The weather promises to be warm and tropical at Des Moines Parks and Recreation’s open house tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16 from 3:30-6:00 p.m. in the sunny warmth of the City of Des Moines greenhouse located at 2501 SE Maury Street. The public of all ages is invited to tour the greenhouse, ask gardening questions, learn more about volunteering or just get in out of the cold during Transplanting in the Tropics - a Greenhouse Open House. The warm climate of the greenhouse is a welcome comfort this time of year, and guests will receive a plant so that they can create their own little green tropical scene at home. Refreshments will be provided. Months before colorful flowerbeds appear in Des Moines parks, boulevards, medians and downtown planters, Des Moines Park and Recreation Department staff and volunteers begin planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, and maintaining them. Now in its fifth growing season, the city’s 15,000 square-feet greenhouse is the incubator and home of hundreds of varieties of plants – from full-grown hibiscus and banana trees to trays of petunias and salvia nurtured for eventual transplanting outdoors. From March 1 through May 7, the City will rely on the help of volunteers to transplant the hundreds of thousands of flowers that will beautify Des Moines throughout spring, summer and fall. More than fifty percent of Iowans claim to have a green thumb, and for those who don’t, digging in the dirt and staying warm in the cold of winter is pretty tempting. Individuals and groups of volunteers can be trained on the spot – no previous experience is required. Last year’s volunteers are also invited to reconnect with others and sign up for their volunteer shifts at the open house. Shifts available include: Monday through Friday from 8:00-11:00 a.m. and Monday through Sunday from1:00-3:00 p.m. Volunteers must be able to walk unassisted, stand for short periods, and do light physical work while transplanting. For additional information on the Greenhouse Open House please call Julie Stundins (515) 248-6384 or email flowers@dmgov.org. If you are interested in volunteering with the Parks and Recreation Department please email ParksVolunteer@dmgov.org or call (515) 248-6380.

Get your geek on at Blue Moon during Pub Trivia! Gather your friends and enjoy 7 rounds of trivia, great prizes and awesome drink specials from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. every Tuesday night. Can DJ Cubbie and the geeks at Select Entertainment stump you? All night enjoy $2.50 draws, $3 bottles, $4 bombs and $3 Captains. And if you work up an appetite, we're offering hot gooey, 12-inch pizzas for only 6 bucks!

The second in a series of free, public presentations that Drake University's Choral program has organized will take place on Feb. 16: “Safe and Affordable Housing,” by Sister Stella Neill, founder & director of Anawim Housing in Des Moines. 

The other upcoming presentations include:

Feb. 23, “The Refugee Experience,” by Sol Varisco, program director of outreach services at Catholic Charities in Des Moines. 

March 2, volunteer fair featuring 15 local agencies that provide help for immigrants, refugees & individuals dealing with housing issues.

An opera based on the life of George Washington Carver. Written by Simpson College Professor of Music, Michael Patterson. Performed by the DMMO Iowa Troupe.

Bayou Favorites Gumbo, Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice w/Hushpuppies all day! Big Easy Drink Specials. Live Music by Freestyle @ 6 p.m.

Meet and mingle with fellow German speakers at the Gateway Market Cafe in Des Moines on Tuesday, February 16th, from 6-9 p.m.! Come to practice speaking and build vocab. All skill levels sind Willkommen! Please contact Suzanne at suzanne_hull@hotmail.com with any questions.

Daniel Pink has graciously offered to participate in a virtual book signing to promote his new book, Drive. Daniel will make his presentation, and open the floor up for questions. Attendees will received signed book plates at this event to attach to their books during the "signing ceremony"

Join the Irish Interest Group on the third Tuesday of each month and discover more about your Irish heritage; shares stories of Irish culture, folklore, history, and current events, in addition to exploring Irish research techniques. Meet other Irish enthusiasts, from beginners to experienced researchers, investigate your Irish origins, and learn how to document your family’s Irish/American experience. Newcomers welcome!

