Enjoy a fall festival with a parade or grab grub at food trucks this weekend in Des Moines
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Kick off the first weekend in October by getting into the spooky spirit with your family with a free showing of "Hocus Pocus" in Windsor Heights. The movie is part of Windsor Height's fall festival, which continues Saturday with a parade, family-friendly activities and fireworks in the evening. Saturday morning, head over to the Iowa State Fairgrounds for a flea market and continue the fun with a food truck festival at Court Avenue Bridge in the afternoon. End your weekend with an educational event that celebrates Indigenous Peoples' Day, which is on Oct. 9 this year.
See comedian Ben Palmer roast Des Moines
Thursday night: When Karens ask to speak to the manager and the manager doesn't respond, this guy takes their place with savage roasts. Comedian and TikToker Ben Palmer, who has also infiltrated various Facebook groups and posed as a reporter as part of his comedy, brings his professional trolling experiences to the Funny Bone comedy club, 560 S. Prairie View Drive in West Des Moines. Tickets, starting at $25, are available on the comedy club's website for the 6:30 p.m. show.
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Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
Thursday night: If you want Beetlejuice to show up, just say his name three times and the spirit with a thing for black and white stripes shows up to wreak havoc on the Deetzes. Lydia just wants to meet the recently deceased couple Barbara and Adam Maitland, who previously lived in the house, but instead gets a handful with the namesake demon. "Beetlejuice" at the Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut St. in Des Moines, takes place at 7:30 p.m., with additional shows through Sunday. Tickets start at $95.
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See art that celebrates growth and recovery
Friday night: Mainframe Studio’s First Friday open studios events continue with this weekend with the community invited to tour the nonprofit at 900 Keo Way in Des Moines. This Friday is centered on works of growth and recovery. Stop by Momentum Arts Studio, studio 109, to see some of the work that supports this theme. First Friday at Mainframe Studios is from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is free to attend.
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Spend a night listening to Grace Potter
Friday night: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Grace Potter, the frontwoman of rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, comes to Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines, with an 8 p.m. show. The Vermont-born rocker who collaborated with country star Kenny Chesney for the song “You and Tequila,” recorded a song for Disney’s “Tangled” and recently released the album “Mother Road” in August. Tickets start at $36 on ticketmaster.com.
Catch comedians from all over the country in Des Moines
Friday night: Des Comédie Festival brings more than 50 comedians from across the country, including Sam Tallent and Kristen Toomey, to Teehee’s Comedy Club, 1433 Walnut St. in Des Moines. The festival, which kicked off Wednesday night, continues with Chicago comic Toomey at 9:30 p.m., and ends Saturday with an 11 p.m. roast yourself event where comedians who perform will be roasted at the end of their set. Tickets start at $20 for Toomey’s performance.
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Take your kids to the circus
Friday night: Parents are invited to bring their children ages 6 to 14 to Cirque Wonderland Studios, 105 S. 11th St. in West Des Moines. Drop your children off and let them explore the world of aerial arts, hula hooping and more from 5:30 to 8 p.m., supervised by performers from Cirque Wonderland. Tickets are $40.
See the horizon through the lens of a painting
Friday night: A new exhibit is coming to Moberg Gallery, 2411 Grand Ave. in Des Moines. “Pulse,” by Kansas City, Missouri-based artist Derrick Breidenthal, shows large-scale paintings of the horizon and sky. The free opening reception takes place from 5 to 8 p.m.
Get spellbound by the Sanderson sisters
Friday night: Take your family to a free showing of the October classic, “Hocus Pocus,” and watch the Sanderson sisters take over Colby Park, 6900 School St. in Windsor Heights. Enjoy pizza, popcorn and cookies before the movie, which starts at 6:45 p.m. The movie showing is free.
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Go shopping at the Iowa State Fairgrounds
Saturday morning: Visit the Iowa State Fair Flea Market, held at the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E. Grand Ave. in Des Moines, to find antiques, collectibles, home décor and more from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The flea market is free to attend.
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Catch a fireworks show with family as part of a fall festival
Saturday morning: Windsor Heights is hosting its fall festival, kicking off with the showing of “Hocus Pocus” in Colby Park and continuing with a pancake breakfast Saturday, a parade, an afternoon of bounce houses, a petting zoo and food trucks at Colby Park, and ending with a fireworks show at 7:30 p.m. Visit Windsor Height’s website for a full list of activities and their locations, which start at 8 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. Most activities are free to attend.
Visit a festival about banned books
Saturday morning: Beaverdale Books presents the Banned Books Festival at Franklin Event Center, 4801 Franklin Ave. in Des Moines. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., stop by for children’s story time, a panel discussion of banned books, poetry readings and a trivia contest on banned books. Visit Beaverdale Books’ website for a full schedule. The event is free to attend.
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Dig in for a day of good eats with friends
Saturday afternoon: Worldwide Food Truck Tours is coming to Des Moines on the Court Avenue Bridge. From noon to 10 p.m., grab a bite from food trucks serving birria tacos, loaded fries, and Mediterranean fare, and enjoy live entertainment, a beer tent and games for families and adults. Tickets start at $10.
Get your lederhosen on in Waukee
Saturday night: Your Oktoberfest fun continues thanks to Wauktoberfest at 550 Ashworth Drive in Waukee. The event is a fundraiser for the Waukee Area Historical Society. Enjoy live performances, food and of course, a drink. Wauktoberfest is from 4:30 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door and free for children five and under.
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day by collecting seeds
Sunday afternoon: Polk County Conservation is celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day with an afternoon of storytelling and prairie seed harvesting at the Chichaqua Wildlife Area, 8600 N.E. 126th Ave. in Maxwell. The event will host Eugene Fracek, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, to share stories about his culture and the prairie ecosystem. After, Polk County Conservation staff will guide guests to collect seeds for the purpose of harvesting. The free event is from 2 to 5 p.m.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Things to do in Des Moines this weekend include free movie screening
