dsm Season Preview

Are you the friend who plans outings for the group? Good news: We just made your job easier.

The dsm team curated the following list of more than 70 concerts, shows, festivals and other events in Central Iowa, including a few ideas to celebrate the upcoming holidays, from Dia de los Muertos to New Year's Eve.

So take a scroll through the list, forward it to your friends (who can subscribe for free) and mark your calendars for the weeks and months ahead. The days are getting shorter, but there's no shortage of fun ways to fill them.

All the best,
Michael Morain
Editor

Compare and contrast: R Kauff's screenprint "Gutter 15 (crow)" and Jen P. Harris' digital weaving "Poetry keeps its secret." (Photos: Olson-Larsen Galleries)

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES

Date night idea: Valley Junction's Gallery Night

If you study the artwork at Olson-Larsen Galleries, can you guess which artists are romantically involved? Maybe it’s the photographer and the landscape painter? Or the screenprinter and the weaver?

There are six couples in the upcoming show "Artist/Couple," which cleverly demonstrates what curators mean when they place pieces of art "in conversation" with one another. Here, it makes you wonder: Do these artist-couples get along? Do they bicker? Probably both. It’s complicated.

But, hey, it could make for a fun date. The two-month show opens with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday during Valley Junction’s Fall Gallery Night, when eight creative local businesses stay open late. If it’s been awhile since you’ve taken a stroll down Fifth Street, this is a good time to go. You’re sure to spot something new.

More Museums & Galleries

"Caribbean Dreams," Friday-Jan. 19. The Jamaican-born, New York-based photographer Samantha Box creates elaborate images — landscapes, still lifes, self-portraits — that explore notions of home and identity in the Caribbean, where people and cultures have mixed like the trade winds for centuries. The exhibition opens with a reception 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the Des Moines Art Center.

"Between the Earth and Sky," Friday-Nov. 2. Horses inspired the artwork by Carolyn Hopkins, Larassa Kabel, Clayton Porter, Jim White and the Belle Morte Collective (Kabel, plus dsm contributing photographer Ben Easter) in the show that opens with a reception 5-8 p.m. Friday at Moberg Gallery.

"Seed Scoops in My Drive," Oct. 17-Nov. 28. The next show at the Polk County Heritage Gallery features experimental, collaborative drawings by 10 local artists in a group called See Saw Draw who share prompts (images, words, sounds) in an online file and encourage one other to add their 2 cents.

Dia de Los Muertos, Oct. 27. This year’s Day of the Dead at the Des Moines Art Center focuses on "Youth of the Eternal Flame," with music and artwork to commemorate locals who died too young. The holiday with Mexican roots involves traditional food and music, art activities and more.

In the East Village, Wooly's hosts bands on the brink of fame. (Photo: Wooly's)

MUSIC

See three indie acts on their way up

For a city our size, Des Moines boasts a robust and diverse live music scene. Plenty of touring artists stop at Wooly’s, xBk or the Val Air on their road trips west from Chicago, which is great for indie music fans here in Iowa. We can brag, for example, that we saw Chappell Roan at the Val Air in March, before she lit up the summer festival circuit and performed for a crowd of more than 100,000 at Lollapalooza.

Ticket prices for indie shows are usually more affordable compared with big arena concerts, which means you can see multiple concerts without breaking the bank (and get right up close to the stage). Here are a few upcoming shows to put on your list, so you can say, "I saw them before they were big," and impress all your friends.

Melt, a funky pop-inspired band with notes of soul and swing, just released its debut album after going viral in 2017. The group comes to Wooly’s on Wednesday.

Briston Maroney, known for his gritty rock vibes, opened for Noah Kahan during his 2023 tour and has been building momentum on Spotify with 2 million streams. He plays the Val Air Ballroom on Saturday.

Ax and the Hatchetmen blend alternative rock with beachy, jazz-inspired elements that make the group’s live performances especially captivating. The crew recently signed a record deal with Arista Records after a sold-out tour in 2023 and plan to visit Wooly's on Nov. 16.

P!nk (pictured), Oct. 24. The acrobatic rock star otherwise known as Alecia Moore brings her "Trustfall" tour to Wells Fargo Arena for a turbo-charged concert with special guests the Script and KidCutUp. Proceeds from the show support Girls Rock! Des Moines.

Des Moines Symphony: Brahms, Oct. 26-27. Geneva Lewis plays Brahms’ Violin Concerto in a program that includes William Grant Still’s jazzy "Serenade" and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.

