Thursday, March 28, 2024

Join our email blast

Cover Story

Summer Art & Entertainment Guide

5/20/2015

Music

By Chad Taylor

Summer wouldn’t be complete without a plethora of outdoor concerts to keep all the music lovers happy. Though there’s no way we could pack all the music offerings Des Moines has into one issue, we’ve done our best to make this list as all-inclusive as possible.

Friday, May 22

Bleachers play Wooly’s on June 3.

Bleachers play Wooly’s on June 3.

6 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – “Lit By the Sun” with Daphne Willis – $25-$45

CNA - Stop HIV Iowa

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Rex Manning Day ’80s day featuring Ramona & The Slimdudes, Viva Montesa, Easy Fruit – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Prairie Meadows Casino – Nice Bangs – FREE

Saturday, May 23

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Fireside Music with Dawn Hollman – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Hairball – $20-$25; (All ages)

Sunday, May 24

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Abby Normal – $3 per person, $10 per car load, Free to Case Club Members and veterans

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Smoking Flowers – $5; (21 and older)

Tuesday, May 26

8 p.m. – Wooly’s – Ministry – $66.66-$70; (21 and older)

Thursday, May 28

5:30 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction with Danny Grause Band – FREE; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Decoy – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Camp Dodge Pool Complex – The Adjacent General’s 2015 Summer Concert Series – Sons of Gladys Kravitz – Free

Friday, May 29

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Fireside Music with Jenny Kohls and Renee Potts Flanagan – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Wooly’s – Green Death CD Release Show featuring Deadfront, Ghosthive and Submerged – $10; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Steel Panther – $30; (All ages)

Saturday, May 30

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Fireside Music with Ron Burchett – FREE; (All ages)

Sunday, May 31

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Sons of Gladys Kravitz – $3 per person, $10 per car load, free to Case Club Members; (21 and older)

Monday, June 1

4 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Upon This Dawning with Eskimo Callboy, Outline in Color, Silence the Messenger, Moral Belief, Cut the Tongue – $15; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Emily Kinney with Dylan Gardner, Adam Tressler – $15; (All ages)

Tuesday, June 2

5 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Entombed A.D. with Svart Crown, Mutilated by Zombies, Cranial Decay – $20; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Nothing More with Wilson, Red Sun Rising – $15; (All ages)

6:45 p.m. – Temple for the Performing Arts – Sophia Ahmad Piano Studio Recital – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Party! Party! Ultimate Karaoke Band – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons – $10; (21 and older)

Wednesday, June 3

4 p.m. – Waukee Farmers Market – Marilyn Jerome – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Jake McVey Free for Zoo Members, – $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Bleachers with Cruisr – $26; (All ages)

8 p.m. – El Bait Shop – Brother Trucker – FREE; (21 and older)

Thursday, June 4

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Mr. Baber’s Neighbors – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Decoy – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Iowa Public Radio’s Studio One – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Camp Dodge Pool Complex – The Adjacent General’s 2015 Summer Concert Series – Brother Trucker – Free

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Justin Flagg, Kevin Kennedy – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Punch Drunk Monkey Funk – $5; (21 and older)

Friday, June 5

1:30 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Hell Over Iowa featuring Glutton for Punishment, Dark Apostle, Rim Job, Il Da Morte, Prometheus, Valiska, Beyond Death, Mutilated by Zombies, Dueling at Dawn, Chupacabre, Sinister Mind, Primal Breath, Hours of Decay, Vaginal Lure and more – $15; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Science Center of Iowa – Parranderos Latin Combo – $5; (21 and older)

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – First Friday New Orleans Jazz Party – $5; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Paul Zaborac Quartet with Lacona – $5; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Snus Hill Winery, Madrid – Infuzion – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Deanna & Jenni – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Wooly’s – Bonne Finken & The Collective with The James Biehn Band, Freakabout! – $8; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – The Nadas – $15-$20; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Justin Flagg, Kevin Kennedy – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Doctor Murdock – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Screamin J & His Rebel Yell with We Tornados – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Dirty Reggae Punx with Cold Winds, Men in Lead Masks, Person Whale – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Preferred Blend: A Modern Disco Dance Party – FREE; (All ages)

Saturday, June 6

1:30 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – 1349 with Necrophagia, Vattnet Viskar and more – $20; (All ages)

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Matt Woods – FREE; (21 and older)

4 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

4:30 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Black Actress – $6; (All ages)

5:45 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Jackboys Present: “Hottest in DMI” – $10; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Chad Elliott – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Hessen Haus – Barefoot Becky & The Ivanhoe Dutchmen – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Gas Lamp – The Avenues with Rational Anthem – $5; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Paul Doffing – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – River Glen album release with The Host Country, Abbie & The Sawyers – $7; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Justin Flagg, Kevin Kennedy – FREE; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Wooly’s – Dizzy Wright with Jahni Denver, Demrick, Nate Millyunz, Rob Sheppard – $20; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Intelescope – FREE; (21 and older)

9:30 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Band Bombshell Presents: The Other Brothers with Peace Love & Stuff, The Spartan Blue – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Brazilian2wins – $10; (21 and older)

Sunday, June 7

2 p.m. – Temple for the Performing Arts – Irina Kaplan Piano Studio Recital – FREE; (All ages)

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Flipside – $5; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – The Way Down Wanderers – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Bop Boyz – $10; (21 and older)

Tuesday, June 9

Ed Sheeran plays Wells Fargo Arena on June 9.

Ed Sheeran plays Wells Fargo Arena on June 9.

5:30 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – OTEP with Reaktion – $18; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Grieves with Grayskul – $14; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – The Mowgli’s with Vinyl Theatre – $15; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wells Fargo Arena – Ed Sheeran – $53.50-$63.50; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Party! Party! Ultimate Karaoke Band – FREE; (21 and older)

Wednesday, June 10

4 p.m. – Waukee Farmers Market – Piranha Brothers with Ed Kelly – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Sykosis with Mutilated by Zombies, A Casual Affair, Sludgeburner, Hours of Decay – $5; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring The Array Free for Zoo Members, – $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – I Prevail with The Zealots – $10; (All ages)

Thursday, June 11

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Euforquestra – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Comfort Zone – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Michael Franti & Spearhead with Nattali Rize & Notis – $35-$210; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Camp Dodge Pool Complex – The Adjacent General’s 2015 Summer Concert Series – Tony Valdez Large Band – Free

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Lauren Ashley, Marc Van Lue – FREE; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Wooly’s – Soap with Dead Larry, Poppa Neptune – $10; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Josh Berwanger Band – $7; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – 515 – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, June 12

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour featuring Steve Grismore Trio – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Chad Elliott – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Lauren Ashley, Marc Van Lue – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Wooly’s – Horseshoes & Hand Grenades with Useful Jenkens – $10; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Reverent Peyton’s Big Damn Band with Molly Gene One Woahman Band – $15; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Transidiomatic – $7; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Satsang – $7; (21 and older)

Saturday, June 13

1 p.m. – Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater, St. Charles – Flashback to the ’80s featuring UZOO, Looks That Kill, Shoot to Kill, Black Diamond – $25; (All ages)

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Larry Berenguel – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – James Biehn – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Apathy Syndrome with Section Hate, Ultrea, Piranha, Katastrophes Tomb – $5; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – CW Smith – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino – Tony Orlando – $25-$45; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Lauren Ashley, Marc Van Lue – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Danger Ron & The Spins with The Soul Low – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Pets With Human Names with Mr. Denton on Doomsday, Hazer – $5; (21 and older)

9:30 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Jacob County & The Damaged Goods – $6; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Midwestern Charm with Mille Bornes – $5; (21 and older)

Sunday, June 14

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Boomerang – $5; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Wooly’s – Silverstein with Switchblade Saturdays, A Better Reality, Exit, Emergency – $15; (All ages)

Monday, June 15

6 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Anticonscience with The Indigo Conflict, Projekt Theory, 515 – $7; (All ages)

Tuesday, June 16

Noon – Temple Chess & Poetry Garden Sixth Annual “Oh Say Can You Sing?” Competition – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Futurebirds – $10; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Party! Party! Ultimate Karaoke Band – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Adam Faucett – $5; (21 and older)

Wednesday, June 17

4 p.m. – Waukee Farmers Market – Joe Ghormley – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring The Sheet Free for Zoo Members, – $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Los Lonely Boys with Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers – $20-$25; (All ages)

Thursday, June 18

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – The Nadas – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Fahrenheit – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Randy Rogers Band – $15; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Drew DeFour, Kin Curran – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Red Moon Harvest with Mastiff – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Electric Six with White Reaper, The Other Brothers – $15; (21 and older)

Friday, June 19

5:30 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Freakabout with Cadaver Dogs, Ruthless Ruth – $5; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Trigger with Kickstart the Sun – $6; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Spirit Family Reunion – $10; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Lincoln Grimes – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Eric Kennedy with Class M Planets – $5; suggested donation (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Drew DeFour, Kin Curran – FREE; (21 and older)

8:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – $5; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Chad Elliott – $7; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Primal Waters with Panthallasa, Wet Radio – $5; (21 and older)

Saturday, June 20

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Infuzion – FREE; (21 and older)

3:30 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – First Annual Punk & Oi! Pizza Party! featuring The Jetbirds, The Agrestix, Court Street, Ponx Attax, No Coast Criminals, Dirty Rotten All-Stars, The Statistix, The Lame Brains – $15; (All ages)

5 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Faces Turned Ashen with Trigger, Street Thieves – $6; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Aquamarine Dream Machine with The Smoothsayers – $5; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Park Sixty 3 – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Emma Negrete – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Hoyt Sherman Place – The Smashing Pumpkins – $49; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Drew DeFour, Kin Curran – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Out of the Ashes with Hollowpoint – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – First Annual Punk & Oi! Pizza Party! featuring Victory, Bad Assets, Brickwall Vultures, Violent Knights, Die Munks or Skunk Piss – $15; (21 and older)

Sunday, June 21

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Tony Valdez Large Band – $5; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Hugh Cornwell – $20; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Bull Black Nova with Basin – FREE; (21 and older)

Monday, June 22

6:30 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Sebastian Bach – $23; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Gooch Palms with The Lemons, Karen Meat & the Computer, The Vahnevants – $10; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – The Matchsellers – FREE; (21 and older)

Tuesday, June 23

5 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Picturebooks with Anticonscience, Cold Winds, Charlie Bandana – $10; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Party! Party! Ultimate Karaoke Band – FREE; (21 and older)

Wednesday, June 24

4 p.m. – Waukee Farmers Market – Marilyn Jerome – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Slipstreem Free for Zoo Members, – $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Esperanza Spalding Presents: Emily’s D+Evolution – $25; (All ages)

8:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – R.O.E. with Gadema, DJ Richie Daggers, Toby Diligent – $5; (All ages)

Thursday, June 25

5:45 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Maiden Mars with ConeTrauma, The Blendours, Ramona & the Slimdudes – $5; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – The Maytags – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Abby Normal – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Fat Sky Band – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Camp Dodge Pool Complex – The Adjacent General’s 2015 Summer Concert Series – 34th Army Band – Free

7:30 p.m. – Hoyt Sherman Place – Rodrigo y Gabriela – $49-$59; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Fozzy – $15; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Modern Era with Kickstart The Sun, Cold Crash – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, June 26

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour featuring Dave Rezek’s Alpha State Agents – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Richard Spierenberg – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Abby Normal – FREE; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – $25; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Brad Heron, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

8:30 p.m. – Brenton Skating Plaza – Umphrey’s McGee – $25-$30; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jewel City Sound Presents: Under the Bridge – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – My Future Sin album release with The Maw – $6; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The Heavenly States with Love Songs For Lonely Monsters – $7; (21 and older)

