🌱 Des Moines Digest
Issue #40| Thursday, August 6, 2026
A Week Full of Good Things, DSM
👋 Good morning, neighbors!
August is here — and Des Moines is absolutely not slowing down. One of the biggest weekends of the summer is right on our doorstep: NASCAR roars into Newton, the Adel Sweet Corn Festival serves up Iowa’s most beloved free tradition, and the Botanical Garden kicks off tonight with a beautiful Thursday evening concert. Oh, and Dierks Bentley is playing before the Cup Series race on Sunday. That’s not a bad way to spend a weekend.
The weather is cooperating too — after a stormy Wednesday, Thursday bounces back beautifully, and we’re looking at 86–90°F Saturday and Sunday with almost no chance of rain. Peak summer. Get out there and soak it up.
And if you’re already thinking ahead, the Iowa State Fair is just around the corner. We’ve created the Ultimate Iowa State Fair Guide, and over the next few issues we’ll be sharing our best tips, money-saving tricks, food recommendations, and insider advice to help you make the most of fair season. Trust us — you’ll want to bookmark this one.
☀️ THIS WEEK'S WEATHER OUTLOOK
Thu Aug 6 | Fri Aug 7 | Sat Aug 8 | Sun Aug 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 83°F | 85°F | 85°F | 85°F |
Conditions | ⛈️ Thunderstorms early, sunshine later • 95–100% rain | ☀️ Sunny • 5% rain | ☀️ Sunny • 3% rain | ☀️ Sunny • 3% rain |
🌤️✨Thursday starts stormy, but sunshine returns later in the day. Friday through Sunday bring classic Iowa summer weather—sunny skies, highs in the mid-80s, and almost no chance of rain, making it a fantastic weekend for festivals, farmers markets, racing, and time outdoors. ☀️🌽🏁
Now this week's very important question:
What's your must-have Iowa State Fair food? (Fair opens August 13 — one week away!)
🎡 The Complete Iowa State Fair Guide Is Here
Heading to the Fair this year? We've put together The Ultimate Guide to the Iowa State Fair 2026 — everything you need in one place, so you're not figuring it out in line at the gate.
What's inside:
🎟️ Ticket prices, discount days, and how to save $16+ with advance admission
📅 How to pick the best day (and which days/times to avoid the worst crowds)
🎤 Full Grandstand + free concert schedule, night by night
🍔 Where to eat, what's new in 2026, and how to skip the noon food-line rush
🎢 Rides, wristbands, and which pass actually saves you money
👨👩👧👦 Age-by-age plans for toddlers, kids, and teens
🌦️ Weather, safety, and lost-kid planning before you walk through the gate
Here's the thing: the Fair covers 445 acres and 11 days — showing up without a plan usually means more walking and less actually seeing. This guide turns that into a plan you can follow in one read.
👉 Read the full guide:
desmoinesdigest.com/guide/iowa-state-fair/
Stomachaches Before School? Here's When It's Normal — and When It's Not
A little back-to-school anxiety is completely normal. It usually means your child is taking the change seriously—not that something is wrong.
✅ Usually Normal
Asking the same question about their teacher over and over
Being a little quieter than usual
Wanting extra hugs or reassurance before school starts
🚩 Worth Paying Attention To
Stomachaches or headaches every school morning
Crying at drop-off that continues for several weeks
Refusing to talk about school or showing extreme avoidance
It Looks Different at Every Age
Elementary: Stomachaches, headaches, or trouble sleeping.
Middle & High School: Silence, withdrawal, irritability, or avoiding conversations.
Big transitions (5th → 6th grade, 8th → 9th grade, or a new school) can make anxiety stronger.
Did you know? Academic struggles can fuel school anxiety.
Camp Homework tutors help students feel prepared, confident, and ready to succeed—not behind.
