING TRAINING FOR YOUNG DRIVERS

A free, behind-the-wheel program offering advanced training for young drivers is coming to Greater Des Moines next week. The Ford Driving Skills for Life Program trains drivers in four areas that are critical factors in more than 60 percent of vehicle crashes: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, and speed and space management.

Every year, an average of 3,000 teens, ages 16-19, die in vehicle crashes. This award-winning program pairs newly licensed drivers with professional driving instructors. Two sessions are scheduled at Adesa Auto Auction, 1800 SE Gateway Dr. in Grimes: 7:30 a..m. to noon Wednesday, July 25, and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26. For details, visit drivingskillsforlife.com/

Members of the Final Act Ensemble recreate live radio programming, complete with original sound-effects devices.

STAGE SHOW RECREATES GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO

The Des Moines Community Playhouse's Final Act Ensemble, a troupe of performers age 60 and older, presents a salute to old-time radio comedy, at 3 p.m., Sunday, July 22.

Escape the heat and visit the Good-Enough Grill, where folks meet to gossip about their neighbors and listen to the radio. Laugh along with Fibber McGee & Molly and George Burns & Gracie Allen, then thrill to The Shadow.

The Final Act Ensemble presents classic and original radio plays, including commercials and sound effects. Sunday's performance will be presented at Highland Park Christian Church, 4260 NW Sixth Dr. Tickets are $10, ($7 for seniors and students, $5 for children ages 5 and under). Tickets are available through Highland Park Christian Church by calling 515-244-3182 or at the door.