🌱 Des Moines Digest
Issue #53|Monday, September 14, 2026
Everything You Need for a Great Des Moines Week!
👋 Morning, Des Moines!
I hope you had your umbrella ready, because this week is a two-parter. Monday and Friday are shaping up gorgeous (think low 70s, big blue skies), but Tuesday and Wednesday are going to test our collective patience with a genuine soaking. Plan your patio time accordingly.
In this issue: Wicked is down to its final week at the Civic Center and I have thoughts on where to sit, a Clive cafe run by a niece-aunt duo is quietly serving the best egg coffee in the metro, and Hoover High's Ann Mincks gets the spotlight she's earned. We've also got a brand-new (and much-needed) upgrade to our East Village guide — it's now The Ultimate Guide to Des Moines Neighborhoods, and it fixes a few things that have changed since we first ran it.
Stay dry out there,
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What's calling your name this weekend?
This Week’s Weather
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
High | 80°F | 72°F | 68°F | 77°F | 81°F |
Conditions | ⛈️ Showers & storms | 🌧️ Showers & storms | 🌧️ Showers | 🌤️ Partly cloudy | 🌧️ Rain & storms |
Weekly note: Monday through Wednesday look wet, with showers and thunderstorms possible each day and a risk of heavier rain. Thursday brings a brief improvement, while Friday turns warmer but could see more rain and storms.
📰 News Digest
🧙♀️ Wicked Casts Its Spell Downtown — And So Does a New Public Art Installation
Broadway's Wicked is in its final week at the Des Moines Civic Center, running through Sunday, September 20. Meanwhile, right outside, Cowles Commons is home to "Domino Effect," an interactive art installation running through the end of the month, plus ice cream carts from The Outside Scoop and Baan Vaan all September long.
Source: Des Moines Performing Arts / Wicked information and Greater Des Moines Partnership — Domino Effect
🏡 Community Land Trust Homes Take Shape in Three DSM Neighborhoods
The Central Iowa Community Land Trust — a nonprofit born out of a partnership between Des Moines, West Des Moines, and Polk County — has its first affordable homes underway in the Columbus Park, Highland Park, and Oak Park neighborhoods. The model is unique in Iowa: the trust keeps ownership of the land, which keeps the homes affordable for the current buyer and the next one after that.
Source: Central Iowa Community Land Trust and Iowa Public Radio
🍦 Home Sweet Cone Scoops Into the Star Lofts on Ingersoll
The Waukee- and West Des Moines–born ice cream shop is opening its third metro location this September at 2701 Ingersoll Ave., inside the Star Lofts building.
Source: Home Sweet Cone
🏢 A Home & Garden Show Giant Sets Up Its First Iowa Office Downtown
Nationwide Expos, the Florida-based company behind home and garden shows at the Iowa State Fairgrounds for the past seven years, has signed a lease for a 5,700-square-foot sales office in the Insurance Exchange Building downtown — its first-ever Iowa office. The company plans to hire 15 to 20 salespeople.
🎨 Des Moines Remembers Yayoi Kusama
Following the death of the celebrated Japanese artist at age 97, Des Moines is reflecting on its own connection to her work. Her "Pumpkin (L)," an 8-foot sculpture, is a beloved fixture at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, and the Des Moines Art Center holds additional pieces by Kusama in its collection.
Source: Axios Des Moines — Remembering Yayoi Kusama and Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation — Pumpkin (L)
🎪 Vendor Applications Are Open for the Downtown Winter Farmers' Market
Applications are open through September 25 for the Downtown Winter Farmers' Market, returning to Capital Square November 20–22 with local food, gifts, live entertainment, and food trucks on Cowles Commons.
🗺️ NEW ARTICLE: The Ultimate Guide to Des Moines Neighborhoods
Longtime readers will remember our East Village Special Section from a few issues back. We loved it — but it only told a sixth of the story, and a couple of details in it are already out of date (more on that below). So we rebuilt it from scratch as a full guide to the neighborhoods that make this city what it is. Here's a taste of what's inside:
Downtown & Historic East Village
🎨 Still the walkable, gallery-hopping heart of the city
Olson-Larsen Galleries, Mainframe Studios, and RAYGUN anchor the shopping and art scene along E 4th and E 5th. One update from our last guide: Fong's Pizza has moved into the East Village and now occupies 317 E Court Ave — the space that used to be Peace Tree Brewing's Des Moines taproom, which has since closed. If you're chasing that crab rangoon pizza, that's where to find it now.
