With Aqua Marine Dream Machine and Insectoid.

Don't miss a minute of the action as the Iowa Chops take the ice at Wells Fargo Arena. The Iowa Chops, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, bring a new look and attitude to hockey in Des Moines. Iowa Chops Hockey…It's Swine Time!

Summerset Winery is calling all Parrot Heads for a night in Margaritaville! For those of you who can't make it to Cancun this January - here is your alternative! Put on your flowered shirt & straw hat & come join us for a low casual, high times event - it's cheaper than a plane ticket! Festivities will begin at 6:30pm & wrap up around 11pm. Price includes wine reception, dinner with wine & evening of rockin' to Jimmy Buffett tunes performed by FreeStyle. The festivities will begin with wine tasting/hors d'oeuvres. Dinner, dancing & cavorting will follow.

Have you ever strapped on a pair of snowshoes? If not, make plans now to try a new, easy, and fun skill this winter. Come hike with a Polk County Conservation naturalist on Saturday, January 17, at Fort Des Moines Park, Shelter #1 from 10 a.m. – noon. Snowshoes will be provided for a $5 fee and pre-registration is required by January 14. Participants must be 8 years of age or older and wear warm boots that can get wet. Class will be canceled without snow. To register, call Polk County Conservation at 515-323-5300. For more information, check out their website at www.leadingyououtdoors.org.

Be the next Iowa Variety Idol! Looking for talented men & women who will impress our judges & the crowd! For more information on the competition and official rules & entry forms, please go to www.varietyiowa.com.

Share a fondue for two at Tassel Ridge Winery. Begin with a California salad & then enjoy our three-cheese fondue (Emmenthaler, Gruyere, & Leighton, Iowa’s Frisian Farms’ Gouda) with fresh vegetables, breads & meats. For dessert, an array of fresh fruits & cakes will be served with Tassel Ridge Chocolate Fudge Sauce. Each course will be paired with an award-winning wine from Tassel Ridge Winery. Advanced reservations required!

Over $1,000 in prizes! 1st place, 2nd place & 3rd place winners. Example prizes include: gift certificates to the Underground, Splash, Royal Mile & Baby Boomers. Register individually or as a team & show up with: Digital Camera Good walking shoes Be ready to have a great time Contact Tina Johnson with Re/Max for additional information!

AKC Dog Show! 1,200 dogs entered & over 138 different breeds. Also, ""Meet the Breed"", come & learn about different breeds up close, Saturday, 10am - 3pm. AKC B Match on Saturday starting around 6pm. See www.cikc.net for more details!

Come see the Johnston Dragons Spirit Cheerleaders!

Adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Tim McDonald. Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Join Charlie Bucket, Grandpa Joe, and all the other holders of the coveted Golden Ticket as they set off on their adventure through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory - the greatest chocolate factory in the world - accompanied by Wonka himself! This new stage musical features the Oompa Loompa chants from the Gene Wilder film, as well as the songs ""Candy Man"" and ""Pure Imagination."" Show Days & Times 7:00 PM Friday 1:00 PM Saturday 1:00 PM Sunday 4:00 PM Sunday (1:00 PM only on Feb. 8) Tickets $15.00 Adults/Seniors (62+) $12.00 Students

Gymnastics Meet for Levels 4 through 10. Please visit www.chows-gymnastics.com for a complete meet schedule.

Fri/Sat, Feb 13/14 - 7:30 pm Fri/Sat, Mar 6/7 - 7:30 pm Fri/Sat, Apr 10/11 - 7:30 pm Fri/Sat, May 29/30 - 7:30 pm Comedy XPeriment is Des Moines's™ primer improvisational comedy troupe that has been entertaining audiences around Des Moines for six years! CXP takes an audience suggestion and creates hilarious characters and situations that eventually all come together into one connected story or theme. As always with CXP shows, everything is unplanned, unscripted, and unrehearsed! Because of that, you'll never see the same show twice. Tickets vailable at the door or through Ticketmaster - www.ticketmaster.com www.comedyxp.tv

Exhibition in Print Gallery: Different Realities European & American Prints and Drawings from the 1920s and 1930s.  See www.desmoinesartcenter.org for more information.

Event Days: January 16, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM January 17, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM January 18, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building sponsored by Principal Financial Group Contact Info: Kevin Hummer (800) 756-4788

Rob enjoys an incredibly successful career as a standup comedian and with an impressive and growing portfolio of television and film appearances, he is quickly earning national recognition. Watch Rob in action, and you'll agree that he is one of the very best stand-up comedians in the country. A sketch comedy player on the Fox Sports Net Show, "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" and "Last Call with Carson Daly," Little uses his training from the world famous Second City Comedy Club to create routines that are inventive, funny, spontaneous, and completely unique.Having established himself as one of the funniest, most progressive, new comedians in the country, it's easy to understand why entertainment bookers call him "The Future of comedy with more contagious energy than the Energizer Bunny." The Detroit Free press selected him as Michigan's "Best up and Coming Comedian," and he earned the title of "finalist" in both the Seattle and San Francisco International Comedy Competitions. Rob was also selected as a feature performer at the Chicago Comedy Festival along with the Boston Comedy and Movie Festival.

