dsmWeekly - May 29, 2024

Head to the Serbian tent at the Greek Food Fair for service with a smile. (Photo: Anne Kranovich James)

At the food fair, two cultures and one big feast

By Michael Morain

Six or eight barrels of pickled cabbage arrive today at St. George Greek Orthodox Church for this weekend’s 44th annual Greek Food Fair. Soon, a chatty kitchen crew will rinse off the brine, peel off the leaves and then stuff each one with sauteed onions, rice, and smoked ground beef and pork.

It’s an Old World specialty, but it isn’t Greek. It’s Serbian sarma, prepared with love (and a lot of Old World work) by the parishioners of St. Demetrius Serbian Orthodox Church. Shortly after they opened their church on the north side of town, in 2013, they asked longtime Greek Food Fair organizer Kathy Breese to help them start a food fair of their own.

Her response was practical: “Join ours. It’s easier.” After all, many of the Serbian Orthodox folks had worshiped at St. George before they built St. Demetrius.

So now at the Greek Food Fair’s Serbian tent, you can feast on sarma, flaky tubes of phyllo dough filled with meat and cheese (Serbian pita) and a crepe-like dessert (palacinke) laced with Nutella or strawberry jam.

St. Demetrius volunteer Anne Kranovich James, whose grandparents came over from Yugoslavia, started pickling her cabbages for the fair about seven weeks ago, around the start of Orthodox Lent. “The Serbs don’t buy anything pre-made,” she said.

She spoke under the din of an ice cream maker in the St. George fellowship hall, where volunteers were prepping for the masses. 50 pans of baklava. 100 loaves of sweet bread known as tsoureki. Up to 2,000 of each kind of cookie and pastry: shredded phyllo puffs (kataifi), clove- and cinnamon-spiced walnut cake (karithopita), butter cookies dusted in powdered sugar (kourambiethes). See also: fried puffs of dough drizzled with honey (loukoumathes) and a spectacularly named lemony custard (galaktoboureko). They’re all a delicious mouthful.

Breese has volunteered since 1998 and said her favorite fair fare is the ergolavo, a crispy-chewy cousin of the almond macaroon with a dollop of apricot filling. “That’s what I have for breakfast every morning” during the fair, she said.

She also mentioned this year’s new sausages (loukanikos) in three varieties — leek, orange and a Cypriot version soaked in red wine.

But even with all her Greek favorites, she’ll save room for a Serbian cabbage roll. “That’s the food I like to eat,” she said. “It’s just so good.”

Heads-up: The Greeks have been using coins since the seventh century B.C.E., but this year’s fair is going cashless, so bring your credit or debit card. The event is open 5-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at 1110 35th St.

The Principal Charity Classic brings PGA Tour pros to Des Moines for some great golf. (Photo: Principal Charity Classic)

BEST BET

Baffled by birdies? A basic guide to the Principal Charity Classic

Even if your golf knowledge is limited to mini-golf and “Happy Gilmore,” the Principal Charity Classic is still a quintessential Des Moines event that gives you an excuse to spend a day or two outdoors. This year’s tournament, today through Sunday at the newly restored Wakonda Club, brings together some of the world’s best senior golfers to compete while raising millions for children's charities. Here are some quick answers to the questions you may have been too afraid to ask:

1. What exactly is the Principal Charity Classic?
It’s a huge charity event cleverly disguised as a golf tournament at the swanky, south-side Wakonda Club. Since 2007, it’s raised more than $50 million for kids' charities. It’s a major stop on the PGA Tour Champions, a league for golfers 50 and older.

2. Can I still get tickets?
Absolutely. Choose from single-day, multiday, or Trophy Club passes that come with free drinks and snacks. Just a heads-up: Prices go up during tournament week.

3. Who will be there?
More than 80 golfers from the PGA Tour Champions will compete for this weekend’s $2 million purse. Legends like World Golf Hall of Famer Nick Price have played and won this tournament in the past. This year, former champ Stephen Ames and fan favorite Billy Andrade return. (If you can’t name any golfers besides Tiger Woods, take note: These guys are the real deal.)

