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Feature Story

Winter fun guide

1/6/2021

Vaccinations are on the way, which means… Can you hear that? That’s the sound of the proverbial opera singer singing. It’s almost over. It’s nearly finished. Soon, we will stick a fork in this coronavirus and be done. Kaput.

We may not be completely through with the worldwide pandemic just yet, but the New Year is here, and that fun-forsaken Covid-19 infested orbit around the sun known as 2020 is in the rearview mirror. Hasta la vista… so-long… sayonara. Can’t we at least celebrate that?

If you have a hint of cabin fever, keep reading. This is the cure, and the only known side effects are occasional pink noses, wide smiles, rosy cheeks and pure enjoyment. We at CITYVIEW set out to compile as many cold-weather-month events in the area as possible. This list is not meant to be comprehensive, but the following pages contain many of the area’s top-notch offerings if you feel the need to have some fun. And who doesn’t?

NOTE: Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the following events and attractions are subject to an increased risk of cancellation or last-minute changes. Before attending, be sure to check with each event individually to verify its current status, start times, offerings and other details such as social distancing, safety protocols and if attendees must wear masks.

ART

Des Moines Art Center begins special instruction for curious learners starting in late
January. Photo courtesy of the Des Moines Art Center

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

Mind-bending?
Eye-popping?
Awe-inspiring?…
Yes, yes and yes.

DES MOINES ART CENTER
4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines
www.desmoinesartcenter.org
Jan. 8 – May 2: Human/Nature. An exhibition inspired by the art of Judith Schaechter; organized by Curatorial Manager Laura Burkhalter.
Feb. 12 – May 23: The Path to Paradise. Judith Schaechter’s Stained-Glass Art is organized by Curatorial Manager Laura Burkhalter.
March 12 – May 16: Iowa Artists 2021 – Olivia Valentine. Local artwork organized by Associate Curator Jared Ledesma.
STARTING SOON: Spring classes. The Art Center begins special instruction for curious learners starting in late January; classes run through May. Options for 13-week, six-week, and one-day classes, camps, workshops and more are available for virtual and in-person learning. For more information or to register, visit desmoinesartcenter.org/learn.

POLK COUNTY HERITAGE GALLERY
111 Court Ave., Des Moines
www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org
Ongoing exhibit: Photography exhibit: F/STOP 2020. The Heritage Gallery asked photographers the following question: “20 years from now, how will you remember 2020?” From social movements, politics and the pandemic, it has been a memorable year. To see the photo submissions featured for their best, worst and most relevant photos of 2020, visit the virtual gallery online.

POETRY OUT LOUD IN IOWA
Online: Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Arts, Iowa Arts Council Events, Student Opportunities
Wednesday, Jan. 27 (all day): Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation with the collaboration of state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud in Iowa is an arts education program that encourages high school students to study poetry and compete in a recitation competition at local, state and national levels. State champions advance to the National Finals in Washington D.C. where a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends are awarded as prizes. Iowa’s state champion receives $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete for the national championship. Poetry Out Loud in Iowa will be moving to a virtual format. Register by Jan. 27.

IOWA QUILT MUSEUM
68 E. Court Ave., Winterset
www.iowaquiltmuseum.org
Promoting the appreciation of American quilts and the art of quilting through displays, information and quilt history, Iowa Quilt Museum welcomes quilters, quilt lovers, history buffs and all appreciators of American art and culture.
Jan. 5 – March 21: “String Theory – String-pieced Quilts from Past to Present.” String quilts are works mostly made from narrow strips of fabric — traditionally leftovers from other sewing endeavors. Economy-minded quilters saved money by utilizing these “strings,” often spending an incredible amount of time to create fashion out of frugality.
March 23 – June 6: “A Quilted Garden: Floral Quilts from the New England Quilt Museum.” American quilters have always drawn design ideas from their surroundings, often turning to their gardens for inspiration. These quilts, on loan from the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts, show the ways in which quilters have used fabric, needle, and thread to imitate nature.

ANKENY ART CENTER
1520 S.W. Ordnance Road, Ankeny, www.ankenyartcenter.com
Through Jan. 20: Artwork collected by Ankeny Art Center members. A wide ranging selection of artwork gathered from members of the Ankeny Art Center is on display. Gallery shows are free and open to the public.

MAINFRAME STUDIOS
900 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines, www.mainframestudios.org
Sunday, Jan. 17: Call for Artists: Deeds Not Words Art Show. Mainframe Studios lays claim to being the largest nonprofit art studio building in the nation. Mainframe provides workspace to artists in its 160,000-square-foot facility showcasing dozens of studios with artists of many disciplines, including ceramicists, photographers, glass artists, actors, illustrators, musicians, painters, metalsmiths, sculptors, printers, game developers and others.

