By Michael Swanger

Fall into our A&E guide

The swashbuckling adventure of Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was the hit of the summer, but we haven't seen the last of pirates, wenches and scallywags.

Beginning Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2-4), thousands of visitors are expected to pack Sleepy Hollow Sports Park for the Des Moines Renaissance Faire, which graces the cover of our annual Fall Arts & Entertainment Guide, and continues Sept. 9-10 and 16-17. The event includes a variety of entertainment on eight stages ranging from jousters and comedians, to carnival rides and village tours, to games of skill and actual weddings.

For those of you who prefer to leave your kilts and suits of body armor at home as you seek more contemporary forms of entertainment this fall, we've got you covered, too. Our staff spent several days and nights compiling the most comprehensive list of arts and entertainment found in Central Iowa - and beyond, in a few cases - for the week's cover story. We've devoted more than 20 pages - five times the usual number of pages for this week's cover story - to tell you about the coolest concerts, films, plays, art exhibitions and outdoor events at local venues. There's enough information to wear out your calendar from Labor Day weekend through New Year's Eve. But keep checking with us every week for new announcements.

Speaking of updates, now is the perfect time to introduce you to our new freelance theater critic, Sioux City native Andrew Brink. If his name sounds familiar it's because you've read some of his movie reviews or a handful of his recent theater reviews in Cityview's theater section, Center Stage.

Andrew moved this spring to Des Moines from Seattle, where he worked at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and contributed theater reviews to the Seattle Gay Standard. His knowledge of and enthusiasm for theater is contagious, and we're confident in his ability to maintain Cityview's theater beat as we resume publishing Center Stage on a bi-weekly basis.

Thanks for reading.

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