🌟 Good morning, Des Moines!
Your weekly nudge to get out, feel connected, and love where you live.
In this week’s AroundDSM:
🌭 Curry bratwurst, a cold German beer, and a shady spot under the trees. This is summer done right.
🌎 Come hungry. One of my favorite Des Moines weekends of the year is back with flavors from around the world.
🎶 If you’ve never seen the Isiserettes live, this weekend is your chance. And yes, you will probably start dancing.
🍽️ Restaurant Spotlight
Des Moines Biergarten | Water Works Park |
Photo: Curry bratwurst and fries | Emily Johnson
🌳 A little Bavaria in Water Works Park — The Biergarten has become one of my favorite easygoing summer outings. We went on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, found a shady spot under the trees, set up our lawn chairs and blanket, and tossed a frisbee around in the field while live music played nearby. It’s relaxed, roomy, and just feels like summer.
🌭 Get the curry bratwurst on fries — This newer menu addition was delicious. The curry flavor is mixed into the ketchup, which I loved because you can add as little or as much as you want. Pair it with a German beer and suddenly sitting under a canopy of trees in Des Moines feels just a tiny bit like Munich. 👉 View the menu here.
🍺 A few insider tips before you go — The Biergarten is open Wednesday–Sunday through October: Wed.–Thurs. 3–9 pm and Fri.–Sun. 11 am–9 pm. It’s right off the bike trail, there’s parking to the south, and restrooms plus a playground for kids are nearby. Save Sept. 18–20 for Oktoberfest where you can expect a Golden Keg Bicycle Ride, sack races, stein holding, trivia, live music and plenty of German cheer. A portion of Biergarten revenue also supports the Water Works Park Foundation. Oktoberfest details here.
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🎉 Top 5 Things to Do
The best bets handpicked for your week:
🌎 2026 World Food & Music Festival | Western Gateway Park
One of my favorite events of the year! Spend the weekend eating your way around the globe with international food vendors, cultural experiences, cooking demonstrations and plenty of live music including The Pork Tornadoes Friday night and Parranderos Latin Combo Saturday night.
This is a great one to wander without much of a plan. Show up hungry, try something you’ve never ordered before, and see where the afternoon takes you.
| Friday, Aug. 28–Sunday, Aug. 30 | Fri.–Sat. 11 am–10 pm; Sun. 11 am–5 pm | Free admission | World Food & Music Festival |
🥁 Ingersoll LIVE! | 2800 Block of Ingersoll Ave. DSM
Ingersoll Avenue turns into one big neighborhood block party with live entertainment, food trucks, 35+ vendors, drinks and a kids zone. One of my favorite parts is right at the beginning: the Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps. If you’ve never seen them live, you are missing out. You cannot help but dance when you hear them!
| Saturday, Aug. 29 | 3–10 pm | theavenuesdsm.com |
🎲 Domino Effect by Ingrid Ingrid | Cowles Commons
Here’s a delightful temporary addition to downtown: oversized glowing dominos that you’re actually encouraged to knock over. Each station has its own musical atmosphere, so as the dominos tumble into one another, the whole installation becomes part giant childhood fun, part interactive art experience.
The installation arrives Aug. 29 and sticks around through Sept. 30 as part of the Hy-Vee Summer Arts Series.
| Aug. 29–Sept. 30 | Ongoing installation | Des Moines Performing Arts |
🛼 Des Moines Roller Derby: Hometown Battle Bouts | Brenton Skating Plaza
Roller derby is taking over Brenton Skating Plaza with two FREE short-track bouts featuring the Waveland Wavers, Hot Shermans and Beast Village. If you’ve never watched roller derby in person, this is a pretty low-risk way to give it a try. It is fast, loud, and full of fun!
Bring a lawn chair or blanket so you’ve got somewhere to settle in.
| Saturday, Aug. 29th | 11 am–2 pm | Free | desmoinesrollerderby.com |
🎉 4th Annual Cumming Street Party | 4349 Cumming Ave., Cumming
Cumming is packing a lot into one Saturday: live music, food trucks, local vendors, yard games, inflatables, kids’ activities, axe throwing and competitions throughout the day. And then there are the inflatable T-Rex races from 4–5 pm which sounds like more than enough reason to stop by.
Bring a lawn chair and make an afternoon of it. Live music runs throughout the day, with Plastic Apartment from 1–4 pm and The Ripoffs from 5–8 pm.
| Saturday, Aug. 29th | 12–8 pm | Facebook Event Page |
🐾 Pet Pick-Me-Up
Now get out there, Des Moines!
With local love,
Emily
AroundDSM
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