From fairs and festivals to fundraisers and fun runs — there’s no shortage of things to do around Des Moines this summer.


May

• May 21: ARL Pedal for Paws supporting homeless pets at the Animal Rescue League (ARL). 18-mile round trip party bike ride around Des Moines. arl-iowa.org/events
• May 21: Pigtails Ride on HTT. This women-specific 48-mile bike ride starts and ends in Ankeny’s The District at Prairie Trail and travels the High Trestle Trail; pigtailsride.com
• May 21: End of School Year Bash from 3-5 p.m. at the Pioneer Columbus Community Recreation Center. Animals from Blank Park Zoo, obstacle course, magician, face painting, laser tag, fire truck tour and refreshments. 2100 S.E. Fifth St., Des Moines; dsm.city/departments/parks_and_recreation-division
• May 21-22: Des Moines Con at the Iowa Events Center. Celebrate your inner (or not so inner) geek with fellow lovers of comics, toys, TV, film, art, cosplay, games and other geeky pursuits. 730 Third St., Des Moines; desmoinescon.com
• May 27-28: CelebrAsian at Western Gateway Park. The largest Asian American event in Iowa promises to be a delight to the senses. Enjoy more than a dozen Asian Villages of authentic food, drink, music, dance, activities, cultural demonstrations and entertainment for the entire family. 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; iowaasianalliance.com
• May 28: The Barn Town Get Down beer festival at Barn Town Brewing, 9500 University Ave., West Des Moines; barntownbrewing.com/thegetdown
• May 28: Decoration Day at Living History Farms reenacting America’s early Memorial Day traditions, plus historic baseball at 3 p.m. 11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale; lhf.org
• May 30: WWE Monday Night Raw at Iowa Events Center, 730 Third St., Des Moines; iowaeventscenter.com

June

• June 3, 8-12, July 10, 16, 30-31: Iowa Senior Games welcomes athletes ages 50 and older to compete in 30 sports and nearly 100 events. The games take place in various locations across the Des Moines Metro. iowaseniorgames.com 
• June 3-4: Raccoon River Days with family and adult activities, fireworks, a 5K run, water parade, food and live music in Van Meter; vanmeteria.gov/RaccoonRiverDays.aspx 
• June 4: Pizza Fest features all things pizza: taste tests, kids dough tossing contests, pizza vendors, spirits, music and more. Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m. at Town Square Park in The District at Prairie Trail, 1500 S.W. Main St. Ankeny; thedistrictpt.com 
• June 4: Cajun Fest returns for its fourth year. Southern hospitality combines with Iowa nice at this Saturday event celebrating Louisiana’s cultural heritage. JR’s Southpork Ranch, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines; cajunfestiowa.com 
• June 4: Dam to DSM half marathon from Saylorville Dam to Downtown Des Moines; damtodsm.com 
• June 4: Iowa Craft Brew Festival from noon to 4 p.m. at Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park, 410 Fleur Drive, Des Moines; iowabeer.org
• June 5: Mustang and Ford Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. along Fifth Street, West Des Moines; valleyjunction.com 
• June 5: Garden Art Show from noon to 5 p.m. presented by Whirlythings. Central Iowa artists offer a range of works: pottery, paintings, jewelry and more. 4320 Franklin Ave, Des Moines; whirlythings.com 
• June 6-11: Des Moines Latino Film Festival returns for its second year. latinocenterofiowa.org
• June 6, 25, Aug. 6, Sept. 18, 25: Iowa Trail Run Series through various trail systems. Ledges State Park on June 6, McFarland Park on June 25, Waubonsie State Park on Aug. 6, Yellow River State Park on Sept. 18, Jester Park on Sept. 25. iowatrailruns.com 
• June 9-11: Grimes Governors Days at the Grimes South Sports Complex. Parades, fun runs, talent shows, bags tournament, live entertainment, vendors and fun for the whole family. 750 S. James St., Grimes; governorsdays.com 
• June 10-12: Capital City PrideFest returns for its 44th year. Festivities include a parade and headliners Todrick Hall and Matt and Kim. More details posted at capitalcitypride.org 
• June 11: Emancipation Day: A Juneteenth Event at Living History Farms, featuring expert presenters, dramatic performances, music, hands-on activities and a pie and ice cream social. 11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale; lhf.org 
• June 11: Ride to Break the Stigma through downtown Des Moines. Scavenger hunt ride with several stops, prizes and music. stories4tomorrow.com/upcoming-events 
• June 11 - Oct. 8: Brewery Running Series brings its popular 5K beer run to several cities across the metro throughout the summer: Newton on June 11, Clive on Aug. 27, Polk City on Sept. 10, Winterset on Sept. 24, Ankeny on Sept. 25, Indianola on Oct. 8. breweryrunningseries.com/iowa 
• Sundays, June 12 - July 10: Music Under the Stars at the West Capitol Mall at 7 p.m., featuring professional musicians with guest vocalists. 1007 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines; musicunderthestars.org
• June 12: IRONMAN triathlon, starting with a 2.4-mile swim through Gray’s Lake, followed by a 112-mile ride, concluding with a city tour and downtown finish line. ironman.com/im-des-moines 
• June 12: Iowa Juneteenth Gospel Celebration with Bishop J. Drew Sheard at 5 p.m. Franklin Junior High, 4801 Franklin Ave., Des Moines; iowajuneteenth.org
• June 13-14: Summerfest in Bondurant by the Bondurant Men’s Club, located in downtown Bondurant; facebook.com/BonduMensClub 
• June 16-19: Johnston Green Days at Terra Park. Carnival, parade, live entertainment, beverage garden, fireworks, car show, meat smoking competition, Jammin’ in Johnston business expo, garden walk and activities. 6400 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston; johnstongreendays.org 
• June 16, July 21, Aug. 18: UpCycle Stewards. Volunteer event removing invasive plant species around Des Moines to be upcycled into food for zoo animals. Grays Lake Park in Des Moines; use entrance north of Thomas Beck Road. inhf.org/events 
• June 17: Culture of Colors at 6 p.m. during Iowa Juneteenth Week. Bella Love Events, 8801 University Ave., Suite 29, Clive; iowajuneteenth.org
• June 18: BACooN Ride. 71-mile bike ride along the Raccoon River Valley Trail featuring bacon specialty foods along the way.  bacoonride.com 
• June 18: Neighbors Day at Western Gateway Park during Iowa Juneteenth Week. 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; iowajuneteenth.org
• June 24: Summer Stir. Traveling cocktail party hosted by CITYVIEW at the historic Court District from 5 to 9 p.m. summerstirs.com 
• June 24: Break the Cycle 200. This 200-mile ride to Okoboji raises funds and awareness to end modern slavery. Starts at Valley Community Center, 4444 Fuller Road, West Des Moines. Note: if you don’t feel like riding 200 miles, you can still participate in the BTC 200: Challenge on June 11 in Waukee along the Raccoon River Valley Trail — choose between 25, 50 or 100 miles. breakthecycle200.com 
• June 24-26: Des Moines Arts Festival at Western Gateway Park. Juried art fair featuring 190 of the country’s best artists, live music on multiple stages, interactive activities, demonstrations, food and drink. 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; desmoinesartsfestival.org 
• June 24-26: Interrobang Film Festival at the Des Moines Central Library. 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; desmoinesartsfestival.org/p/about/film 

