🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🥪 A warm, stacked hoagie on a crisp fall day that lives up to its name: Truly Delicious.
🎃 More than 10,000 hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns glow at Water Works Park for one last Halloween weekend.
💀 Live music, pan de muerto, and free hot cocoa make the Art Center's Day of the Dead a must.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Hansen's Manhattan Deli | 3705 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines |
Photo: Truly Delicious | Emily Johnson
Photo: Tuesday Special | Emily Johnson
🥪 Sweater Weather Calls for a Warm Sandwich – That first chill in the air gave me a serious hankering for a warm sandwich, so my husband and I grabbed lunch at the classic Manhattan Deli on Ingersoll. I went with the Truly Delicious, a warm original stacked with Italian beef, turkey, cream cheese, cheddar, pepper rings, and mayo on a hoagie bun. It was warm, flavorful, and just what I needed on a beautiful fall day.
🧀 A Tuesday Special and a Side of "Why Not?" – My husband enjoyed the Tuesday Special: oven roasted turkey, ham, Swiss, Parmesan cheese sauce, mayo, and Manhattan Seasoning on a hoagie bun. We added a side of pasta salad, because, why not?
📋 So Many Options, You'll Never Get Bored – Between the daily specials, cold and warm original sandwiches, warm Italian subs, hoagies, and always some new arrivals, there are so many options you'd never get bored. They're open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. My advice? Get there before the line forms! 👉 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:hoto
Photo: Pumpkin Fest | Center Grove Orchard
🎃 Pumpkin Fest | Center Grove Orchard, Cambridge
Pumpkin Fest is Center Grove Orchard's biggest event of the year, and it runs through Nov. 6, so there's still time. Pick your perfect pumpkin, grab fresh apple cider donuts, apple cider, and caramel apples, and explore 40+ attractions for all ages.
Admission covers favorites like the jumping pillows, Black & Gold Super Slide, CGO Express train, corn maze, and farmyard animals. Pro tip: on Discount Thursdays, buy one admission at the gate after 2 pm and get one free. The farm is about 35 minutes from Des Moines and is closed Tuesdays.
| Thursday, Oct. 29th–Wednesday, Nov. 4th (closed Tues.) | 9 am–7 pm | Online $14.95 weekday, $19.95 weekend (plus tax); ages 2 and under free | Event Info |
🕯️ Pumpkins After Dark | Water Works Park
More than 10,000 hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns light up Water Works Park for the final weekend of Pumpkins After Dark. Wander a glowing path of themed scenes, plus live pumpkin carving demos, live entertainment, and food trucks with fall treats.
It's made for little ones too, with no jump scares. Tickets start at $25, and kids 3 and under are free. Entry is time-slotted and walk-ups are limited, so book ahead. Most guests spend 1 to 2 hours, and parking is $8. Heads-up: the event uses strobe and flashing lights.
| Thursday, Oct. 29th–Saturday, Oct. 31st | 6:30–11 pm (last entry 10 pm) | $25+; 3 and under free | Tickets |
🎲 Camp ReFresh: Adult Fall Session | Des Moines Y Camp, Boone
Remember summer camp? Camp ReFresh brings it back for grown-ups. The adults-only fall session is a weekend of camp activities, crafts, and camp vibes, plus nearly 1,000 board games from The Dealt Hand's library.
Saturday is Halloween, so the main lodge turns into the Cursed Mansion for Betrayal at House on the Hill LIVE. Your badge covers cabin lodging and meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, and every activity is optional. Just bring your own bedding and towels.
| Friday, Oct. 30th–Sunday, Nov. 1st | All weekend | $300 weekend; $100 day pass | Adults only | Event Info |
💀 Day of the Dead | Des Moines Art Center
The Art Center's 26th annual Día de los Muertos celebration is free and family-friendly. Enjoy live music and dance performances, food and art vendors, hands-on art activities, a festive Catrina photo op, and free hot cocoa and pan de muerto samples while supplies last.
This year's theme is ¡Sí Se Puede! ("Yes, we can"). Don't miss the ofrenda by Michaela Mullin in the Macomber Lobby (on display through Nov. 8) and a short documentary at 12 and 2 pm in Levitt Auditorium. A free shuttle runs from Merrill Middle School for easy parking.
| Sunday, Nov. 1st | 11 am–3 pm | FREE | Event Info |
🎸 Daughtry: 20 Years Unplugged Tour | Hoyt Sherman Place
Daughtry is celebrating 20 years with an intimate acoustic show at Hoyt Sherman. Fronted by Chris Daughtry, the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rock band has sold more than 11 million records worldwide and racked up three No. 1 rock singles.
Those big rock vocals, stripped down in a historic theater? Yes, please. Special guest Ryan Perdz opens, and a limited number of VIP packages are available.
| Sunday, Nov. 1st | 7 pm | $49–$125 (reserved seating) | Tickets |
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
A busy bee, a little devil, and one very unimpressed witch are ready to trick-or-treat. In typical Des Moines fashion, here's a Halloween joke: Why don't witches wear flat hats? There's no point in it! 🧙♀️
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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