Celebrate the season with exciting holiday events happening in and around Des Moines!
Don’t miss Johnston’s Holiday Celebration Holiday’s at the Town Center, on Saturday, December 6, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Yard, 6245 Merle Hay Road.
Light up the community tree together, sing along to classic carols, and welcome Santa and his reindeer! Enjoy free skating, kids’ crafts, a carriage ride, and a live ice sculptor creating frosty magic right before your eyes.
Bring your family, bundle up, and get ready for a night filled with holiday cheer, it’s a celebration you won’t want to miss!
Holiday Events in Des Moines 2025
November 7 – 29 | Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Where: Des Moines Playhouse
What: Be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas at this family classic.
November 11 – January 11 | Exile’s SnowGlobe
Where: Exile Brewing
What: SnowGlobe is a pop-up bar located in Des Moines, Iowa at Exile Brewing Company. The entire brewpub is transformed by lights and decorations to make you feel like you are inside an actual snowglobe.
November 15 – December 31 | Dome for the Holidays!
Where: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
What: Stroll through the transformed tropical oasis as you enjoy a dynamic display of thousands of twinkling lights, an incredible collection of blown glass sculptures, festive music, train display, gnome hunt, refreshments, and more.
November 16 | Motown Christmas
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: This is a powerful family-oriented show combining Motown’s greatest hits with everyone’s favorite holiday classics.
November 20 – December 18 | Jingle in the Junction
Where: Valley Junction
What: Head to Valley Junction on Thursday nights as many businesses extend their hours to give you time to find the perfect holiday gift, enjoy dinner, and enjoy three blocks of free entertainment on 5th Street under the glow of over 100,000 holiday lights.
November 21 – December 19 | Holiday Promenade
Where: Historic East Village
What: Don’t miss holiday-themed activities, entertainment, shopping, and family-friendly fun. Historic East Village retailers, restaurants, and attractions are encouraged to remain open until 9 p.m. each Friday.
November 28 – 30 | Festival of Trees & Lights
Where: Iowa Events Center
What: The Annual Festival of Trees & Lights will feature beautifully decorated trees, special performances from local music and dance groups, visits with Santa, a scavenger hunt, fun crafts and activities, and the chance to be inspired by impactful stories of children cared for at Blank Children’s.
November 28 – December 21 | Santa Express
Where: Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad
What: Join in for what has become a tradition for families across the Midwest. Take a ride on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad’s Santa Express, a journey that will take you from Boone to the North Pole, and return. Santa passes through the train, greeting children, and passing out a special gift.
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December 3 | Christmas with the Celts
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: The Celts (formerly known as The Nashville Celts) perform a fresh hybrid of Irish Americana which combines their own rootsy originals and tight vocal harmonies with fiery Irish Trad instrumentals.
December 4 | Christmas with Lorie Line
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: Spend an intimate evening with Lorie Line around the piano as she shares heartwarming stories and celebrates the true meaning of Christmas.
December 5 – 28 | Holiday Hullabaloo
Where: Southridge Event Center
What: Holiday Hullabaloo is an indoor, immersive, family-friendly holiday experience that will surprise and delight guests of all ages. Featuring a wide range of activities and entertainment, your entire family will be mesmerized.
December 4 – 6 | Kerstmarkt: Pella’s Dutch Christmas Market
Where: Molengracht Plaza, Pella
What: Experience a Dutch Christmas Market in Pella, Iowa! This festive event will be held in conjunction with Pella’s Christmas Tour of Homes. Inspired by outdoor markets in the Netherlands, this cozy market will fill you with holiday cheer.
December 4 – 14 | Christkindlmarket Des Moines
Where: Principal Park
What: This German-inspired Christmas market aims to educate and entertain the community by exposing them to European-style foods, products, and fun. Featuring regional vendors, European foods, and activities for kids and adults alike.
December 4 – 27 | Winter Wonderscape
Where: Reiman Gardens in Ames
What: This enchanting holiday light show features more than 200,000 dazzling lights throughout 17 acres of outdoor gardens.
December 5 – 27 | Disney’s Frozen
Where: Des Moines Playhouse
What: The Broadway musical of the hit movie.
