Des Moines Stories & Insights
Guides and local stories about events, food and places to go in Des Moines. Each one links to what's on now.
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East Village Des Moines Things to Do: A Fall Walking Tour
Fall is the best time to wander East Village in Des Moines. Follow our route from Court Avenue to the Riverwalk for shops, bites, and hidden corners.
Best Des Moines Coffee Shops for Remote Work
Looking for WiFi coffee shops in Des Moines? Discover the best cafés, neighborhood picks, and insider tips for productive remote work in Central Iowa.
Trick-or-Treat Times in Des Moines and Suburbs (2026)
Seven Des Moines suburbs have set 2026 trick-or-treat for Saturday, October 31, 6 to 8 pm: Altoona, Ankeny, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee and Windsor Heights. Des Moines has not posted its 2026 hours yet. Times and links from each city's own site.
This Weekend in Des Moines: October 2-4, 2026
40 events on the Des Moines calendar for October 2-4, 2026, including Clint Black, Reefer Madness - Des Moines and West Virginia Mountaineers at Iowa State Cyclones Football. Top picks, free events and the full list by day.
Corn Mazes Near Des Moines (2026)
The biggest corn maze near Des Moines is Pumpkinville's 15-plus acres in Mitchellville; Howell's 8-acre maze in Cumming is the closest big one. Five corn mazes with 2026 dates, hours and prices from each farm's own site.
Haunted Houses Near Des Moines (2026)
Four haunted houses open within 20 minutes of downtown Des Moines in October 2026: The Slaughterhouse, Linn's Haunted House, Sleepy Hollow Haunted Scream Park and County Line Road Haunted Woods. Dates, hours and prices from each one's own site.
Valley Junction Shops: Galleries, Makers and Gifts on 5th Street (2026)
Most of Historic Valley Junction's independent shops are on 5th Street in West Des Moines. Here are 12 galleries, maker shops and gift stores checked open on October 1, 2026, plus the fall event dates, starting with Gallery Night on October 9.
Best Soups in Des Moines This Fall: 11 Bowls on Current Menus (2026)
Start with the Guinness Stew at The Royal Mile downtown, $5 a cup. Here are 11 Des Moines soups, from pho at A Dong to gumbo at Bubba, each seen on the restaurant's own menu on October 1, 2026.
Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards Near Des Moines (2026)
The closest pumpkin patch to downtown is Iowa Orchard in Urbandale, about 15 minutes out, with no entry fee to pick pumpkins. For a full farm day, Howell's in Cumming and Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge have the most to do. Here are eight farms with their 2026 dates, hours and prices.
Des Moines Coffee Crawl: 14 Local Coffee Shops for Fall (2026)
For a walkable Des Moines coffee crawl, start in the East Village at Scenic Route Bakery and Daisy Chain Coffee, then head to Horizon Line and Northern Vessel. Here are 14 local coffee shops across the metro, each checked open on October 1, 2026.
Des Moines History: 10 Historic Places You Can Visit
For one afternoon of Des Moines history, visit the Iowa State Capitol and the State Historical Museum, which sit side by side and are both free. Here are ten historic places with the hours and prices each one posted on October 1, 2026.
Free and Cheap Things to Do in Des Moines This Fall (2026)
The best free afternoon in Des Moines this fall is the Des Moines Art Center, where admission is always free, then the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Here are 12 free and low-cost things to do, with the prices and hours each posted on October 1, 2026.
Des Moines Articles & Blog - Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Des Moines Insider articles, local news, and community content.
What do Des Moines Insider articles cover?
Guides and local stories about Des Moines events, restaurants, attractions and things to do. Each article links to the matching listings on this site, so a guide leads to what's on now.
Are the articles free to read?
Yes. Every published article is free to read, with no account and no paywall.
Is AI used to write the articles?
Some of them. Articles written by AI and published automatically after quality checks carry an "AI-written" label and a note saying no editor reviewed them. Articles drafted by AI and then published by a person on our team carry an "AI-assisted" label. Either way, check dates, prices and hours with the venue before you rely on them.
How current is the information in an article?
Each article shows the date it was published, and the date it was updated when that was more than a day later. Articles older than six months carry a note pointing to the current listings, because hours, prices and dates change.