Established: 1969 Reservations/Appointments: Optional Staff Size: 2–10 people Pro Tip: We are a fun, friendly bunch who loves to hear about new ideas. Handicap Accessible: Yes Parking: Parking lot Most Popular Attraction/Offering: Rock n' Run Recommended Age Group: All Ages Q&A with Jt Cattle, Marketing Committee Volunteer When and how did you first develop a passion for your work? When I first started living in Des Moines. We are an arts-based organization with a passion for sharing our mission, and everything we do requires that passion to be carried forward into the community, and into the education that we provide to the youth. I'm a first-timer. How do you get me ready for the experience? If you like the arts, if you like to have a good time. And if you like to run, the Rock n' Run is the perfect combination. The best way to get ready is to bring your friends along so you have others to Rock Out with. The more people, the more opportunity for fun. What is the one feature of your business that you're most proud of? Arts education. It's fun for all ages, and helps the community in ways that will last a lifetime. Is there anything else you want to add that we didn't cover? The arts build communities. Greater Des Moines will be recognized as a place where the arts thrive because of Metro Arts Alliance.

The counter-culture coffee drinker will appreciate the ambiance at edgy coffeehouse Mars Cafe. A night out deserves a drink to celebrate, and this coffee shop has the perfect selection of beer and wine to go with your meal. This coffee shop welcomes kids, too, so you can feel good about bringing the whole family. Seating is readily available at Mars Cafe for those with large parties. Free wireless Internet is also available at Mars Cafe, so bring your tablet or laptop along. Be sure to check out Mars Cafe's outdoor seating when the climate is right. Musical groups perform live at Mars Cafe, so tables can perk up with some tunes. You may want to reserve your table for a weeknight visit since the crowds can be more intense during that part of the week. Mars Cafe is completely informal — dress as you see fit (and are most comfortable). At Mars Cafe, you can park your car in seconds with the nearby street and lot parking options. Bike parking is quick and easy at Mars Cafe. Head on over to Mars Cafe first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening — Mars Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. People come to Mars Cafe for the coffee, but they stay for its fun and trendy vibe. When you need that little extra push to get you moving, grab a cup of coffee from Mars Cafe.

The Dinner Detective eschews campy costumes and plots for an exciting evening of food-accompanied mystery and paranoia, where actors hide among the diners, playing innocent and making everyone a potential suspect. To solve the crime, guests freely interrogate one another, chivvying out clues about the murderer and determining who has a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. Between dramatic deaths and simulated police involvement, guests dig into four-course meals, washed down with bottomless iced tea, coffee, and drinks from the cash bar. The diner who comes closest to solving the mystery through their snooping goes home with a prize basket to show off to their friends or split with the murderer as per their shadowy conspiracy. Prop guns and gunshot sound effects may be used during the performance.

Since 2007, foodies have flocked to Iowa's Premier Beer, Wine & Food Expopresented by Hy-Vee each year to check out food and drink booths, watch cooking demonstrations, and meet chefs and wine makers. Guests explore more than 100 booths filled with samples of wines, craft beer, 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 local and regional chefs and brewmasters, including Dick Leinenkugal, Bruce Nissen of Crispin Cider, and more. Not to be outdone, local chefs share the secret techniques, ingredients, and facial expressions they use to make popular regional dishes.

Since 1996, the theatre artists of StageWest Theatre Company have brought the moving (and often visceral) realities of the world at large to stages across Des Moines. The company's social consciousness is often reflected in its play selection: in the last 20 years, StageWest has dramatized the realities of civil war (Out of Spite: Tales of Survival in Sarajevo), the violence of homophobia (the Iowa premiere of The Laramie Project), and HIV/AIDS (Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2). However, the company doesn't shy away from lighter fare; popular recent productions include musical adaptations of Carrie and The Evil Dead.

For the theatrically inclined, Wooly's offers engaging plays for your enjoyment in Des Moines. With food just the way you like it, this club elevates your restaurant experience just on the level of taste. There are plenty of TVs in the bar to go around as well, so customers don't have to worry about missing out on anything. Enjoy a night out on the town at Wooly's and treat yourself to a couple flavorful drinks. Wooly's also features live music and dancing. Between the music and the crowds, Wooly's' noise levels can be intense. Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.