Weekend Pick: Summer Festivals

A year ago, before I started the formal Weekend Picks, I wrote an item about the start of the summer festival season. I also noted that people who depend upon buses as primary sources of travel would have a hard time catching many of the events. The return of Sunday bus service to the city of Des Moines last autumn has made it easier for people to spread activities over two days. Unfortunately, with the last buses departing from downtown at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Saturdays and at 4:45 p.m. on Sundays, events with evening entertainment are still beyond the reach of many residents. More bad news/good news on bus travel: Fares are now $1.50, the downtown zone is now $0.50, but transfers are free and good for two hours.

This will be the first full weekend of June. That means it is time for the 19th annual Iowa Metaphysical Fair, to be held in the 4-H building at the state fairgrounds. There will be vendors, entertainment, and other activities. Admission is $7.00; children under 12 enter for free. Hours are Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Take the #1 bus.)

It is also the weekend for the annual Greek Food Festival. This traditional event will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George (1110 35th Street at Cottage Grove). Tickets are $14 at the door, but this might be only the cost for a full meal. The festival’s website is not clear but a regional print paper’s write-up states admission is free and food is available to buy ala carte for less than the cost of a full meal. I have chosen not to go in past years because I thought it cost $14 just to walk around the festival. Perhaps with this information that is new to me, I might consider attending this year. Hours are Saturday, from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Take the #3 bus.)

From 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday is the 22nd annual tour of historic homes in the Drake neighborhood. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 the day of a tour. Proceeds benefit the Drake Neighborhood Association. Buy same-day tickets at the Opperman Center, 2700 University Avenue. Tours start this year at the Des Moines Playhouse, in the Roosevelt Cultural District. On Saturday, June 7, 2008, the tour will include the backstage area of the Playhouse. (Take the #1 or #3 bus and walk a few blocks.)

This is opening weekend for Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies at the Des Moines Playhouse (831 42nd Street). The comedy is about two struggling male actors who decide to pose as the nephews of an old woman in York, Pennsylvania, only to discover the heirs the woman wants to see are her nieces. The show runs through June 22nd. Tickets are $20 to $34. Shows are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are also available now for the summer musical at the Playhouse, Grease.

For those who want to know how their pork tenderloins or bbq can be grown with less cost and/or with more flavor, the 20th annual World Pork Expo is at the fairgrounds’ Varied Industries Building from Thursday through Saturday. There is a free meal offered from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the triangle, which is somewhere on the fairgrounds. To see the exhibits and talk pork, you’ll have to pay $12.

M.R. Field encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com.