HowDidIMissThat.com

369 upcoming events

What to do in Des Moines in November 2026

128 events from Sunday, November 1 to Monday, November 30, 2026. Free: 9. Busiest venues: Des Moines Art Center, Hoyt Sherman Place, Wooly's.

Sunday, November 1, 2026

Visual arts
until Dec 18

Terra Cotta Conservation in the Art on Campus Collection

Christian Petersen Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Nov 29

Elle Pérez: La Despedida

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Dec 18

Christian Petersen: Memory in Metal

Christian Petersen

Christian Petersen Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Jul 23

Create and Replicate - Single Object Focus

Brunnier Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Dec 18

Luis Jiménez: The Mythic Southwest

Luis Jiménez

Christian Petersen Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Jan 31

Midwest Maker Series: Mary Merkel-Hess

Mary Merkel-Hess

Brunnier Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Jan 31

Wood for Function and Expression

Brunnier Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Jan 10

Artists on Fire

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jan 10

Valentin Noujaïm: La Défense

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Visual arts
Other
until Mar 21

Mental Health: Mind Matters

Science Center of Iowa
Visual arts
until Nov 24

Group Show: Lindsey Harrison, Kate Chandler, Chase Lilleholm and John Shymanski

Lindsey Harrison · Kate Chandler · Chase Lilleholm · John Shymanski

Ankeny Art Center · Ankeny
- Visual arts
Theatre
until Nov 1

Junie B. Jones in Boo... and I Mean It!

Fridays 7:00 PM · Saturdays and Sundays 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM

Des Moines Playhouse · Waveland Park
- Theatre
Tickets
Advertisement Think you know your music? Prove it.Quiz Infernal: free trivia quizzes on music, movies, history and dozens more categories.quizinfernal.com Play a quiz (opens in a new tab)
Theatre
until Nov 1

The Addams Family: School Edition

Stoner Studio Theater · Downtown
- Theatre
Tickets
Visual arts
until Jan 24

Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way: Contemporary Latinx Painting

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Visual arts
Free
Music
until Nov 1

Beautiful Monsters: John Williams & Symphonie Fantastique

Des Moines Civic Center · Downtown
- Music
- Classical
Tickets
Music
11 AM

Day of the Dead / Día de Los Muertos

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Music
Music
1:30 PM

Iowa Statesmen Choir Concert

Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Music
- Choir
Music
4:30 PM

ISU Cantamus and Lyrica Ensembles Fall Concert

Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Music
$10
Music
5 PM

Drake University Flute Day Recital

Drake University Performing Arts · Drake neighborhood
- Music
- Recital
Music
7 PM

Daughtry: 20 Years Unplugged Tour

Daughtry

Hoyt Sherman Place · Sherman Hill
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Brother Ali

Brother Ali · DJ Abilities

Wooly's · East Village
- Music
Tickets

Monday, November 2, 2026

Music
7 PM

Concerto Competition Finals

Drake University Performing Arts · Drake neighborhood
- Music
- Classical
Music
7 PM

Outlander in Concert

Des Moines Civic Center · Downtown
- Music
- Cinema
Tickets

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Other
6:30 PM

Wild Wolves of Yellowstone

Des Moines Civic Center · Downtown
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong · Dizgo

Wooly's · East Village
- Music
Tickets

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Visual arts
5:30 PM

The Shape of a Seat

Brunnier Art Museum · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Visual arts
Free
Other
6:30 PM

Speaker Series: Wilson Cruz

Wilson Cruz

Temple Theater · Downtown
Tickets
Music
7 PM

Uniform

xBk Live · Drake neighborhood
- Music
Tickets
Theatre
7:30 PM

ISU Theatre Presents: A Christmas Carol

Fisher Theater (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Theatre
Music
7:30 PM

Jordan Concert Series: Heidi Melton, soprano

Heidi Melton

Drake University Performing Arts · Drake neighborhood
- Music
Comedy
Time not announced

Rodney Carrington

Vibrant Music Hall · Waukee
- Comedy

Friday, November 6, 2026

Visual arts
5 PM

First Friday: Black Art and Culture

Open studios · live music and food · 5-8 PM

Mainframe Studios · Downtown
- Visual arts
Free
Comedy
7 PM

Chris Porter

Funny Bone Comedy Club · West Glen, West Des Moines
- Comedy
Tickets
Theatre
7 PM

Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE

Des Moines Civic Center · Downtown
- Theatre
Tickets
Comedy
7 PM

Justin Willman: One for the Ages Tour

Justin Willman

Hoyt Sherman Place · Sherman Hill
- Comedy
Tickets
Advertisement Will the couch fit? Draw the room to scale.Planimonde: type in the measurements, drop in the furniture, see what fits. No account.planimonde.com Draw a plan (opens in a new tab)
Theatre
7:30 PM

ISU Theatre Presents: A Christmas Carol

Fisher Theater (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Theatre
Music
Time not announced

Bear Grillz

Wooly's · East Village
- Music
- Nights out
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

The Queers

xBk Live · Drake neighborhood
- Music
- Pop punk
- Punk

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Music
9 AM

Living History Farms Race

Living History Farms · Urbandale
- Music
Music
1 PM

"Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way" Exhibition Tour

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Music
Comedy
6:30 PM

Chris Porter

Funny Bone Comedy Club · West Glen, West Des Moines
- Comedy
Tickets
Music
7 PM

NOLA Jazz Band Quartet

Stoner Studio Theater · Downtown
- Music
- Jazz
Tickets
Theatre
7:30 PM

ISU Theatre Presents: A Christmas Carol

Fisher Theater (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Theatre
Comedy
8 PM

Gary Owen: No Hard Feelings Tour

Gary Owen

Hoyt Sherman Place · Sherman Hill
- Comedy
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Colby Acuff

Colby Acuff · Low Gap

Wooly's · East Village
- Music
Tickets

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Music
1 PM

Art Workshop: German Expressionism and Film Noir Poster Design

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Music
Visual arts
1 PM

Honoring the Spirit: A Day of the Dead Ofrenda Conversation

Des Moines Art Center · Greenwood-Ashworth
- Visual arts
Theatre
2 PM

ISU Theatre Presents: A Christmas Carol

Fisher Theater (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Theatre
Music
2 PM

Star Spangled Salute to Veterans

Des Moines Civic Center · Downtown
- Music
Tickets
Cinema
7 PM

A Place in the Sun with Karina Longworth of You Must Remember This podcast

Karina Longworth

The Varsity Cinema
- Cinema
Music
7:30 PM

CySlides Trombone Choir

Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Music
- Choir
Music
7:30 PM

Micky Dolenz: 60 Years of The Monkees

Micky Dolenz

Hoyt Sherman Place · Sherman Hill
- Music
Tickets

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Music
7 PM

Everclear: Lucky 7 Tour

Everclear

Hoyt Sherman Place · Sherman Hill
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Kurt Vile + The Violators

Kurt Vile + The Violators · Twisted Teens

Wooly's · East Village
- Music
Tickets

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Visual arts
7 PM

Hopper: An American Love Story with Des Moines Art Center

The Varsity Cinema
- Visual arts
- Cinema
Comedy
7 PM

UpDating

Funny Bone Comedy Club · West Glen, West Des Moines
- Comedy
Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

Jazz Night - NKOTB vol. 6

Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Music
- Jazz
Cinema
Time not announced

Reel Rock 20

Fleur Cinema & Cafe · South Side
- Cinema

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Theatre
10 AM

Maya and the Magic Ring

Stephens Auditorium (Iowa State Center) · Ames (Iowa State University)
- Theatre

Everything on in Des Moines