Running out of ideas for winter entertainment for the kids? Your Altoona Hy-Vee has the perfect solution. Every Monday from February 15 until March 15, we will be holding Fun-Day Mondays upstairs in the Club Room from 5-6:30 pm. There will five, themed sessions that will include fun activities, crafts, snacks and games. Your kids will also come home with instructions on how to make the crafts/snacks on their own for a later date! Feb 15- Winter Olympics Feb 22- Oscar Night March 1- PJ Party March 8- Spring Fling March 15- St. Patty's Day Party Please call 967-7676, or stop by Customer Service to register. Please register by 5 p.m. the Saturday before the session you wish to sign up for to ensure we have plenty of supplies and food. Payment is due at time of registration.Classes will be held on the second level of the store in the Club Room. Please drop off your child five minutes early, and pick-up no later than 6:45 p.m. at the Club Room.

The 34th Annual Iowa Beef Expo will be held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. This should be one of the best shows ever with breed shows, parades & sales along with one of the nation’s largest junior shows. The Expo will feature Angus, Charolais, Chianina, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Maine Anjou, Red Angus, Salers, Shorthorn & Simmental in the sale rings. If you would like to consign cattle to the Expo, please complete a consignor inquiry at www.iowabeefexpo.com. The Expo will also hold the Commercial Tradeshow where Seedstock producers, commercial producers, feedlot operators & other agriculturalist the best opportunity to see all that modern technology has to offer. The Commercial Tradeshow features a full array of the finest livestock equipment, genetic companies & livestock services available. The Expo will feature the Seedstock Bullevard, which is an elite live cattle display area. Cattlemen will have the opportunity to display their bull prospects or donor females or promote their upcoming sales to reach seedstock, commercial & club calf producers in one location. The Iowa Beef Expo Junior Steer & Heifer Show will close out the week. Iowa Junior Beef Breeds exhibitors compete for the title & prizes which are presented to the exhibitors of the Top 5 Supreme Market Animals & Breeding Heifers. The Expo is a function of the Iowa Beef Breeds Council representing the states purebred Seedstock cattle producers. For more information about the Iowa Beef Expo please contact Mindy Campfield: 515-966-0075 or visit us on the web at www.iowabeefexpo.com.

Schedule too busy for a 13 week course? Come try our new and exciting mini courses. A wide variety of materials are used in each course to create one complete work of art. The possibilities are endless! Each course meets for TWO Saturday sessions. Ages 6-8 and 9-12 African Masks - February 13 and 20 Gnome Homes and Fairy Houses - February 27 and March 6 Papier Mache Animals - March 27 and April 3 Impressionistic Landscapes - April 10 and 17 Puppet-Making - April 24 and May 1

RTI celebrates love and other matters with six short plays by the literary great, Anton Chekov. Included in the evening of one-acts is THE BEAR, A RELUCTANT TRAGIC HERO, THE FESTIVITIES, SWAN SONG, THE PROPOSAL, and an RTI original adaption of one of Chekhov's short stories. Order Tickets online at www.IowaTix.com or by calling 515-277-3727.

Written and performed by Bo Eason and directed by Larry Moss, RUNT OF THE LITTER opens in the final hour of Jack Henry's lifelong dream, only one thing stands in his way -- his brother. The play looks at what happens to two brothers in a family of over-achievers: when their parents assure their oldest son he is destined for football superstardom, and tell their youngest son he is too small to compete, a line in the family sand is drawn that colors the rest of their lives. Runt of the Litter is, in fact, a semiautobiographical account of Bo Eason's life and career as a defensive back for the Houston Oilers in the 1980s, where he played safety. His determination and killer instincts on the playing field remain the stuff of legend. His brother, Tony Eason was the quarterback who led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1986. It debuted in New York in 2002 and has subsequently been performed by Bo Eason at theatres around the country. Please note: only children age 5 and over with tickets will be allowed into the theater for this production.

