Things to Do in Des Moines

BAMignite celebrates the closing days of Bellevue Arts Museum's Think Twice: New Latin American Jewelry show with music, performances, and art demonstrations. Guests draped in their own provocative jewelry wander through the drifting grooves of a DJ set and the Brazilian melodies of ChoroLoco. A sultry tango performance stirs up enough heat to fuel the do-it-yourself jewelry-crafting station. Meanwhile, artist Cathy McClure helms a live artist demonstration that highlights the inner workings of her fantastical toy robots and offers insight into life as the lost Jetson. An art-in-motion presentation shows the mobile sculptures of Michael Cooper in action, and fictitious, limited-edition passports made by Erika Harrsch are up for grabs during a wheel-spinning contest. Guests can corral refreshments (not included in this Groupon) at a cash bar before whispering their own creative ideas into receptive empty glasses.

Today’s Groupon gets you $30 worth of beer tasting, a pint of your favorite house beer, and a nifty T-shirt at Two Beers Brewing Co. for $15. Beer tasting will incorporate your hands, torso, and palate for a full-sensory tastezone.China, 5,000 BC: Alcohol was used in China to celebrate a variety of important events like births, conference championships, and the invention of gunpowder.

Cindy Ross was an unlikely person to found a scuba-diving school. Told by a commercial diving instructor at 19 that she was too small to scuba, Ross didn’t begin to explore the sport until she was in her 30s. Earning certification was a trial, and she spent her first four dives lugging 80-pound gear in the snow up and down a massive hill—and, adding insult to injury, the men’s equipment didn’t even fit properly. But the fifth dive changed everything. Held in Puget Sound, Ross felt a calling to the location's green waters and white anemones, and since then, the aquanaut has frolicked with such neighbors as a 1,200-pound sea lion, hundreds of Canadian seals, and a giant Pacific octopus.

Today, she and her team of sea-loving instructors grant students innumerable ways to get in the water. Discover Scuba courses get feet wet as beginners learn how to use their equipment and enjoy the freedom beneath the waves. Meanwhile, those determined to spend a life amid the reefs can earn their Open Water certification virtually anywhere—after preliminary classroom and pool sessions, the center's connections with Scuba Schools International allows students to finish their certifications in a number of locations, from the Puget Sound waters so beloved by the company's founder to oceans halfway across the world. GirlDiver also leads vacations to tropical destinations, ensuring that tourists are strong swimmers whether they're gliding with dolphins or fighting the currents in the resort's communal hot tub.

Today's side deal gets you one-day admission to the Seattle Bug Safari on Western Avenue for $4 (an $8 value). Feel your deep-seated phobias for multi-legged exoskeletons evaporate after making the acquaintance of 54 fascinating, exotic insectoid species—from behind the safety of thick glass, of course. Check the site or call ahead before dropping in, as Seattle Bug Safari is closed to the public during Groupon-exempt field trips.

Savor Seattle's founder, Angela Shen, heads a knowledgeable staff of devout gourmands, who pilot culinary walking excursions that have earned abundant accolades from the likes of Bon Appetit, USA Today, and Sunset magazine. The guides brandish Savor Seattle's signature pink umbrella during the informative tours, which grant anywhere from 12 to 16 pedestrians access to tastings of fresh, seasonal, and organic fare at up to 10 local eateries. Neighborhood outings allow tour-goers to sample the flavors of favorite spots, such as Capitol Hill and Pike Place Market, without the hassle of going door-to-door asking for samples of homeowners' dinners. Themed jaunts spotlight specific culinary heavy hitters, such as gourmet restaurants and chocolatiers. At every pit stop, chefs and restaurateurs divulge behind-the-scenes stories and recipes, and can modify samples to fit dietary restrictions.