⚽ World Cup Knockout Rounds Are Here — And DSM Is Watching The 2026 FIFA World Cup has entered the knockout stage, with the round of 16 now underway. Big Grove Brewery at 555 17th Street has been the metro's unofficial World Cup headquarters all tournament, with giant LED screens, street parties, and watch parties in their Crescent Room. The Royal Mile on 4th Street is also showing every single game. If the USA advances further this week, expect things to get loud downtown. Why it matters: The World Cup is only here every four years, and Des Moines is showing up for it. Whether you're a lifelong soccer fan or just here for the atmosphere, this is one of those "you had to be there" moments.

🏗️ East Village Market District Expansion Gets Council Approval The Des Moines City Council voted to approve amended plans for the Capital City Reinvestment District, expanding its boundary approximately 50 acres south of East Village into the Market District. The updated plan includes mixed-use development with retail, office, hospitality, and housing — a significant addition to one of downtown's most active corridors. Why it matters: More investment flowing into the Market District means more dining, more housing, and more reasons to spend time downtown in the years ahead.

☕ Grounded Filipino Coffee Shop Opens This Month in East Village The seven-sibling family behind Grounded has confirmed a mid-July opening for their Filipino-inspired coffee shop in East Village. This week they posted a preview of their full menu — ube lattes, pandan cold brew, calamansi lemonade, and traditional Filipino pastries alongside their espresso lineup. The design has a clean, airy feel with family photos on the walls. Why it matters: East Village keeps getting more interesting, and Grounded is exactly the kind of locally-owned, story-rich business that makes a neighborhood feel alive.

🌳 Birdland Park Construction Reaches Visible Phase For the first time, Birdland Park's $54 million redevelopment is becoming visible above ground. The first structural elements of the new recreational facilities are going up this week, giving neighbors a real sense of what's coming. The all-season skate ribbon remains on track for a late 2027 debut. Why it matters: After months of underground work, seeing the structure rise makes this feel real. Birdland is going to be something special for the north side.

🏢 West Des Moines Releases New 10-Year Economic Development Plan West Des Moines has wrapped up its first major economic development strategic plan since 2017, developed by consulting firm Newmark for $220,000. The plan pivots away from traditional finance and insurance (due to AI disruption concerns) and toward ag tech, cold storage facilities, and specialty food manufacturing as the city's next growth industries. Why it matters: West Des Moines is thinking ahead rather than just riding existing momentum — and the industries they're targeting are genuinely well-suited to Central Iowa's strengths.

🏠 Lutheran Services Iowa Takes Over Evelyn K. Davis Center Lutheran Services in Iowa has signed the operating agreement to take over leadership of the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families in Des Moines. The center has provided workforce development, financial empowerment, and family support services to Central Iowa residents since 2012 and will continue operating under LSI's management. Why it matters: Continuity at a center this important matters enormously to the families who depend on it. The transition looks smooth and the mission is intact.

💙 Small Businesses Across Dallas County Get a Boost The Greater Dallas County Development Alliance awarded $20,000 in grants to four small businesses through its 2026 Small Business Grant Fund — supporting innovation, growth, and community impact in the communities just west of Des Moines. Why it matters: Small business grants like these compound over time. The businesses that receive them today often become the anchors of their neighborhoods a decade from now.

💙 Bottom line: Between the World Cup energy downtown, major development approvals, and a wave of small business momentum, Des Moines heading into mid-summer feels like a city that's fully in stride.

📖 Set a "Reading Minutes" Goal, Not a Pages Goal: Pages vary wildly in difficulty. Asking a kid to read for 20 minutes a day is more consistent and less frustrating than "read 10 pages." It also builds the habit of sitting with a book, which matters more than the page count.

🧮 Connect Summer Experiences to Learning: Your kid just went to Ankeny SummerFest? That's fractions (splitting funnel cake), estimation (how many people in this crowd?), and persuasive writing (why this was the best day of summer). Make the connection out loud — it sticks.

🎯 The Sunday Reset: Help your child spend 10 minutes on Sunday evening reviewing what they learned or read that week. A brief weekly recap dramatically improves long-term retention and gives kids a sense of progress.

🖊️ Write Letters to People They Miss: Grandparents, friends from school, a camp counselor. Letter writing is one of the best literacy exercises there is — and kids actually feel motivated to do it because there's a real audience on the other end.

🌟 Reward Curiosity, Not Just Completion: If your child asks a good question — "Why does the sky change color at sunset?" — make a bigger deal of that than finishing an assignment. Curiosity is the engine. Everything else is fuel.

Need more than homework help? Camp Homework is here to support confidence, focus, and stronger learning habits every step of the way.

🎸 Journey: Final Frontier Tour
📍 Casey's Center, 730 3rd St., Des Moines
🗓️ Tuesday, July 7 · Doors 6 PM · Show 7:30 PM

This is it. Journey's Final Frontier farewell tour finally arrives in Des Moines after being rescheduled from April (the original date was postponed due to illness in the band's camp). Tickets from the April date are honored. Arnel Pineda, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Steve Smith take the Casey's Center stage for what the band says is their last major touring run. "Don't Stop Believin'," "Any Way You Want It," "Faithfully," "Separate Ways" — the whole catalog, live, one final time. If you have tickets, Tuesday is going to be a night. If you don't, the secondary market has options, though prices reflect the demand.

🌽 FARMERS MARKETS AROUND THE METRO

🌟 SMALL & LOCAL FAVORITES

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Thanks for starting the week with us, Des Moines. See you Thursday! 🌱

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