ON STAGE

3 upcoming can’t-miss theater options

Feb. 19 – March 21: “Leaving Iowa”
Des Moines Community Playhouse
831 42nd St., Des Moines
www.dmplayhouse.com
A classic tale of a family road trip, “Leaving Iowa” is the story of a writer, Don, who returns home to find a final resting place for his father’s ashes. When he discovers his grandmother’s house is now a grocery store, Don travels across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father. This father and son roadtrip transitions smoothly between Don’s present predicament and his memories of the torturous but hilarious annual family vacations with Mom, Dad and Sis. With his father’s help, Don realizes that the journey really is as important as the destination.

Feb. 26 – March 14: “Stuart Little”
Des Moines Community Playhouse
831 42nd St., Des Moines
www.dmplayhouse.com
Being a mouse in a human house can be an adventure. Stuart certainly has plenty of little mishaps, like getting caught in a window blind, participating in a boat race and getting trapped in a garbage can. When his friend, the bird Margalo, disappears, this heroic mouse travels in search of her. It’s a great big world out there, and Stuart is ready to conquer it.

Theatre Game Night
Des Moines Community Playhouse
831 42nd St., Des Moines
www.dmplayhouse.com
If you’re missing your theater peeps, this event offers the chance to gather with others in the theater community to play theater games, create zany scenes and socialize in this weekly get together facilitated by Melissa Chavas-Miller and Robin Spahr. Get your theater fix and support The Playhouse. Group size is limited. Reserve your spot for one session or all four!
Saturday, Jan. 9, 7-8 p.m.

Michael Bublé is scheduled to perform at
Wells Fargo Arena on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.
Photo by Evaan Kheraj

Saturday, Jan. 16, 7-8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 23, 7-8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 30, 7-8 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC

3 shows our ears can’t wait for…

Friday, Jan. 22: Rob Lumbard
Prairie Meadows
www.prairiemeadows.com/events

Friday, Jan. 29: Sunny Sweeney
Wooly’s
www.firstfleetconcerts/listings

Sunday, Feb. 21: Michael Bublé
Wells Fargo Arena
www.iowaeventscenter.com/events

FUN EVENTS

4 months of circle-worthy calendar items

Through Jan. 10: “Sue: The T. REX Experience” at Science Center of Iowa; www.sciowa.org.

Feb. 19-21: The Salt Company Conference at Hy-Vee Hall; www.iowaeventscenter.com/events. This annual conference gathers college students from major university campuses across the country to reconnect, worship and to capture a vision for what their king has in store for them next.

Feb. 2-4: Iowa Ag Expo at Hy-Vee Hall; www.iowaeventscenter.com/events. The popular Iowa Ag Expo — formerly known as Power Farming Show — has a new name, but it is the same great show.

March 5-7: Iowa Deer Classic at Hy-Vee Hall; www.iowaeventscenter.com/events. The premier hunting event in the country comes to downtown Des Moines.

March 8-11: ciLive! at DMACC; www.dmacc.edu/ciweek/Pages/welcome.aspx. ciLive! (Celebrate Innovation Live) annually gives students and the community the chance to interact with accomplished and inspired creators. This thought-provoking and interactive event allows listeners to absorb and engage without the stress of the regular class routine. Generous sponsors make the event free and open to the public. Speakers and entertainment will be announced in early January.

Wednesday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Parade at noon, downtown Des Moines; www.friendlysonsiowa. com. As of CITYVIEW’s press deadline, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Central Iowa was tentatively planning to hold its annual parade in 2021. Adjustments and/or
precautions will be made as the event nears.

March 21-22: Iowa Student Leadership Conference at Hy-Vee Hall; www.iowaeventscenter.com/events.

Through February: Historic Dinners at Living History Farms — 1900 Farm and Tangen Home, Friday and Saturday evenings; Sunday afternoons; www.lhf.org. After a walk on the lamp-lit boardwalk, dinner guests warm up next to the parlor fireplace within the cozy 1876-era Tangen House while sipping spiced punch and listening to the home’s host share stories of Victorian-era life. Next, it’s a multi-course
dinner prepared using 19th-century recipes served in the dining room, plus some lighthearted parlor games, such as a Victorian guessing game or “Hunt the Thimble.” Attendees are invited to take a peek into the many rooms of the house and then return to the table for fancy cake, coffee and conversation. Living History Farms also offers historic dinners and teas at its 1900 Farm.

OUTDOORS

Slipping, sliding, sledding… Bundle up and say, “WEEEEE!”

Snowmobiling and skiing
Big Creek State Park, www.iowadnr.gov
Big Creek offers winter outdoor activities including ice fishing, a 10-mile snowmobile trail that goes around Saylorville Lake and 3-5 miles of cross country ski trails. The outdoor hotspot also offers occasional ice fishing when the conditions are right and sometimes it hosts ice fishing tournaments. For more information, visit the DNR’s special events page.

Central Iowa offers outdoor ice skating across the metro. Photo by Jeff Pitts

Ice skating options
Ames: South River Valley Park, 1200 E. 13th St.
Ankeny: Sunrise Park, 506 S.E. Peterson Drive
Boone: Seven Oaks Ski Resort, located in Boone,
offers skiing, snowboarding and other fun activities.
Des Moines: Brenton Skating Plaza, 520 Robert D. Ray Drive; www.brentonplaza.com
Indianola: 403 S. 15th St.
Johnston: Johnston Commons, 6700 Merle Hay Road
Crosshaven Park, 7909 N.W. 95th St.
Urbandale: Lions Park on Prairie Avenue near 72nd and Aurora
Waukee: Centennial Park, 1255 Warrior Lane
West Des Moines: Raccoon River Park, 2500 Grand Ave.