July

• July 3: All Iowa Bash featuring live music, food and drink from 6 to 10 p.m. along Fifth St., West Des Moines; valleyjunction.com 
• July 8-10: Ankeny SummerFest will have a carnival, live music, food and drink, coloring contest and will conclude with fireworks. The District at Prairie Trail, 1500 S.W. Main St. Ankeny; ankeny.org/summerfest-2022 
• July 9: Taco and Margarita Festival at noon, Principal Park, 1 Line Drive, Des Moines; milb.com/iowa
• July 13-17: Dallas County Fair at 28057 Fairground Road, Adel; dallascountyfair.com 
• July 14-17: Boone County Fair at 1601 Industrial Park Road, Boone; boonecountyfairia.com 
• July 15-17: Marion County Fair at the Knoxville Raceway, 1000 N. Lincoln St., Knoxville; knoxvilleraceway.com/Pages/Marion-County-Fair 
• July 15-16: Waukee Arts Festival at Centennial Park featuring five bands, more than 100 artists, food trucks and family activities. 1255 Warrior Lane, Waukee; waukeeartsfestival.org 
• July 15-16: Clive Festival at the Greenbelt Landing by the Clive Aquatic Center. “Thunder Over Clive” fireworks, live music, a Slip-N-Slide from the Clive Fire Department, a running festival, food trucks and more. On the east side of N.W. 114th St., Clive; clivefestival.com 
• July 15-16: Summer Screams Camp Out at Sleepy Hollow, 4051 Dean Ave., Des Moines; sleepyhollowevents.com 
• July 15-21: Jasper County Fair at 359 N. Walnut St., Colfax; jaspercofair.com 
• July 16: Four Seasons Fest at the Polk City Town Square will include family activities from 2 to 6 p.m. Balloon artists, a petting zoo, carnival games, miniature golf, a photo booth, inflatables and ring toss. Live music by The Punching Pandas at 8 p.m. gopolkcity.com/four-seasons-fest 
• July 16: Moonlight Classic. This unique night-time bike ride takes riders through downtown Des Moines landmarks. Orchard Place’s signature fundraiser supporting children’s mental health. orchardplace.org/moonlight-classic 
• July 16-22: Polk County Fair at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. 3000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines; polkcountyfairiowa.com 
• July 20-24: Madison County Fair at 1146 W. Summit St., Winterset; madisoncountyfair.net 
• July 20-24: Story County Fair at 220 H Ave., Nevada; sc-fair.com 
• July 22: Summer Stir. Traveling cocktail party hosted by CITYVIEW at the historic East Village from 5 to 9 p.m. summerstirs.com 
• July 23: Albaugh Classic Car Show at Town Square Park in The District at Prairie Trail. Showcasing the collections of Dennis Albaugh and Carl Moyer, plus vehicles from hundreds of other participants. 1500 S.W. Main St., Ankeny; thedistrictpt.com 
• July 23-30: RAGBRAI. The 2022 Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa will travel through Sergeant Bluff, Ida Grove, Pocahontas, Emmetsburg, Mason City, Charles City, West Union and Lansing; ragbrai.com 
• July 27 - Aug. 1: Warren County Fair at 1400 W. Second Ave., Indianola; warrencofair.com 
• July 29-30: Dew Tour at Lauridsen Skatepark, 902 Second Ave., Des Moines; dewtour.com
• July 29-31: The 48 hour film project challenges filmmakers to make the best short film in 48 hours. Films will be premiered Aug. 8-11, with the best screened on Aug. 25 in the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust St., Des Moines; 48hourfilm.com/desmoines/48hfp 
• July 29 - Aug. 6: National Balloon Classic at Memorial Balloon Field. Look up in awe as the sky is filled with more than 100 hot air balloons. Yes, you can ride the balloons, too. 15335 Jewell St., Indianola; nationalballoonclassic.com 

