🌱 Des Moines Digest
Issue #60| Thursday, October 8th, 2026
Good morning, neighbors! 🌧️
This week we've got glowing pumpkins, a statewide road-trip-for-apples situation, a very big comedy night, and a few Halloween warm-ups for the kids. Plus a poll, a few easy ideas for the weekend, and dinner table questions for the week.
Let's get into it.
🌤️ Weekend Weather Outlook
Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 70°F | 73°F | 80°F | 80°F |
Conditions | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 🌤️ Sun and clouds | ☀️ Sunny, breezy, very warm | ☀️ Mostly sunny, very warm |
The week in one line: A comfy start, then a warm, sunny weekend. Leave the heavy jacket home, but maybe bring a light layer for the evening.
Now this week's very important question:
What is the official snack of an Iowa fall weekend?
🆓 Free Things to Do in Des Moines (Yes, Really Free)
Some of the best stops in Des Moines don't cost a dime, and with a warm, sunny weekend coming, it's a great time to try a few.
🥕 Downtown Farmers' Market: Twelve blocks of Saturday-morning fun, 8 a.m. to noon through October 31. Browsing is always free.
🎨 Pappajohn Sculpture Park: Free public art downtown, open sunrise to midnight.
🏛️ Des Moines Art Center: Always free to enter, with changing exhibitions and standout architecture.
🌳 Gray's Lake Park: A 2.1-mile loop with skyline views, perfect for a walk or bike ride.
Free Saturday idea: Start at the market, stroll the sculpture park, then spend the afternoon at the Art Center.
👉 See the full guide here for parks, museums, libraries, and more. Hours can change, so check each link before you go.
🎈 Weekend Plans That Cost Almost Nothing But End Up Being The Most Fun
Ask a kid about their favorite memory, and it's rarely the thing you paid for. It's the silly detour, the inside joke, the night everyone stayed up too late. With 80 degrees on the way, this weekend is practically begging for a few of those.
🍂 The Great Leaf Hunt
Give everyone a paper bag and a mission: find the reddest leaf, the biggest leaf, and the weirdest leaf. Lay them out on the porch at the end and crown the winners. Bonus points for anyone who finds one that looks like a state.
🌅 Golden Hour Wander
Pick a direction and walk or bike toward the sunset. Don't plan a destination. Just stop whenever someone spots something interesting, like a friendly dog or a good tree.
🍽️ Dinner Goes Outside
Take whatever's for dinner and eat it on a blanket in the yard. Somehow it always tastes better with grass underfoot and the sky overhead.
🎃 Pumpkin Faces, No Carving Required
Grab markers, stickers, or leftover craft supplies and give your pumpkin a personality. Name it. Give it a backstory. Let it guard the front steps.
🎬 Backyard Movie Night
Hang a sheet, grab a projector or laptop if you've got one, and pop some popcorn. Blankets, flashlights, and one seriously dramatic movie introduction from the youngest person in the house.
🍎 The Farmers Market Taste Test
Wander the Saturday market and pick out one new thing to try, whether that's a weird apple, a funny-looking squash, or a snack nobody's heard of. Rate it on a scale of one to ten at the dinner table.
✨ If everyone is smiling but nobody knows exactly what the plan is, you're probably doing the weekend right. ❤️
🌿 Family Connection Corner | Sponsored by Camp Homework
Dinner's one of the few times the whole family lands in the same room — here's a question to open things up each night this week.
Day | Question |
|---|---|
Thursday | What's your favorite thing about fall, and what's one fall thing you've never tried but want to? |
Friday | If you could design the world's greatest pumpkin, what would it look like? |
Saturday | What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to our family on a car ride? |
Sunday | If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would you invite and what would you ask them? |
Monday | What's something you did recently that you're proud of, even if nobody noticed? |
Tuesday | If you could teach the whole family one thing you know how to do, what would it be? |
Wednesday | What's one thing about our home or neighborhood you'd never want to change? |
These questions are a great way to kick off dinner. And if you've got a student in the house, they're a good reminder that learning doesn't stop when school does. Camp Homework supports K–12 students all year long, whether they need a little extra help keeping up or just want to stay sharp and ahead of the curve. Worth a look at camphomework.com.
Real talk: the last few weeks of school matter. If your child is struggling, Camp Homework connects K–12 students with real human tutors — not AI — starting at just $150/month. Affordable, personal, and actually effective. Don't wait until summer to course-correct. camphomework.com →
🎟️ EVENT SHOWCASE
🎃 PUMPKINS AFTER DARK LIGHTS UP WATER WORKS PARK
When: October 9–31, evenings (7–10 PM)
Where: Lauridsen Amphitheater, Water Works Park
Tickets: Time-slotted entry, so book ahead online. Parking is $8.
Imagine a walk-through of thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns glowing in the dark. It's a Halloween tradition that opens this Friday, and it's built for the whole family.
It's all about the wow, not the fright. There are no jump scares, so little ones can enjoy it too. Look for live pumpkin-carving demos, seasonal treats, and photo spots around every corner.
Our tip: pick a time slot early in the evening so the kids still have energy. Then take your time, because the best pumpkins deserve a second look.
UPCOMING EVENTS
🎯 BIG EVENTS OF THE WEEK
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Sun, Oct 11 · 7 PM | Des Moines Civic Center | Ticketed | |
🏃 IMT Des Moines Marathon Weekend (25th year!) | Sun, Oct 18 · 8 AM | Downtown Des Moines | Runner registration; see site |
🦖 Night Eyes (opens Oct 15) | Oct 15–18 & 22–25 · 5:30–9 PM | Blank Park Zoo | Ticketed |
💛 Small & Local Favorites
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Sat, Oct 10 · 8 AM–noon | Downtown Des Moines | Free to browse | |
October 9 @ 10:30 am - 11:00 am | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden | Included with General Admission | |
October 9 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Performing Arts Theatre | Free | |
October 9 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Blank Park Zoo | Tickets required | |
October 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Temple Theater | $39 – $52 | |
October 9 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm | Stoner Theater | $50 | |
October 9 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm | Hoyt Sherman Place | $54.50 – $79.50 | |
October 10 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm | Franklin Events Center | Free | |
October 10 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Iowa Gold Star Military Museum | Free | |
October 10 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | West Des Moines Historical Society | $25 | |
October 10 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm | Living History Farms | General Admission | |
October 10 @ 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm | Holiday Inn Northwest | Fee: $50/per child | |
October 10 @ 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Woodland Cemetery 2019 | $5 | |
October 10 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm | Des Moines Art Center | Free | |
Oct 9–11 · evenings | Reiman Gardens, Ames | Tickets required |
Thank you so much for reading — we hope you found something fun, helpful, and inspiring in today's edition! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with your friends and family so they can be part of the fun too. The more the merrier! We'll see you back here on Monday for our next edition. Have a wonderful weekend, Des Moines! 🎉
— Alex | Des Moines Digest
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