Ankeny, IA Outdoor Activities

Since 2007, foodies have flocked to Iowa's Premier Beer, Wine & Food Expo each year to check out food and drink booths, watch cooking demonstrations, and meet chefs. Guests explore more than 100 booths filled with samples of wines, food, and cheeses they may purchase and store at a complimentary drop-off location until they’re ready to leave. Expo-goers may also enjoy cooking demonstrations and meet-and-greet sessions with nationally recognized celebrity guests, including Food Network’s Dr. BBQ and Goose Island Beer Company–founder John Hall. Not to be outdone, local chefs share the secret techniques, ingredients, and facial expressions they use to make popular regional dishes.

The 2010–11 season was a milestone for the Iowa Energy. Just their fourth season as part of the Developmental League—which has helped produce nearly one-third of the NBA's players as of the 2011–12 season—the team claimed its first league championship, defeating the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Prior to their title run, the Energy had made back-to-back playoff appearances fueled by first-place finishes in the league's Central Division. The Energy plays all of its home games at Wells Fargo Arena, where future basketball stars of the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, and Washington Wizards learn the basics of the NBA game and how to do veteran players' laundry.