“Les Misérables” returns to the Des Moines Civic Center, Nov. 12-16. Photo: Matthew Murphy
Des Moines Holiday Boutique
Nov. 7-9, EMC Expo Center. More than 200 vendors offer jewelry, children’s items, gourmet foods and more during this festive shopping weekend. iowaeventscenter.com
The Boxcar Children
Nov. 7-25, Tallgrass Theatre. The classic story of four precocious orphans finding their way in a small New England town is part of the West Des Moines company’s Seedlings series for kids. tallgrasstheatre.org
Living History Farms Race
Nov. 8, Living History Farms. The annual cross-country stampede through 300 years of history, plus a few muddy fields and streams, offers one more chance to wear your Halloween costume. It’s one for the ages. lhf.org
Soweto Gospel Choir
Nov. 10, Iowa State University’s Stephens Auditorium. The famous Grammy and Emmy award-winning gospel choir returns to North America to perform a joyful program of South African freedom songs, traditional spirituals and some classics in their “Peace” program in Ames. center.iastate.edu
“Les Misérables”
Nov. 12-16, Des Moines Civic Center. A timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit, the musical epic set in early 1800s France returns with memorable songs like “I Dreamed a Dream” and “One Day More.” dmpa.org
Iowa’s Largest Arts & Craft Show
Nov. 14-16, Iowa State Fairgrounds. If it can be made by hand, you can probably find it among the 250-plus booths at the Varied Industries Building. iowastatefairgrounds.org
A Motown Christmas
Nov. 16, Hoyt Sherman Place. Past and present members of Motown’s most legendary groups get together for a little doo-wop fa-la-la. hoytsherman.org
Des Moines Symphony
Nov. 22-23, Des Moines Civic Center. Guest violinist Stefan Jackiw joins the orchestra for Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy” before Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony. dmsymphony.org
Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland
Nov. 26, Iowa State University’s Stephens Auditorium. The touring production blends holiday music with world-class circus artistry, including high-flying acrobatics and aerial performances. center.iastate.edu
Winterset Festival of Lights
Nov. 28, Winterset square. For small-town revelry, your closest best bet is the Madison County seat, where you’ll find live music, a lighted parade and a holiday movie at the historic Iowa Theater. madisoncounty.com
Festival of Trees & Lights
Nov. 28-30, Iowa Events Center. The 42nd annual pop-up forest takes temporary root to raise funds for Blank Children’s Hospital. unitypoint.org
Christkindlmarket
Dec. 4-7 and 11-14, outside Principal Park. This year’s outdoor holiday market expands to two weekends. You’ll find European-style goodies, hand-crafted gifts, traditional music and a cozy after-hours party at Yuletide Hall. christkindlmarketdsm.com
New York Voices
Dec. 5, Staplin Performing Arts Center at Valley High School. Known for its rich harmonies and inventive arrangements, the vocal quartet visits from the Big Apple. civicmusic.org
Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus
Dec. 5-6, St. John’s Lutheran Church. The 25-year-old choir that now includes singers of all stripes celebrates its silver anniversary with a “Silver Bells” holiday program, with handbells, a harpsichord and a few festive surprises. dmgmc.org
“A Christmas Carol”
Dec. 5-21, Des Moines Civic Center. Iowa Stage Theatre revives the beloved Dickens fable for another staging at the Stoner Theater. iowastage.org
“Frozen”
Dec. 5-27, Des Moines Playhouse. The famous Disney movie featuring magic sisters — and the magic of sisterhood — takes the stage in a local production. dmplayhouse.com
Family Christmas
Dec. 6, Living History Farms. Bundle up for an 1870s Iowa Christmas at Walnut Hill, where you can hop on a horse-drawn wagon (with honest-to-goodness jingle bells), make Victorian decorations and visit old St. Nick. lhf.org
Holly & Ivy
Dec. 6-7, Salisbury House & Gardens. Tour the 100-year-old mansion, where local designers, florists, home stagers and other creative types will deck the halls with holiday splendor, and pianists will tickle the ivories on the custom-built Steinway. salisburyhouse.org
“The Nutcracker”
Dec. 11-14, Hoyt Sherman Place. Ballet Des Moines stages one of several local productions of the classic fairy tale about a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream, with thoughtful updates for the 21st century. balletdesmoines.org
Christmas with the Choral Society
Dec. 13, St. Ambrose Cathedral. Soak in the sounds of one of the city’s finest choirs during its annual holiday concert. dmchoral.org
The Peppermint Trail
Dec. 13, the Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand. Catch a free trolley ride to enjoy the festivities (and deals) at area shops and restaurants. theavenuesdsm.com
Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol”
Dec. 15, Stephens Auditorium. Set in the 1930s in the Smoky Mountains, this musical reimagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season. The family-friendly show features the songs of you-know-who. center.iastate.edu
The A Sisters & Friends at the Velvet Lounge
Dec. 19-21, Tallgrass Theatre. The cabaret returns with a bit of jazz, a pinch of comedy and, of course, a few holiday classics. tallgrasstheatre.org
Des Moines Symphony: Holiday Brass
Dec. 20-21, Westminster Presbyterian Church. Hark! The Des Moines Symphony brass section heralds the season as only they can in a program for all ages. dsmsymphony.org
Noon Year’s Eve
Dec. 31, Science Center of Iowa. Get a head start with midday, family-friendly festivities — and then get a good night’s sleep. sciowa.org
New Year’s Eve Pops
Dec. 31, Des Moines Civic Center. Ring in the new year with the Des Moines Symphony and Cirque performers from Troupe Vertigo at the Des Moines Civic Center. dmsymphony.org
NYE at Noce
Dec. 31, Noce. Celebrate the jazz club’s 10th anniversary and ring in the new year with live music and a little bubbly. nocedsm.com
First Day Hikes
Jan. 1. Start the new year with an invigorating hike through one of Iowa’s state parks. If you’re feeling ambitious, download a digital State Parks Passport and see how many stamps you can collect in 2026. iowadnr.gov
