Things to Do
Theater's 100th celebration unveils a Grant Wood discovery
Grant Wood circa 1932. Photo: Fotosearch/Getty Images
Hoyt Sherman Place Theater celebrates its centennial with a special performance Wednesday night giving tribute to the celebrities who have graced its stage.
The intrigue: In doing research, show organizers discovered that "American Gothic" artist Grant Wood's 1935 marriage was to a first cousin once removed to Hoyt Sherman, the theater's namesake.
Something splashy: The zoo's water savings plan
The sea lion pool. Photo courtesy of Blank Park Zoo
Blank Park Zoo will save tens of thousands of gallons of water each week by installing a new filtration system in its sea lion exhibit, spokesperson Ryan Bickel tells Axios.
Plus, the pool will also be converted from fresh to saltwater, which will result in better conditions for the animals.
Botanical Garden to chop down 70-foot palm, its tallest plant
The palm in the foreground will be chopped March 20. Photo courtesy of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
A Cuban royal palm — the tallest plant inside the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden dome — will be chopped down next Monday.
Why it matters: This week is your last chance to get a selfie with the nearly 70-foot giant, which the conservatory says has outgrown the dome.
Mamma Mia, Les Misérables coming to Des Moines
"Mamma Mia!" Photo courtesy of DMPA
We'll all be dancing queens this theater season thanks to the latest Broadway lineup at the Civic Center.
Driving the news: Des Moines Performing Arts announced the shows for its 2023-24 Broadway season, including:
15 biggest events in Des Moines this year
80/35 Music Festival. Photo: Alyssa Leicht
New year, new dates to lock into the calendar.
- Here's what to look forward to in Des Moines in 2023:
RAGBRAI pro tips from a 7x rider
RAGBRAI 2021. Photo: Linh Ta/Axios
👋 Linh here. The RAGBRAI route is out and it's official that bikers will go through Des Moines for the first time in a decade this summer.
Driving the news: This will be my seventh year riding across the state of Iowa.
RAGBRAI 2023 route guesses and most common cities
Saturday's RAGBRAI route reveal is one of the state's most anticipated announcements, as Iowans prepare to don their spandex again and voyage across the state on two wheels.
State of play: We asked you recently for guesses on this year's route — and you all most certainly believe Des Moines will return as an overnight town again for the first time in a decade.
How Jeff Chelesvig, CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts, starts his day
Keeping thousands of theater-goers happy is a uniquely challenging role that Jeff Chelesvig, president and CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts, has been doing for 28 years.
- But while he's rubbed shoulders with some of the industry's most famous names, one of the first things he reaches for in the morning is a word game, just like the rest of us (The New York Times' Spelling Bee, more specifically).
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