Saturday, June 27

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

2 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – The “Too Broke For the Arts Festival Fest” featuring Night Demon, Speed Run, Wicked Inquisition, Dark Mirror – $5; (All ages)

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Willie Mac Trio – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Ashton Mount – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – The Honeybees – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Brad Heron, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – The Young Funk album release with Come Unity – $10; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – EZ and Friends Tour featuring Novarix, Speak-EZ, Wildpack Shaun – $5; (21 and older)

Sunday, June 28

2 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” – $46-$82; (All ages)

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Doghouse Daddies – $5; (21 and older)

5 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Ryan O’Rien with Joe Wellman, Dan Medeiros, Christine Her, Jinnouchi Power – FREE; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Voodoo Glow Skulls with Slow Children, Sniper 66 – $15; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Brad Heron, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

Monday, June 29

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – When the Smoke Clears with Doctor Dentist, Love Songs For Lonely Monsters, Little Ruckus – $5; (21 and older)

Tuesday, June 30

7 p.m. – Wells Fargo Arena – Dave Matthews Band – $39.50-$79.50; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Gas Lamp – Party! Party! Ultimate Karaoke Band – FREE; (21 and older)

Wednesday, July 1

4 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Rust Belt Demons – $5; (All ages)

4 p.m. – Waukee Farmers Market -Piranha Brothers with Ed Kelly – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Gimikk – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – El Bait Shop – Brother Trucker – FREE; (21 and older)

Thursday, July 2

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – The Workshy – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Final Mix – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Iowa Public Radio’s Studio One – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Tony Bohnenkamp, Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Electric Jury & Strong Like Bear Present: Paranoid – $10; (21 and older)

Friday, July 3

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

5 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Eyes Set to Kill with Run 2 Cover, Ashes Armada, Indocile, Crisis Child – $15; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Science Center of Iowa – The Tarakis – $5; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – Inseparable Banda Perla Del Sur at La Placita on East Grand and E. 15th

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Widowspeak – $12; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Tony Bohnenkamp, Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

8:30 p.m. – Iowa State Capitol 21st Annual Yankee Doodle Pops – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – The Workshy with Mumford’s – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Preferred Blend: A Modern Disco Dance Party – FREE; (All ages)

Saturday, July 4

2 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” – $46-$82; (All ages)

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Mason Jar – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. -Urbandale Lion’s Park – Jazz in July – Eric Thompson’s Fun Time Music Hour

– Jazz in July featuring Tony Valdez Large Band – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Tony Bohnenkamp, Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

Sunday, July 5

2 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Janacek’s “Jenufa” – $46-$82; (All ages)

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Final Mix – $5; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Violent Fade album release with The Dirty Kids, The Other Brothers – $7; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Evelyn K. Davis Park – Jazz in July featuring Bella Soul – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Against Me! with frnkiero and the cellebration – $18; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Chamber Music Concert – FREE; (All ages)

Tuesday, July 7

6:30 p.m. – Snus Hill Winery, Madrid – Burnin’ Sensations – FREE; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Janacek’s “Jenufa” – $46-$82; (All ages)

Wednesday, July 8

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Crankshaft & The Gear Grinders Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

Thursday, July 9

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Dueling Guitars featuring Brian Congdon – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – Dave Rezek’s Alpha State Agents at Terrace Hill, Des Moines

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Brother Trucker – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Hannah Kendle – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Kristeen Young with Fea – $10; (21 and older)

Friday, July 10

The Ataris play Gas Lamp on July 10.

The Ataris play Gas Lamp on July 10.

Noon – Western Gateway Park – 80/35 Music Festival featuring Wilco with Talib Kweli, St. Lucia, Jenny Lewis, Hot Buttered Rum, Rome Fortune, Fly Golden Eagle – $44 single day, $75 two-day; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Farm Bureau Financial Services – Jazz in July featuring Dave Rezek’s Alpha State Agents – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Back Stage Boogie Band – FREE; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Janacek’s “Jenufa” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Hannah Kendle – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Screaming For Silence – FREE; (21 and older)

11 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – 80/35 Official After Party featuring Easy Fruit with Tires – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – The Jazz Page at the Bondurant Trailhead, Bondurant

Saturday, July 11

Weezer plays 80/35 on July 11.

Weezer plays 80/35 on July 11.

Noon – Western Gateway Park – 80/35 Music Festival featuring Weezer with Lettuce, Run the Jewels, Cloud Nothings, Head for the Hills, Empires, Jon Wayne & The Pain, Natural Child, Jaden Carlson Band, Amasa Hines, The Kickback, Kind Country, Canby, Boh Doran – $44 single day, $75 two-day; (All ages)

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Hispanic Educational Resources Building – Jazz in July featuring Orquestra Alto Maiz – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Jean Marie Salem – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Dave Hawke, Hannah Kendle – FREE; (21 and older)

11 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – 80/35 Official After Party featuring Nap Eyes with Monomyth, Nevada Nevada, The Vahnevants – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – Parranderos Latin Combo at Waveland Golf Course, Des Moines

Sunday, July 12

2 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” – $46-$82; (All ages)

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Tony Valdez & The Retro Rockets – $5; (21 and older)

5 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Screaming For Silence – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – Freddy Gazzo Band at Sylvan Theater at Greenwood Park, Des Moines

Monday, July 13

6:30 p.m. – Sylvan Theater – Jazz in July featuring Janey Hooper & Friends featuring Susie Miget – FREE; (All ages)

Tuesday, July 14

7:30 p.m. – Wells Fargo Arena – Nickelback – $25-$80; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” – $46-$82; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Jamaican Queens with Kamrar – $7; (21 and older)

Wednesday, July 15

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring The New Mexicos – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Sheslow Auditorium, Drake University – Des Moines Metro Opera “Stars of Tomorrow” – $25 for adults, $10 for students; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Lake Street Drive – $20-$25; (All ages)

8:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Good Old War – $15; (All ages)

Thursday, July 16

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Flipside – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Gimikk – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Janacek’s “Jenufa” – $46-$82; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Melt Banana with Torche, Hot Nerds – $15; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Kevin Gale – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Mississippi Jake – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – Paige Harpin Group at Wesley Acres, Des Moines

Friday, July 17

1:30 p.m. – Lekberg Hall, Simpson College – Apprentice Artist Scenes Program – FREE; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Matt Woods – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Clive Aquatic Center – Jazz in July featuring Freddy Gazzo Band – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Big Joe Kinser – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Puccini’s “The Girl of the Golden West” – $46-$82; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Brenton Skating Plaza – Grace Potter – $30-$35; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Kevin Gale – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – High Society Big Band at Easter Lake, Des Moines

Saturday, July 18

Noon – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Winestock featuring Gravel Travel, Dirt Road Divide, Mason Jar, Gypsy Outlaws, Four Shades of Gray, Stone Thro – $10; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Crosswind – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Modern Life is War – $12; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – The Nola Jazz Band at Evelyn K. Davis Park, Des Moines

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Bryan Baker – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Janacek’s “Jenufa” – $46-$82; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Hannah Kendle, Kevin Gale – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Eddy Kenzo – $32; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Wooly’s – Grateful Dead Experience: The Schwag – $5; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – lesserhasbeens with Jordan & The Nomads – $5; (21 and older)

Sunday, July 19

2 p.m. – Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola – Des Moines Metro Opera performing Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” – $46-$82; (All ages)

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Bob Pace & The Dangerous Band – $5; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Sixth & Washington Avenue – Jazz in July featuring Freestyle – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July – John Morgan Big Band at Centennial Park, Waukee

Monday, July 20

6:30 p.m. – Johnston Public Library – Jazz in July featuring Betsy Hickok – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Moonshine Sorrow with The Dueling Dickheads – FREE; (21 and older)

Wednesday, July 22

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Loose Neutral – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

Thursday, July 23

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Pianopalooza Band – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring The Blue Band – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July featuring John Krantz Quintet at Woodlands Creek, Clive

7 p.m. – Brenton Skating Plaza – The Ting Tings with Kaneholler – $17.50-$20; (All ages)

7 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Hamilton Loomis – $12; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Jon Li, Justin Flagg – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, July 24

11:30 a.m. – American Enterprise Sculpture Garden – Jazz in July featuring Max Wellman – FREE; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – S. Sixth & Ashworth Drive, Waukee – Jazz in July featuring The Jazz Page – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Brother Trucker – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Beechwood Lounge – Campbell DeSousa with Jordan Mayland – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Reggie Greenlaw – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Jon Li, Justin Flagg – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jewel City Sound Presents: Under the Bridge – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Lydia Loveless – $10; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. -Jazz in July – The TTP Project at Copper Creek Lake Park, Pleasant Hill

Saturday, July 25

Fozzy plays Val Air on June 25.

Fozzy plays Val Air on June 25.

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Larry Berenguel – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Chad Elliott – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Copper Creek Lake Park – Jazz in July featuring High Society Big Band – FREE; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Marilyn Jerome – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Brenton Skating Plaza – Blackberry Smoke – $27-$32; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Jeremie Malotke, Jon Li, Justin Flagg – FREE; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Nova Labs 2nd Anniversary Blowout – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Hungry Mountain with Easy Fruit – $5; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. -Jazz in July featuring The Damani Phillips Trio featuring Sam Salmone at 6th Avenue and Washington, Des Moines

Sunday, July 26

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Slipstream – $5; (21 and older)

5 p.m. – West Glen Town Center – Jazz in July featuring Valley High School Combo – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July featuring Christopher’s Very Happy Band at Johnston Commons, Johnston

8:30 p.m. – West Glen Town Center – Jazz in July featuring Gruve – FREE; (All ages)

Monday, July 27

9 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Heaters with Uh Bones, Odd Pets – $8; (21 and older)

Wednesday, July 29

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Plastic Apartment – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Between the Buried and Me with Animals as Leaders, The Contortionist – $20; (All ages)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Leggy – $5; (21 and older)

Thursday, July 30

ALL DAY – Water Works Park – Hinterland Music Festival featuring. Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros, Future Islands, TV on the Radio, The Envy Corps – $45 one day pass, $75 two days; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Dazy Head Mazy – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Tony Valdez Large Band – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Bumpin’ Uglies – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Violet & the Undercurrents with Franklin’s Basement, Patresa Hartman – $5; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July featuring The Heather MacLennan Trio at City Park, Norwalk

Friday, July 31

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July featuring Scott Davis Quartet at Beaverdale Park, Des Moines

Saturday, Aug. 1

Brandi Carlile plays the Hinterland Music Festival on Aug 1.

Brandi Carlile plays the Hinterland Music Festival on Aug 1.

ALL DAY – Water Works Park – Hinterland Music Festival featuring. Old Crow Medicine Show, Brandi Carlile, Yonder Mountain String Band, St Paul & the Broken Bones, Lucius, Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug, Maidsen Ward & The Mama Bear – $45 one-day pass, $75 two days; (All ages)

6 p.m. – Covered Bridges Winery, Winterset – Just ‘Cause – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Howard Freersken – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Whitney Maxwell – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Men on Horseback – FREE; (21 and older)

6:30 p.m. – Jazz in July featuring Betsy Hickok Group and The Tighten Up at West Glen Town Center, West Des Moines

Sunday, Aug. 2

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Opus Taylor – $5; (21 and older)

Monday, Aug. 3

8 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Pets With Human Names with Men on Horseback, GoodcaT – $5; (All ages)

Wednesday, Aug. 5

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Monkey Monkey Monkey Free for Zoo Members, – $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Eric Hutchinson – $15-$17; (All ages)

8 p.m. – El Bait Shop – Brother Trucker – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Hull Ave Tavern – St Christopher, Whiskey Dick, Rumble Seat Riot – FREE; (21 and older)

Thursday, Aug. 6

6 p.m. – Jasper Winery – Final Mix – FREE; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Get Off My Lawn – FREE; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wells Fargo Arena – Shania with Gavin Degraw – $46-$136; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Warehouse Eyes – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, Aug. 7

3:30 p.m. – Western Gateway Park – 515 Alive – $40-$100; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Science Center of Iowa – Dylan Sires & Neighbors – $5; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Abby Normal – FREE; (21 and older)

10 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Preferred Blend: A Modern Disco Dance Party – FREE; (All ages)

Saturday, Aug. 8

Waka Flocka plays 515 Alive on Aug 8.