Vitamin String Quartet, Nov. 1. The musicians who alchemize pop hits into the soundtrack for "Bridgerton" bring that same sparkle to Hoyt Sherman Place. With two violins, a viola and a cello, they’ll go for baroque with covers by Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift and many more.

Magos Herrera (pictured), Nov. 8. The Mexican-born singer-songwriter who’s nudging Latin jazz into new territory comes to Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium to sing a few tunes from her nine albums.

Jazz at Caspe Terrace, Nov. 10. Trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and pianist Harold Danko buzz in from New York to play a set in the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines’ beautiful concert hall in Waukee.

A Motown Christmas, Nov. 12. Past and present members of legendary Motown groups — Ali Woodson’s Temptations, the Miracles, the Contours — put their signature spin on holiday classics at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Max Wellman sings Connick, Nov. 15. You can jazz it up at Noce any night Wednesday through Saturday, but we’re especially eager to hear the Max Wellman Big Band play hits by Harry Connick Jr., with pianist Ben Hagen on the bench.

The Queen’s Cartoonists, Nov. 15. Six musicians from Queens, New York, mix jazz and classical into a show that celebrates music from more than a century of animated cartoons. Sometimes the group re-creates soundtracks note for note; other times, they spin out in new directions.

Irish Christmas in America, Nov. 23-24. Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisin Mac Diarmada, this holiday concert at the Temple Theater showcases traditional songs and dances, with a backdrop of projected photos from the Old Country.

Des Moines Symphony: Gershwin, Nov. 23-24. The orchestra plays Gershwin’s ebullient Concerto in F, with piano soloist Jon Kimura Parker, between local composer Linda Robbins Coleman’s "The Celebration: A Symphonic Jubilee" and Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.

Holiday Cabaret, Dec. 6-8. The A-Sisters and friends return to Tallgrass Theatre Co. for another weekend of festive songs from way back when.

Christmas with the Choral Society, Dec. 7. Soak in the sounds of one of the city’s finest choirs during the annual concert at St. Ambrose Cathedral.

The King’s Singers, Dec. 18. The six-man a cappella group continues the tradition that started more than 50 years at King’s College in Cambridge, England, balancing tonal precision with creative expression. Hear it for yourself at Drake University’s Sheslow Auditorium.

Pentatonix (pictured), Dec. 18. The Grammy-winning a cappella quintet visits Wells Fargo Arena for a tour they’re calling "Hallelujah! It’s a Christmas Tour."

Des Moines Symphony: Holiday Brass, Dec. 21-22. The symphony’s brass section takes center stage at Westminster Presbyterian Church, with backup from the church’s mighty pipe organ.

Glenn Miller Orchestra, Dec. 22. Treat your family to an early Christmas gift and take them to this concert at Hoyt Sherman Place, starring the big band founded by Clarinda’s favorite son.

New Year’s Eve Pops, Dec. 31. Ring in the new year with the Des Moines Symphony and the Doo Wop Project, a singing group that channels the magic of everybody from Frankie Valli to Maroon 5, all with 2,700 of your closest friends at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Pam Sherman stars in the title role of "Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End." (Photo: Des Moines Performing Arts)

THEATER & DANCE

The realest housewife inspired a new play

Erma Bombeck waited until her three kids were in school to start writing a housekeeping column for a newspaper in the suburbs of Dayton, Ohio. She was 37 — in her words, "too old for a paper route, too young for Social Security and too tired for an affair."

As her columns caught on, spreading to some 600 papers over the next 30 years, she became a household name, with TV appearances, book deals and annual earnings from $500,000 to $1 million. But she always did her own cooking and cleaning. As she put it, "If I didn’t do my own housework, then I have no business writing about it. I spend 90 percent of my time living scripts and 10 percent writing them."

She died in 1996, but her quippy wisdom lives on in a new script by the sisters and former Des Moines Register reporters Allison and Margaret Engel. Their play "Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End" runs Dec. 3-21 at the Temple Theater.

More Theater & Dance

"Witch," Wednesday through Sunday. A smooth-talking devil shows up in a quiet village to bargain for souls in Iowa Stage Theatre’s morally murky fable at the Des Moines Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.

Ta-Nehisi Coates, Oct. 14. Beaverdale Books hosts the bestselling author, journalist and activist at the Franklin Event Center to discuss his latest book, "The Message," which chronicles his recent trips to South Carolina, Senegal and Palestine.

"Back to the Future," Oct. 15-20. The national tour of the 2020 musical visits the Des Moines Civic Center in the very near future. Hop in the DeLorean and travel back to the 1985 movie and back even further to 1955, when teenage Marty McFly meets his parents in high school.

