🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🍜 The crab rangoons at this new East Village spot? Money. And I’m putting them up against a local favorite.
💚 There’s time this month to see one of Broadway’s biggest shows right here in Des Moines.
🪩 A club night for the 30+ crowd where the goal is to dance hard and still be in bed by 10. Someone gets us.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Zavy Kitchen | 111 E. Grand Ave. Suite 101, Des Moines |
Photo: Lo Mein | Emily Johnson
Photo: Pad Thai with a Crab Rangoon on the side | Emily Johnson
🍜 A New Chapter From a Familiar Local Favorite – From the family behind Pho Real Kitchen and Bar comes Zavy Kitchen, an elevated take on the recipes and flavors people already love. You’ll still find pho, but the menu also branches out with dishes like beef stew, tapioca crab noodle soup, noodles, and plenty more I’m already curious to go back and try.
🥢 The Pad Thai Was the Standout – We ordered crab rangoons, Pad Thai, and Lo Mein which came with chicken, beef, shrimp, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and cilantro. The Pad Thai was easily my favorite of the noodle dishes as it was flavorful, satisfying, and had the egg scrambled in!
🥟 But Let’s Talk About Those Crab Rangoons – They were money. Seriously. They rival Cool Basil, which is not a comparison I make lightly. The Lo Mein was lighter on sauce, so the veggies really got to shine; personally, I wanted just a little more flavor, but if you prefer a lighter noodle dish, this might be exactly your speed. 👉 View the menu here.
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🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
Photo: Sleepy Hollow Renaissance Fair https://sleepyhollowrenfaire.com/
The best bets handpicked for your week:
💚 Wicked | Des Moines Civic Center
If you’ve somehow made it this far without seeing Wicked, here’s your chance to find out what really happened in Oz before Dorothy showed up. It’s big, clever, emotional Broadway. Take your friend who isn’t a “musical person” and listen to them walk out afterward humming.
| Wed., Sept. 2nd–Sun., Sept. 20th | Tickets Required | desmoinesperformingarts.org |
⚔️ Renaissance Faire | Sleepy Hollow
Step into another world for the weekend at Sleepy Hollow, where knights on horseback, acrobats, magicians, and performers from across the country take over the village. Between shows, wander through 80+ artist and vendor booths, shop everything from jewelry to armor, and fuel up with faire favorites like MacTaters, bubble waffles, buttered beer, and Iowa-made mead from Van Wijk Winery.
It’s family-friendly, wonderfully immersive, and a solid excuse to spend the day pretending you live in a castle.
| Saturday–Sunday, Sept. 5th–6th | Tickets Required | Kids 12 and under FREE | sleepyhollowrenfaire.com |
🪩 Bed by 10: The Ultimate 30+ Clubbing Experience | Platform
Want to go dancing without sacrificing your entire Sunday to recovery? Bed by 10 is bringing the 80s, 90s, and early-2000s club scene back for an afternoon-to-evening dance party designed especially for the 30+ crowd. Dance, socialize, relive your glory days and still have time for skincare before bed.
| Saturday, Sept. 5th | 4–9 pm | Last Entry 6 pm | Tickets Required | Get tickets here |
🎬 Water Works Pops: Cinematic Magic | Des Moines Water Works Park
Dragons, Arendelle, and some of the biggest music from the movies! It will all be performed live in Water Works Park. Come early for the Children’s Village, local vendors, kids’ activities, and food trucks, then settle in for the Des Moines Symphony concert at 5:30 pm. Bonus: the whole thing is FREE.
| Sunday, Sept. 6th | 4–8 pm | FREE | waterworkspark.org |
🍺 Labor Day Patio Fest | Confluence Brewing Company
If your ideal Labor Day weekend involves a cold beer, live local music, and no cover charge, Confluence has four days of plans handled. The beer garden will have musicians playing throughout the weekend, with Peggy O’s Food Truck stopping by Friday, Saturday, and Monday. It will be an easy, casual, and very end-of-summer Des Moines.
| Friday, Sept. 4th–Monday, Sept. 7th | Music Times Vary | FREE | confluencebrewing.com |
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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