Sledding hills
Altoona: Lions Park, 507 13th Ave. S.W.
Ankeny: Northcreek Park, 2301 W. First St.
Otter Creek Golf Course, 4100 N.E. Otter Creek Drive
Clive: Campbell Park, 12385 Woodlands Parkway
Country Club Glen Park, 16335 Sheridan Ave.
Mercy West Clinic, 1601 N.W. 114th St.
Des Moines: Blank Golf Course: 808 County Line Road
Grandview Golf Course, 2401 E. 29th St.
Capitol Hill, 1111 E. Court Ave.
Ewing Park, 5300 Indianola Ave.
Greenwood Park, 4500 Grand Ave.
MacRae Park, 1021 Davis Ave.
Union Park, 725 Thompson Ave.
Sleepy Hollow offers Zipfy Sledding or snow tubing on multiple 1,000-foot runs, and small luge sleds are also available. Located at 4051 Dean Ave., Des Moines.
Waveland Golf Course: 4908 University Ave.
Johnston: Beavercreek Elementary: 8701 Lyndhurst Drive
Pointe Vista Park: 9612 Enfield Drive
Pleasant Hill: Doanes Park: 5050 Doanes Park Road
Urbandale: Winter Park: 5110 N.W. 72nd St.
Waukee: Warrior Park & Sledding Hill: 1050 Fourth St.
West Des Moines: Jordan Creek Elementary: 4501 Fuller Road
Pearson Park: 1256 19th St.
Southwoods Park: 350 S. 35th St.

SPORTS

Minor league hockey, Junior A amateur hockey, men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball, world-class track and field, giddy up….

Iowa Wild
Minor league professional hockey
Just a step below the NHL, the Iowa Wild ice hockey team plays in the American Hockey League. The team plays home games at Wells
Fargo Arena, and it offers promotions at nearly every event. As of CITYVIEW’s press deadline, the AHL’s schedule had not been released, but the league is targeting Feb. 5 as its preferred start date. Tickets can be purchased through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com.

Drake University women’s basketball
NCAA Division I
The Drake University women’s basketball team plays in the Missouri Valley Conference. All home games listed are scheduled to be played
at the Knapp Center — 2601 Forest Ave., Des Moines. Home schedule listed in CITYVIEW’s Coming Up section.

High school winter sports championships
Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Feb. 17-20: State wrestling championships; www.iahsaa.org/calendar
March 1-6: Girls state basketball championships; ighsau.org/sports/basketball/season-information
March 8-12: Boys state basketball championships; www.iahsaa.org/calendar

Drake University men’s basketball
NCAA Division I
The Drake University men’s basketball team plays in the Missouri Valley Conference. All games listed are scheduled for the Knapp Center unless otherwise noted — 2601 Forest Ave., Des Moines. Home schedule:
• Jan. 3 vs. SIU at 2 p.m.
• Jan. 4 vs. SIU at 6 p.m.
• Jan. 10 vs. Loyola at 5 p.m.
• Jan. 11 vs. Loyola at 6 p.m.
• Jan. 30 vs. Illinois State at 4 p.m.
• Jan. 31 vs. Illinois State at 2 p.m.
• Feb. 13 vs. Evansville at 4 p.m.

Des Moines Buccaneers
Junior A amateur hockey
Beginning in January, Des Moines Buccaneers ice hockey home games are scheduled to return to Buccaneer Arena — 7201 Hickman Road in
Urbandale. Visit www.bucshockey.com for more information. Home schedule:
• Jan. 3 vs. Omaha, Wells Fargo Arena, 4 p.m.
• Jan. 9 vs. Lincoln Stars, Wells Fargo Arena, 6 p.m.
• Jan. 30 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints, 6 p.m.
• Jan. 31 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints, 3 p.m.
• Feb. 12 vs. Tri-City Storm, 7 p.m.
• Feb. 19 vs. Sioux Falls Stampede , 7 p.m.
• Feb. 20 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks , 6 p.m.
• Feb. 26 vs. Chicago Steel , 7 p.m.
• March 5 vs. Sioux City Musketeers , 7 p.m.
• March 6 vs. Sioux City Musketeers , 6 p.m.
• March 19 vs. Omaha Lancers , 7 p.m.
• March 20 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks , 6 p.m.
• March 26 vs. Lincoln Stars , 7 p.m.
• March 27 vs. Tri-City Storm , 6 p.m.
• April 2 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks , 7 p.m.
• April 11 vs. Fargo Force , 3 p.m. ♦

One Comment

  1. Primrose Magoo says:

    Anyone who thinks this health crisis is almost over,
    or on the downhill side, even, ought not have
    a public forum. What a load of balderdash.
    GARDYLOO! GARDYLOO!

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