Waka Flocka plays 515 Alive on Aug 8.

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Larry Berenguel – FREE; (21 and older)

3:30 p.m. – Western Gateway Park – 515 Alive – $40-$100; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Jenny Kohls – FREE; (All ages)

Sunday, Aug. 9

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Abby Normal – $5; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Oklahoma Cloud Factory with In Rooms, Dustin Smith – FREE; (All ages)

Wednesday, Aug. 12

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Toaster – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – Miss May I with The Curse of Hail, The Creation Complex, The Point Past Insanity – $15; (All ages)

Thursday, Aug. 13

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Flipside – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Casting Crowns with For King and Country – $32; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Randy McAllister – $15 (All ages)

Friday, Aug. 14

Bone Thugs play Val Air Aug. 14.

Bone Thugs play Val Air Aug. 14.

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Callaghan – $15; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Justin Moore with Easton Corbin – $35; (All ages)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – The Young Funk – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – Bone Thungs N Harmony – $35-$150; (All ages)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Jessica Lee Wilkes – $7; (21 and older)

Saturday, Aug. 15

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Jessy & King Rhythm – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Def Leppard with Styx, Tesla – $53; (All ages)

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – The High Crest – FREE; (All ages)

10 p.m. – Vaudeville Mews – Moon Honey with Love Songs For Lonely Monsters – $7; (21 and older)

Sunday, Aug. 16

Reba plays the Iowa State Fair on Aug 16.

Reba plays the Iowa State Fair on Aug 16.

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Gruve – $5; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Reba with Caroline King – $45; (All ages)

Monday, Aug. 17

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Carrie Underwood with Michael Ray – $60; (All ages)

Tuesday, Aug. 18

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Yes with Toto – $35; (All ages)

Wednesday, Aug. 19

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Pianopalooza – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis – FREE; (21 and older)

Thursday, Aug. 20

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Poppa Proffitt Band – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Alabama with Chris Janson – $40; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis, Philly Williams, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, Aug. 21

7 p.m. – Penoach Winery, Adel – Boomerang – FREE; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – The Fray with Andy Grammer – $38; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis, Philly Williams, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

Saturday, Aug. 22

7 p.m. – Hotel Pattee – Ron Burchett – FREE; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Meghan Trainor with Charlie Puth, Life of Dillon – $40; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis, Philly Williams, Tony Baragona – FREE; (21 and older)

Sunday, Aug. 23

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Sons of Gladys Kravitz – $5; (21 and older)

6 p.m. – Iowa State Fair Grandstand – Rock-A-Thon featuring Dee Snider, Dokken, Warrant, Firehouse, Eddie Truck – $30; (All ages)

Wednesday, Aug. 26

5:30 p.m. – Blank Park Zoo – “Zoo Brew” featuring Standing Hampton – Free for Zoo Members, $12 for non-members; (21 and older)

Thursday, Aug 27

6 p.m. – Valley Junction – Music in the Junction featuring Burning Down the House – FREE; (All ages)

6:30 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Slightly Stoopid with The Dirty Heads, The Expendables – $35-$40; (All ages)

7:30 p.m. – Wooly’s – GWAR with Butcher Babies, Battlecross, Apathy Syndrome – $20; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis – FREE; (21 and older)

Friday, Aug. 28

5 p.m. – Val Air Ballroom – King Conquer with Here Comes the Kraken, Adaliah, Dealey Plaza, Enterprise – $15; (All ages)

5:30 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jazz Happy Hour – $6 suggested donation; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Simon Estes Amphitheater – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – $25-$30; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – Jewel City Sound Presents: Under the Bridge – FREE; (All ages)

9 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – The Hollowmen reunion show with Squidboy, North of Grand – $8; (21 and older)

Tuesday, Aug. 29

2:30 p.m. – Dale Valley Vineyard – Stuart Mason Jar – FREE; (21 and older)

7 p.m. – Des Moines Social Club – King of the Tramps – $5; (All ages)

8 p.m. – Lefty’s Live Music – Bonne Finken & The Collective with The Lucas Jack Band – $10; (21 and older)

8 p.m. – Blue Moon Piano Bar – Papi Sorrelis – FREE; (21 and older)

9 p.m. – DG’s Tap House, Ames – Matt Woods – FREE; (21 and older)

Wednesday, Aug. 30

3 p.m. – Summerset Winery, Indianola – Tony Valdez Large Band – $5; (21 and older)

 

Theater

By Eleni Upah

From funny musicals to insightful plays, the Des Moines area is set to have another great year of theater. It doesn’t matter what type of show you’re hoping to catch: It’s all here and waiting to be watched. Local talent will take the stage in Ankeny and Ames, and national touring acts will perform several award-winning features throughout Des Moines. There are even options for those who just can’t seem to leave the great outdoors, as the Botanical Gardens acts as the stage for an opera.

 

Des Moines Social Club Recurring Features

Jazz Happy Hour — Fridays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The Social Club has teamed up with the Synergy Jazz Foundation to bring free jazz concerts to the Friday Happy Hour series every second and fourth Friday of the month. Featuring a diverse lineup of local jazz musicians and occasion performances by touring musicians from around the country, this event is open to all ages and free with the suggested donation of $6.

Board Game Night — last Thursday of every month, 6-9 p.m. The comfortable feeling of playing board games in a basement is one everyone can experience, regardless of whether you actually have a basement or not. The Basement at the Social Club will provide all the games for open play and friendly competition. Free for all ages.

 

May 20-23 — “The Adventures of Robin Hood”

Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., 288-4700

www.templeforperformingarts.com

First things first: This isn’t your grandma’s Robin Hood. The Visible Fictions Theatre Company’s revival coming to Des Moines’ Temple Theater is Robin Hood like you’ve never seen it before. The main theme remains the same, with a band of brothers seeking to conquer the evils of the world and return hope and justice to those who are treated poorly. “The Adventures of Robin Hood” follows a team of “trained justice fighting machines” armed with anything they can find — meaning nothing is what it seems in this version of Sherwood Forrest. This internationally acclaimed show is recommended for ages 7 and older, and promises to entertain its audiences with its unexpected and imaginative take on the classic story. Tickets start at $10.

 

“The Addams Family” will show at the Des Moines Community Playhouse May 29- June 21.

“The Addams Family” will show at the Des
Moines Community Playhouse May 29-
June 21.

May 29 – June 21 — “The Addams Family”

Des Moines Community Playhouse, 831 42nd St., 277-6261

www.dmplayhouse.com

This Tony Award-winning musical focuses on the strange love growing between daughter Wednesday Addams — “the ultimate princess of darkness” — and the sweet Lucas Beineke. While Wednesday’s parents, Morticia and Gomez, just want to continue their normal lives among death, pain and suffering, Wednesday’s newfound love causes an abrupt shift in all of their lives. Wednesday confides in her father, who must keep the secret from his wife — a first in their relationship. Find out how a daughter falling in love can change an entire family. Tickets start at $23.

 

 

June 5-21 — “Twelve Angry Jurors”

“Twelve Angry Jurors” will show June 5-21 at the Ankeny Community Theatre, 1932 S.W. Third St.

“Twelve Angry Jurors” will show June 5-21 at the Ankeny Community Theatre, 1932 S.W.
Third St.

Ankeny Community Theatre, 1932 S.W. Third St., 964-5007

www.ankenycommunitytheatre.com

When 12 jurors are sent to decide the fate of a young man standing trial for the fatal stabbing of his father, it seems like an open-and-shut case to be done and over with. But then one juror starts to bring up a series of facts, opening the eyes of the other 11 jurors to a case that might have a little more to it. Tempers are high as the jurors argue. “Twelve Angry Jurors,” originally titled “Twelve Angry Men” and set in 1956, has been updated from its all-white, all-male form to a cast of both men and women. $10-$15.

 

 

June 11-14 — “Much Ado About Nothing”

Salisbury House and Gardens, 4025 Tonawanda Drive, 274-1777

http://salisburyhouse.org

Salisbury House continues its annual Shakespeare on the Lawn with “Much Ado About Nothing,” performed by the Repertory Theater of Iowa. This unique showing is held in the gardens of Salisbury for a night of beautiful scenery and entertainment. Considered one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, this play shares themes of honor, shame and court politics — all with an overarching humorous component. Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on a false claim that she has been unfaithful, and gossip takes control. “Much Ado About Nothing” will have audiences laughing over and over while watching the mishaps of these two couples. $15-$25.

 

June 12-28 — “Shrek the Musical”

Ames Community Theater, 120 Abraham Drive, Ames, 292-2073

www.actorsinc.org

Returning once more is one of the funnies musicals to hit the stage. Based on the Oscar-winning animated film, “Shrek the Musical” brings the rough-around-the-edges ogre and his happy donkey sidekick together in their quest to set the kingdom right after Shrek’s home is overtaken with fairytale characters. Suitable for all ages, “Shrek” is a great show for families.

 

July 9, 12 — “Rappaccini’s Daughter”

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Drive, 323-6290

http://dmbotanicalgarden.com

In this one-of-a-kind performance, the Des Moines Metro Opera will perform “Rappaccini’s Daughter” using the Botanical Garden as its beautiful backdrop. Based on the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the show is about a doctor seeking to protect — and control — his daughter by locking her in a garden in which he experiments with poisonous plants. As a young man falls in love with the daughter, he is faced with the knowledge that this love might lead him to his death. The real garden setting will make this opera an unforgettable experience. $40.

 

July 8-9 — The Iowa Shakespeare Experience “Shakesperience Festival: Starry Starry Nights at Terrace Hill”

The Great Lawn at Terrace Hill

www.iowashakespeare.org

The Iowa Shakespeare Experience brings an eclectic lineup of live entertainment this year, including “Shakespeare’s Best Bets” and selections from “Opera, Poetry and Ballet.” The event features America’s inaugural sneak peak at “Americas3,” a new national touring musical show based in Iowa and performed by professional actors and musical and dance artist from Iowa. Free, but guests must register for tickets at Midwestix.com.

 

July 14-19 — “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”

Beth Glover, Kaitlyn Davidson, Aymee Garcia and Paige Faure in the National Tour of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Beth Glover, Kaitlyn Davidson, Aymee Garcia and Paige Faure in the National Tour of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” Photo © Carol Rosegg.

Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., 246-2300

www.desmoinesperformingarts.org

Revisit your childhood with a trip to the theater for the live version of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” at the Civic Center this summer. The contemporary take on the classic story features all the moments you know and love plus a few twists. Watch as Cinderella transforms from her stepmother’s maid to a beautiful princess, traveling to the ball in a grand horse-drawn carriage thanks to the help of her fairy godmother. This award-winning show has beautiful costumes and sets that will make the audience feel as if they are living the story themselves. $35-$100.

 

July 17 – Aug. 9 — “Monty Python’s Spamalot”

Des Moines Community Playhouse, 831 42nd St., 277-6261

www.dmplayhouse.com

Based on — or “lovingly ripped off from,” as the description notes — the film comedy called “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” this stage adaptation tells the legendary story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Complete with catapulting cows, showgirls, killer rabbits and French people (oh my!), “Spamalot” won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005 and still finds its way into the hearts of audiences around the country. There’s something for everyone in this silly show.