"Movimiento," Oct. 18-19. This season’s new triple bill from Ballet Des Moines celebrates contemporary Latino and Afro-Caribbean artists, with new commissions and live music from artists from Brazil, Canada and Colombia.

"Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors," Oct. 18-Nov. 3. Eat some garlic and head to the Des Moines Playhouse for a slapsticky riff on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel. Heroic bonus: Anyone who donates blood to LifeServe can get a BOGO ticket voucher.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Oct. 22. Join Barry Bostwick, who starred with Susan Sarandon as the unsuspecting young couple, for a special screening of the cult classic at the Des Moines Civic Center. Prop bags will be available for purchase, but take note: They will not include rice, water pistols, toast or meatloaf.

"Peter and the Starcatcher," Oct. 25-Nov. 3. Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre stages the Tony-winning musical spinoff of Peter Pan, with pirates, jungle tyrants and boys who refuse to grow up, at the Des Moines Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.

"Sesame Street Live!" Oct. 29. Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster and all the rest come to town for a new song-and-dance show at the Des Moines Civic Center.

The Second City, Oct. 29-Nov. 3. Believe it or not, the Chicago comedy troupe has been around for 65 years now. They’ll conjure their wackadoodle magic at the Temple for Performing Arts.

"Charlotte’s Web," Nov. 8-24. The Tallgrass Theatre Co. in West Des Moines stages the classic barnyard tale about a girl, a spider and "some pig."

"Last Stop on Market Street," Nov. 8-24. The Des Moines Playhouse teams up with City Voices and the Pyramid Theatre Co. to present the award-winning children’s story about a little boy and a transformative bus ride with his force-of-nature grandma.

"Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," Nov. 11. The hard-charging musical about the late great Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, written by Pulitzer-winner Katori Hall, takes the stage at Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

"The Hip Hop Nutcracker," Nov. 26. Hip-hop standout MC Kurtis Blow and his team offer a fresh mashup of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, with dancers, a DJ, a violinist and, of course, a pack of enchanted rats at the Des Moines Civic Center.

"Disney on Ice," Nov. 28-Dec. 1. After an era of princess hegemony, this year’s skating show, "Mickey’s Search Party," features Aladdin, Coco, Moana and several others familiar Disney characters.

"Dear Evan Hansen," Dec. 5. Anybody who made it through high school can relate to this Tony-winning musical about a kid with social anxiety who struggles to fit in. The national tour returns to Iowa for a single night at Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

"Chicago," Dec. 6-8. The national tour of the Kander and Ebb musical about a murder and its sensational media aftermath brings back the old razzle-dazzle for a weekend at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast," Dec. 6-22. Belle, her furry lover and his enchanted household objects cordially invite you to be their guest at the Des Moines Playhouse.

"The Nutcracker," Dec. 12-15. Ballet Des Moines stages one of several local productions of the classic fairy tale about a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream about rodents and candied fruit.

"A Christmas Carol," Dec. 13-22. Iowa Stage Theatre revives Dickens’ enduring ghost story for another staging at the Des Moines Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.

"A Magical Cirque Christmas," Dec. 22. Sure, Santa can laugh like a bowl full of jelly. But can he juggle knives, twist himself into a pretzel and swing from a flying trapeze? See who can during this extravaganza at the Des Moines Civic Center.

"Chicago," (pictured), Dec. 6-8. The national tour of the Kander and Ebb musical about a murder and its sensational media aftermath brings back the old razzle-dazzle for a weekend at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast," Dec. 6-22. Belle, her furry lover and his enchanted household objects cordially invite you to be their guest at the Des Moines Playhouse.

"The Nutcracker," Dec. 12-15. Ballet Des Moines stages one of several local productions of the classic fairy tale about a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream about rodents and candied fruit.

"A Christmas Carol," Dec. 13-22. Iowa Stage Theatre revives Dickens’ enduring ghost story for another staging at the Des Moines Civic Center’s Stoner Theater.

"A Magical Cirque Christmas," Dec. 22. Sure, Santa can laugh like a bowl full of jelly. But can he juggle knives, twist himself into a pretzel and swing from a flying trapeze? See who can during this extravaganza at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Other Events

Iowa Author Awards, Thursday. At this year’s awards ceremony and dinner at the Embassy Suites, the Des Moines Public Library Foundation honors three Iowa writers with three notably different perspectives: Lyz Lenz, Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey and Carol Roh Spaulding.