August

• Aug. 5-6: Highway 141 Garage Sale covering more than 20 towns across west central Iowa. Browse through 177 miles of garage sales in one weekend. 141sale.org 
• Aug. 6: Disc Golf Tournament hosted by The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Central Iowa.friendlysonsiowa.com  
• Aug. 11-22: Iowa State Fair. More than one million people visit this event every year. Enjoy every type of food you can imagine on a stick, carnival rides and games, the best of agriculture, live music and endless sights to see. 3000 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines; iowastatefair.org 
• Aug. 12-13: Sweet Corn Festival draws thousands of visitors each year with its free sweet corn — toothpicks provided — and myriad of activities: 5K run, parade, Sweet Corn Princess pageant, vendors, music, car show, bags tournament and street party. Downtown Adel, adelpartners.org/sweet-corn-festival 
• Aug. 20: Shine a Light NF Walk at Raccoon River Park benefiting the Children’s Tumor Foundation. 2500 Grand Ave., West Des Moines; shinealightwalk.org/iowa2022 
• Aug. 27: Ingersoll Live. Family-friendly block party along 2800 block of Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines; theavenuesdsm.com 

September

• Sept. 3: Water Lantern Festival at Water Works Park. Gates open at 5 p.m. with food trucks and music. Lantern designing at 7:30 p.m. and launch at 8 p.m. 2201 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines; waterlanternfestival.com/desmoines.php 
• Sept. 3-5, 10-11, 17-18: Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow, 4051 Dean Ave., Des Moines; sleepyhollowrenfaire.com 
• Sept. 10: Authors on the Riverwalk featuring 30+ authors from around the country at Hy-Vee Hall, 730 Third St., Des Moines; authorsontheriverwalk.com
• Sept. 16-18: World Food & Music Festival at Western Gateway Park, 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; dsmpartnership.com/worldfoodandmusicfestival 
• Sept. 18: Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute Car Show from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. along Fifth St., West Des Moines; valleyjunction.com 
• Sept. 18: ARL Dog Jog supporting homeless pets at 5452 N.E. 22nd St., Des Moines; iowadogjog.com 
• Sept. 23-24: Oktoberfest returns to Downtown Des Moines for its 18th year. German and craft beers, authentic German eats, music, bier maiden and stein holding competitions, polka dancing, a silent disco and more. From 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on both days. Fourth St., south of Court Ave.; oktoberfestdsm.com
• Sept. 24: Oktoberfest at Adventureland, if the Des Moines version just wasn’t enough for you. 3200 Adventureland Drive, Altoona; adventurelandresort.com 
• Sept. 24: Glow Wild at the Jester Park Nature Center celebrating National Public Lands Day. Family-friendly festival including activities, vendors and music from local Iowan musicians. 12130 N.W. 128th St., Granger; glowwildiowa.com 
• Sept. 24: Indigenous Iowans Day at Living History Farms, 11121 Hickman Road, Urbandale; lhf.org 
• Sept. 24: NAMIWalks Your Way Iowa 5K at Terra Lake Park, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, Johnston; namiiowa.org
• Sept. 24-25: Latino Heritage Festival at Western Gateway Park, 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines; latinoheritagefestival.org