🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🌮 Breakfast tacos with a brisket upgrade that is totally worth the extra two bucks.
📚 The library after hours with wine, bites, and no shushing.
🎃 Trick-or-treating in an 1876 town plus horse-drawn wagon rides makes Living History Farms a fall family classic.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Mullets | 1300 SE 1st St., Des Moines |
Photo: Breakfast tacos | Emily Johnson
Photo: Cinnamon roll pancakes | Emily Johnson
🌮 Brisket Makes Everything Better – My daughter and I went to Mullets for an early Sunday breakfast, and I went with the breakfast tacos: flour tortillas with scrambled egg, bacon, potato, and cheese, Central Texas-style. I added brisket, and let me tell you, that add-on is TOTALLY worth it. Add a cup of coffee and that's my kind of Sunday morning.
🥞 Pancakes Bigger Than Her Face – My daughter ordered the breakfast slider with bacon and a side of two cinnamon roll pancakes. Those pancakes were bigger than her face. Even with me "helping" (purely to be supportive, of course), she couldn't finish them. Come hungry, friends.
☕ Service With a Side of Green Salsa – We got there right after they opened, around 7:15 a.m., and the bartender took care of us. He was attentive the whole time and brought both the red and green salsas for my tacos. The green ended up being my favorite. By 8:15 the place was packed for good reason - the food is always delicious. Mullets sits right by downtown and a bike trail, so it's an easy breakfast stop before downtown events or a game at Principal Park. They open at 7 a.m. every day. 👉 View the menu here.
🤝 Partner Spotlight: heyhae Gel Nail Strips
Want a cute fall manicure without the salon appointment?
heyhae gel nail strips come in fun seasonal designs, apply at home, and don’t require an LED lamp. Easy, polished, and very low-commitment which is exactly my kind of beauty routine. And mine lasted 2 weeks! #ad
🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
The best bets handpicked for your week:
🍷 Winefest: Between the Stacks | Des Moines Central Library
The library after hours? Yes, please. Winefest Des Moines and the Des Moines Public Library Foundation are opening Central Library for an evening of wine, food, and exploring the stacks after the doors close to the public.
You'll move through four themed stations, each with its own story, activity, and a wine pairing plus a bite from Tangerine. It's a fun way to discover a few Des Moines hidden gems, including some you'd never expect to find in a library. Ages 21+.
| Friday, Oct. 23rd | 6–8 pm | $130 | Tickets |
🎃 Family Halloween | Living History Farms, Urbandale
Trick-or-treating in an 1876 town? Count us in. Living History Farms' Family Halloween lets kids trick-or-treat at the storefronts of Walnut Hill, watch the blacksmith, print shop, and millinery at work, and play games and do crafts in a 150-year-old barn.
Don't skip the horse-drawn wagon ride. New this year are Flynn Mansion tours every night and earlier hours on Sunday. It's one weekend only, and the last tickets are sold 30 minutes before closing.
| Friday, Oct. 23rd–Sunday, Oct. 25th | Fri.–Sat. 5–8 pm; Sun. 3–6 pm | $12 advance; $13 at the door; under 2 free | Event Info |
🌾 America's Harvest Festival + Extended Museum Hours | State Historical Museum of Iowa & Iowa Capitol Complex
Make a whole Saturday of it. The State Historical Museum of Iowa is staying open until 6 pm, starting with Goldie's Halloween Bash (10 am–noon), full of crafts, games, and trick-or-treat stations for the kids. Free Museum Highlights Tours run at 2, 3, and 4 pm, and the Research Center is showing Iowa's rare 1837 print of the Declaration of Independence.
Then head across the street for America's Harvest Festival on the Iowa Capitol Complex. It runs from 1 pm to dusk with live entertainment, historical reenactments, demonstrations, food, shopping, and family activities. Everything is free.
| Saturday, Oct. 24th | Museum 9 am–6 pm; Festival 1 pm–dusk | FREE | Event Info |
👻 Ballet Des Moines: Ghost Stories | Hoyt Sherman Place
Ballet Des Moines is kicking off its season with three spooky ballets in one night: the world premiere of Nevermore, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe; Ghost Ballads by Adriana Pierce; and eerie excerpts from Giselle. Plus, they promise "a Thriller of an appearance."
There's live music from the Belin Quartet and narration by Billy Weathers. Heads-up for parents: the company notes some themes and imagery may be unsettling for younger kids.
| Friday, Oct. 23rd & Saturday, Oct. 24th | 7 pm | $40–$94 | Tickets |
🧱 Built to Last: Historic Restoration Series: Masonry | Des Moines Heritage Center
Ever wondered how old brick and stone buildings are actually repaired? Des Moines Heritage Trust's Built to Last series wraps up with a masonry session where you can learn hands-on masonry restoration skills from a professional mason.
It's perfect for old-house owners, DIYers, or anyone who loves Des Moines' historic buildings. It's free, but advance RSVP is requested.
| Sunday, Oct. 25th | 2–4 pm | FREE; RSVP | 120 E. 5th St., Des Moines | RSVP here |
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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