 

July 24 – Aug. 2 — “Rent”

Des Moines Social Club, Kum & Go Theater, 900 Mulberry St., 369-3673

http://desmoinessocialclub.org

“Rent” is the award-winning 1994 musical that has been reprised again and again on stages throughout the world and even on film. The rock musical is a unique story with the music to go along with it. “Rent” is the story of a young group of impoverished artists as they struggle to create a life in New York City’s East Village. $10-$15.

 

July 31 – Aug. 16 — “Drinking Habits”

Ankeny Community Theatre, 1932 S.W. Third St., 964-5007

www.ankenycommunitytheatre.com

As a couple nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing secretly make wine to keep the convent’s doors open, two reporters are hot on their trail. Paul and Sally go undercover as a nun and priest to break the story. But a new nun joins in the mix and the convent is shadowed in paranoia as mistaken identities, accusations and romances run wild. “Drinking Habits” is a hilarious story that is not to be missed. $10-$15. CV

 

Art

By Jim Duncan

Festivities Reign in Des Moines Summer

Faith Wilding’s Crocheted Environment, 1972/1995.

Faith Wilding’s Crocheted Environment, 1972/1995.

Art is big business these days, yet no one ever talks about the “art industry.” That’s probably because artists like to believe their calling is anti-industrial, that they are the caretakers of beauty and nature in the post modern world. Besides, industrialists often write artists off as mere children who never grew up. Picasso even agreed with them. Both sides make their points in summer. Like school kids, the art world closes shop and heads to the beaches or the mountains during the hot season — except in Des Moines.

Summer here is prime time for the fine arts but, sadly, in a memorial sense. Our late maestro Robert Larsen built a small regional opera company into an international darling by programming during Iowa summer. That way he attracted talent that would otherwise be engaged with more worldly companies. Des Moines is also home to a summer arts festival that has grown faster than corn in July thanks to the late impresario Mo Dana. Together, Des Moines Metro Opera and the Des Moines Art Festival are arguably the most important events of the year in Iowa arts.

They have also inspired the rest of central Iowa’s cultural community to schedule bigger summer events. Iowa Sculpture Festival presents its 13th annual fair while Art Fest Midwest provides a more local version of Des Moines Art Festival, also in its 13th reincarnation. Des Moines Art Center’s (DMAC) big summer event this year is a “Fiber Sculpture” show that reinterprets “fiber art” and half a dozen other previously subtextual art forms.

Elsewhere, summer dances in lighter air. Landscape reigns at Olson-Larsen. At Moberg Gallery, Jordan Weber shows why he is the biggest star on the Iowa scene in many years.

Calendar (*APT* indicates a special Art Pimp tout)

 

Recurring Events and Family Attractions

First Friday Art Walks — on the Fairfield Town Square, first Friday of the month

 

Special Events
Festivals

Des Moines Metro Opera’s (DMMO) 43rd anniversary summer festival, Simpson College, Indianola, (www.desmoinesmetroopera.org)

May 30 – Death by Aria
June 6, 12, 20, 27, July 3, 11 and 17

 

Apprentice Artists Programs

June 13 — Threads & Trills Costume Show and Luncheon. Asneak peek at the costumes from the upcoming season’s operas while enjoying arias and duets sung by principal artists from each show. Noon, Embassy Club West.

June 18 and 20 — Peanut Butter & Puccini Family Opera Adventure. A family opera adventure includes a tour of the theater, from backstage to the costume shop, from the props department to the catwalk, a special performance of a kid-friendly opera, and a peanut butter sack lunch.

July 15 — Stars of Tomorrow Concert, Sheslow Auditorium. 7 p.m. *APT*

The 40th anniversary season, single tickets $46-95 *APT*

June 26, 28, July 3, 11, 19 — Abduction from the Seraglio by Mozart. This is the Mozart one loved in Amadeus, sublime composer obsessed with the silliest of plots. Hero tracks his love to Istanbul where she has been sold by pirates. Benjamin Bliss and Amanda Woodbury, a pair of young stars with the Metropolitan Opera, sing the leads.

June 27, July 4, 12, 13 and 17 — The Girl of the Golden West by Pucinni. Pucinni goes to the California Gold Rush. Alexandra LoBianco sings the title role. San Francisco Classical compared her voice and magnetism to a young Monserrat Caballe.

July 5, 7, 10, 16 and 18 — Janufa by Janacek. Audience favorite Brenda Harris returns to sing the lead in this Moravian drama about rivalry and the power of forgiveness.

July 9, 12 — Rappaccini’s Daughter by Catán. The company expands beyond their normal arena to perform in the Greater Des Moines Botanical Center.

Iowa Sculpture Festival, Maytag Park, Newton, http://iowasculpturefestival.org

June 13-14 — The 13th annual event brings big bronze and steel art to Maytag Park for a hands-on experiences meeting artists, picnicking, swimming and watching comedians, magicians, balloon animal makers, etc.

Gary Bowling’s CHANGING WEATHER.

Gary Bowling’s CHANGING WEATHER.

June 26-28 — Des Moines Arts Festival. A festival grand enough to inspire copycats, critics and loyalists, plus national rankings. The three-day event draws nearly 200 national artists of all media plus emerging local artists to the Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines. Plus, there’s enough food and music to turn shopping into a mega-event and source of civic pride. Gateway West. www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.

June 27-28 — ArtFest Midwest. Piggybacking on the big shoulders of DMAF, the 13th annual “Other Art Show,” boasts lots of demonstrations (glassblowing, pastel portraits, lamp work jewelry, pottery etc.) plus free parking and regional chauvinism. The fest is now calling itself the “largest fine art show in Iowa.” Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, http://stookeyshows.com/

 

Galleries

Ongoing

Des Moines Metro Opera. “The Girl of the Golden West.”

Des Moines Metro Opera. “The Girl of the Golden West.”

 

Fluxx

Rotating shows by gallery artists and guest artists in conjunction with the Greater Des Moines Social Club. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fluxx-Collective/115439831873276

Octagon Center for the Arts

427 Douglas Avenue, Ames www.octagonarts.org

2AU

200 Fifth, West Des Moines

Beach boys of Ipanema and mermaids of Tahiti mix it up with Tanzanian gems this summer.

Des Moines Social Club

900 Mulberry St., www.desmoinesocialclub.org

Circus, wrestling, tai chi, akido, theater, belly dancing and other acts of sociability make the club an alternative to alternative in town. As headquarters finds comfort in its new home, the old firehouse, the club’s website is the most reliable guide.

Kavanaugh Gallery

131 5th St., West Des Moines, 279-8682, http://www.kavanaughgallery.com

Specializing in purchase estate collections, there’s no telling what you might find here.

Susan Noland Studio Gallery

902 42nd St.

The psychological properties of gems are front and center in this master goldsmith‘s repertoire.

 

Limited Engagements

 

Olson-Larsen Galleries

203 Fifth St., West Des Moines, www.olsonlarsen.com

Through June 6

Mary Merkel-Hess, Christopher Chiavetta and Gary Bowling

Three very different artists: Bowling is a popular painter of gay landscapes; Merkel-Hess constructs painted sculptures of reeds and paper; Chiavetta is an abstract painter.

June 12-August 1

Annual Landscape Show

John Preston, Michael Johnson, David Gordinier and Pat Edwards bring their unique impressions of the Midwest in one of the gallery”s most popular shows. *APT*

August 7-October 3

New Works.

Mike Baur, Jane Gilmor, Randy Richmond and Doug Shelton contribute.

 

Moberg Art Gallery

2921 Ingersoll Ave., www.moberggallery.com

Through July 3

Four Solos: Richard Kelley, Jim Ochs, Andrew Abbott, Clare Rosean

July 10 – Aug. 23

Jordan Weber *APT*

Aug. 28 – Oct. 3

Bill Luchsinger and Karen Strohbeen

Iowa’s original digital artists move up their annual show this year from the holiday season.

 

Steven Vail Fine Arts

500 E Locust St., www.stevenvailfinearts.com

Until further notice

An Exhibition of African Tribal Arts   *APT*

Steven Vail Fine Arts, 118 East College St., Iowa City

Until further notice

Crash: An Exhibition of John Crash Matos

Heritage Art Gallery

111 Court Ave., http://www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/

Through June 3

Art Force Iowa

June 8 – Aug. 27

Iowa Exhibited XXX

Aug. 31 – Oct. 1

FarmHer

Dramatic photographs documenting women in agriculture by Marji Guyler-Alaniz

 

Museums

 

Des Moines Art Center

4700 Grand Ave., www.desmoinesartcenter.org

Ongoing

Summer classes, day camps and family workshops – Call 271-0306

Through Aug. 2

Fiber Sculpture 1960 – present

This is a retrospective of fiber art, from the days when it was dismissed as “wall hangings” through its recent glory days. Pioneers Magdalena Abakanowicz, Sheila Hicks and Lenore Tawney star.

Through Sept. 13

Antique Abstraction

Works from the museum’s collections made within five years of 1915, which informed every art movement of the coming decades. The exhibition will feature work demonstrating the revolutionary formal ideas that led to abstraction.

June 5 – Sept. 20

Sea Life

Sculpture by Mark Dion replicates an itinerant bookseller’s portable stall, such as those seen along the banks of the Seine.

 

Ankeny Art Center

1520 S.W. Ordnance Road www.ankenyartcenter.com

June 2 – July 29

Kristi Lund Lozier “Paper & Canvas”

Brunnier Museum of Art

University Museums, 290 Scheman Building, Ames, www.museums.iastate.edu

Through May 30

Coherence: An Immersive Laser Installation by Dan Corson

Through July 1

Chuck Ginnever: Rashomon

An installation of 15 sculptures in Food Science Building Courtyard

Through July 24

Gwynn Murrill Sculptures: A Walk on the Wild Side

Large bronze sculptures in Anderson Sculpture Garden

Through July 31

“The Ever Changing Land: The Art of Ellen Wagener”

One of Iowa’s greatest landscape painters

Hot & Cool: Three Generations of Gaffers

Studio glass art of the late 20th century

Beauty through Experiment: The Ceramics of Wedgewood

Asian Export: The Furniture of Carrie Chapman Catt and Selections from the Decorative Arts Collection

Sophisticated Simplicity from the Victorian Era: Selections from the Iowa Quester Glass Collection

 

Faulconer Gallery

1108 Park St., Grinnell, www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery

Through August 2

Against Reason: Anti/Enlightenment Prints by Callot, Hogarth, Piranesi, and Goya

The dark side of enlightenment meets the limelight.   *APT*

Open to Interpretation

Curious works open to different points of view

 

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

410 Third Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids, www.crma.org

Through July 26

Guardians of Grain: Bamana and Dogon Door Locks

Through Aug. 30

Expressions of Home: The Watercolors of Lela Powers Briggs

June 6 – Sept. 13

Midwest Summer: Light and Warmth

Many of Iowa’s best known artists show here.

 

MacNider Art Museum

303 Second St. S.E., Mason City,

http://www.macniderart.org

Through Aug. 1

Cerro Gordon Photo Show

June 5 – Aug. 8

Ceramics at the MacNider: Celebrating Artwork Created in the Museum’s Ceramic Studio CV

 

Film

By Eleni Upah

If you’ve been keeping up with this summer’s calendar of movies, you might wonder what happened to all the blockbusters. With the “Avengers” sequel premiering a few weeks ago, the biggest superhero movie made a somewhat surprising early appearance to the party. And there will be few follow-ups outside of “The Fantastic Four” in August.

