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Two weeks: Jun 12–25, 2026
Searched Jun 12, 2026 · window Jun 12, 2026–Jun 25, 2026 · 16 kept / 16 set aside
Two-week sweep run on Jun 12. Confidence is solid for the named-source events (Catch Des Moines detail pages, the Botanical Garden calendar); the Ankeny Beats & Eats times come from a Des Moines Mom roundup, so confirm those before heading out. Jun 12–15 were already on the agenda from the prior run and are not re-listed here.
✓ Kept — on the agenda
| Event | When | Where | Cost | Tags | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids Markets @ Johnston Farmers Market | Jun 16 16:00 | Johnston Town Center, Johnston | — | kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show | Jun 17 13:00 | Adventureland Park, Altoona | Included with park admission | kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Picnic with Turtles | Jun 18 11:00 | Easter Lake Event Center, Des Moines | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Beats & Eats | Jun 18 17:00 | Ankeny Market & Pavilion, Ankeny | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Des Moines Mom |
| Music in the Garden: The Textures | Jun 18 18:00 | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines | $7 members / $14 nonmembers | arts, kid-friendly | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden |
| [Fridays at the Farm | Andrew Hoyt](https://www.catchdesmoines.com/event/fridays-at-the-farm-%7c-andrew-hoyt/56334/) | Jun 19 16:30 | Middlebrook Farm, Cumming | Free | arts, free, kid-friendly, outdoor |
| Pick a Posy Drop-In | Jun 19 17:30 | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines | $12 per bouquet | arts, kid-friendly | Catch Des Moines |
| Iowa Juneteenth Neighbor’s Day Celebration | Jun 20 12:00 | Western Gateway Park, Des Moines | Free | arts, free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| BioBlitz | Jun 20 09:00 | Jester Park Nature Center, Granger | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Soap Box Derby Local Championship Race | Jun 20 10:00 | Ewing Park, Des Moines | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Discover the Wild: Video Games | Jun 21 10:00 | Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines | Free | kid-friendly, arts | Catch Des Moines |
| Summer Solstice Hike | Jun 21 19:30 | Jester Park Wetland Shelter, Granger | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Gray’s Station Summer Music Series | Jun 24 18:00 | Gray’s Station Clubhouse, Des Moines | Free | arts, free, outdoor | Catch Des Moines |
| Music in the Garden: Mango Soul | Jun 25 18:00 | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Des Moines | $7 members / $14 nonmembers | arts, kid-friendly | Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden |
| Beats & Eats | Jun 25 17:00 | Ankeny Market & Pavilion, Ankeny | Free | free, kid-friendly, outdoor | Des Moines Mom |
| Pride Night at the Museum | Jun 25 17:30 | Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines | Free | free, kid-friendly, arts | Catch Des Moines |
✗ Set aside — and why
- Des Moines Arts Festival (Jun 26–28) — Outside the window (starts Jun 26).
- Zoo Brew (Blank Park Zoo) (Wednesdays in June) — 21+ only.
- Sip & Stroll (Botanical Garden) (Jun 19) — 21+ only.
- Free Range Music & BBQ Festival (Jun 20) — $60 ticket — high cost.
- Dough with Dads (Botanical Garden) (Jun 20) — $45–50 for a drop-in.
- Pints & Ponytails: Dad + Daughter Hair Class (Jun 20) — $50 and hosted at a brewery.
- Paint & Sip at Lavender Life Farm (Jun 20) — $39, adult-leaning.
- Fierce Faith Music Fest 2026 (Jun 20) — $25 ticketed concert.
- Summer Kick-Off Family Glow Bowling Party (Jun 21) — $64.95/lane — high cost.
- iNaturalist BioBlitz (Jun 20) — Duplicate of BioBlitz (same morning, Jester Park) — merged.
- June 20 also-rans (K² Marketplace, Father’s Day Flop, Vibes in the Village, MACC Board Break, Tour the Landfill, Night Run) (Jun 20) — Curated down — Jun 20 had ~12 free options; kept Juneteenth, BioBlitz, and the Soap Box Derby as the strongest, most varied picks.
- Master Gardener Summer Lecture Series (Jun 16 & 23) — Adult lecture.
- Love You Des Moines Days (Jun 12–21) — Vague multi-day fundraiser; no firm single-day kids program to pin to a date.
- Taylor King Live at the Des Moines Biergarten (Jun 24) — Biergarten — kept Gray’s Station as the family music pick that night.
- Corgi Cup (Smash Park) (Jun 25) — $10 niche dog event; trimmed an already-crowded Jun 25.
- Tap Des Moines, Restorative Evening Hike, Open Books, USA Racquetball Jr., Family Tree Maker, Painting with a Twist (various) — Adult-leaning, niche, or no clear kid hook.
Sources hit
- Catch Des Moines — richest source; the Playwright script returned 64 family-fit events across the window, enriched with times/prices from detail pages. Most keepers came from here.
- Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden — clean JSON-LD calendar; supplied the two Music in the Garden concerts and confirmed adults-only/workshop events to drop.
- Blank Park Zoo — tickets page returned HTTP 403; fell back to web search, which surfaced Discover the Wild (Jun 21) and confirmed Zoo Brew is 21+.
- Web search — surfaced the Ankeny Beats & Eats series and the Juneteenth Neighbor’s Day celebration (the latter also confirmed via Catch Des Moines).
Caveat: Beats & Eats start times are a search-summary lead, not a confirmed venue page.