Winter Arts & Entertainment Guide

1/4/2023

The sun may set earlier, but the fun is just getting started. If the snow and sleet make you want to curl up in a quilt until springtime, don’t worry: CITYVIEW’s annual quest to quell hibernation is underway. Flip through the following pages and find hundreds of reasons to venture outside this winter: from live music and theatre, to sports games and art shows, and everything in between. And don’t you dare use this magazine as kindling! Tuck it away somewhere safe. It’ll come in handy — promise.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We strive for accuracy in these listings, but event details are subject to change. While many events are free, be sure to check event websites for any ticket and registration requirements before attending.

Art: Ongoing and upcoming exhibits at local art hubs

ANDERSON GALLERY

• Harmon Fine Arts Center, 1310 25th St., Des Moines | andersongallery.wp.drake.edu
• Through Feb. 17: “A Thin But Powerful Difference: Race | Embodiment”

ANKENY ART CENTER

• 1520 S.W. Ordnance Road, Ankeny | ankenyartcenter.org
• Through Jan. 17: Members Show

DES MOINES ART CENTER

• 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines | desmoinesartcenter.org 
• Through Jan. 15: “The Sum of It” by Alison Elizabeth Taylor
• Through Jan. 15: “Iowa Artists 2022” by Miriam Alarcón Avila
• Through April 16: “Postcards,” recent photography acquisitions
• Feb. 10 – May 7: “75 Years of Iowa Art”
• Opening April 21: “Rembrandt and His World”
• Opening April 21: “Before Modern Art”

MAINFRAME STUDIOS

• 900 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines | mainframestudios.org 
• Jan. 6: “Keep it Mellow” First Friday open house, 5-8 p.m.
• Feb. 3: “Celebrate Center” First Friday open house, 5-8 p.m. Celebrates the historically Black neighborhood of Center Street with live music, art exhibitions and more.

Theatre & dance: Featuring world-class performers and up-and-coming stars

ACTORS, INC. – AMES COMMUNITY THEATER

• 120 Abraham Drive, Ames | actorsinc.org
• Jan. 26-28, Feb. 3-5: “The Importance of Being Earnest”
• March 23-25, March 31, April 1-2: “Always a Bridesmaid”

ANKENY COMMUNITY THEATRE

• 1932 S.W. Third St., Ankeny | ankenycommunitytheatre.com
• Jan. 20-29: “Exit Laughing”
• April 14-23: “Marjorie Prime”

BALLET DES MOINES

• Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines | balletdesmoines.org
• Feb. 24-25: “Balanchine+”
• April 27-29: “She”

CAROUSEL THEATRE OF INDIANOLA

• 117 E. Salem Ave., Indianola | carouseltheatre.org
• March 10-12, 17-19: “Rumors”

CLASS ACT PRODUCTIONS

• 201 First Ave. S., Altoona | captheatre.org
• Feb. 17-19, Feb. 24-26, March 3-5: “Singin’ in the Rain JR.”

DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS

• Des Moines Civic Center, Stoner Theater, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines | dmpa.org 
• Jan. 3-8: “Cats”
• Feb. 7-19: “Six”
• Feb. 18: “In the Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson”
• Feb. 24: Gibney Company dancers
• Feb. 25: “The Simon & Garfunkel Story”
• March 14-19: “1776”
• March 30 – April 16: Disney’s “The Lion King”
• March 31 – April 9: “Trouble in Mind” by Iowa Stage Theatre Company; iowastage.org
• April 1: “Ugly Duckling”
• May 4: Ronald K Brown’s Evidence dance company

DES MOINES PLAYHOUSE

• 831 42nd St., Des Moines | dmplayhouse.com 
• Jan. 6-22: “Go, Dog. Go!”
• Feb. 3-19: “The Piano Lesson” with Pyramid Theatre Company
• Feb. 24 – March 12: “The Hundred Dresses”
• March 17 – April 2: “Kinky Boots”

DMACC ANKENY THEATRE

• Black Box Theatre, Building 5, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny | dmacc.edu/theatre/ankeny
• Feb. 24-26, March 2-5: “No Exit”
• March 31, April 1-2, 5-7: *Title TBD*

DRAKE UNIVERSITY

• Harmon Fine Arts Center, 1310 25th St., 
• Des Moines | drake.edu/theatre
• March 30 – April 2: “The Bacchae”
• April 27-30: “The Theory of Relativity”

SIMPSON COLLEGE

• 513 N. D St., Indianola | simpson.edu/academics/departments/department-theatre-arts
• Feb. 17-19: “Cabildo” and “Cendrillon”
• March 24-26: “Twilight Bowl”
• April 20-22: “Festival of Short Plays 2023: Commedia dell ‘arte and Molière”

STEPHENS AUDITORIUM

• 1900 Center Drive, Ames | center.iastate.edu/events
• Jan. 15: “On Your Feet”
• Feb. 3: “Hairspray”
• Feb. 3-4: “Barjché 23: Piece of Mind” by Orchesis I Dance Company at Fisher Theater
• Feb. 13: “My Fair Lady”
• March 30 – April 2: “She Kills Monsters” at Fisher Theater
• April 8: “Snow White” by the School of Classical Ballet & Dance; myscbd.com
• April 17: “Annie”

TALLGRASS THEATRE COMPANY

• 2019 Grand Ave., Suite 100, West Des Moines | tallgrasstheatre.org
• Jan. 7: “Broadway Karaoke”
• Feb. 3-19: “God of Carnage”
• April 21 – May 7: “Wonder of the Word”

Live music: Check websites often as concerts are added daily.