But fear not, action movie buffs. Even though the superheroes aren’t gracing audiences with much presence in 2015, there are plenty of big-budget action films coming to theaters, along with dozens of comedies, several new animated features and even a few horror films. With some of Hollywood’s biggest names coming to the big screen (sometimes even making double appearances in the same month), there are plenty of reasons to step out of the sun and into the theater at least a few times this summer.

 

UPCOMING MOVIES

 

AlohaExclusive... Bradley Cooper & Rachel McAdams Are Lovers On Set in Hawaii NO INTERNET USE WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT

May 29

Directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bradley Cooper, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski and Bill Murray

Rated PG-13

Every summer lineup needs at least one film with a group of Hollywood’s Most Talented, and this summer it’s “Aloha.” With the likes of Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and John Krasinski on the credit roll, this one is bound to be the next great romantic comedy. “Aloha” centers on Brian Gilcrest (Cooper), who is a celebrated military defense contractor who returns to Hawaii, the spot where he found his greatest career triumphs. While he’s there, he re-connects with his former flame (McAdams) while also falling for the Air Force pilot (Stone) assigned to oversee the launch of a weapons satellite. Previews promise laughs, romance and an overall feel-good story.

 

“Jurassic World”jurassic world

June 12

Directed by Colin Trevorrow, starring Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simpkins and Vincent D’Onofrio

Rated PG-13

For all the CGI junkies out there, this one is for you. “Jurassic Park” was a revolutionary step for computer-generated imagery in films when it came out in 1993, so fans can only imagine what this sequel will involve. “Jurassic World” takes place 22 years after the events of the first movie on Isla Nublar, located off Central America’s Pacific Coast. The park is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park owned by Masrani Global Corporation, and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) is a member of the on-site staff who conducts behavioral research on four Velociraptors. Masrani requests the park’s geneticists create a genetically modified hybrid mutant dinosaour, which they call Indominus rex, in the hopes of getting more visitors. Of course, this can’t lead to anything good, so when the hybrid escapes its cage it goes on a deadly charge through the island, and once again, Chris Pratt to the rescue.

 

“Inside Out” inside out

June 19

Directed by Pete Docter, starring Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling

Rated PG, 102 minutes

This highly anticipated animated film has already made a splash with its promos and previews. A little girl named Riley has to leave her Midwest life when her dad lands a new job in San Francisco. Her emotions — along with everyone else’s — are personified guides known as Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. These emotions live in Headquarters, which is the control center inside Riley’s mind, and they help advise her through everyday life. As both Riley and her emotions struggle to the adjustment of a new life, all heck (this is a children’s movie) breaks loose in Headquarters. By accident, Sadness causes herself and Joy to get lost somewhere within Riley’s Mind, and while Joy tries to stay positive, the other emotions begin to fight about how to best navigate through a new city, house and school. Voiced by Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling, this one promises to be a hit among kids and adults.

 

“Ted 2”ted 2

June 26

Directed by Seth MacFarlane, starring Mark Wahlberg, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Seth MacFarlane and Morgan Freeman

Rated R

Well, we can only hope Seth MacFarlane’s latest feature film will land better than last year’s (major) flop, “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” The original “Ted” found success in its niche, so expectations for at least a decent (if not better) sequel are fairly high. After Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) marries his girlfriend from the first film Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), the couple decides to try for a baby together. (Insert eye rolls and groans here.) Ted asks his best friend John (Mark Wahlberg) to provide his sperm for artificial insemination, but there’s still one problem. In order for Ted to have custody of this child, he must prove to a court of law that he is human. There’s definitely not a Oscar in the future, but “Ted 2” might just provide a few good, quotable jokes — and sometimes, that’s all it takes.

 

“Magic Mike XXL”magic mike xxl

July 1

Directed by Gregory Jacobs, starring Channing Tatum, Amber Heard, Elizabeth Banks and Joe Manganiello

Rated R

Remember that meme that appeared all over the Internet when the first “Ted” and “Magic Mike” movies came out in 2012: “This must be the first time that guys want to see a movie about a teddy bear and girls want to see a movie about strippers”? It’s déjà vu in movieland. Just five days after the premier of “Ted 2” comes the sequel to “Magic Mike,” the movie that brought women of all ages to theaters across America. Picking up three years after the great Mike (Channing Tatum) steps away from the stripper life, “Magic Mike XXL” finds the rest of the Kings of Tampa also ready to hang up their G-strings. But before they can retire, they have to have one last blowout performance — and who else could headline besides the famous Magic Mike himself? The boys hit the road for one final show, making stops along the way to visit old friends and learn some new moves. Many ladies will be happy to see Mike and the guys making their return, but we have to ask: Where’s Matthew McConaughey?

 

“Minions”minions

July 10

Directed by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, starring Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton and Allison Janney

Rated PG

When “Despicable Me” came out in 2010, people probably didn’t expect the little yellow creatures would have the mass-market appeal they did. Minions have existed since the beginning of time and have only one purpose: to serve the most despicable masters. The new movie shows the minions (sounds voiced by Pierre Coffin) when they’ve decided to isolate themselves in Antarctica after accidentally destroying all of their masters: T. Rex, Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Dracula to name a few. But not having a master drives them into depression, so the minions head to a villain convention to find a new one, where they compete to become the henchmen for Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), who is determined to become the world’s first female super-villain. The kids might have to drag parents to the theater, but after a few scenes, it’ll have the whole family laughing.

 

“Mr. Holmes”mr holmes

July 17

Directed by Bill Condon, starring Ian McKellen, Milo Parker, Laura Linney and Hattie Morahan

Rated PG, 103 minutes

Sadly, this “Holmes” movie doesn’t star a dapper Robert Downey Jr. But, if you like the “Sherlock Holms” story and nostalgic reflections on an adventurous life, this one might still be up your alley. “Mr. Holmes” takes place in 1947, when the 93-year-old Sherlock (Ian McKellen) — now long retired — lives in a remote farmhouse in Sussex with his housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her son (Milo Parker). Holmes has taken up beekeeping while he reflects on his life in journals and deals with his deteriorating mind, once so incredible. Using flashbacks from Holmes at the top of his game, “Mr. Holmes” takes the audience back to his Baker Street consulting rooms and a visit to Japan.

 

“Paper Towns”paper towns

July 24

Directed by Jake Schreier, starring Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff, Halston Sage and Austin Abrams

Another John Green novel is hitting the big screen. Following the success of last year’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” the same writers are bringing the romantic mystery “Paper Towns” to life. The story is set in Florida, where Quentin “Q” Jacobsen (Nat Wolff) lives next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman “Cara Delevingne). Once childhood friends, the two have drifted apart though Q still has feelings for Margo. One day Margo climbs through Q’s window and asks him to join her on an all-night road trip of revenge, and he can’t help but follow. The next day, though, Margo doesn’t come to school. After a few days, she is declared missing, and Q learns there are clues that seem meant for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery, Q becomes less sure of whom Margo is and just what he’s looking for. A New York Times bestseller and award-winning young adult novel, “Paper Towns” is bound to attract a sizeable audience.

 

“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”mission impossible

July 31

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin

Not Rated

Apparently Tom Cruise is having trouble letting go — or perhaps finding other work. The fifth “Mission: Impossible” is hitting theaters this summer. In this installation, the IMF agency is threatened by the near-mythical Syndicate, an organization of assassins and rogue operatives who kill to order. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) must assemble his own team after the disbandment of IMF. In this, their final and most difficult mission, Hunt and his team must prove Syndicate’s existence and defeat the organization in any way possible. The question isn’t so much “Will they succeed” as “Will Tom Cruise ever get tired of doing his own stunts?”

 

“Ricki and the Flash”rick and flash

Aug. 7

Directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Meryl Streep, Sebastian Stan, Kevin Kline and Melanie Foster

One of Meryl Streep’s more eccentric projects, “Ricki and the Flash” follows Streep as Ricki, an aging rock star who abandoned her family to chase her dreams. Years later, she has the chance to fix it when her ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) calls on Ricki to help their estranged daughter (Mamie Gummer), now divorced, get through a difficult time. Gummer is Streep’s real-life daughter, which means expectations for chemistry in their acting will be high — although if she’s anything like her mother, this duo will be a pleasing one.

 

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”1DE8C224

Aug. 14

Directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavill, Hugh Grant, Armie Hammer and Jared Harris

Rated PG-13

Characterized as a “spy-fi action comedy,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” is based on the 1964 TV series of the same name. The film takes place in the same decade during the Cold War. It follows U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) as they team up on a mission to stop an international criminal organization. The mysterious organization wants to destabilize the power balance by proliferating nuclear weapons and technology. The only lead the agents have is the daughter of a missing German scientist — who happens to be (obviously) the key to infiltrating the criminal organization. If the partners don’t find the scientist, they could be facing worldwide devastation. The setting alone should make this one at least different from the similar movies to recently come out of this genre.

May 22

“Poltergeist” (d. Gil Kenan, with Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris, Rosemarie DeWitt)

“Spy” (d. Paul Feig, with Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne)

“Aloft” (d. Claudia Llosa, with Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Melanie Laurent)

Tomorrowland(d. Brad Bird, with George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Judy Greer)

“Before We Go” (d. Chris Evans, with Chris Evans, Alic Eve, Scott Evans)

May 29

“San Andreas” (d. Brad Peyton, with Dwayne Johnson, Art Parkinson, Carla Gugino)

“Barely Lethal” (d. Kyle Newman, with Jessica Alba, Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson)

“Club Life” (d. Fabrizio Conte, with Jerry Ferrara, Jessica Szohr, Robert Davi)

“Heaven Knows What” (d. Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie, with Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones)

“Results” (d. Andrew Bujalski, with Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan)

June 5

“Entourage” (d. Doug Ellin, with Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara)

“Wild Horses” (d. Robert Duvall, with Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett)

“The Cokeville Miracle” (d. T.C. Christensen, with Jasen Wade)

“Love & Mercy” (d. Oren Moverman, with Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks)

“Testament of Youth” (d. James Kent, with Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Emily Watson)

“Insidious: Chapter 3” (d. Leigh Whannell, with Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott Angus Sampson)

June 12

“Vendetta” (d. Sylvia Soska and Jen Soska, with Paul Wight, Dean Cain, Michael Eklund)

“The Wolfpack” (d. Crystal Moselle, with Bhagavan Angulo, Govinda Angulo, Jagadisa Angulo)

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (d. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, with Jon Bernthal, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman)

June 19

“Dope” (d. Rick Famuyiwa, with Zoe Kravitz, Forest Whitaker, Blake Anderson)

“The Overnight” (d. Patrick Brice, with Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling)

“Burying the Ex” (d. Joe Dante, with Ashley Greene, Anton Yelchin, Oliver Cooper)

“Manglehorn” (d. David Gordon Green, with Holly Hunter, Al Pacino, Chris Messina)

“Infinitely Polar Bear” (d. Maya Forbes, with Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Keir Dullea)

June 26

“Max” (d. Boaz Yakin, with Robbie Amell, Lauren Graham, Jay Hernandez)

“Big Game” (d. Jalmari Helander, with Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Stevenson, Ted Levine)
“The Outskirts” (d. Peter Hutchings, with Victoria Justice, Avan Jogia, Eden Sher)

“The Little Death” (d. Josh Lawson, with Bojana Novakovic, Damon Herriman, Josh Lawson)

“Fresh Dressed” (d. Sacha Jenkins, with Damon Dash, Daymond John, Karl Kani)

July 1

“Terminator: Genisys” (d. Alan Taylor, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke)

July 10

“The Gallows” (d. Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff, with Cassidy Gifford, Pfeifer Brown, Reese Mishler)

“What We Did On Our Holiday” (d. Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, with Rosamund Pike, Bill Connolly, David Tennant)

