Buffalo Women, which opens this Sunday, Juneteenth, is a new play by Omaha-based playwright Beaufield Berry. Subtitled “A Black Cowgirl Musical Dramedy,” the play tells the story of how five Black women, including interpretations of historical figures, find solidarity with one another and use the strength of sisterhood to overcome adversities of motherhood, racism, new-found […]
Central Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Jo Allen celebrates being both Black and queer with Pride and Soul skate night
Pride and Juneteenth have so many intersections to navigate. Jo Allen has challenged Des Moines to take those roads and realize that every marginalized community in the city are fighting for the same rights against the same people. “I was just recognizing that there wasn’t anybody that was doing something that focused on the intersections […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Ride your toad into battle: The Rook Room encourages adults to play games, get creative
Because of their similar sounding surnames, their shared love of board games and their charming banter, Annelise Tarnowski and Tony Tandeski almost seem like siblings. But the pair of best friends met while volunteering for the Drake Alumni Board. It was there they realized that they had a lot more in common. “After most meetings, […]
Posted inWeekender
THIS WEEKEND: Juneteenth: the Movement, Art Week Des Moines
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium It’s Juneteenth this weekend, and there are celebrations everywhere you turn—from art to music to comedy to theater, and more! Add in Art Week Des Moines kicking off, and you have a jam-packed few days of honoring the […]
Posted inCentral Iowa, Central Iowa Arts & Entertainment, Central Iowa Community/News
Dive into Juneteenth celebrations in central Iowa
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Last year, on March 22, 2021, Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders announced Juneteenth as an official city holiday. “We hope by commemorating this date,” he said at the time, “we can better illustrate the significance of Juneteenth and generate greater recognition throughout our community and the state”. Later that year, President Joe Biden […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Bring your own TP, and other tips from Iowa summer music festival regulars
It’s that magical time of year again! Festival season is back and that means wristband tan lines, sipping craft beer with buddies and seeing all your favorite bands onstage. Although most festivals took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are back this year in full force. Alongside national favorites like Coachella, South-By-Southwest, Bonnaroo […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Central Iowa, Central Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Contact Buzz: Who needs a gallery? Art Week Des Moines is back to bring art to the streets
A cultural movement flourishes in Central Iowa. Its symbiotic nature unites creatives, communities and cultures, and it continues to grow. Art Week Des Moines (AWDM) invites the region to engage, interact and otherwise make their shared neighborhoods shimmer with the vibrant proof of the creativity that thrives and drives its residents. This may be a […]
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Weekender Central Iowa! Pride Fest, Pieces of my Heart, Art Flea Market
READ THE LATEST | SUPPORT LITTLE VILLAGE | SHOP PERKS THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium It’s a party all weekend in the greater DSM, as Pride Fest kicks off at 10 a.m. on Friday and spreads joy through Sunday at 5 p.m.! Juneteenth events begin, Pro H2O gathers funds for the Iowa Environmental […]
Posted inCentral Iowa Arts & Entertainment
DMPA premieres August Wilson poetry set to dance and jazz with ‘Pieces of My Heart’
Editors’ Pick When playwright August Wilson died in 2005, he left behind more than just a powerful and unparalleled body of work examining the consciousness of Black America. Wilson, who started his writing career as a poet, also gifted the world a selection of unpublished love poems. Pieces of My Heart sets them as a […]
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Ballet Des Moines announces six-show free summer tour for ‘Of Gravity and Light’
Ballet Des Moines has announced a six-stop trip across Iowa for Of Gravity and Light, a deeply immersive, science-packed show that received a standing ovation at its one-night only show on April 22. Gravity on Tour will include a mobile planetarium, Iowa State University’s FLEx Virtual Reality lab and more STEM experiences, as well as […]
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Oh Say, Can You Sing? Competition is open for submissions
Audition slots are open for the Oh Say, Can You Sing? Competition hosted by the Yankee Doodle Pops. Every year, singers from across the state enter to sing the National Anthem with the Des Moines Symphony during the concert. This year’s Pops concert will be on Friday, July 1 at 8:30 p.m. on the West […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon is out to prove ‘the prairie’s got something to say’
“One thing that people maybe don’t know about Canada is that the places above and below the border are similar to each other,” said Rollie Pemberton, a Canadian MC who performs as Cadence Weapon. “I live in Toronto now, and we definitely get kind of Detroit vibes over here, whereas Alberta, where I’m originally from, […]
