2 stages featuring Rising Lion

The Perry Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the 35th Annual BRR - Bike Ride to Rippey on February 4. This annual 24-mile round trip bike ride from Perry to Rippey & back, rolls on regardless of the weather. Known as the "Original WINTER Bike Ride", BRR riders have experienced frigid temperatures & wind chills while plowing through a foot of snow & have also enjoyed spring like temperatures of 60 degrees! Attendance has grown every year with riders/guests attending from all over Iowa & the country. Hosted by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce, BRR is a frozen-filled day of biking, prizes & entertainment. 

This year's theme- EmBRRacing the Chill was captured brilliantly by avid bicyclist, BRR veteran of 26 years and award winning cartoonist Brian Duffy. BRR registration, the official start & other morning activities all take place in downtown Perry. 

Schedule of Events: 

Breakfast Lions Club (Open to Public) HOTEL PATTEE, 7-10:30 a.m. 

Registration and pickup of materials for pre registered riders at TownCraft Building (1122 Willis Ave), 8-12 p.m. 

Ride kickoff by Chuck Scheib's cannon at 2nd & Willis, 10 a.m. 



East Greene Youth Fellowship in Rippey will host a baked potato bar at the church. Lion's Club will serve Roast Beef Sundaes at the former Masonic Building in the community Room at 3rd & Main. Rippey Fire Department will host a beer tent. Public safety officials have requested riders depart from Rippey no later than 3pm to ensure a safe return to Perry before sunset. 



Riders may pre-register for the ride at: www.bikeiowa.com, or call the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce for a registration form. The $25 pre-registration & $30 day of ride registration Includes: 

35th Annual BRR T-shirt; Traditional Commemorative lapel pin (first 300); Ticket for Hot Chocolate break midway to Rippey; Free Sag Wagon; Automatically entered in drawing to Win $500 in Perry Bucks; Admission to McCreary Center for swimming, sauna, whirlpool plus coupons/discounts from area businesses. 

For more information, or to register for the ride, please contact the Perry Area Chamber at: 515.465.4601, or via email at: perrychamber@perryia.org www.perryia.org

If you're a chocolate lover, then this event is for you! Indulge in an afternoon of chocolate at Tassel Ridge Winery. Chef Linda DeJong will show you how to make decadent chocolate creations including Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Pots de Creme Tarts & Homemade Marshmallows to float in our signature Hot Chocolate made with Tassel Ridge's Final Raspberry dessert wine. Sample the chocolate creations & take home recipe cards. 

Advance reservations required by Wednesday, February 1. Contact the Winery at 641.672.WINE (9463) for reservations.

Contact: Dave Sigmund at 515-210-5224.

Come & get your groove on with the whole family! Dance tunes for everyone - a disco in the middle of the day! You're coming downtown Saturday anyway, join us for a great time! $5/person or $12/family. 

Tickets can be purchased at www.midwestix.com or at the door.

February 4, 2012 (featuring Freight Train Frank Strong)

Stop by Jett & Monkey's Dog Shoppe to meet some of the wonderful dogs available for adoption through Great Plains Pointer Rescue!

Great bands including Lee Brice, Frankie Ballard, James Wesley, Jason Jones & The Lost Trailers. Event at 6pm / Doors at 5pm. 

Tickets can be purchased online at RedTruckTickets.com or the 7 Flags Event Center.

Joseph Giunta has invited Sarah Hicks, the much sought-after Resident Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, to conduct an American program for our Spirit of America season. This concert will include Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, an inspirational work revered for its unsurpassed beauty, and Copland’s lively Billy the Kid.

Arena Level (Adult): $14; Arena Level (Child): $11; Center Ice Level: $16; Ice Level: $19; Lounge Tables (includes 4 tickets): $80. Single game tickets will increase an additional $1 per ticket on game days. All single game tickets will include a $1.00 per ticket fee when paying with a credit and/or debit card. 

Call 515-278-BUCS to order your tickets today!

Country Night with Casey James - post game concert with former American idol contestant

The schedule has changed due to weather. For more information, visit dmwintergames.com or sleepyhollowsportspark.com.

An indoor soccer tournament with these divisions: High School Boys, High School Girls, U12 Coed, U12 Girls, U14 Coed and U14 Girls. More information can be found at: www.menacesoccer.com.

To order tickets, you may call & leave a message at (515) 964-5007 or send an e-mail message to: tickets@ankenycommunitytheatre.com. Show times are Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

2012 RV Camping Show has 7 established dealers from the central Iowa area. The newest models & innovative floor plans. Showing several different manufacturers to compare. Special show pricing & daily door prices. For additional show information, please contact Joyce at 515.288.7473.

