Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register, showcases all things fun you can do in central Iowa.
Principal Charity Classic
Through June 1: See top golfers such as John Daly, Ernie Els, and Vijay Singh compete in the Principal Charity Classic at the Wakonda Club, 3915 Fleur Drive, Des Moines. This stop on the PGA Tour Champions schedule started in 2001, with Principal taking over as the title sponsor in 2007. Over the years, the tournament took place at the Glen Oaks Country Club, Tournament Club of Iowa, and, since 2013, the Wakonda Club. Tickets start at $25, although children under age 15 and veterans and members of the military get in for free. The PGA anticipates 78 players vying for a $2 million purse, with the winner taking home $300,000.
2025 Summer Concert Series
May 29: See Des Moines-based oldies band Dirty Rotten Scoundrels perform during the 2025 Summer Concert Series at Jasper Winery, 2400 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines. The free concert from 6 to 9 p.m. showcases the vineyard every Thursday night through July 31 with a different band playing every week. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels only plays songs in the 1950-1969 timeframe, performing from a catalog of 50-plus songs from Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis, to name a few.
‘Paris Is Burning’ — A Pride Kickoff Extravaganza
May 29: Kick off Pride month with a showing of “Paris Is Burning,” the documentary that looks at New York City in the 1980s, the start of voguing and throwing shade, and the Black and Latin Harlem drag-ball scene. The documentary took seven years to make and showcases the rivalry between these two groups to win trophies and “the world that houses mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty.” Legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza, are included. The screening at the Varsity Cinema, 1207 25th St., Des Moines, starts at 6:30 p.m. with tickets available online at varsitydesmoines.com/purchase/792058. Guests are encouraged to dress as an iconic movie character.
Des Moines Con
Why Iowan Brandon Routh feels ‘safe’ places like Des Moines Con
Conventions like Des Moines Con are a “wonderful” place for people to express themselves, said Iowan and actor Brandon Routh.
May 30-June 1: Three days of all things comics and pop culture take over the Iowa Events Center, 730 Third St., Des Moines, during the fourth annual Des Moines Con. The event includes appearances by TV and movie actors, anime voice actors, comic creators, and other entertainers, as well as gaming tournaments, discussion panels, costume contests, and more. New this year, Epic Rap Battles of History will perform on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Celebrity guests scheduled to appear include: Charlie Cox (“Daredevil,” Saturday only), Vincent D’Onofrio (“Daredevil,” “Echo,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Saturday only), Mike Colter (“Luke Cage,” “Jessica Jones,” “The Defenders,” Saturday and Sunday only), Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns,” “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Scott Pilgrim”), Neil Newbon (“Baldur’s Gate”), Maggie Robertson (“Baldur’s Gate,” “Resident Evil”), Devora Wilde (“Baldur’s Gate,” “Cyberpunk 2077”), Jennifer English (“Baldur’s Gate”), Aliona Baranova (“Baldur’s Gate”), and more. For a complete list, visit desmoinescon.com. Des Moines Con is open from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $35.
Happy hour at Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster
May 30: Seafood takes center stage for the happy hour at Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster, 9500 University Ave., #1118, West Des Moines. Order $4 oyster supreme, $3 raw oysters, and $4 oyster Rockefeller. Diners can find a $12 happy hour relish tray, or $10 cheese curds and peppers, oyster mushrooms, or Brussels sprouts. Other deals include $2 off Wisconsin Old Fashioned or draft wine, and $6 draft beers. Every item ordered includes a pull tab. Happy hour takes place Tuesdays through Fridays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 p.m. to close.
46th Annual EMC DAM to DSM Half Marathon
May 31: Expect to see runners and walkers take on the 46th Annual EMC DAM to DSM Half Marathon that starts at the Visitors Center at 8250 Horseshoe Road in Polk City, and ends at Cowles Commons, 221 Walnut St. in downtown Des Moines, starting at 5 a.m. This race will be held rain or shine. For more info, including last-minute signups for the 13.1-mile race, parties, and shuttles, visit damtodsm.com.
2025 Red Bull Soapbox Race
May 31: The 2025 Red Bull Soapbox Race returns to the Iowa State Capitol at 801 E. Walnut St., Des Moines, after a pause since the first in Iowa in 2022. Look for amateur racers vying in homemade carts, or soapboxes, all racing on a downhill course. The teams are judged based on speed, creativity and showmanship, and every vehicle must have fully functioning brakes and steering. As many as 50 teams will compete, with the top three receiving trophies and prizes. Other awards recognize the people’s choice, the fastest speed, and the hometown hero. Watching the race is free.
Georgette Jones
May 31: Georgette Jones was born to country music legends and Country Music Hall of Fame couple, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, first singing on stage at age 3 and then singing her first duet with her father, “Daddy Come Home,” at 10. She left her singing career behind to become a registered nurse for 17 years before returning to music. Most recently, Jones brought country music into gaming. Tickets for her 8 p.m. show at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines, start at $39.
Shane Gillis
May 31: Comedian Shane Gillis went from a five-day stint on “Saturday Night Live,” to self-funding his debut album in 2021, to Netflix special “Beautiful Dogs” in 2023, to playing Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines, with an 8 p.m. show. Gillis also co-hosts “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” with comedian Matt McCusker. Season 2 of his scripted Netflix series “Tires” comes out in June. Tickets start at $52.
Josh Johnson
June 1: Comedian Josh Johnson is a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” where he was previously a writer for seven years. Johnson is also a former writer and performer on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he made his late-night debut in 2017. He takes the stage at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines, with a 4 p.m. show. Tickets range from $35 to $55.
Cooper DeJean All-Star Charity Softball Game
June 1: Former Iowa Hawkeye and current defensive back for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles returns to Iowa for the Cooper DeJean All-Star Charity Softball Game at Principal Park, 1 Line Drive, Des Moines. The 1:08 p.m. game features DeJean as the captain of one of the softball teams and his former college teammate, fellow pro football player and Ankeny native Riley Moss, who plays for the Denver Broncos, heading up the other. DeJean will be joined by AJ Brown, Reed Blankenship and Isaiah Rogers. Moss will be joined by Bo Nix, Will Lutz, Alex Singleton and Mike McGlinchey. Other participants include Jay Higgins, CJ Beathard and Avonte Maddox. Tickets start at $14, and all the proceeds from the special ticket package, auction, and a portion of the overall ticket sales for the game will go to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Buy tickets at mlb.tickets.com.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].