December 5 – 21 | A Christmas Carol
Where: Stoner Theater
What: The Holiday tradition continues! Bring the entire family for this timeless adventure. Follow Scrooge on a night he will never forget when four ghosts take him on a whirlwind journey to teach him about the true meaning of Christmas and change his humbug life forever.
December 6 | Holiday’s at the Town Center
Where: The Yard, 6245 Merle Hay Road
What: Light up the community tree together, sing along to classic carols, and welcome Santa and his reindeer! Enjoy free skating, kids’ crafts, a carriage ride, and a live ice sculptor creating frosty magic right before your eyes.
December 6 | Dazzling in the District
Where: The District at Prairie Trail in Ankeny
What: Kick off the holiday shopping season, see Santa, and catch the tree lighting at 6:30 pm.
December 6 | Family Christmas
Where: Living History Farms
What: Hear the sounds, see the sights, and smell the smells of a 19th-century Christmas.
December 6-7 | Holly & Ivy Tour
Where: Salisbury House
What: Explore Salisbury’s decked halls and vote for the best decorated room in this holiday design contest. While you’re here listen to live music played on the estate’s one-of-a-kind Steinway D, enjoy a treat at the pop-up sweet shop, and pay a visit to old Saint Nick.
December 11 – 14 | The Nutcracker
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: Join Ballet Des Moines for the quintessential holiday tradition, The Nutcracker. This glittering professional production follows the magical story of Clara, her Nutcracker, and their extraordinary journey.
December 12 | Miracle on 3rd Street
Where: Uptown Ankeny
What: Celebrate the season with holiday magic in Uptown Ankeny, enjoy fun family activities and check out your favorite shops surrounded by over 50 animated Uptown Wonderlights displays.
December 13 | The Peppermint Trail
Where: The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand and the Roosevelt Cultural District
What: Celebrate the season with shopping and dining specials at your favorite local businesses in The Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand and the Roosevelt Cultural District. Enjoy free holiday trolley rides, visits from Santa Claus, window displays, gingerbread contests, carolers, sweet treats, and more!
December 16 – 21 | Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Where: Des Moines Civic Center
What: The Grinch discovers there’s more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday-loving Whos.
December 17 | Holiday Open House
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: Enjoy a free evening of music and holiday festivities for the whole family.
December 20 | Tonic Sol-fa “Wrap It Up” – The Final Holiday Tour
Where: Hoyt Sherman Place
What: Due to the overwhelming demand for “one last holiday show,” Emmy-winning vocal quartet Tonic Sol-fa will take their final Christmastime bow with the “Wrap it Up” 2025 Holiday Tour. Beloved for their fresh takes on seasonal classics and original holiday hits, Tonic Sol-fa’s yuletide farewell promises to be both a celebration and a send-off worthy of their storied career.
December 21-22 | Des Moines Symphony’s Holiday Brass
Where: Westminster Presbyterian Church
What: Experience the Des Moines Symphony brass section like never before in the inaugural Holiday Brass Concert! Celebrate the sounds of the season with favorites like Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and more. Don’t miss your chance to experience this intimate, family-friendly holiday concert!
December 23 | Pop N’ Jolly
Where: Temple Theater
What: Join for a special show highlighting music and memories through the decades and try to summon Santa before he heads back to pack his sleigh for Christmas eve! Share the joy of the holidays as a family and relax together before your traditional festivities begin.
December 31 | New Year’s Eve Pops: Cirque
Where: Civic Center
What: Be amazed this New Year’s Eve: World-renowned Cirque performers from Troupe Vertigo take the stage alongside the Orchestra! Beloved orchestral masterpieces soar to new heights, enhanced by gravity-defying aerialists, mesmerizing contortionists, lightning-fast quick-change artists, and awe-inspiring strongmen. Ring in the New Year with the hottest ticket in town!
December 31 | New Year’s Eve at the Ingersoll
Where: The Ingersoll
What: Local singer Napoleon Douglas and his orchestra take the stage at 2 p.m. to reopen the Ingersoll, followed by an evening show with the Grand Marquis from Kansas City.