Performing at The House of Bricks:
Wed. Feb. 10: KEY PARTY, POGO FORCE FIVE, ERIC LANGKAMP - 5pm - All Ages - $5 - rock. Advance tickets available directly from the bands

Thurs. Feb. 11: THE AUDITION, THE DANGEROUS SUMMER, SPARKS TO THE RESCUE, THE RIGHT COAST - 5pm - All Ages - $12 - rock
$10 advance tickets available at www.iowatickets.com

Fri. Feb. 12: HANGOVER, MOOD BESIDE, XXILE - 5 pm - All Ages - $5 - Rock

Fri. Feb. 12: IZZY AND THE ROCKETS, THE BOB PACE BAND feat. STEVE GEORGE - 9:30 pm - $5 - Rock

Sat. Feb. 13: “Petapalooza” Fundraiser for The Animal Rescue League of Iowa; Performing: BUSTER AND THE PUNKS, BY IT’S OWN NAME, ANDY FISH, TYKE, MONDAY MOURNERS, THE MANICS, P-58, TOM BRIGHTON, BLUTIGER FLUSS - 5 pm - All Ages until 9pm - $8 - Rock
Only $6 with pet item donation. Free cavatelli at 9:30!

Sun. Feb. 14: SECTION HATE, PAIN OF EVOLUTION, DOOMSDAY CRUSH, SCREAMING AGAINST SILENCE - 5 pm - All Ages - $5 or 2 for $8 - Rock

Wed. Feb. 17: SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS, THE SLEEPING, TBA - 5pm - All Ages - $14 - Rock- $12 advance tickets at www.iowatix.com

Artists of the Saturday afternoon Sketch Club.
RECEPTION: Sunday, Feb. 28, 1 - 3 p.m.

“The Dolls of Japan: Shapes of Prayer, Embodiments of Love is sponsored by The Japan Foundation. Japanese dolls reflect the customs of Japan and the aspirations of its people, possess distinctive regional attributes, and over the centuries have developed in many diverse forms. Dolls also provide a showcase for traditional Japanese craft products, such as textiles. In “The Dolls of Japan,” dolls are grouped according to particular events in the Japanese calendar, their method of manufacture, their design and regional characteristics. Included are Japan’s representative dolls, including Hina ningyo (Girls’ Festival dolls) and Gogatsu ningyo (Boys’ Day dolls), which have their origins in ancient customs; dolls connected to traditional performing arts like noh, bunraku and kabuki; regional dolls from throughout the country; and “creative dolls” produced by contemporary craftspeople.

The setting is April 23, 1961, when a 38-year old Judy Garland performed at Carnegie Hall in what the New York Times called "the concert of the century". Woven into her concert performance are memories from her past. Her family, husbands, friends, costars & critics appear in flashbacks, bringing the star's story to vivid life. Each of the show's 25 songs map Judy's journey from poverty in Minnesota to Hollywood stardom.

The exhibit traces the history of ACT, Inc. – originally known as American College Testing Program – to a meeting of co-founders E.F. Lindquist, a University of Iowa professor and national expert in educational measurement; Ted McCarrel, UI Director of Admissions and Registrar; and 16 state representatives who met in Iowa’s Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus on Aug. 21, 1959. That event founded the American College Testing Program, now known as ACT, Inc. The display includes a timeline of major events in ACT history and artifacts from ACT’s past including test documents and components from early test scoring machines. Visitors can also view an audio-video display with recordings from early leaders describing how the organization evolved.

Do you have an active toddler & looking for an outlet for them to burn off some energy? Do you want your child to learn the essential components of life-long fitness at an early age? Fitness Fun for Me! is a NEW program designed to introduce your child to the benefits of learning motor skills; gaining muscular & cardiovascular endurance; and increasing flexibility, strength, coordination & balance. Not only will your child learn aspects of fitness that will help them later in sports, but they will also learn social skills! Date(s): Wednesdays, January 13-February 17 Time(s): 10:30-11:30am Location: WDM Community Center Ballroom Ages: 2-4 with at least one adult Fee: $40 Program #: 10681 PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!

The only Christian Fitness and Meditation classes in the Des Moines Area. Zoe classes are a fusion of Yoga and Pilates. You will leave feeling recharged and refreshed. The long term result is a healthier body, mind and spirit.