DATES: January 8th & January 22nd! Each of our Tequila Dinners will give you an opportunity to try our Mexican cuisine featured with selected tequilas & includes: A featured 5-course meal paired with hand crafted tequila cocktails Meet our chefs, Julio & Mike, while they explain how each course is prepared. Representatives from El Major, Patrón , or Cazadores Tequila will share their knowedge. This exclusive experience is $65/person & includes tax + gratuity FUTURE DATES: February 12 & 26, 2009 at 6:30pm

SUNDAYS ONLY - Join local musicians as they escape from the cold, dry winter to the warm tropical environment of the Botanical Center. Every Sunday in January & February a different artist will be performing in the Dome from 1pm-3pm. Admission $4 per person. Come down & join us for food, fun, and entertainment! DATES/SCHEDULE: Jan. 4: Matt Woods Jan. 11: Brad ""DeBrad"" McCloud & John Zantow of the Case of the Blues Band Jan. 18: Mojo Jono Jan. 25: Dewey Cantrell & Jodi Bodley Feb. 1: Hot Tamale Duo Feb. 8: Thunderbird Kingsley Feb. 15: Fat Tuesday Duo featuring Scott Long & Greg Sutherland Feb. 22: Lady Blue Duo featuring Tina Haase-Findlay

Thursday January 1st, 2009 Happy New Year! from 4pm-9pm Friday January 2nd, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 3rd, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 4th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 5th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 6th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 7th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 8th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 9th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 10th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 11th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 12th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 13th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 14th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 15th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 16th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 17th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 18th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 19th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 20th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 21st, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 22nd, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 23rd, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 24th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 25th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 26th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 27th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 28th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 29th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 30th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 31st, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am

The State Historical Society of Iowa recognized the importance of visual works of art as documents of history and began collecting paintings as far back as 1857,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Cyndi Pederson said. “These paintings are important historical artifacts because they provide clues about the activities, attitudes, ideas, interests, prejudices and status of the people who created and displayed them.” The museum holds in its collection more than 300 historical paintings, most of them suffering from decades of exposure to sunlight, tobacco smoke, coal dust and fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Aging varnish and a build up of grime also combined to obscure the images. The vast majority of the collection had been on display or in storage at the former Historical Building (now the Ola Babcock Miller Building) at 1112 E. Grand Avenue before being relocated in 1988 to the current location, where it is now protected in a climate-controlled storage area. For two decades, museum staff has identified a select number of paintings to be conserved and displayed in exhibits, but a comprehensive effort targeting the entire collection had been too costly until recently. In 2004, museum staff contacted Illinois conservator Barry Bauman, who began offering complimentary services to museums and non-profit organizations in 2003. He charges only for supplies. Bauman, who operates Barry Bauman Conservation in River Forest, Ill., is an Elected Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation. He was formerly the Associate Conservator of Paintings for the Art Institute of Chicago and the founder and owner of the Chicago Conservation Center. “Recovered Treasures” showcases a selection of 20 paintings conserved by Bauman, and highlights a cross-section of the works in the museum’s collection. These paintings represent almost $100,000 in donated services from Bauman. Treatment images of the exhibit paintings can be viewed on Bauman’s Web site: www.baumanconservation.com. Eighteen of the paintings come from the museum’s climate-controlled storage area, and the other two have been on display at Terrace Hill in Des Moines and Governor William Larrabee’s home, Montauk, which is a historic site near Clermont, Iowa.

Questions/comments: Call the gallery at 286-2242 or visit www.heritagegallery.org.

Two centuries of history are preserved in "The Working White House: Two Centuries of Traditions and Memories," an artifact-based traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, developed with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage & the White House Historical Association. The "Working White House" gives exhibit visitors a rare view of the inner workings of America's most renowned residence through the experiences, firsthand accounts & one-of-a-kind artifacts of the largely unrecognized people crucial to the everyday lives of our first families. For two centuries, workers at the White House have witnessed history in the making and, in the process, they have created their own. "The Working White House" showcases the souvenirs, housekeeping implements, clothing, letters, menus, photographs and other objects to help illustrate the full story of the presidential residence. New interviews conducted by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and WHHA staffers with past workers provide eyewitness accounts of White House work culture and will be included in an audio tour and exhibition video.