DES MOINES SYMPHONY

• Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines | dmsymphony.org
• Jan. 27-28: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert”
• Feb. 4-5: “Mahler 5”
• March 11-12: “St. Clair Conducts Tchaikovsky”
• April 22-23: “April in Paris”

HOYT SHERMAN PLACE

• 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines | hoytsherman.org
• Jan. 21: Dionne Warwick
• Feb. 13: Bruce Cockburn
• March 2: Three Dog Night
• March 11: The Black Jacket Symphony presents Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors”
• March 20: Amy Grant
• March 24: Chapel Hart
• March 25: Niko Moon
• April 15: Gross Domestic Product music festival
• April 22: HITS! The Musical
• April 24: Chris Botti
• April 29: Steven Curtis Chapman

TEMPLE THEATER

• 1011 Locust St., Des Moines | dmpa.org
• Jan. 13: Somi Kakoma
• Feb. 26: Larry McCray
• March 15: Tuba Skinny
• March 23: Shayna Steele
• April 15: Gina Chavez
• April 28: Benny Benack III Quartet

WELLS FARGO ARENA

• 223 Center St., Des Moines | iowaeventscenter.com
• Feb. 10: Winter Jam 2023 headlined by We the Kingdom and Jeremy Camp
• March 28: Journey’s “Freedom” tour with Toto
• May 4: Thomas Rhett’s “Home Team” tour with Cole Swindell and Nate Smith

XBK LIVE

• 1159 24th St., Des Moines | xbklive.com
• Jan. 13: Danielle Nicole
• Jan. 19: The Astronomers
• Jan. 21: King Pari
• Jan. 25: DSM Soundcheck
• Jan. 28: King Bartlett & The Royal Band
• Feb. 4: Ax and the Hatchetmen
• Feb. 18: Dueling Fiddles
• March 12: Clem Snide
• March 15: MIKE
• April 28: Tenci with Annalibera

Events: Comedy, festivals, variety shows and some niche conventions

January

• Weekends through March 31: Dome After Dark on Friday evenings, educational lectures during Learn on Saturdays and, on Sunday afternoons, the Botanical Blues concert series, all at the Des Moines Botanical Garden; dmbotanicalgarden.com
• Jan. 6: Taylor (Swift) Fest at Wooly’s at 9 p.m.; firstfleetconcerts.com/woolys
• Jan. 6-8: Iowa Home Expo at the Jacobson Exhibition Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowahomeexpo.com
• Jan. 7-8: Iowa Diecast Toy Show at Elwell Family Food Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• Jan. 7-8: Iowa State Fair Flea Market at 4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• Jan. 8: Game Day from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Central Library; dmpl.org/events
• Jan. 13-14: Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo at Wells Fargo Arena; worldstoughestrodeo.com
• Jan. 14: Battle Zone Kickboxing at Elwell Family Food Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• Jan. 20: Kids Night Out at Blank Park Zoo; blankparkzoo.com 
• Jan. 20-21: Battle at the Barn XV Coke syrup racing at Jacobson Exhibition Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; battleatbarn.com
• Jan. 21: Collision of Rhythm, a tap dancing and beatboxing duo at 11 a.m. at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• Jan. 21: Fire & Ice, CITYVIEW’s legendary interactive winter pub crawl in Historic Valley Junction. 1-4 p.m. Tickets at fire-and-ice.dmcityview.com
• Jan. 22: Nate Bargatze in the “Be Funny” tour at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• Jan. 25: Make Your Own Herbal Tea Blend at Forest Avenue Library; dmpl.org/events
• Jan. 27-28: Indulge – A Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Affair at West End Architectural Salvage; facebook.com/IndulgeDSM
• Jan. 27-29: Za Ga Zig Shrine Circus at Jacobson Exhibition Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; zagazigshrine.org
• Jan. 31: Secret Life of Bears at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• Jan. 31 – Feb. 2: Iowa Ag Expo at Iowa Events Center; iowaagexpo.com
• Jan. 31 – Feb. 5: “Forbidden Broadway: The Next Generation” at Temple Theater; dmpa.org