4. What will non-golfers enjoy?
This is a family-friendly event with plenty of activities for children, including a play area. There are several fan hubs throughout the course, each with its own theme and amenities — beer gardens, yard games, video boards to watch the action and more. Your ticket type determines which areas you can access.

5. What should I bring?
Don’t forget sunscreen, comfy shoes, a hat and an empty water bottle to fill at hydration stations throughout the course. You can bring a lawn chair, but there’s a strict bag policy, so leave those backpacks at home.

6. What charities will benefit?
The tournament has four main charity partners: Blank Children’s Hospital, MeryOne Des Moines Medical Center, United Way, and Variety – The Children’s Charity of Iowa. Some proceeds will support dozens of smaller organizations throughout the state that benefit children. This year, Drive for 515 adds an extra charitable (and competitive) element, since the Principal Foundation will donate more if players land some of the extra tricky shots throughout the tournament.

7. What else should I know?
Since the Wakonda Club’s recent restoration, the entrance has changed. Head to the south side to enter the course. Spectators can take free shuttles from downtown or join in this year’s inaugural bike ride from the same lot, ending at the club with a free bike valet. There are also VIP parking options and ride-share drop-off spots.

The dress code is summer casual, so consider polo shirts and sundresses. With this year's bike ride, some guests may wear athletic gear, too.

The Week Ahead

Joyce Carol Oates (7 p.m. Thursday): The National Book Award winner and five-time Pultizer finalist takes a turn in the annual AViD series of Authors Visiting in Des Moines at the Central Library. Later, on June 13, the bestselling romance writer Jasmine Guillory rounds out this year’s series.

“The Play That Goes Wrong,” (opening Friday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through June 16): Former Des Moines Playhouse executive director John Viars returns from his new home in Texas to direct the farcical, disastrous, wackadoodle — pick your adjective — murder mystery in the theater that now bears his name.

Des Moines Con (1-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday): Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center transforms into a multimedia wonderland for fans of comics, toys, TV, film, art, cosplay and all things nerdy.

Iowa Craft Brew Festival (1-4 p.m. Saturday): Beer. Cider. Food trucks. All at Water Works Park. Got the picture?

Dam to DSM Half-Marathon (7 a.m. Sunday): The 45-year-old race formerly known as Dam to Dam starts on the Saylorville Dam, where runners can see the 801 Grand skyscraper as a teeny-tiny spike on the horizon, and finishes in a well-earned party at Cowles Commons.

Music Under the Stars (7 p.m. Sunday): The annual series of free concerts starts this Sunday and continues weekly through June 30 on the west steps of the State Capitol. The final concert, on July 7, moves to Water Works Park.

Mixed-media artist Seso Marentes of Des Moines explores Latino heritage and culture. (Photo: Duane Tinkey)

ARTS & CULTURE

Artist Seso Marentes to be honored at Arts Festival

Des Moines Arts Festival leaders announced that the local mixed-media artist Seso Marentes will be honored as this year’s G. David Hurd Innovator in the Arts. The award is given to individuals or organizations that embody innovation within the arts, and it honors the legacy of the late Hurd, who served as Principal’s CEO.

“Seso Marentes was selected because he embodies Dave’s unwavering dedication to mentoring those who are to come and those struggling to find their voice,” said Stephen King, the festival’s executive director. “He is helping youth find their own way to express what is uniquely theirs and ensure the voice of the Latino artist is amplified.”

dsm profiled Marentes in our 2023 Inclusion issue, in which he said the most important aspect of his work is to create “a footprint for others to follow.” “I’m very passionate about that,” he continued. “I want to see more Latinos comfortable with the idea of becoming an artist.”

In 2021, Marentes started his “Iowa Series,” which includes a mural at East High School that involved some 240 students. The series reflects the identity of the artist whose parents emigrated from Juarez, Mexico. “I grew up in a Mexican household with all this rich history and tradition,” he said. “But I also grew up in Iowa, which has a history just as strong and significant. I’m trying to create an awareness that the Latino culture has been in Iowa for a very long time.”

Read more about Marentes in this dsm story.