At the age of 19, Auggie Smith moved from Billings, Montana to Portland, Oregon to pursue a career in stand up comedy. After a few years of toil & struggle, he first achieved acclaim by winning the 1994 Sam Adams Comedy Contest, who’s prizes earned him his first national exposure on the TV show Evening At the Improv. Auggie truly found his comedy voice in 1997, when he placed second in the Seattle Comedy Competition to legendary comic Mitch Hedberg. This earned him an invitation to the 1998 Montreal Comedy Festival, where he performed a remarkable 12 shows, including New Faces, Danger Zone & The Nasty Show. When Auggie takes the stage, audiences realize that they’re in for an evening of riveting, take-no-prisoners stand-up comedy. During Auggie’s set, pop culture & political targets are dissected piece by piece into intelligently written manic rants. He has spent most of the last two decades keeping a constant road schedule honing his craft & creating a truly memorable, relevant & constantly evolving live experience. 

A native of St. Louis, Mike MacRae moved to Houston in 1995 where he started performing stand-up at local college events. After getting out of school in 1999, Mike started going up at the legendary Houston Laff Stop & soon developed his trademark combination of insightful social & cultural commentary with uncanny, unique impressions. In 2001, Mike made his TV debut on Comedy Central’s "Premium Blend" & a year later he was selected "Best Local Comedian" by the Houston Press. 2003 saw Mike’s debut on "The Bob & Tom Show". Mike is now a regular favorite on the show & is a part of the "Bob & Tom Comedy All Stars" theater tour. In May 2007, Mike made his TV debut when "The Late Show with David Letterman" invited him to perform as part of "Impressionist Week". In addition, he was the national spokesman for "IvyBlock" & has lent his distinctive voice to dozens of popular anime cartoons, including "Super Milk Chan" on Cartoon Network. In 2008 Mike got the call to join the cast of the popular late-night sketch show "Frank TV". Along with Frank Caliendo & Freddy Lockhart, Mike uses his impression skills to explore the zone of insanity where politics, pop culture & the media collide. Mike  continues to be a regular performer in comedy clubs & splits his time between Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.

Based on the book by Harper Lee Scout, a young girl in a quiet southern town, is about to experience the dramatic events that will affect the rest of her life. She & brother Jem are being raised by their widower father Atticus & by a strong-minded housekeeper Calpurnia. Wide-eyed Scout is fascinated with the sensitively revealed people of her small town but, from the start, there's a rumble of thunder just under the calm surface of the life here. The black people of the community have a special feeling about Scout's father & she doesn't know why. A few of her white friends are inexplicably hostile & Scout doesn't understand this either. Unpleasant things are shouted & the bewildered girl turns to her father. Atticus, a lawyer, explains that he's defending a young Negro wrongfully accused of a grave crime. Atticus fights his legal battle with a result that is part defeat, part triumph. 

Drama appropriate for ages 13 & up.

Want to make something special for your sweetheart this year? Come to Studio Fuzzishu & create a super special, one of a kind piece of jewelry to give your loved one this Valentine's Day (or just because!) There are several different options for a stamped heart bracelet, a pendant with red Swarovski heart crystal, or mixed metal pendant. No experience necessary, just come and be prepared to have fun!

Directed by Jerry Eisenhour. In Dancing with the Moon, earthy, middle-aged Kate, who is divorced & looking for love in all the wrong places, tutors virginal graduate student Francis on ways to woo women. In the process, they both get much more than they bargained for. 

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, January 20 - February 4. 



For more information: www.tallgrasstheatre.org info@tallgrasstheatre.org (866) 745-4535 Sign-language interpretation for February 4 performance available upon request. Tickets are $12, and may be purchased at the door or at http://www.tallgrasstheatre.org/tickets. Sarah Lepert, Promotional Director Tallgrass Theatre Company sarahl@tallgrasstheatre.org

Bingo every Sunday, doors open 12:30 Game starts 2pm. Must be 18 years of age or older. 

Food is available. For additonal information, please call 515-979-6357.

The Junior Menace developmental program is for BOYS & GIRLS ages 3-9. Players will develop soccer skills while having FUN! All Junior Menace sessions are run by professionally-licensed soccer coaches & assisted by Menace Academy players, college players & PDL team players. Coaches will work closely with players to ensure they are learning new soccer skills while being challenged in a fun & safe environment. 

The 3-4 year-old program will take place for 30 minutes. The younger players will focus on coordination & balance exercises surrounding the game of soccer along with fun games that introduce the basic concepts. 

The 5-9 year-old program will take place for 1 hour. The older players will focus on technical footwork, speed & agility exercises & introduce "team" concepts, such as passing & spacing. Small-sided indoor games will also be played. Each player receives a Junior Menace jersey as part of the registration cost.

The Junior Menace developmental program is for BOYS & GIRLS ages 3-9. Players will develop soccer skills while having FUN! 

