Weekend Pick: Visitors and Locals Show Off

This is the type of weekend for which Sunday bus service is useful. Start Sunday off with a bus ride downtown to the Greater Des Moines Exhibited 14 artists’ reception at the Polk County Heritage Art Gallery (2nd & Walnut). This show is a juried exhibition running through January 31, 2008. The reception on November 18th is from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with awards presented at 2:00. Skip out about 1:30 to catch the Route 5 bus westbound to the Forest Avenue branch of the Des Moines Public Library (13th & Forest).

Usually the Forest Avenue library is closed on Sundays but it will be open from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the 18th for a special event. Fruteland Jackson will help celebrate the newly-expanded library with a presentation, “All About the Blues.” According to information on a poster promoting the event, Jackson will talk about the origins of the blues, including field hollers and work songs, and will play songs representing the Piedmont, Delta, and Ragtime styles. Leave at about 2:50 p.m., to catch the Route 5 bus for a trip to Drake University.

Guest conductors Robert Sund of Stockholm, Sweden, and Sandra Snow of Michigan State University will join four Drake choruses and the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble on the Jordan Stage at Sheslow Auditorium (2507 University) for “The Earth Adorned: A Scandinavian Sampler.” Also conducting will be Carol Stewart, a Drake music alumna who celebrated her 65th birthday recently. The performances start at 3:00 p.m. so it may not be possible to go to both the library and the Drake events, but it is very tempting to try. The only cost for this afternoon excursion would be the $1.25 bus fares. The events listed above are free admission.

If you prefer sampling music all in one place, check out Little Big Fest at the Hotel Fort Des Moines (10th & Walnut) on Saturday, November 17th. Eleven local bands will play on two stages, an electric and an acoustic. You can hear all of them for $8 or for $10 if you pay at the door. The first group starts playing at 7:00 p.m. and the last one is scheduled for 12:30 a.m.

For those readers in the Christmas mood, Valley Junction has a Holiday Open House with special activities on Thursday, the 15th, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The East Village Holiday Promenade is on Friday, the 16th, also from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is in the city for one show only, on Thursday, the 15th, at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium (833 Fifth Avenue). Tickets are $25 to $100.

For sports fans, the Drake Bulldogs women’s basketball team plays on Friday against Sacramento State. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. at the Knapp Center (2601 Forest Avenue). If you’ve been meaning to check out the Iowa Stars hockey team, they play Chicago on Friday and Quad City on Saturday, both games are at 7:07 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena (703 Third).

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

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