THE WEEKENDER
Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium
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Get ready to party this weekend as Little Village formally celebrates our Central Iowa launch with a pre-GDP gathering at Exile Brewing! If you can’t make it out for that, you’ve still got plenty to keep you busy this weekend, from Earth Day events ( see our full collection for more) to the Drake Road Races and so much more.
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Iowa State Fairgrounds
Planned Parenthood Book Sale
Apr 21 – Apr 25 – 3:00pm
Join us for the 60th Anniversary of the Planned Parenthood Book Sale this April 21-25. The event will take place in the 4-H Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
More info >>
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Curate
Hawthorn Hillโs 13th Annual Art & More for Shelter
Apr 21 – 6:00pm
Join us for the Annual Art & More for Shelter fundraiser for Hawthorn Hill! Funds raised at the event support our programs serving local families experiencing homelessness.
More info >>
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Des Moines Public Library
AViD Presents: Amanda Montell
Apr 21 – 7:00pm
Amanda Montell is a writer, language scholar, and podcast host from Baltimore. She is the author of ‘Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism’ (HarperCollins, 2021).
More info >>
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Gaslamp
Armchair Boogie at Gas Lamp
Apr 21 – 7:30pm
Starting in 2015 from a front porch in the college town of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Armchair Boogie can be defined by their pickinโ skills and infectious grooves.
More info >>
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xBk Live
Battles
Apr 21 – 7:30pm
Battles return this autumn with their fourth album Juice B Crypts on Warp Records to follow their complex, mind-bending predecessors Mirrored, Gloss Drop, Dross Glop and La Di Da Di.
More info >>
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The Maintenance Shop
Together Pangea w/Tropa Magica
Apr 21 – 8:00pm
Garage punk/rock band Together Pangea w/Tropa Magica at the M-Shop.
More info >>
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Cowles Commons
Earth Day Rally
Apr 22 – 12:00pm
Join for an afternoon of honoring Mother Earth through collective action hosted by Buffalo Rebellion.
More info >>
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Crown Point Community Center
Earth Day Trash Bash
Apr 22 – 1:00pm
This event is part of a large effort covering project locations throughout Greater Des Moines.
More info >>
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Artisan Gallery 218
Artist Reception: The Gaia ProjectโA Climate Crisis Dialogue
Apr 22 – 5:00pm
NASAโs global watch states this: The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come.
More info >>
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Des Moines Civic Center
Ballet of DSM: Of Gravity and Light
Apr 22 – 7:00pm
Ballet of DSM: Of Gravity and Light at the DSM Civic Center.
More info >>
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RAYGUNshirts
The Author Afterparty with Lyz Lenz & Pie Bird Pies
Apr 22 – 7:00pm
Storyhouse Bookpub presents: The Author Afterparty with Lyz Lenz in Raygun’s mezzanine.
More info >>
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Gaslamp
Dust Radio, Jacob County & the Damaged Goods
Apr 22 – 9:30pm
Dust Radio, Jacob County & the Damaged Goods at Gas Lamp.
More info >>
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Prairie Trail
Earth Day Stream and Watershed Cleanup
Apr 23 – 8:00am
Volunteers are needed to help clean up the streambanks and wetlands around the SW Des Moines Street park areas in Prairie Trail.
More info >>
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Polk City Square
Earth Day Family 5k Run/Walk
Apr 23 – 9:00am
First annual Earth Day Family 5K Run/Walk! Join us in enhancing, growing, and supporting the Polk City parks, trails, and greenspaces.
More info >>
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Des Moines Botanical Garden
Earth Day at the Garden: Free Admission
Apr 23 – 10:00am
Earth Day at the Garden: Free Admission, Scavenger Hunt, Water-themed activities and Games, and more.
More info >>
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Exile Brewing Company
Celebrate Little Village in Des Moines
Apr 23 – 3:30pm
A new issue 001 of Little Village Magazine has hit the streets in the greater Des Moines area. We’re incredibly proud of it, and we’re throwing a party to celebrate.
More info >>
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Western Gateway Park
GDP Festival
Apr 23 – 5:00pm
The 2022 edition of Gross Domestic Product, an all-Iowa music festival in downtown Des Moines.
More info >>
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xBk Live
Abbie Sawyer w/ Annalibera & D. Smith
Apr 23 – 5:00pm
Abbie Sawyer Album Release Show w/ special guests: Annalibera & D. Smith.
More info >>
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Noce
Kansas City’s Grand Marquis
Apr 23 – 7:00pm
Formed in 1998, Grand Marquis has since become solidly rooted in the Kansas City music scene as one of the hardest-working bands in the region, playing over 100 shows per year!
More info >>
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Drake Stadium
Drake Road Races
Apr 24 – 7:30am
Be a part of America’s Athletic Classic as the 5K, 10K, and half marathon distances all finish in Drake Stadium on the world-famous Blue Oval.
More info >>
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Lauridsen Amphitheater
Benefit Jam For Ukraine
Apr 24 – 11:00am
Join us Sunday, April 24th for a first-ever folk, rock, and blues festival to raise humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.
More info >>
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xBk Live
GR!LIVE, Grunge: Tina Bell of Bam Bam w/Odd Pets
Apr 24 – 1:00pm
Everyone (and we mean EVERYONE) is invited to join us at xBK live from 1-4 p.m. for live music, lively discussion, and lived experiences around blues music.
More info >>
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Des Moinesโ Mary Kline-Misol offers a meditation on the Earth
by John Busbee, Apr 15
Mary Kline-Misolโs The Gaia Project: A Climate Crisis Dialogue pulses with such significance. It launches on April 8 in the Artisan Gallery 218 in Historic Valley Junction, with an artist reception/Earth Day celebration on April 22 at 5 p.m. and guest speakers at the gallery throughout the month.
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Good Morning Midnightโs Charlie Cacciatore knew he โmade itโ when he snagged a job at Record Collector
by Kembrew McLeod, Apr 12
โI went to Catholic school in Des Moines, and I guess my way of rebelling was to be a total snob about records,โ said Good Morning Midnight frontman Charlie Cacciatore. โSome people are in debate and others play tennis, and me and my friends survived in that ecosystem by taking on that kind of identity.”
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Ballet Des Moines tackles hard science with light movement in one-night-only show โOf Gravity and Lightโ
by Courtney Guein, Apr 18
Ballet Des Moines is giving audiences a science lesson through their one-night-only production Of Gravity and Light, Friday at the Des Moines Civic Center.
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Five questions with Amanda Montell, podcast host and author of โCultishโ
by Lily DeTaeye, Apr 19
Author Amanda Montell has never been to the Midwest before. But sheโs rectifying that with a visit to the Des Moines Public Library on April 21 to talk about her 2021 release, Cultish: The Language Of Fanatacism. The event begins at 7 p.m., and is a part of the 2022 Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD) lineup. I spoke with Montell about her writing process, her upcoming Midwest trip and cults, of course.
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Get psyched for GDP: A teaser of the acts performing in Des Moines on Saturday
Apr 20
Local music lovers, this oneโs for you. Weโre only days away from Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the all-Iowa music fest happening in Des Moines. This Saturday night, get ready to catch up to a dozen performances all taking place at three venues: Gas Lamp, the Cave and Teeheeโs Comedy Club.
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