All Junior Menace sessions are run by professionally-licensed soccer coaches & are assisted by Menace Academy players, college players & PDL team players. Coaches will work closely with our Junior Menace players to ensure they are learning new soccer skills while being challenged in a fun & safe environment. 

The 3-4 year-old program will take place for 30 minutes. The younger players will focus on coordination & balance exercises along with fun games that introduce the basic concepts of soccer. 

The 5-9 year-old program will take place for 1 hour. The older players will focus on technical footwork, speed & agility exercises & introduce "team" concepts, such as passing & spacing. Small-sided indoor games will also be played. Each player receives a Junior Menace jersey as part of the registration cost.

The Junior Menace developmental program is for BOYS & GIRLS ages 3-9. Players will develop soccer skills while having FUN! 

All Junior Menace sessions are run by professionally-licensed soccer coaches & are assisted by Menace Academy players, college players & PDL team players. Coaches will work closely with our Junior Menace players to ensure they are learning new soccer skills while being challenged in a fun & safe environment. 

The 3-4 year-old program will take place for 30 minutes. The younger players will focus on coordination & balance exercises surrounding the game of soccer along with fun games that introduce the basic concepts of soccer. 

The 5-9 year-old program will take place for 1 hour. The older players will focus on technical footwork, speed & agility exercises & introduce "team" concepts, such as passing & spacing. Small-sided indoor games will also be played. Each player receives a Junior Menace jersey as part of the registration cost.

Steven Vail Fine Arts- Project Room is pleased to announce Selective Color in Printmaking, which includes works by Rita Ackermann, Kamrooz Aram, Carlos Amorales, Donald Baechler, Jose Bedia, Ross Bleckner, Robert Cottingham, Eric Fischl, Wayne Gonzales, Antony Gormley, Beverly Semmes, Josh Smith, Pat Steir & Donald Sultan. This exhibition demonstrates this select group of contemporary artists, from five different countries, exploration of how minimal color in reductive art can have a dramatic impact. Represented in a variety of print media, these works communicate through texture, pattern, and balance, avoiding the use of color as their primary expressive tool.

The Junior Menace developmental program is for BOYS & GIRLS ages 3-9. Players will develop soccer skills while having FUN! All Junior Menace sessions are run by professionally-licensed soccer coaches & assisted by Menace Academy players, college players & PDL team players. Coaches will work closely with our Junior Menace players to ensure they are learning new soccer skills while being challenged in a fun & safe environment. 

The 3-4 year-old program will take place for 30 minutes. The younger players will focus on coordination & balance exercises surrounding the game of soccer along with fun games that introduce the basic concepts. 

The 5-9 year-old program will take place for 1 hour. The older players will focus on technical footwork, speed & agility exercises & introduce "team" concepts, such as passing & spacing. Small-sided indoor games will also be played. Each player receives a Junior Menace jersey as part of the registration cost.

TWO DRAKE SCULPTURE STUDENTS TO BE FEATURED IN POLK COUNTY HERITAGE GALLERY EXHIBITION The Polk County Heritage Gallery recently selected works by two Drake sculpture students, Tatiana Klusak and Sandi Tomer, to be featured in an exhibition through March 1, 2012. The student work will be officially celebrated with an opening reception from 1-3 p.m. on Dec. 11. Greater Des Moines Exhibited 18  consists of works by sculptors from across the metro. Klusak's steel sculpture, titled Sociable Device, is part of a series of work she calls Forcing Devices. Forcing Devices consist of wearable apparatuses I have personally imagined for myself to solve common but complex social situations many people have difficulty experiencing, Klusak said. While the devices fully function physically, their impracticality negates their ability to resolve the situations they are intended to remedy.Tomer's sculpture, made of laminated plywood, is more abstract. The work I do is often an exploration of connections and interrelationships such as those between industrial society, while also maintaining an emphasis on materiality and craft,Tomer said. This piece explores these ideas through examination of the interior and exterior of both the form and the space in intersects. The Polk County Heritage Gallery, located at 111 Court Ave., is open to the public Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. Visit polkcountyheritagegallery.org for more information.

Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science, making its Midwest debut at the Science Center of Iowa! This exhibit is an immersive quest for knowledge that the whole family can enjoy. Reveal how archaeologists use modern science & technology to uncover & understand the ancient civilization of Egypt. Through authentic artifacts, hands-on interaction & current science, visitors will unearth the mysteries of Egypt, its culture & its people. Lost Egypt will allow visitors to learn about archaeology & the work of archaeologists, including how science changes over time as new techniques are developed & new information is uncovered. 

Explore how mummies, artifacts and other material remains contribute to our scientific understanding of past cultures. This exhibit is particularly inspiring for young people, illuminating the roles they can play as future archaeologists, scientists, engineers, technicians & lifelong learners. 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.sciowa.org.

Presenting works by Greater Des Moines artists as juried by Stewart Buck. 



For more information: www.polkcountyheritagegallery.com.