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Kick off your Labor Day weekend outside with the return of Valley Junction’s annual multicultural festival or catch a beer with Confluence Brewing Company’s Patio Fest. If you’re looking for something high-energy, head to Water Works Park for the Des Moines Symphony’s ABBA-centric concert or see Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie live at the Wells Fargo Arena. Or, get transported back into another time with the return of the Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow through Labor Day.
Catch a beer and listen to live music
Friday afternoon: Confluence Brewing Co., 1235 Thomas Beck Rd., kicks off Patio Fest, a party on the patio that continues through Labor Day. Enjoy live music from acts including Des Moines band Jeff & The Effects Saturday night starting at 7 p.m. and The King of Mars Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Patio Fest will also host food vendors such as Pie Mates and Peggy O’s Food Truck. Patio Fest is free to attend.
Explore Valley Junction with a festival
Friday night: The annual Taste of the Junction Multicultural Festival returns this Labor Day weekend. The festival kicks off at the Valley Community Center, 4444 Fuller Road in West Des Moines, at 5 p.m. with a storytelling experience about the history of the families of Valley Junction. Festivities continue Saturday starting at 2 p.m. with live music, food vendors, arts and crafts and more over at Railroad Park in West Des Moines. The event is free to attend.
More:A visitors’ guide on things to do and places to eat in and around Des Moines
Have a laugh with comedian Dave Landau
Friday night: Comedian Dave Landau, a finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” is stopping by comedy club Funny Bone, 560 S. Prairie View Drive in West Des Moines, for two nights. Landau cohosts sketch series “Normal World” on BlazeTV and previously appeared on conservative late-night comedy show “Louder with Crowder” on YouTube. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $23.
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Take the family to a free movie
Friday night: See Disney’s “Zootopia,” the 2016 film that takes viewers into the world of personified animals, for free at Colby Park, 6900 School St., Windsor Heights, as part of the city’s Movies in the Park series. People are invited to enjoy refreshments before “Zootopia” starts at 7:45 p.m. Be sure to bring chairs or blankets to watch the flick.
Go golfing with the Des Moines Valley Golf Club
Saturday morning: The Des Moines Valley Golf Club’s Labor Day golf tournament will keep golfers busy through Sunday with fun on and off the golf course, including special events like music and dancing Saturday evening, and an award show Sunday. The tournament is held at A.H. Blank Golf Course, 808 County Line Road, Des Moines. Register online or on Friday at the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center, 75 E. Army Road, from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $190 per golfer.
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Eat brunch with bottomless mimosas or bloody Marys
Saturday morning: Eat brunch with a side of bottomless mimosas or bloody Mary’s. Gusto Pizza Bar puts the novelty in brunch with dishes such as breakfast poutine with beef barbacoa and scrambled eggs over tots, loaded hash browns stuffed with ham and scrambled eggs, two biscuits stuffed with bacon and sausage gravy, a French toast sando, and more. Find Gusto Pizza Bar at 2301 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines, and hit up brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More:21 great brunches to try in the Des Moines area right now, including Early Bird, Eatery A
Dress the part for a Renaissance fair
Saturday afternoon: The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow returns for its fall fair Saturday for three weekends in September at Sleep Hollow Sports Park, 4051 Dean Ave. in Des Moines. Get your fill of turkey legs and mead while catching a jousting performance. The Renaissance Faire at Sleepy Hollow is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Labor Day. Tickets are $16 for adults 13 and up, and children 12 and younger can attend for free.
Rock out with two rock legends
Saturday night: Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie are bringing their Freaks onParade tour to Wells Fargo Arena, 730 Third St., Des Moines. Shock-rocker Zombie has delved into music and film over his career, responsible for songs like “Living Dead Girl” and “Feel So Numb” as well as the 2003 horror flick “House of 1000 Corpses.” He’s joined by Cooper, whose decades-long career has led to hits like “School’s Out” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” The show starts at 6 p.m. with special guests Ministry and Filter. Tickets start at $29.50.
Become the ‘Dancing Queen’ with ABBA hits
Saturday night: The Des Moines Symphony is bringing the hits of pop superstars ABBA to the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park, 2201 George Flagg Pkwy., Des Moines. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and snacks for a free, family-friendly performance covering the band behind songs “Mamma Mia,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and “Super Trouper.” The performance starts at 7:30 p.m.
Go to a free music festival in Norwalk
Sunday afternoon: The Norwalk Music Fest returns for another year from noon to 10 p.m. at Norwalk City Park, 907 North Ave., Norwalk. Performers at the festival include Americana roots-pop act Ducharme-Jones, R&B and neo-soul band The Feel Right and headliner Red Dirt Renegade, an all-Iowan outlaw country band. Expect food vendors serving up Mexican food to popcorn, and kids can enjoy bouncy houses at the event. Norwalk Music Fest is free to attend.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
