A Weekend of Art and Culture

The colorful creations that await at Linda Donuts in Ankeny, topped with cereal, sprinkles and coconut flakes.

FOOD AND DINING
4 New Breakfast Spots for Your Summer Bucket List

Writer: Karla Walsh

The old aphorism declares that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this season you have several more venues to make the most of your morning meal.

While we’ll always have a soft spot for timeless gems like the Waveland Cafe and Drake Diner, we’ll never say no to more locations that inspire us to skip the snooze button. Below, four new hot spots to start your day in style. For a bonus number five and six, stay tuned to 5 Borough Bagels on Facebook and Instagram to follow along as they prepare to open their larger Urbandale location later this summer. Then swing by Secret Admirer on Saturdays when you’re downtown for the farmers market to see what’s on the menu for their Super Secret Brunch Club.

Best for Your Budget: Linda Donuts
Swing by this new Ankeny bakery for cake or raised doughnuts decorated with icing and a wide variety of toppings, from cereal and sprinkles to candy and coconut—all at only $1.10 each. Cronuts, fritters, cinnamon rolls, croissants and jam-swirled fruit twists also make frequent appearances in the colorful bakery case. (1810 S.W. White Birch Circle, Suite 121, Ankeny; 5 a.m.-2 p.m. daily)

Best for a Boozy Brunch: The Breakfast Club West Glen
The sister restaurant to East Village’s retro-inspired spot, the West Des Moines outpost of the Breakfast Club debuted May 27. It’s the second iteration of the restaurant that’s known for its mimosa flights, totchos and overloaded Benedicts. The mixologists recently added even more coffee cocktails, plus a “Mega Mosa” that will definitely need to be shared; it’s a whopping 25 ounces. (5225 Mills Civic Parkway, No. 100, West Des Moines; 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily)

Best for Families: Little Brother on a weekday
Now that school's out for summer, corral the family and perk up a weekday morning with breakfast at this Windsor Heights deli-diner. (You might also know this restaurant as its previous name, RC’s Diner.) Since the owners are parents, too, they shifted their hours to be more family-friendly during the warmer weather months. Adults will love the Candied Bacon Benny and Soon-to-Be-Famous Breakfast Sandwich, while kids will adore Layla’s Giant Frickin’ Cinnamon Roll. It’s epic. (6587 University Ave., Windsor Heights; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday)

Best for a Day Date: 503 Cocktail Lab and Tasting Room
Since he opened 503 in February, chef Lynn Pritchard has created a well-oiled machine inside this happy hour and dinner destination in the East Village. A few weeks ago, he launched a weekend brunch at 503, which showcases thoughtful twists on avocado toast, quiche, waffles, bloody marys and more. (503 E. Locust St.; 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday)

Playwright Beaufield Berry's works often take on the drama, history and joy of the Black Diaspora. Her latest work, "Buffalo Women," explores these themes and more. See it June 19-26 at the Des Moines Community Playhouse.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

‘Buffalo Women’ Premieres on Juneteenth

A new work by Midwest playwright Beaufield Berry will be performed in a collaboration between Pyramid Theatre Company and the Des Moines Community Playhouse. To honor the Juneteenth holiday from which the play begins, “Buffalo Women: A Black Cowgirl Musical Dramedy” will open on Sunday.

When Bethula is freed from slavery in 1865, she embarks on a quest to locate her daughter, who had been sold by Bethula’s former owner. Bethula is determined to reunite with her, and while searching for her, she meets four other Black women, each based on real historical figures. The women share their journeys, along with advice and love, with one another.

The opening night performance will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. The show will run through June 26.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Celebrate Juneteenth (all weekend): Juneteenth is officially on Sunday, but events around the city will celebrate the emancipation holiday all weekend. Start on Friday at the Black Art Exhibit at Mainframe Studios, where you can view and purchase portraits, sculptures, table art, clothing, homemade woodwork and other crafts by local Black artists. Then on Saturday, visit Manifestival in Western Gateway Park to celebrate Black and queer intersectionality with art, food, music and entertainment in a collaboration between Iowa Juneteenth and Capital City Pride. Also on Saturday at xBk, enjoy free shows from Black performers, including comedy, jazz and hip-hop.

Music Under the Stars (Sunday, 7 p.m.): Grab a seat (and maybe a snack or two) and enjoy a variety of band music from Iowa musicians at this outdoor concert. See the list of groups performing here. The free summer concert series will take place at the West Capitol Mall.

Des Moines Art Week (all weekend): Art Week kicks off with activities in the Avenues (Friday), Oak Park/Highland Park (Saturday) and Drake/Dogtown (Sunday). Scroll down for more information and schedules.

ARTS AND CULTURE
Ceramics reception: Photographer Jami Milne’s “Under Pressure” project was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Milne worked with the pottery students at Central Academy to create small ceramic creatures that portray themes of hope, life, vulnerability and despair. Mainframe Studios will host the opening reception for the installation tomorrow (June 16) from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free, and the ceramics will be available for further viewing through July 24. Visit Milne’s website for more information and photos from the project.

As part of Art Week programming, Moberg Gallery will extend open hours until 7 p.m. on June 17 to allow visitors to experience its latest exhibit, "Contemporary Abstraction." Photo: courtesy of Moberg Gallery.

ARTS AND CULTURE

Art Week Hosts Events Throughout the City

Choose from some 136 events featuring 152 local artists during Art Week Des Moines, which kicks off Friday and runs through June 23, leading to the Des Moines Arts Festival (June 24-26). The events, all free to attend, cover a wide variety of art forms, including music, poetry, painting and more.

This year, Art Week will concentrate activities in specific neighborhoods for each day of the weeklong celebration. On Friday, find events along the Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand (15th to 43rd streets, south of Grand to Waterworks Park and north to I-235). You’ll find a poetry reading at Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure, a pop-up concert at the City Sounds piano in front of Ted’s Coney Island, Des Moines Art Center tours led by artists Cassandra Monroe, Jill Wells and Jim White, plus plenty of other activities throughout the area.

A few other events we’re looking forward to throughout the week: a music festival on Sunday, an Architect Art Crawl on Tuesday and a Big Head Parade on Thursday. See the extensive list of events and locations here to start planning your week.