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Seven Fresh Dinner Table Conversation Starters — One for Every Night This Week
Day | Question |
|---|---|
Thursday | If you could eat only one food at the Iowa State Fair, what would it be and why? |
Friday | What's something you tried for the first time this summer that you weren't sure about but ended up loving? |
Saturday | If our family were in a NASCAR race, who would be the driver, who would be the pit crew chief, and who would be the one eating snacks in the stands? |
Sunday | What's one thing you want to accomplish before school starts back up? |
Monday | If you could design the perfect school day—every subject, every break—what would it look like? |
Tuesday | What's a skill you have that most people your age don't? How did you get it? |
Wednesday | If you could swap lives with any animal for one week, which animal would you choose and why? |
A note from our sponsor: Homework battles shouldn't eat up your evenings. Camp Homework offers judgment-free, one-on-one tutoring support that builds real confidence — not just finished worksheets. Learn more about Camp Homework →
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
🌽 Adel Sweet Corn Festival
📅 Friday, August 7 (Corn Shucking, 4:30 PM)
📅 Saturday, August 8 (Main Festival Day)
📍 Downtown Adel Historic District, 301 S. 10th St., Adel, Iowa
A 44-year Iowa tradition and one of the most beloved free festivals in the state. The festival kicks off Friday evening with corn shucking starting at 4:30 PM, and Saturday is a full day packed with the Sweet Corn 5K at 7:30 AM, Dallas County's largest parade at 9:30 AM, live music, arts and craft vendors, food trucks, a bags tournament, a car show, and 7.5 tons of free sweet corn. The 2026 theme is "It Doesn't Get Any Butter!" Admission is completely free — just show up and enjoy small-town Iowa at its absolute finest.
🎟️ Free
🏎️ NASCAR Weekend — Iowa Speedway
📅 Friday, August 7 – Sunday, August 9
📍 Iowa Speedway, 3333 Rusty Wallace Dr, Newton, Iowa
(30 min east of Des Moines)
NASCAR Weekend at Iowa Speedway runs August 7, 8 and 9, with three full days of racing action at the Fastest Short Track on the Planet. Friday August 7 brings the ARCA Menards Series, Saturday August 8 has the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Hy-Vee PERKS 250, and Sunday August 9 is the main event — the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol. And the icing on the cake: country star Dierks Bentley performs Sunday August 9 ahead of the Cup Series race as part of the Busch Light Summer Music Series — included with a Sunday race ticket. Kids 12 and under are free for all events.
🎟️ From $35 | Kids 12 & under FREE
🎵 Music in the Garden — The Crowfoot Rakes
📅 Thursday, August 6 | Doors 6:00 PM | Concert 6:30–8:30 PM
📍 Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 909 Robert D. Ray Dr, Des Moines
Tonight's Music in the Garden features The Crowfoot Rakes performing in the picturesque Koehn Garden — part of the Thursday evening outdoor concert series running June through August 20. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, grab food and drinks from Flora Café, and spend the evening surrounded by the most beautiful gardens in Des Moines. A perfect way to start the weekend.
🎟️ $14 adults | $11 children | $13 seniors
🗓️ UPCOMING EVENTS
🎯 Big Events
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Thu Aug 6, 6:30–8:30 PM | DSM Botanical Garden | $14 adults | |
Thu Aug 6, 7 PM | Funny Bone, 560 S Prairie View Dr, WDM | $20 | |
Fri Aug 7 (4:30 PM) & Sat Aug 8 | Downtown Adel Historic District | Free | |
Fri Aug 7 & Sat Aug 8 | Funny Bone, 560 S Prairie View Dr, WDM | $20 | |
Fri Aug 7 – Sun Aug 9 | Iowa Speedway, Newton, IA | From $35 | |
Sun Aug 9, 2:30 PM | Iowa Speedway, Newton, IA | Included w/ ticket |
💛 Small & Local Favorites
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Thu Aug 6, 6–8:30 PM | Railroad Park, Valley Junction, WDM | Free | |
Thu Aug 6, 6–8:30 PM | Confluence Brewing, 1235 Thomas Beck Rd | Free | |
Thu Aug 6, 6–9 PM | Jasper Winery, 2400 George Flagg Pkwy | Free | |
Fri Aug 7, 5–8 PM | Truman's KC Pizza Tavern, Des Moines | Free | |
Fri Aug 7, 6–10 PM | The District Town Square, Ankeny | Free | |
Fri Aug 7, 6–9 PM | Confluence Brewing, 1235 Thomas Beck Rd | Free | |
Sat Aug 8, 7:30 AM | 215 N. 11th St, Adel | Registered |
🌾 Farmers Markets
Market | Time | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
7 AM–Noon | Historic Court District, Downtown DSM | Free | |
8 AM–Noon | Uptown Ankeny, 220 NW State St | Free | |
8–11 AM | Waukee Town Center, 985 E Hickman Rd | Free | |
8–11 AM | Beaver Ave & Urbandale Ave, DSM | Free | |
8 AM–Noon | Johnston Town Center | Free |
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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