“Tangerine” (d. Sean Baker, with Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian)

“10,000 KM” (d. Carlos Marques-Marcet, with David Verdaguer, Natalia Tena)

July 17

“Ant-Man” (d. Peyton Reed, with Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly)

“Trainwreck” (d. Judd Apatow, Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, John Cena)

“Ardor” (d. Pablo Fendrik, with Alice Braga, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jorge Sesan)

July 24

“The Vatican Tapes” (d. Mark Neveldine, with Michael Pena, Djimon Hounsou, Dougray Scott)

“Pixels” (d. Chris Columbus, with Kevin James, Josh Gad, peter Dinklage, Adam Sandler)

“American Heist” (d. Sarik Andreasyan, with Adrien Brody, Jordana Brewster, Akon)

“Mad Women” (d. Jeff Lipsky, with Reed Birney, Kelsey Lynn Stokes)

“Irrational Man” (d. Woody Allen, with Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey)

July 31

“Vacation” (d. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, with Chrstina Applegate, Ed Helms, Chevy Chase)

“Southpaw” (d. Antoine Fuqua, with Alan Riche, Victor Ortiz, Jake Gyllenhaal)

“The Bronze” (d. Bryan Buckley, with Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch)

“Self/Less” (d. Tarsem Singh, with Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Ben Kingsley)

“The Gift” (d. Joel Edgerton, with Joel Edgerton, Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall)

“A LEGO Brickumentary” (d. Keif Davidson and Daniel Junge, with Jason Bateman)

“Best of Enemies” (d. Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville, with John Lithgow, Kelsey Grammer, Gore Vidal)

Aug. 7

“The Fantastic Four” (d. Josh Trank, with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara)

“Masterminds” (d. Jared Hess, with Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig)

“Shaun the Sheep” (d. Mark Burton and Richard Starzak, with Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili)

“The Diary of a Teenage Girl” (d. Marielle Heller, with Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Kristen Wiig)

Aug. 14

“Straight Outta Compton” (d. F. Gary Gray, with Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Oshea Jackson Jr.)

“Underdogs” (d. Juan Jose Campanella, with Pablo Rago, Fabian Gianola, David Masajnik) CV

 

Outdoors

By Eleni Upah

There’s nothing like throwing open the windows and feeling the cool breeze of summer to shake away the last remnants of a frigid winter. After months spent hibernating inside cozy homes, it’s time to dig out the shorts and enjoy all the beauty Iowa’s great outdoors has to offer — and it’s a long list.

From racecars to paddleboats and Yoga in the Park to Music in the Junction, the Des Moines area has a great calendar of outdoor events for the whole family. While there is a lot of info here, more events spring up every day, so check back with Cityview’s weekly events calendar for updates and additions throughout the summer.

 

REVVED UP

Mechanized events, shows, cruises and rides

In addition to the various styles of races held at Knoxville Raceway, visitors can also attend entertainment events for the Marion County Fair during July.

In addition to the various styles of races held at Knoxville Raceway, visitors can also attend entertainment events for the Marion County Fair during July.

The Bad Boyz Mustang Club. From car shows to cruise events, the Mustang Club is all about anything with wheels. Auto-enthusiasts can see classics on display and the many modifications and restorations done by the proud owners. Events run throughout the summer. www.badboyzmustangclub.com/e107/news.php.

May – Aug. 29 — Lucas Oil Knoxville Championship Cup Series. This summer is a full schedule for Knoxville Raceway, including National Sprint League races and Marion County Fair entertainment such as live bands and rodeos. There’s never a dull moment at this racetrack. www.knoxvilleraceway.com.

May – Aug. 22 — Figure 8 Races. Head out to the tracks every other Saturday this summer to experience Figure 8 Races with special theme nights including Red/White/Blue Night, Candy Toss Night and Bike Giveaway Night at the Dallas County Fairgrounds on 28057 Fairground Road in Adel at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $3-$8. http://dallascountyfair.com/racing/.

June 7 — Mustang Car Show. The Historic Valley Junction will host its 36th annual car show open to all Ford-powered vehicles from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. www.valleyjunction.com/event/mustang-car-show/.

June 19 — Nationwide Powersports Showcase. Motorcycles, boats, ATVs, personal watercrafts and much more can all be seen at Nationwide Insurance starting at 10 a.m. Visitors can vote for their favorite bike and favorite scooters, ride the Harley Davidson, ATV, snowmobile and other simulators as they participate in various tailgate activities. www.downtowndesmoines.com/events/2447?event_date_id=4238.

June 19, July 17, Aug. 21, Sept. 18 — to I Town. From now until September, on the third Friday of each month Indianola hosts one of the biggest ongoing bike night events of the summer, complete with motorcycles and other motor vehicles. The celebrations also include live music, food vendors and more fun. www.bikedowntoitown.com.

June 21 — A Ride to Remember. The sixth annual Ride to Remember is a motorcycle event put on by the Alzheimer’s Association and Iowa State University Head Football Coach Paul Rhoads to raise money for those affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia. A BBQ tailgate will be open to families at the north side of jack Trice Stadium on 1800 S. Fourth St. in Ames from noon to 3:30 p.m. with a $35 donation. http://alz.org/greateriowa/in_my_community_22107.asp.

July 17-18 — Iowa Corn 300. Campers can head out early on Thursday to start the fun of the Iowa Corn 300, with various styles of races throughout the two-day event. www.iowaspeedway.com.

July 31 – Aug. 1 — U.S. Cellular 250. Part of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series 150 and NASCAR XFINITY Series, this weekend is jam-packed with races and sure to provide lots of entertainment for racing fans. www.iowaspeedway.com.

Aug. 9 — American Iron Car Show. Pleasant Hill will be filled with pre-1980s American cars as owners stop by for competitions or just to take in the show and enjoy the music and food at Crescent Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.shopdowntownpleasanthill.com/events/.

 

IN TUNE

Outdoor live music and movies

Hundreds of people come out to Jasper Winery to enjoy wine, sangria, beer and food vendors while they listen to local bands in the winery’s Summer Concert Series.

Hundreds of people come out to Jasper Winery to enjoy wine, sangria, beer and food vendors while they listen to local bands in the winery’s Summer Concert Series.

May – Aug. 6 — Jasper Winery Summer Concert Series. Jasper Winery continues to bring local music to the community with this series every Thursday, including tastings from Jasper Winery, Madhouse Brewing Co. beer and Gusto Pizza. 2400 George Flagg Parkway, 6-9 p.m. www.jasperwinery.com.

May – Oct. 1 — Music in the Junction. What’s a farmers market without live music? Visitors can enjoy both every Thursday night at the Historic Valley Junction, with the market from 4-8 p.m. and music from 5:30-8:30. Admission is free. www.valleyjunction.com/events/.

May 29 – June 26 — Chill on the Hill. Every Friday night from 6-9 p.m., Pleasant Hill will once again hold its annual “Chill on the Hill” event at Copper Creek Lake Park. Each event is sponsored by a different local business, and admission is $8 and includes two drink tickets. www.facebook.com/pleasanthillchill?ref=br_tf.

May 29 – June 26 — Ames on the Half Shell. Ames will host its annual live music events on Friday nights from 5-8 p.m. at the Durham Bandshell Park. Admission is $4 for ages 12 and older. This year’s lineup includes the Burnin’ Sensations (May 29), Box Brothers (June 5), Abby Normal (June 12), Jason Brown (June 19) and Standing Hampton (June 26). www.facebook.com/aoths.

May 29 – July 24 — Belin Quartet. The Belin Quartet is back with its outdoor music series featuring free noontime concerts at the Downtown Library Lawn (May 29, June 5, 12 and 19), Western Gateway Park (June 26-28) and Cowles Commons (July 10, 17 and 24). http://civicmusic.org/belin-quartet/.

June – September — Summer on the Hill. Presented by the Des Moines Art Center, visitors can enjoy free movies on the lawn on the first Thursday of each month and live music for $5 on the first Fridays. www.desmoinesartcenter.org/events/SUMMER-ON-THE-HILL.aspx.

June 5 – July 31 — Rendezvous on Riverview. Continuing with the family-friendly fun, free concerts will be held each Friday from 5:30-9:30 p.m. along with other festivities, on the old Clarkson School lot at Sixth and Boston Avenues. Families are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Pets are allowed on leashes and alcohol will be sold at the site but no food or coolers will be allowed. www.riverviewparkdsm.com/2015june.html.

June 6 — Connection Music Festival. Building 429 will headline this outdoor concert, with other bands including About a Mile, Bread of Stone, I am They, Jeff Arrandale, We Are Vessel and speaker Josh Brewer at Crossroads Church on 2601 Border St. in Norwalk from 12:30 p.m. to dark. Free admission. http://connectionmusicfestival.com.

July 3 – Aug. 1 — Metro Arts Jazz in July. This annual month-long jazz festival is now in its 33rd year and packed with a schedule of jazz artists performing at various locations across the metro. This year features a long lineup including The Jazz Page, High Society Big Band, John Krantz Quintet and The Heather MacLennan Trio. Admission is free. www.jazzinjuly.org.

July 10-11 — 80/35 Music Festival. Each year, the Des Moines Music Coalition brings in a wide range of acts to fill three stages for this massive two-day event. This year has set the bar high for future acts as the headliner is nationally known Weezer. Tickets are $39 for one day or $59 for both, but there are also free activities outside the stage areas. www.desmoinesmc.com/events/80-35/.

Aug. 7-8 — 515 Alive Music Festival. 515 Alive has grown so large that it’s expanded to a two-day festival for the first time, with dozens of national and regional acts on multiple stages, along with live art, food and merchandise vendors at Western Gateway Park. Tickets are $40-$60. www.515alivefestival.com.

Aug. 8 — Ankeny Unplugged. Instead of its weekly Saturday night shows, Ankeny Unplugged has taken its series and combined it into one all-day live music event at Wagner Park. Join in the fun either as a guest or as a volunteer. www.facebook.com/ankenyunplugged.

 

TASTY TREATS
A troop of Girl Scouts helps hand out fruit after the annual Dam to Dam races, which take place on May 30 this year.

A troop of Girl Scouts helps hand out fruit after the annual Dam to Dam races, which take place on May 30 this year.

Food and drink events

May 23-24 — Smokin’ in the Junction. Whether you love to make barbecue or eat, the seventh annual Smokin’ in the Junction is the place to be. A barbecue contest, live music, food, kids’ activities and a beverage garden make Smokin’ in the Junction one of Iowa’s most exciting festivals, held at the Historic Valley Junction. www.smokininthejunction.com.

May 30 — Cityview Brewfest. Des Moines’ original beer festival, Cityview’s annual Brewfest will return to Principal Park a little bit earlier this year. The event will cover both levels of the concourse and the entire parameter. Expert brewers will be in attendance to share their best brews and even better advice, and guests will have the opportunity to taste dozens of craft beers and several food vendors from 2-5 p.m. www.dmcityview.com/brewfest.

May 30 — Iowa Beverage Food Truck Throw Down. Food trucks are finally hitting Des Moines in a big way, with at least 10 set to show up at the first Iowa Beverage Food Truck Throw Down located in the Des Moines Social Club Courtyard from 5-10 p.m. http://desmoinessocialclub.org/events/iowa-beverage-food-truck-throwdown/.

May 30 – June 6 — Winefest Des Moines. These events are more than just a few wine samplings. Since 2003, Winefest has been part of the metro area, celebrating fine food and wine while bettering the community. Check the calendar for various activities and learning opportunities throughout the metro. www.winefestdesmoines.com/events/.

