7 things to do in Des Moines this weekend include Hinterland, Jordan Weber, Barry Manilow

If you want to stay on top of all the fun things to do in Des Moines, sign up for Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register that showcases all things fun you can do in central Iowa. Recently, we've written about karaoke barswhere to go thriftingwhere to buy craftsvegan restaurantsgluten-free options, the Amana Colonies and where to buy plants. If you sign up for our newsletter, you get a whole list of fun places to go, things to do, what to eat, and more early Thursday morning in your inbox.

Barry Manilow

Thursday night: He may write the songs that make the whole world sing, but Barry Manilow said he will hang up the microphone once his tour ends. The singer behind “Mandy,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” “It’s a Miracle,” “Looks Like We Made It,” and “Copacabana (at the Copa)” plays what he’s calling “The Last Des Moines Concert” at Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines, for a 7 p.m. show. Tickets start at $27.

More: Barry Manilow looking forward to 'saying goodbye' before last Des Moines concert

Hinterland

Vampire Weekend headlines Hinterland this weekend.
Vampire Weekend headlines Hinterland this weekend.

Friday afternoon: Hinterland kicks off with a three-day music festival at 3357 St. Charles Road, St. Charles, with singer-songwriter Hozier headlining on Friday, rockers Vampire Weekend on Saturday, and singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who played the fest last year, and indie favorite Chappell Roan on Sunday.

More: What to know about Hinterland Music Festival 2024, from Hozier to Chappell Roan

First Friday at Mainframe Studios

“Inhale.... Exhale....” by internationally renowned artist Jordan Weber comes alive atop Mainframe Studios on Friday night.
“Inhale.... Exhale....” by internationally renowned artist Jordan Weber comes alive atop Mainframe Studios on Friday night.

Friday evening: Mainframe Studios, 900 Keosauqua Way, Des Moines, opens its doors from 5 to 8 p.m. for First Friday. This edition features Photography: Visual Storytelling! Portraits, Abstract, Still Life, Fine Art, Landscape and Nature, showcasing 16 photographers and a filmmaker on the four floors of the building. The first 140 people to visit Jon Lemons Photograph on the first floor receive a free Polaroid to take part in an activity with the portrait instructor. Visitors can also participate in the Polaroid photo booth in the Sarah Rose Studio in studio #354.

Counting Crows

The Counting Crows play Waukee Friday night.
The Counting Crows play Waukee Friday night.

Friday night: “Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” and “Accidentally in Love” band Counting Crows flies into Vibrant Music Hall, 2938 Grand Prairie Parkway, Waukee, with a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets start at $82. The band played Principal Park with Collective Soul and Third Eye Blind in 2007.

‘Inhale…. Exhale….’ art installation dedication

Friday night: Stick around after First Friday for the reveal and dedication of “Inhale…. Exhale….,” a new art installation on top of Mainframe Studios. Head over to 1401 Center St., Lot #301, Des Moines, from 8:15 to 8:45 p.m. when this piece of art created by internationally renowned artist Jordan Weber goes live — and breathes. Weber will be dedicating the piece to the late Teree Caldwell-Johnson, a longtime Des Moines Public Schools board member and CEO at Oakridge Neighborhood.

Meet six Iowa authors

Saturday afternoon: Spend some time with local authors and their books from 1 to 3 p.m. at Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave., Des Moines. Authors on hand include:

  • Heather Livesay Brown, a licensed massage therapist in southeastern Iowa who wrote “Sacred Self: Everyday Rituals for the Modern Woman,” a guide to self-care, personal development, and healing.

  • Abby Jacobson, who grew up in a small Iowa town and married her high school sweetheart. She found inspiration from four years of sobriety for her book “Petals of Unspoken Verses,” a collection of poetry that Jacobson calls “a journey into finding one’s power, believing in yourself, and never giving up.”

  • LoraKim Joyner, a lover of birds with a master’s degree in preventive veterinary medicine with an emphasis in avian research and a community minister for a decade who wrote “Prion: A Futuristic Fable of Parrots, Pandemics, and Promise-Makers.” The book looks at a pandemic that threatens to wipe out humans. The virus is carried by parrots. The book explores how people “might live in hard times of any age.”

  • Susie Kundrat, a registered dietician nutritionist, wrote “Eat Move Groove: Unlock the Simple Steps to Lifelong Nutrition, Fitness & Wellness.” Kundrat, who grew up in Jefferson, is a clinical professor emerita with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Public Health and an adjunct instructor with the University of Illinois Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. She was also the consultant sports nutritionist with the Milwaukee Bucks.

  • Jeanne Martz, who lives in Pleasant Hill and graduated from Iowa State University, takes her love of Iowa and rural settings to inspire her characters and six novels. “The Last Chapter,” the third in a series of Swenson Farm mysteries, is told from the perspective of Nels Swenson’s grandson, Mario, who leaves for San Francisco to find his career and love.

  • “Even Fleas Say Please” by Lindsay Meleshko, who lives in Madison County, teaches kindness and manners through fun-loving critters who get in silly situations where they can flex their good manners.

Clowns at the Carousel

Sunday afternoon: Head over the Union Park at 2009 Saylor Road, Des Moines, to the Heritage Carousel for Clowns at the Carousel. The event features free carousel rides, a bounce house, food, drink, and entertainment, which includes the Urbandale Community Band and the Korn Patch Klowns.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on FacebookTwitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: See the Counting Crows, Barry Manilow or Hinterland this weekend