Last summer in Linnan Park, I came across a group of people volleying a hard yellow plastic ball to one another across a net. Instead of bumping and spiking the ball with their arms, they were mostly using their feet. From a bench some distance away, I could hear the crack of the ball as […]
Des Moines Parks and Recreation
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Court battle over public art piece in Des Moines park reaches ‘unsatisfying status quo’
“Greenwood Pond: Double Site,” the large-scale work of public art that has been part of Greenwood Park in Des Moines since 1996, will remain in place following the decision of the federal judge on Friday to issue a preliminary injunction stopping the Des Moines Art Center from dismantling and removing its wooden structures. The large-scale installation […]
Posted inRecreation
Iowa is a disc golf capitol of the U.S., with 363 courses across some of the state’s best parks
What sport do you associate with the state of Iowa? Wrestling? Basketball? Football? Disc golf probably didn’t come to mind, but the Hawkeye State has a long, storied history with the target sport. According to UDisc, the sport’s most popular scorekeeping and course directory app (founded by two Iowa State University students), Iowa currently has […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Judge orders Des Moines Art Center halt plans to remove a major public art work without the artist’s consent
On Monday, a federal judge in Des Moines issued a temporary restraining order stopping the Des Moines Art Center from dismantling and removing a work of public art that has been part of the city’s Greenwood Park for 36 years. “Greenwood Pond: Double Site” was created by renowned New York-based land artist Mary Miss for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Table tennis takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master, according to Des Moines’ highest-ranking player
Every week, the Four Mile Community Center echoes with the sound of hollow plastic balls smacking against wood, signaling match time for the Des Moines Table Tennis Club. For over three decades, the club has introduced new players to the game, building a community around rubber-coated paddles. The Des Moines Table Tennis Club was formed […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
‘The next generation’ of Iowa skaters are carving out a community in the nation’s largest skatepark
On any sunny afternoon, the Lauridsen Skatepark in downtown Des Moines is filled with locals and out-of-towners, amateurs and pros, teens and 20-somethings. And right along with them, you’ll find the Subsect Kids Skate Crew, a group of skaters who are among the youngest at the park. “They really found and created their own space […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Des Moines installs ‘art corridors’ along five bike trails, showcasing local artists
New art installations have changed the view along five of Des Moines’ popular bike trails. These “art corridors” include panels mounted to a line of metal posts, angled towards pedestrians and cyclists zipping down the trail. “If you’re familiar with kinetic art, or elliptic lenticular art, where no matter how you’re moving, you get to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Adult recess’ encourages Des Moines grown-ups to play like a kid again
Old or young, everyone needs a break — a respite from school, work, stress and boredom in which to stretch our legs and relax our minds. Unfortunately, arguably the best version of the break — recess — tends to end with elementary school, despite the positive effects including socialization, exercise, improvements with memory, concentration and […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines has a big, honkin’ problem. As officials seek solutions, Iowa’s dominant goose species adapts to city life
Growing up in West Des Moines, I became familiar with geese very quickly. They chased me on my bike, pooped all over the trail and flapped their wings menacingly at my brother and I as we walked our nervous dog. Like many a suburban child, I learned that geese were not my friends. They were […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Des Moines opens second concession stand at Gray’s Lake Park due to high attendance
Seeing increased park attendance, Des Moines’ Gray’s Lake is reopening its second, beachside concession stand after a decade of vacancy on the northside of the lake. Jennifer Fletcher, spokesperson for the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department, tells Axios Des Moines that the department has seen a spike in park-goers since the beginning of the […]