June 17 — Dine Iowa’s Duffers, Diners & Drives Golf Classic. With food or drink ready at every hole, you can eat and drink your way through the golf course at Toad Valley Golf Course on 237 N.E. 80th St. in Pleasant Hill at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Admission is $90 per golfer. http://toadvalleygolfcourse.com.

June 19 — Altoona’s Wine & Craft Beer Fest. For five years this festival has brought both Iowa and California wines to one celebrated event at the Altoona Enabling Garden. In recent years it has added craft beer, and admission includes both wine and beer samples, gourmet cheeses and crudités, as well as entertainment. $15 in advance, $25 on the night of the event. www.altoonachamber.org.

June 20 — Iowa Craft Brew Festival. Nearly 40 Iowa breweries will be attendance at the fifth annual Craft Brew Festival, in addition to several regional and national craft breweries. Sample more than 250 beers while enjoying music and food vendors from 1-5 p.m. on the Court Avenue Bridge downtown. VIP passes are available for those who want exclusive early access. www.iowabeer.org/iowa-craft-brew-festival/.

 

LET FREEDOM RING

Fourth of July events and other patriotic celebrations

Decoration Day — Living History Farms. Celebrate Memorial Day on the Saturday before (May 23) with a procession to the town cemetery with a pageant honoring fallen heroes followed by an 1870s-style baseball game. Guests can see one of America’s early Memorial Day traditions in action. www.lhf.org.

Yankee Doodle Pops. Celebrate Independence Day at the 22nd annual Yankee Doodle Pops features an all-day event with live music by the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, food vendors and an amazing fireworks display on the West Terrace of the Iowa State Capitol. https://dmsymphony.org/events/.

Urbandale. The Urbandale Fourth of July celebration is one of the largest in the area and includes a family-friendly street dance, carnival rides, a parade and fireworks at Lions Park and Walker Johnson Park on 71st – 72nd and Aurora. July 2-4. www.uniquelyurbandale.com.

Independence Day — Living History Farms. The whole family can experience an old-fashioned celebration of our country’s Independence Day. The Living History Farms annual event wouldn’t be complete without pie-eating contests, foot races, spelling bees, watermelon seed spitting contests and more in Walnut Hill from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4. www.lhf.org.

West Des Moines. Celebrate the Fourth of July at the Historic Valley Junction with the annual Independence Day Street Celebration featuring live music, food and family fun from 5-11 p.m. www.valleyjunction.com.

Pleasant Hill. This year, Pleasant Hill’s Fourth of July theme is “Celebrating America’s Story,” and it will feature a parade, dinner, 200-foot zip line and a spectacular fireworks show. www.phjuly4.com/.

 

PARTY TIME
The Ladies Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest, held outside Farm Bureau Pioneer Hall, is one of the many events visitors can do during the Iowa State Fair.

The Ladies Rubber Chicken Throwing Contest, held outside Farm Bureau Pioneer Hall, is one of the many events visitors can do during the Iowa State Fair.

Fairs, festivals and other celebratory events

May 23-24 — CelebrAsian. Celebrating Asian heritage in Iowa with authentic food, activities and entertainment, CelebrAsian is now in its 13th year. Join thousands as they share cultural experiences at Western Gateway park from 2-9 p.m. on May 22 and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 23. www.iowaasianalliance.com.

June 2, July 2, Aug. 14 — Moon Float. All non-gas-powered boats are welcome to spend the evening on the water and under the stars at Gray’s Lake Park from 9-11 p.m. Boat rentals are $5 per half hour. www.dmparks.org.

June 11-13 — Governors Days. Held in the Governors District in the heart of Grimes, this annual celebration offers fun summer festivities such as concerts, parades, carnivals, car shows and more. There’s something for everyone at Governors Days, organized by volunteers and the Grimes Chamber & Economic Development. www.governorsdays.com.

June 12-14 — PrideFest. Join thousands of LGBT supporters as they come together to celebrate pride with an annual street party that features a parade, vendors and music by Belinda Carlisle. This year’s theme is “Back to the Heart,” as Capital City Pride strives to promote acceptance, tolerance and understanding of the LGBT community. www.capitalcitypride.org/.

June 14 — Summer Antique Jamboree. Take a step back in time and find old treasures at the Historic Valley Junction’s annual Antique Jamboree. It’s one of the largest outdoor antique shows in the Midwest, with more than 100 antique dealers spread out over the six-blog area from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. www.valleyjunction.com.

June 18-21 — Johnston Green Days. Johnston’s annual community celebration was created by the Chamber in conjunction with the city’s nursery and greenhouse operations, local garden clubs and other groups. It has grown throughout the years to include a parade, carnival, kids activities, entertainment, rib tasting and a beverage garden. It’s family fun that’s been around since 1996. www.johnstongreendays.org.

June 20 — Family Camp Out. The annual Family Campout is a staycation for families that will show the kids how the great outdoors is better than basement video games. Join the community for crafts, activities, movies and camp food at Pleasant Hill Park starting at 3 p.m. Checkout is 10 a.m. on Sunday. www.pleasanthillrec.com.

June 26-28 — Des Moines Arts Festival. One of the metro’s biggest festivals, the Des Moines Arts Festival is a showcase of visual the arts: live music, film, performing arts and even interactive art-related activities. This year’s music lineup includes headliners are Eddie Money and Mat Kearney. www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.

June 27-28 — ArtFest Midwest. Fondly nicknamed “The Other Art Show,” ArtFest Midwest brings in Iowa and regional artists for a weekend of fine art in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. More than 240 artists are set to participate in the 13th annual juried event. www.stookeyshows.com.

July 8-12 — Dallas County Fair. It seems like it doesn’t get more “country” than a good ole county fair. Camping, livestock and figure 8 racing are just a few aspects that make the Dallas County Fair a classic summertime ritual here in Iowa. www.dallascountyfair.com.

July 8-9 — The Iowa Shakespeare Experience. The Iowa Shakespeare Experience brings an eclectic lineup of live entertainment this year, including “Shakespeare’s Best Bets” and selections from “Opera, Poetry and Ballet.” The event features America’s inaugural sneak peak at “Americas3,” a new national touring musical show based in Iowa and performed by professional actors and musical and dance artist from Iowa. Picnics start at 6 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m. Free, but guests must register for tickets at Midwestix.com. www.iowashakespeare.org

July 9-12 — Ankeny SummerFest. This annual community event is one the whole family can enjoy together. Vendors, parade, softball, a talent show and a Miss 16 Contest are all part of the fun at Ankeny SummerFest, held outdoors at Prairie Ridge Middle School. www.ankenysummerfest.org.

July 11 — Adventure Days Festival. Visit the Blank Park Zoo for different activities suitable for all ages. Swing by the arts and crafts marketplace and then grab a lawn chair to enjoy the live entertainment at the zoo, located at 7401 S.W. Ninth St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free for Zoo Members. www.blankparkzoo.com/.

July 16-18 — Clive Festival. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Clive Festival, and its organizers have set out to make sure it’s one for the books. This year’s schedule includes food tents, inflatables, live bands such as Bonne Finken and the Collective and Flipside, and a giant Slip ‘n Slide, among others. www.clivefestival.com.

July 17-23 — Jasper County Fair. The theme for this year’s fair is “Blue Jeans and County Fair Dreams,” which seems just about as fitting as it gets for such an event. Visitors can participate in kid rodeos, scrapbooking events and various contests. www.jaspercofair.com.

July 22-27 — Polk County Fair. Held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, the Polk County Fair is more agriculture than food-celebrating party. Livestock judging, games, and live shows are just a few things to experience at this county fair. www.polkcountyfairiowa.com.

July 22-27 — Warren County Fair. For more than 150 years, the Warren County Fair has brought old-fashioned farm fun to Indianola with its county fair. Aside from all the agricultural events and shows, the grandstand has a full schedule of entertainment lined up, including a rodeo by Wright Rodeo Company and a concert by Susie McEntire with Jackie Schmillen as the MC. www.warrencofair.com.

July 24 – Aug. 1 — National Balloon Classic. Enjoy nine days full of live music, kids activities, food, fireworks and a spectacular showing of hot air balloons from around the country at the National Balloon Classic Launch Field on 1601 N. Jefferson Way in Indianola. Admission varies. www.nationalballoonclassic.com.

July 24-25 — Italian American Heritage Festival. The Italian roots of Des Moines are celebrated annually with authentic food, dancing, music and more at the Italian American Heritage Festival. This year it will be headlined by former lead vocalist of Journey, Steve Augeri. www.italianfestivalofiowa.com.

July 24-26 — 48-Hour Film Project. Filmmakers from the Des Moines area will try to make the best short film in only 48 hours, and the winning film will go up against other films from around the world for the coveted title of “Best 48 Hour Film of 2015.” www.48hourfilm.com/en/desmoines/.

July 25-29 — Story County Fair. Future Farmers of America and 4H students will fill the fairgrounds at this annual agricultural fair, which showcases everything from flowers to animals. www.sc-fair.com.

Aug. 8 — Adel Sweet Corn Festival. There’s nothing like sweet corn to bring Iowans together. The annual parade garners hundreds of spectators, but the 5K, food vendors, live music and free sweet corn are the real winners.

Aug. 13-23 — Iowa State Fair. Iowa’s biggest celebration is 10 days of games, entertainment, drinking and food — lots and lots of food. It also has agricultural, craft and industrial offerings, but the best part might just be the people watching. www.iowastatefair.org.

 

GET PHYSICAL / STAY FIT

Participatory competitions, games and sports

May – September 26 — Yoga in the Park. Beginners and experts alike can come out for community yoga every Saturday morning at The Band Shell on 410 W. First St. in Ankeny from 8-9 p.m. 250-8743.

May – June 24 — Yoga at The Hub Spot. Local yoga instructors will teach sessions during lunch every Wednesday for a relaxing break in the day at the Hub Spot on 215 Water St. from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. http://www.dmgov.org/Departments/Parks/Pages/Yoga.aspx?Tab=Yoga+at+the+Hub+Spot

May 29 — Bark in the Park. Bring your dog and get a workout using agility equipment while you learn new tips for treating your pet. Followed by a showing of “Cats and Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore” at Riverwalk Dog Park on 1111 Illinois St. from 7-10 p.m. 248-6330.

May 30 — Dam to Dam, Iowa’s Distance Classic. Now in its 36th year, the Dam to Dam draws in thousands of people to downtown Des Moines for short- and long-distance races and youth runs. The half-marathon goes from Saylorville Dam to downtown Des Moines. www.damtodam.com.

May 30 — Helmet Hair Happy Day. 515 Brewing Co. is offering happy hour all day in honor of Bike Month. Visitors who bike in and show bartenders their helmet will get $1 off all full beer pours from noon to 11 p.m. www.515brewing.com/events.html.

May – Sept. 7 — Indianola Trail Ride. Dust off the old bicycle to hit the Summerset Trail every Monday this summer. Riders determine how long they ride, going as far as Banner Lake or all the way to Carlisle and back. Starts at 6 p.m. http://www.indianolaiowa.gov.

June 1 — Stand Up Paddleboarding Clinic. Learning to Stand Up Paddleboard is something the whole family can enjoy this summer. A Warren County Conservation naturalist will provide the instruction and equipment at Annett Nature Center on 15565 118th Ave. in Indianola at 3 p.m. Call 961-6169 to register. Registration ends May 31.

June 4 — GET LIT! Sunset to Moonlight Bike Rides. Help raise money for the Waukee Trailhead Project by biking round trip from Mickey’s Waukee to Captain’s Quarters in Adel. Check in at Mickey’s between 5:30-6:30 p.m. and leave by 7 p.m. for the sunset, then depart Adel by 9 p.m. for the moonlight portion. 987-9604. Free-will donations.

