dsmWeekly - October 16, 2024

But there’s good news: HoQ co-owners Cynthia and Suman Hoque, pictured, are stepping up to open Flora, a new restaurant in the Trellis space. Considering its name, you can expect a variety of delicious veggie-forward dishes complemented with locally sourced meats. For more than a decade at HoQ, in the East Village, chef Suman has built strong ties with local farmers and food artisans, and he plans to continue to do that at Flora.

The Hoques are determining what changes they’ll make to the space before they reopen its doors in December. Initially, Flora will open for lunch Wednesdays through Fridays, but plans are in the works to offer weekday happy hours and weekend brunches, with a full bar available.

The regular menu will change often but stick to Midwestern themes influenced by chef Suman’s memories of his mother’s cooking in Bangladesh. A children’s menu will offer comforting classics made from scratch, right down to the house-made breads.

Once a month, Flora will also stay open later for special ticketed multicourse prix fixe dinners with wine pairings.

With winter coming, it’s good to know Des Moines will still have a tasty refuge from the cold.

Ballet Des Moines' next show celebrates movement, with an international beat. (Photo: courtesy of Mariana Oliveira)

BEST BET

With 'Movimiento,' ballet jumps over borders

Experience a night that brings global culture to the Midwest for two nights this weekend at Hoyt Sherman Place. “Movimiento,” a new triple bill from Ballet Des Moines, blends Latino and Afro-Caribbean culture into a show that celebrates the diversity and talent of its international creators. The culture mashup, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, offers three short works in one program.

Borrowing its title from the Spanish word for “movement,” the show features live music by the Colombian artist Juan Sebastian Ramirez Espinosa, with choreography by the Brazilian choreographer Mariana Oliveira and Canadian-born Katlyn Addison, the first Black female principal artist at Utah’s Ballet West.

Find details and tickets online.

The Week Ahead

"Back to the Future: The Musical" (7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday): The musical version of the 1985 movie "Back to the Future" opened Tuesday night and runs through this weekend at the Des Moines Civic Center. The show opened in 2023 on Broadway and retells the tale of Marty McFly, who travels back in time to meet his parents in high school.

"Seed Scoops in My Drive" (6:30-8 p.m. Thursday): Head to the Polk County Heritage Art Gallery to see the latest work by a local art group called See Saw Draw, whose members created and developed inspirational "seeds" — images, sounds or words — in a shared online drive. They worked collaboratively, adding their own adaptions and jotting down their thoughts along the way, allowing gallery viewers to get an inside look at their creative process. The show opens Thursday with a reception and runs through Nov. 28.

"Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors" (7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday): Tap into the Halloween spirit at the Des Moines Playhouse. The new 90-minute show about Dracula's dicey search for true love offers lots of physical comedy and biting wordplay. It opens Friday and continues Wednesday through Sunday through Nov. 3.

6-on-6 basketball (1 p.m. Saturday): Lean about Iowa's legendary legacy of high school girls' basketball at a screening of "More Than a Game: 6-on-6 Basketball in Iowa" at the State Historical Museum of Iowa. The hourlong Iowa PBS documentary will be followed by keynote remarks from Lisa Bluder, the recently retired head coach of the University of Iowa's women's basketball team.

IMT Des Moines Marathon (8 a.m. Sunday): If you haven't started training, well, it might be too late. But grab your cowbells and make some noise for the runners in this annual tradition that started in 2002. The event includes various races, including a full and half marathon, with routes that wind through downtown, the East Village, the Drake Neighborhood and Water Works Park.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (7:30 p.m. Tuesday): Experience an unedited version of the cult classic movie, with a visit from the actor Barry Bostwick, who played one half of a young, innocent couple (with Susan Sarandon) whose car breaks down on a dark and stormy night. At the Des Moines Civic Center screening, you can buy bags of interactive props, but take note: They will not include rice, water pistols, toast or meatloaf.

Equity series: The Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Department has introduced a new format for its 2024 Equity and Justice Symposium. Instead of a single-day event, the program offers five unique, free opportunities to learn more about social justice and equity. Events take place throughout October and November, centered on the theme “Move Your Heart, Mind and Body.” The next event in the series is an adaptive recreation simulation at the Pioneer Columbus Community Recreation Center. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. The symposium team is also seeking nominations for its Equity and Justice Awards.

Chris Burch spoke Tuesday at Water Works Park. (Photo: Jeff Nelson)

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Water Works Park Foundation's first full-time director unveils plans for new sign to honor donors

By Emmett McMenamy

With a Champagne toast, the Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation’s new director, Chris Burch, unveiled the design for a new sculptural donor-appreciation sign during a reception Tuesday at the park’s Lauridsen Amphitheater.

Plans for the new sign, designed by Latitude Signage + Design of Grinnell, feature five blue arches that frame cut-out waves with space to engrave the names of donors who have contributed to the 1,500-acre park’s ongoing evolution as a space for outdoor events and recreation. The sign will be installed next year just south of the amphitheater, near the glowing “River Constellation” sculpture that went up in 2019.

Burch was hired as the foundation’s first full-time director at the end of August, after serving in previous roles as the director of operations for the Principal Charity Classic and director of the IMT Des Moine Marathon. At Tuesday’s event, the Des Moines native and Drake University graduate said he was honored to take on his new role at the park and credited his parents, who were in the crowd, for teaching him the value of community involvement.

He also shared a few personal memories of the park, which he has enjoyed since his high school days. He and his wife once bundled up and biked through the Jolly Holiday Lights on a night when the temperature dipped 20 degrees below zero.

“I’ve heard from folks that they grew up going to Water Works Park and thought, ‘Oh, I did that too,’” he said. “We all have something in common.”

Now it’s his job to oversee the park’s current operations and help shape its plan for the future. He said his first priority is to schedule artists for next year’s concert season at the amphitheater. Then he’ll focus on further park expansion.

“Everything you see or want in the park, he is the person to talk to,” said Crystal Franke, the president of the Water Works Park Foundation board of directors. “He is so passionate about what this park is and what it could be.”