February

• Feb. 1-28: Explore Visual Black History at Forest Avenue Library; dmpl.org/events
• Feb. 3-4: I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa, an African American Festival. Details TBA at worldiniowa.org
• Feb. 4: Hairball and The Pork Tornadoes at the Jacobson Exhibition Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• Feb. 4-5: Iowa State Fair Flea Market at 4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• Feb. 9: Drew Lynch stand-up comedy at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• Feb. 10: Mixology: Paleontology Party for adults 21 and older at the Science Center of Iowa; sciowa.org 
• Feb. 10-11: Winter Blues Fest at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott; cibs.org
• Feb. 10-11: Comedy XPeriment improv at the Stoner Theater; dmpa.org
• Feb. 10-12: Jurassic Quest for dino enthusiasts at Hy-Vee Hall; jurassicquest.com
• Feb. 11: The Greater Des Moines Heart Ball at Iowa Events Center; iowaeventscenter.com
• Feb. 17: Ancient Aliens Live: Project Earth at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• Feb. 23: Raise Your Paw Basket Party with the Animal Rescue League; arl-iowa.org/events 
• Feb. 23-26: Des Moines Home + Garden Show at Hy-Vee Hall; desmoineshomeandgardenshow.com
• Feb. 25: “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” concert-style theatre show at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• February, date TBA: CITYVIEW’s Chocolate Walk, featuring sample cocktails and chocolate dessert samples around West Glen Town Center; chocolatewalk.dmcityview.com

March

• March 3: Wine, Food & Beer Showcase supporting the Des Moines Metro Opera at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott; dmmo.org/wfbs
• March 3: Shane Gillis stand-up comedy at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• March 3-5: Iowa Deer Classic at Hy-Vee Hall; iowadeerclassic.com
• March 10-12: Iowa Spring Home Expo at the Jacobson Exhibition Center, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowahomeexpo.com
• March 10-12: All Iowa Auto Show at Hy-Vee Hall; alliowaautoshow.com
• March 17-18: Comedy XPeriment improv at the Stoner Theater; dmpa.org
• March 18: Bored Teachers “We Can’t Make This Stuff Up!” comedy tour at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• March 21: Improbable Ascent with paraclimber Maureen Beck at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• March 21: Harlem Globetrotters at Wells Fargo Arena; iowaeventscenter.com
• March 24: Mixology: Shocking Science for adults 21 and older at the Science Center of Iowa; sciowa.org 
• March 24-26: Capital City Card Convention at Iowa Events Center; theiowashow.com
• March 25: DSM Book Festival at Capital Square in downtown Des Moines; dsmpartnership.com/dsmbookfestival 
• March 29: “Once Upon this Stage” at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org

April

• April 1: Rickey Smiley and Friends present an “April Fools Comedy Show” at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• April 1-2: Iowa State Fair Flea Market at 4-H Exhibits Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds; iowastatefairgrounds.org
• April 14-16: Middle of the Map Tattoo Convention at Hy-Vee Hall; middleofthemaptattoo.com
• April 15-16: Monster Jam at Wells Fargo Arena; monsterjam.com
• April 18-23: “The Second City Swipes Right” at Temple Theater; dmpa.org
• April 21-22: Comedy XPeriment improv at the Stoner Theater; dmpa.org
• April 22: Raise Your Paw Auction, the Animal Rescue League’s largest annual event at Prairie Meadows; arl-iowa.org/events 
• April 28: Rob Schneider in the “I Have Issues” comedy tour at Hoyt Sherman Place; hoytsherman.org
• April 29: Air Play, a theatrical adventure utilizing comedy, circus and sculpture at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org
• April 30: Invisible Wonders with Nat Geo photographer Anand Varma at Des Moines Civic Center; dmpa.org

Sports: Home games for hockey, football, basketball and more

IOWA WILD

• Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines | iowawild.com
• Iowa’s professional ice hockey team is the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Scan the QR code to find this season’s remaining home games, from Jan. 7 through April 12.

DES MOINES BUCCANEERS

• Buccaneer Arena, Urbandale | bucshockey.com
• The Bucs are a member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the only Tier 1 Junior Hockey League in the country. Scan the QR code to find this season’s remaining home games, from Jan. 7 through April 22.

IOWA WOLVES

• Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines | iowa.gleague.nba.com
• Des Moines’ pro basketball team plays in the Western Conference of the NBA G League. Scan the QR code to find this season’s remaining home games, from Jan. 15 through March 25.

DRAKE BASKETBALL

• Knapp Center, Des Moines | godrakebulldogs.com
• The Drake University Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division-1 basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference. Scan the QR codes to find this season’s remaining home games.

IOWA STATE BASKETBALL

• Hilton Coliseum, Ames | cyclones.com
• The Cyclones basketball teams compete in the Big 12 Conference. The men are coached by T.J. Otzelberger and women by Bill Fennelly. Scan the QR codes to find this season’s remaining home games.

IHSAA & IGHSAU FINALS

• Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines | iahsaa.org & ighsau.org
• Watch the best of the best of Iowa’s high school athletes at these Des Moines-area Iowa high school championships and tournaments:
• Feb. 15-18: Boys state wrestling championships. NOTE: Girls state wrestling championships are Feb. 2-3 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville
• Feb. 27 – March 4: Girls state basketball tournament
• March 6-10: Boys state basketball tournament

DRAKE RELAYS

• Drake Stadium, Des Moines | godrakebulldogs.com
• Elite athletes, including Olympians, gather in Des Moines for the annual Drake Relays. The outdoor track and field event earned a Silver Level status on the World Athletics Continental Tour, only one of two U.S. competitions to do so. The 113th Drake Relays will be held April 26-29. ♦