September 11, 2026
By: Greater Des Moines Partnership
5 Ways to Get Out and Explore Greater DSM This Week: Sept. 11-17
September is settling in across the Greater Des Moines (DSM) region, bringing a fresh lineup of events and ways to spend the week. Live music takes center stage with performances ranging from a laid-back evening at the farm to a full weekend festival in the Iowa countryside. You can also hunt for vintage treasures and unexpected finds, plan a family outing or make a road trip to a DSM community you haven’t visited in a while. With events stretching from Cumming and West Des Moines to Greenfield, Pella and Waukee, this is a good week to venture beyond your usual spots and see what you discover. Here are five can’t-miss things to do across DSM Friday, Sept. 11 – Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
![Middlebrook Farm Fridays at the Farm]()
Fridays at the Farm: Damon Dotson
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 | Middlebrook Farm, Cumming
Ease into the weekend with live music, food trucks and a Friday evening on the farm. Damon Dotson performs from the Farmhouse porch during Fridays at the Farm, happening from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, grab dinner from General Lee’s Smoke Shack, Pho Wheels & Sushi or Pie Mates and find something refreshing at the Wine Wagen or beer tent. You can also browse the local vendor market while the kids burn off some energy with activities like soccer and gaga ball. The event is free and family-friendly, so all you need to do is show up and settle in for the evening.
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Keep the live music going in Cumming with Tony Bohnenkamp at Middlebrook Mercantile on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
![Getting Down on the Farm Music Festival]()
Getting Down on the Farm Music Festival
Friday Sept. 11 – Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 | 366 240th Place, Pella
Turn up the music and head to the Iowa countryside for the second annual Getting Down on the Farm Music Festival. This two-day festival near Pella pairs a full lineup of live music with camping, food, drinks, local vendors and the laid-back atmosphere of a weekend on the farm. Bring the family, gather a group of friends or make a whole weekend of it with an overnight stay under the stars. With musicians and music fans coming together from around the Midwest, it’s a chance to trade your usual concert venue for wide-open spaces and experience live music with a little extra Iowa country charm.
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![Greenfield Swap Meet]()
Greenfield Swap Meet
Friday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 | Adair County Fairgrounds, Greenfield
You never know what you’ll find at the Greenfield Annual Swap Meet, and that’s half the fun. Spend three days browsing the Adair County Fairgrounds for cars, parts, crafts and an assortment of other finds brought together for buying, selling and swapping. Whether you arrive with something specific on your shopping list or simply like digging around for unexpected treasures, give yourself some time to see what turns up. Shopping begins at 8 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the grounds staying open until dusk the first two days. Add some food and a little treasure hunting, and you’ve got yourself a road trip to Greenfield.
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![Vintage Thrifted Handmade Market]()
Vintage, Thrifted & Handmade Vendor Market
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 | Valley Junction, West Des Moines
If digging through racks, hunting for vintage gems and discovering locally made goods sounds like your kind of Sunday, head to Historic Valley Junction. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., more than 70 vendors will fill the 100 and 200 blocks of Fifth Street with vintage home decor and clothing, thrifted finds and handmade goods from Iowa businesses. Food trucks will be there when you need a shopping break and this year’s event adds a kids’ handmade market in the 300 block. Browse the booths, pop into Valley Junction’s shops along the way and see what one-of-a-kind find ends up coming home with you.
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Also happening in West Des Moines this week, catch Minus the Bear live at Val Air Ballroom on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.
![Festive Fall Fun Family Glow Bowling]()
Festive Fall Fun Family Glow Bowling Party
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026 | Warrior Lanes, Waukee
Turn down the lights and turn up the family fun at Warrior Lanes. The Festival Fall Fun Family Glow Bowling Party swaps the usual bowling experience for glow-in-the-dark lanes, music, food and an alcohol-free atmosphere designed for families. Gather the kids, book a lane and see who can rack up the most strikes, or just embrace the inevitable gutter balls and enjoy some time together. The party takes place Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, but don’t wait until then to make your plans: the registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Can’t make this one or miss the deadline? Keep an eye out for future events in Warrior Lanes’ monthly series of family-friendly bowling parties.
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Get out and explore DSM this week with a new lineup of free events happening throughout the region.
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