Sherman Hill
🏛️ Des Moines' oldest neighborhood, and its most photogenic
A 15-block pocket of restored Victorian mansions just northwest of downtown, anchored by Hoyt Sherman Place. Walkable to the Ingersoll dining strip, with grand old porches and tree-lined streets that make it feel like a different decade entirely.
Beaverdale
🌳 Brick Tudors, bungalows, and a genuine sense of community
Known for "Beaverdale Brick" architecture and a tight-knit neighborhood association that throws one of the city's best-loved neighborhood festivals every September. Home to Beaverdale Books, an independent bookstore that regularly pulls in bestselling authors, and a Tuesday farmers market that runs all summer.
Drake / Dogtown
🎓 College energy with a genuine neighborhood feel
Built around Drake University, with an easy walkable strip of coffee shops and casual restaurants. Close to Waveland Park, home of the Drake Municipal Observatory.
The Avenues (Ingersoll & Grand)
🍽️ A foodie's paradise between downtown and Sherman Hill
One of the densest restaurant corridors in the metro, and it just keeps getting denser — Home Sweet Cone's new Star Lofts location (see this week's news) lands right in the middle of it.
💡 Local tip: If a business you love has moved or closed, hit reply — we'd rather fix the guide fast than let it go stale like our old East Village writeup almost did.
📚 WEEKLY STUDY TIPS
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📚 Fresh Strategies for Parents and Students — New Tips Every Issue!
🍂 Book your furnace tune-up now, not in November. With Tuesday and Wednesday's system dropping temps into the upper 50s overnight, this is the week to make sure your heat actually works before you need it.
🌬️ Check your gutters before the next rain rolls through. Clogged gutters plus a 65% rain chance is a recipe for a wet basement — a five-minute look now can save you a headache Wednesday.
🪟 Swap your window screens for storm windows on the next dry day. Friday's forecast (sunny, upper 70s) is about as good as it gets for outdoor home projects this week.
🧯 Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. As furnaces kick back on for the season, this is the easiest 10-minute safety check you'll do all month.
💧 Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses on any night near the low 50s. A surprise cold snap can crack an outdoor spigot fast.
Learning doesn't stop when school is out. Camp Homework helps students build confidence, strengthen skills, and stay ready for the school year ahead. Check it out at camphomework.com.
🎟️ EVENT SHOWCASE
This Week's Must-See
📍 Des Moines Civic Center
🗓️ Through Sunday, September 20
Broadway's most popular musical wraps up its Des Moines run this week, with the interactive "Domino Effect" art installation and free ice cream carts still going strong right outside at Cowles Commons. If you've been meaning to go, this is genuinely your last call — tickets have been moving fast all month.
📍 Downtown Beaverdale (Beaver & Urbandale Ave)
🗓️ Friday–Saturday, September 18–19
A genuine neighborhood institution: a parade down Beaver Avenue, carnival rides, live music, and food from local vendors. It's free, it's family-friendly, and it's the best excuse all fall to finally check out this neighborhood if you haven't.
🎯 Big Events
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Through Sept 20 | Des Moines Civic Center | From $54 | |
Sept 11–27 | Tallgrass Theatre Co., West Des Moines | ~$20 | |
Through Sept 30 | Cowles Commons | Free |
💛 Small & Local Favorites
Event | Date | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Saturdays thru Oct 25 | Historic Court District | Free | |
Tue & Fri thru Sept | Greater DM Botanical Garden | Included w/ admission | |
Sundays thru early Oct | Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, WDM | Free |
We want to hear from you! Des Moines Digest exists to help locals find the best things to do, see, and explore across the metro — but we can only make it better with your input. Tell us what sections you love, what you skip, and what you wish we covered more. Whether it's a hidden gem, an event type, or just a quick "keep doing this" — we're all ears. Your feedback shapes every issue, so hit reply or click below and let us know. This digest is for you, Des Moines! 💬
DesMoinesDigest.com/feedback
Thanks for starting the week with us, Des Moines. See you Thursday! 🌱
— Alex | Des Moines Digest 📘
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