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Commons off the clock

5/3/2017

Happy hour in the heart of the city

Formerly Nollen Plaza, the renovation of the area was completed in 2015 and renamed Cowles Commons. Photo by Ben Easter.

Formerly Nollen Plaza, the renovation of the area was completed
in 2015 and renamed Cowles Commons. Photo by Ben Easter.

Few things in life are better then a Friday summer evening, and what better way to start the weekend than heading downtown and enjoying a cold one at Cowles Commons?

“I always look forward to the weekend on Friday afternoon, and I think I’m not alone in that,” said Laura Sweet, vice president and chief operating officer of Des Moines Performing Arts.

On May 19, Des Moines Performing Arts kicks off Commons off the Clock. For 10 Fridays, May through October, Cowles Commons will have beer, food trucks (which will rotate throughout the months), an ice cream cart and live music. Admission to the events will be free, and attendees can then choose to purchase food or beer. The concept may be familiar to those who remember Seniom Sed (Des Moines spelled backwards) in the 1980s and ‘90s, before the restoration of the area and when the location was known as Nollen Plaza.

The inaugural Commons off the Clock will be an all-day festival beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m. The remaining nine events will run from 4-7:30 p.m.

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“Resoundingly, everyone we talked to whenever we brought up the fact we might renovate Nollen Plaza said ‘Oh are you going to bring back Seniom Sed?’ because it was so beloved,” said Laura Sweet.

There was a similar reboot of the idea on Court Avenue a few years ago, Sweet remembers, but it didn’t take off. With Cowles Commons entering its third summer, Des Moines Performing Arts is excited to introduce the event. While not a carbon copy of Seniom Sed, Sweet hopes to capture the best elements of that event. Those who have been to recent events at Cowles Commons, like Hoops and Hops, will notice a similar feel.

With more people than ever flocking to Des Moines, the timing — and the venue — couldn’t be better. Cowles Commons features more than 12,000 native plants, the Lauridsen Fountain, the newly added Jim Campbell installation “Swirl” and the iconic Claes Oldenburg “Crusoe Umbrella.” Sweet is happy to report both “Swirl” and the Lauridsen Fountain will be on during Commons off the Clock.

“People can be splashing,” Sweet said. “Hopefully not spilling beer in the fountain.” ♦

Laura Sweet is the vice president and chief operating officer of Des Moines Performing Arts.

Laura Sweet is the vice president and chief operating officer of Des Moines Performing
Arts.

Music Schedule at the Prairie Meadows Stage

May 19 Boogie Wonderland and TBA

June 2 Abby Normal

June 23 The Flying Marsupials

July 7 Randy Burk and the Prisoners

July 21 The Punching Pandas

Aug. 4 Brazilian 2wins

Aug. 25 Tony Valdez Large Band

Sept. 8 Bob Dorr and The Blue Band

Sept. 22 Final Mix

Oct. 13 TBA

Participating Food Trucks

515 Pi

Bahn Me

Big Red Food Truck

Curbin’ Cuisine

Deez Greenz

Ferinheit Pizza

Mediterranean Grill

Ms Molly’s

Over The Top

Rodell’s

Sabores

Street Eats

The Outside Scoop

Top Bun

 

 

 

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