June 6 — Central Iowa Tour de Cure. Join the fight to end diabetes and raise funds for the American Diabetes Association at the 2015 Central Iowa Tour de Cure with 25-, 50- and 75-mile rides. www.raccoonrivervalleytrail.org/trail-events.

June 10-14 — Iowa Senior Games. You don’t have to be athletic to participate in all of these events. This annual event has seniors participating in anything from pickleball and shuffleboard to duplicate bridge and football throws, and everything in between. www.iowaseniorgames.org.

June 13 — Clive Running Festival. Join the fun for several different races including a 5K, 10K and one-mile run at the Clive Aquatic Center on 1801 N.W. 114th St. starting at 8 a.m. Admission rates vary.

June 13-14 — Tour the Raccoon. The seventh annual bicycle ride will run from the Des Moines metro area (official starting point in Waukee) to the overnight destination in Jefferson with the Bell Tower Festival. Riders will experience 14 communities on the Raccoon River Valley Trail during the weekend ride. www.DMCycleClub.com.

June 20 — BACooN Ride. Back for its second year, the BACooN Ride puts bacon and biking together to make one fun, memorable ride on a 71-mile stretch of Raccoon River Valley Trail, looping from Waukee through Redfield, Panora, Jamaica, Perry and back to Waukee. Starts at 7 a.m. Admission is $50 and up. http://bacoonride.com.

June 20 — Mud Run. The Mile Mud Run takes place in the heart of Des Moines on a trail carved through a grassy and wooded stretch along the Des Moines River. Racers ages 6 and older can take part in the obstacle course — complete with mud pits — at James W. Cownie Soccer Park on 2600 E. Hartford. www.iowagames.org/Events/mudrun.

June 20 — Biking Bondu. The 8th annual Biking Bondu, hosted by the Bondurant Lions Club, offers two route options: 39- and 57-mile trail and road ride, plus a 5k run/walk. Events are run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting at the Bondurant Fire Station. www.bikeiowa.com.

July 11 — Sleepy Hollow Beer Run. This is a 5K race unlike any other. Participants will navigate their way from one beer-themed game to the next. They will stop at each of the 20 beer stations to complete a game or obstacle and sample the brew before moving on. Games and obstacles include a fog maze, barrel of monkeys, beer cooler, beer pong “on steroids” and more. Anyone can participate in the race, but you must be 21 or older to sample the beer. An after party will follow the race, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. 1-4 p.m., Sleepy Hollow Sports Park. www.eventbrite.com/e/sleepy-hollow-beer-run-registration-15471087439.

July 17 — Derby Day. Participants can test out their engineering skills and design a boat made of cardboard, recyclables and duct tape to race across the pool at the Pleasant Hill Aquatic Park. https://apm.activecommunities.com/pleasanthillrecreation/activity_search/derby-day/17421?.

Aug. 22 — The Color Vibe. Whether you love or hate running, the Color Vibe 5K run offers a fun-filled day that anyone would love — as long as you don’t mind a little mess. A color-throw party follows the race, held at Principal Park. www.thecolorvibe.com.

 

GO TEAM!

Spectator sporting events

June 2-7 — Principal Charity Classic. The best way to watch golf is up close, and the annual Principal Charity Classic is the perfect way to get the family together to watch a great week of golfing. Pro golfers come out for the event every year, and this year’s lineup includes Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Tom Lehman, Fuzzy Zoeller and Jesper Parnevik. The Wakonda Club is a beautiful 72-par course, and the Principal Charity Classic is considered a premier tour stop for these pros. The Classic is also a great way to raise money for local nonprofits benefitting kids, with more than $6 million being donated to Fore Our Kids in recent years. www.principalcharityclassic.com.

June 27 — Combat Championship Series. Trinity Promotions is bringing in some of the best area boxers and the future stars of kickboxing to Des Moines with the Combat Championship Series at 7 p.m. at 7 Flags Event Center. The evening involves six bouts of boxing and six bouts of kickboxing, promised to be a “full-contact, high-intensity, all striking extravaganza.” Tickets are $15-$35 or $300 per table of eight. Limited number available.

July 18 — Polo on the Green. One of Des Moines’ more unique events, Polo on the Green is a fun celebration that includes a polo match, dancing, face painting, live music, dinner and an auction. This event is fun for the whole family and an experience everyone will remember for years to come. www.varietyiowa.com.

 

Fun at the zoo

The Blank Park Zoo has probably never heard the word “boring.” With so many events throughout the summer, for both kids and adults, the zoo makes sure everyone is entertained — and educated. Find more information about these and other events at www.blankparkzoo.com.

 

May 28 – Sept. 3 — Walking Club Kickoff. Blank Park Zoo gives “walk on the wild side” a whole new meaning with its walking club, free for zoo members looking to have fun while staying active. Members come in early at 8 a.m. on Thursday mornings to walk through the zoo before the crowds come in.

June 3 – Aug. 26 — Zoo Brew. Every Wednesday, the 21-and-older crowd can enjoy live music, theme nights and brews from 5:30-9 p.m. for the price of regular admission (free for members). Some themes include Around the World, Christmas in July and Throwback Night.

June 19 — Zoobilation. Blank Park Zoo’s 2015 Annual Gala features live music from Mariachi Azteca, food and drinks by Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, and animals from around the world, which is the theme, starting at 5:30 p.m. An auction will take place throughout the evening.

July 11 — Adventure Days Festival. This year’s Adventure Days consists of live entertainment, an arts and crafts marketplace and tons of family-friendly activities suitable for guests of all ages.

 

Events at Living History Farms
From its annual Independence Day celebration to its 1800s-style baseball games, Living History Farms allows visitors to have fun while they learn about our country’s history.

From its annual Independence Day celebration to its 1800s-style baseball games, Living History Farms allows visitors to have fun while they learn about our country’s history.

As the name suggests, Living History Farms brings the history of both Iowa and America to life for kids, teens and adults with a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the year.

May 28-30 — Big as a Barn Sale. The 24th annual sale is open to the public and has a variety of treasures waiting to be purchased. Find housewares, collectibles, furniture, home accessories, children’s clothes, tools, books and so much more. A bake sale offers various baked goods provided by the Living History Farms Guild.

June 6 — Fido on the Farms. All well-behaved pets are welcome to visit Living History Farms for a morning tour of the museum, activities on Walnut Hill and demonstrations for dogs and their people from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dogs must be on leashes and remain outside the buildings and away from livestock.

June 8 – Aug. 9 — Hands-On Fun. Explore how Iowans made houses into homes and homes into communities with this hands-on summer adventure. Guests will try historic building techniques, decorating, cooking and other household tasks that were used to turn Iowa’s houses into homes. Activities take place from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. daily and vary day to day.

June 13 — 45th Anniversary Reunion. Celebrate Living History Farms’ anniversary with some of the best hands-on activities from the last 45 years. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 27 — Medicine Show. The Living History Farms Volunteer Dramatic group presents two performances (11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.) of Professor Savage’s Traveling Medicine Show. Actors dress in period clothing, presenting 19th century vaudeville skits, short acts from plays, humorous poems and songs.

July 11 — Flynn Barn Dance. Get ready for an old-fashioned good time as the entire family dances to live music from the Barn Owl Band. Refreshments included. $15 for adults, $5 for children.

July 13-17 — John Deere Blacksmith. A presentation by the John Deere Blacksmith visiting from the John Deere Historic Site in Dixon, Illinois, carries on the tradition of the trade that was practiced by John Deere’s founder almost 200 years ago.

July 18 — Ioway Culture Day. Some of Iowa’s first farmers were the people of the Ioway nation. This event explores the language, tools and foods of the Native American culture that gave Iowa its name. Hands-on activities, games and guest presentations will also be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 25 — Circuit Court Day. See the law in action as actors play lawyers, witnesses, judge and court clerks to present real court cases from the 1870s Iowa courts. Guests will act as the jury and find out if their verdicts match those of the 19th century predecessors.

Aug. 1 — Grain Harvest. Learn about the methods used to harvest wheat and oats from 1850 to the present, from hand power to horsepower. Visitors will help bring in the harvest and see demonstrations.

Aug. 15 — Harvest Wagon Rides. Bring a blanket to enjoy an evening ride in an open wagon pulled by horses. The ride goes through the fields and country roads of Living History Farms. Refreshments will be served as visitors relax and watch the sunset after the ride.

 

On the market: area farmers markets

Adel — Tuesdays, 4-7 p.m., June through August, at Harvey’s Greenhouse, 611 Nile Kinnick Drive South, off Highway 169.

Altoona — Fridays, 4-7 p.m., June through September, at Haines Park, Sixth Street Place S.E.

Ames — Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., now through September, on Main Street.

Ankeny — Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, now through Sept. 26, at the corner of S.W. Third and Maple Streets.

Beaverdale — Tuesdays, 4:30-7:30 p.m., June 2 through Sept. 15, at 3422 Beaver Ave.

Dallas Center — Fridays, 4-7 p.m., June through September, at 1502 Walnut St.

Des Moines Southridge Mall — Mondays, 3-7 p.m., June through October, in the north parking lot of Sears, 1111 E. Army Post Road.

Downtown Des Moines — Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon, now through Oct. 31, at the Court Avenue District.

Indianola — Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, and Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m., June through October, at West Second Street.

Johnston — Tuesdays, 3:30-6:30 p.m., now through September, at Johnston City Hall, 62nd Avenue.

Pleasant Hill — Thursdays, 4-7 p.m., now through October, at Berean Assembly of God Church, 56th Street and Highway 163.

Urbandale — Mondays, 4-7 p.m., June through October, at Living History Farms, 2600 111th St.

Waukee — Wednesdays, 4-7 p.m., June through September, at Triangle Park.

Valley Junction — Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., now through October, on the 100 and 200 blocks of Fifth Street.

 

BASEBALL
The Iowa Cubs games offer specials, fireworks and various theme nights for their home games at Principal Park throughout the season.

The Iowa Cubs games offer specials, fireworks and various theme nights for their home games at Principal Park throughout the season.

Iowa Cubs

Principal Park

www.IowaCubs.com

All games are at 7:08 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Friday night games end with fireworks. Tickets are available for purchase at www.milb.com or at the door.

May 22-23 — vs. Tacoma

May 24 — vs. Tacoma (1:08 p.m.)

May 25 — vs. Reno (1:08 p.m.)

May 26-27 — vs. Reno (6:38 p.m.)

May 28 — vs. Reno (12:08 p.m.)

June 6, 8 — vs. Memphis

June 7 — vs. Memphis (1:08 p.m.)

June 9 — vs. Memphis (12:08 p.m.)

June 11-13 — vs. Colorado Springs

June 14 — vs. Colorado Springs (1:08 p.m.)

June 23, 25 — vs. Omaha

June 24 — vs. Omaha (12:08 p.m.)

June 26-27 — vs. New Orleans

June 28 — vs. New Orleans (1:08 p.m.)

June 29 — vs. New Orleans (12:08 p.m.)

June 30-July 3 — vs. Round Rock

July 16-18 — vs. Memphis

July 19 — vs. Memphis (1:08 p.m.)

July 20-22 — vs. Round Rock

July 23 — vs. Round Rock (12:08 p.m.)

Aug. 5-8 — vs. Omaha

Aug. 9 — vs. Omaha (1:08 p.m.)

Aug. 11-14 — vs. Nashville

 

FOOTBALL

Des Moines Blaze

www.desmoinesblaze.com

All games start at 6 p.m.

May 30 — vs. Racine Raiders — Spring Creek Sports Complex

June 20 — vs. Lincoln Renegades — Valley Stadium

June 27 — vs. Sioux City Stampede — Spring Creek Sports Complex

July 18 — vs. Quad City Wolfpack — Spring Creek Sports Complex CV

 

 

 

 

 

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*