🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🧨 Grab a dynamite taco (or three): Our restaurant spotlight this week serves up tacos, tortas, and aquas frescas.
🇳🇴 A Viking sighting?: Come for the lefse, stay for the crafts, demonstrations, and hygge vibes.
💌 Help Us Grow: AroundDSM is brand new and powered by word of mouth! If you love discovering what’s happening around the metro, forward this to a friend or share the signup link. Let’s enjoy Des Moines together!
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Birria tacos and al pastor tacos
Two Locations - We ate at the Urbandale location, but there is one near Waukee High School as well. If you are looking for a spot to host a private party, they have a HUGE party room full of windows available!
Birria tacos + Passionfruit aqua fresca = Amazing! Everything was delicious and made fresh! The chips and queso were the perfect addition to our meal.
It’s worth going right now because - nothing is better on a cool Iowa day than a birria taco with consomé. Also, if you are in charge of hosting an upcoming holiday gathering, consider calling on TNT’s for catering and/or rental of their private room. They have Fiesta Boxes of up to 100 tacos!
🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
The best bets handpicked for your week.
3rd Annual Highland Happening Vintage Market | 521 E. Euclid Highland Park | Divine Times Vintage is hosting vintage vendors galore, food trucks, and fun in their back parking lot. | Sunday 10am-5pm.
Also, more shopping at Vintage at Val Air | 301 Ashworth WDM | Sunday 12pm-6pm.Confluence’s 13th Anniversary Party | Confluence Brewing Company | Celebrate 13 years of quality beer at the taproom with live music and grub available from Peggy O’s Food Truck. They will release five new brews as well! | Saturday 11am-9pm.
Drake University Choirs | Sheslow Auditorium at Drake | Enjoy an afternoon of beautiful vocal music while supporting Drake choral tours. | Sunday 3:00pm. | Free will donation.
Taste of Norway presented by Daughters of Norway-Iowa | Valley High School WDM | Scandinavian pastries and traditional sweets that make you say “uff da!” in delight, along with jewelry makers, woodworkers, and textile artists on site selling their wares. (Pastries usually sell out by noon, so come early!) | Saturday 9am-3pm.
Practical Magic (1998) at Flix | Flix Brewhouse | Have you heard that they recently shot Practical Magic 2? To get you ready for next year’s release, catch the original with a mimosa included with your ticket! | Sunday 10am, 11am, or 12pm.
Stop wondering what to do and start doing. Pick one and make it happen!
Photo courtesy of Daughters of Norway - Iowa Facebook page
🫶 Giving Back/Volunteer Opportunities
DMARC and We Are Iowa Local 5 News are asking kids 13 and under to submit a design for a holiday card to raise money for DMARC. Five winning designs will be printed and sold at this year's Des Moines Holiday Boutique (Nov. 7-9th) with proceeds helping to feed Iowa families. The theme this year is “What do the holidays look like for your family?” Learn how to participate here.
🎟️ Reserve Tickets Now
Looking Ahead
💨 Sign up now for the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb in downtown Des Moines. You can register for only $15 until Oct. 19. Each climber’s minimum fundraising requirement due in March is $100 with proceeds going directly to education, research, and advocacy. The Fight for Air Climb is March 29, 2026.
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Send a photo of your pet in their best fall fashion or Halloween costume to [email protected] for a chance to be featured in next week’s newsletter! 🎃🐕🐈
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
💡 Got a hidden gem? A cafe, band, or even just a quirky corner of Des Moines that we should know about? Reply to this email and share it with us. Your tip might end up in a future issue!
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