Indigenous Iowans Day, Oct. 12. Learn about Iowa’s Indigenous cultures on a trip to the 1700 Iowa village at Living History Farms, where guides lead presentations, demos and hands-on activities like braiding corn husks, carving (knapping) flint into tools and playing games.

IMT Des Moines Marathon, Oct. 20. Runners take to the streets bright and early for the annual race that ends with a street party on Court Avenue.

David Sedaris, Oct. 24. The author of "Naked," "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and other bestsellers can still surprise his fans with quirky and often poignant observations about life, love, aging and whatever other thoughts ricochet around his mind. These days, he leads his own Masterclass, contributes to "CBS Sunday Morning" and plans to share a few stories at Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

Final Farmers Market, Oct. 26. The Downtown Farmers' Market sells its last pumpkins and pupusas of the regular season.

Totally Rad Vintage Fest, Nov. 2. We hate to break it to you, but stuff from the '80s, '90s and '00s is now "vintage." Head to Hy-Vee Hall to shop for clothing, accessories, toys, home goods and more. While you’re there, play a round of games at the free arcade.

Living History Farms Race (pictured), Nov. 9. The annual cross-country stampede through 300 years of history, plus a few fields and muddy streams, offers one more chance to wear your Halloween costume.

Nikki Glaser, Nov. 9-10. The unflinching comedian and "best roaster on the planet" brings her no-holds-barred stand-up routine to town for three shows at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Des Moines Tweed Ride, Nov. 10. Don your old-time duds and grab your oldest bicycle for a leisurely Sunday ride around downtown, with a few pub stops along the way.

Patton Oswalt, Nov. 14. The actor and comedian who’s racked up eight TV specials and a stack of nominations — four Emmys, six Grammys — brings the funny for a night of laughs at Hoyt Sherman Place.

Des Moines Holiday Boutique, Nov. 15-17. More than 200 vendors sell jewelry, children's items, gourmet foods and more at this festive shopping weekend at the Iowa Events Center.

Iowa’s Largest Arts & Craft Show, Nov. 15-17. If it can be made by hand, you can probably find it among the 250-plus booths at the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Jingle in the Junction, Nov. 21-Dec. 19. Historic Valley Junction stays up late on Thursdays with extended hours at shops and galleries, live music and more than 125,000 lights casting a festive glow over Fifth Street in West Des Moines.

Champagne and Chocolate, Nov. 15. Enjoy the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s annual sip-and-stroll fundraiser in the beautifully lit rainforest with live music and, of course, some delicious things to eat and drink.

Downtown Winter Farmers' Market, Nov. 22-24. Stock the root cellar and jump-start your holiday shopping at the Iowa Events Center with late-season produce, baked goods and hand-crafted products from local makers, including vendors from the Spark DSM Minority Business Incubator.

Free Thanksgiving Meals, Nov. 27-28. Hope Ministries offers one of several free holiday meals around town, available for delivery and at the Hope Cafe at Bethel Mission north of downtown. Go online to reserve a meal or register to help.

Winterset Festival of Lights (pictured), Nov. 29. For small-town revelry, your best bet is the Madison County seat, where you’ll find live music, horse-drawn carriage rides and a lighted parade. Good old Santa will light up the historic courthouse square.

Festival of Trees and Lights, Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The annual pop-up forest takes temporary root at the Iowa Events Center to raise funds for Blank Children’s Hospital.

Chelsea Handler, Dec. 5. The sharp and sharp-tongued comedian and TV host brings her stand-up show to the Des Moines Civic Center. Fair warning: Everything is fair game.

Christkindlmarket, Dec. 5-8. The outdoor holiday market brings Old World charm to the plaza outside Principal Park, where you’ll find hand-crafted gifts, European-style goodies and traditional music.

Family Christmas, Dec. 7. Bundle up for an old-fashioned Iowa Christmas at Living History Farms, where you can hop on a horse-drawn wagon (with honest-to-goodness jingle bells), decorate cookies, visit Santa, listen to Victorian carolers and join the sing-along at the Church of the Land.

Holly & Ivy, Dec. 7-8. Tour the grand old Salisbury House, where local designers, florists, home stagers and other creative types will deck the halls with holiday splendor, and pianists will tickle the ivories on the custom-built Steinway.

The Peppermint Trail, Dec. 14. Catch a free trolley ride along The Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand, plus the Shops at Roosevelt, to enjoy the festivities (and deals) at area shops and restaurants.

Noon Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. Well, it’s midnight somewhere, right? Ring in the year early with family-friendly activities at the Science Center of Iowa — and then get a good night’s sleep.