Honeybee populations have been declining for more than a decade. To keep one of nature’s most prolific pollinators alive and busy, the USDA has been mixing mite-resistant bees and bees kept by commercial beekeepers. “To say it like that makes it sound like we’re manipulating and exploiting bees, and the truth is we’ve been doing […]
Central Iowa Arts & Entertainment
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Photo Gallery: The 17th GDP fest lights up Hoyt Sherman with Iowa bands, bards and dancers
Seven bands shared two stages at historic Hoyt Sherman Place on Saturday for the 17th Gross Domestic Product festival, produced by the Des Moines Music Coalition and co-presented by Little Village. Photographer Tyler Erickson attended the all-Iowa music fest, featuring the Envy Corps, Annalibera, James Tutson, B.Well, Genevieve Salamone, Lani, Eleanor Grace, MFKS and other […]
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AViD 2023 is bringing authors to Des Moines, including R.F. Kuang and Emily St. John Mandel
The Des Moines Book Festival is over, but even more authors are headed to Iowa in the coming weeks as part of Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD). The first of these visitors will be New York Times bestselling author R.F. Kuang, who is scheduled to speak at the Central Library in Des Moines on […]
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Weekender Central Iowa! Assemblé | Draw & Sip | Central Iowa Trans Lives Festival
The weekend is near, which means it’s time to see what’s going on around the metro. Trans Day of Visibility is upon us, so head down to the Garden or the First Unitarian Church…
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Exchange students from Ukraine, Romania partner with Raygun to support women artists
Ana-Maria Petcu wants there to be more women in art. But first, she wants the women who are already in art to receive the recognition they deserve. At the Raygun store in Des Moines on March 25, Petcu — a 12th grade foreign exchange student at Valley High School in West Des Moines who is […]
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Lani’s digital stars align in 2023 with GDP Festival performance, ‘Love, Lani’ album release
Lani Eclatt was 14 years old when she performed her first solo in front of an audience, backed by an orchestra performing a song she’d composed. “It was such a big deal for me at the time, but from there I knew I wanted to keep writing and performing,” said Eclatt, who has continued to […]
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Weekender Central Iowa! Indie Bookstore Cookie Crawl | Freegrass String Trio | Pink Martini
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium Spring is finally here which means there’s no choice but to get out of the house! There are many reasons to celebrate this weekend. Readers can reminisce about the books you’ve read to distract yourself from the cold […]
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‘We have local acts that deserve to be on a stage of that size’: 100-year-old Hoyt Sherman Place theater to host GDP music festival on April 15
Gross Domestic Product sticks to the mission — but that’s about it. Since the all-local music festival first popped up in 2006, GDP has bounced between Des Moines neighborhoods to celebrate the various corners of both the city and the scene. That means no two years of the one-day festival look or sound the same. […]
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Weekender Central Iowa! Elise Trouw | Hoops and Hops | Entirely Kids Day
As the snow melts and temperatures rise, step outside and enjoy some sunshine. There are plenty of ways to celebrate St. Patricks Day this weekend, including music at Gas Lamp…
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DSM Book Festival to feature authors of ‘The Flight Attendant’, ‘The Lost Apothecary’ and other page-turners on March 25
“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature.” ―Maya Angelou Iowa has a national, even global, reputation as a place with a legacy of writers. The DSM Book Festival is central Iowa’s stellar literary event, an eagerly anticipated destination for bibliophiles, authors, readers and budding writers. It received […]
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Weekender Central Iowa! March Mayhem | Amateur Comedy Night | 2000’s Movie Trivia
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium The weekend is almost here, so plan carefully what you’re going to do each day to stay out of the cold. Catch some music at places like xBk, Gas Lamp, Platform, Noce and more. Hear music from the […]
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Five questions with Kelly Baum, Des Moines Art Center’s new director, who’s looking forward to the future of art history
After longtime Des Moines Art Center director Jeff Fleming announced last year that he would step away after a quarter century, the question of who could replace him quickly arose. Now, as the Art Center begins its 75th anniversary year, the answer has come in the form of Dr. Kelly Baum, who was announced as […]
