August and September Happenings at Central Library

Summer is wrapping up and fall is just around the corner! There is plenty to do in Downtown Des Moines (DSM) at Central Library to keep the whole family busy.

Wiggles and Giggles: Watermelon Party

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 | 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Celebrate the end of Summer Reading at the Wiggles and Giggles Watermelon Party! We will play music, have watermelon games and crafts, plus we’ll snack on some delicious juicy watermelon.
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Central Craftopia

Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 | 1-3 p.m.
Drop-in for an afternoon of crafts at Central Library! We will have the materials available for Perler beads, Shrinky Dinks, friendship bracelets and more!
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Gamer Jazz! Presented by the Des Moines Gamer Symphony Orchestra

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024 | 2-3 p.m.
Hear jazzy versions of your favorite video game tunes at this free concert played by the Des Moines Gamer Symphony Orchestra.
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Writers’ Workshop

Monday, Aug. 5 & Sept. 9, 2024 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us for the DMPL Writer's Workshop on the first* Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Share samples of work and receive feedback from other writers in the group. Submissions must be sent at least one week in advance to Julia at jmdunt@dmpl.org.
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Reading Buddies with ARL TheraPets

Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024 | 4-5 p.m.
Kids practice reading aloud to ARL TheraPets to boost their confidence and reduce anxiety about learning to read.
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K-Pop Meet-Up

Tuesday, Aug. 27 & Sept. 24, 2024 | 5-6 p.m.
Do you like all things K-pop? Come to the Central Library every month and bring your photocards to trade, invite your friends or meet and hang out with other fans! Enjoy snacks, other activities and listening to music.
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Fall Author Series: Shawntelle Madison

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 | 7-8:30 p.m.
Shawntelle Madison is kicking off the 2024 Fall Author Series at DMPL. Madison is a Des Moines native who has written over 15 science fiction, romance and fantasy books, including the popular urban fantasy series, Coveted. Her new novel, "The Fallen Fruit" (release date: September 3), is a family saga that follows a Black family that for two centuries has been cursed with the gift of time travel.
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Books & Bones Bash

Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 | 10-11 a.m. AND Sat., October 12, 2024 | 11 a.m.
We want to get a jump on the spooky season! Join us for a one-of-a-kind, two-part event for teens! If you can't make it to both programs, it's okay to just come to one.
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• Part One! Come to the Books & Bones Bash at Central Library for a spooky craft, spooky snack, and pick up a library copy of "On the Day I Died" by Candace Fleming, a book full of teenage ghost stories set in a cemetery outside Chicago. Take the book home and read it — in the dark with a flashlight, if you dare!
• Part Two! Meet us at the Woodland Cemetery on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 12 for a tour starting at 11 a.m. with Archie Cook, local historian and Woodland Cemetery expert!

Books & Bites at The Walnut

Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024 | 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Join a group of readers for a book club hosted by DMPL Librarian Kathleen at The Walnut (1417 Walnut Street, Downtown DSM). This month we are reading This Is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas. Register to reserve a copy of the book.
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Superhero Party!

Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 | 5:30-7 p.m.
Library heroes, assemble! Join us at the Central Library to create your dream hero costume, take photos, and play games and activities. We will provide all craft supplies, but if you have an old t-shirt that would make the perfect cape, feel free to bring that along.
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Fall Author Series: Austin Frerick

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024 | 7-8:30 p.m.
The Fall Author Series continues with Austin Frerick, a seventh-generation Iowan and an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy, who worked at the Open Market Institute, U.S. Department of Treasury and as a Fellow at Yale University. His 2024 book, "Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry," serves as a critique of the private monopolization of American food systems.
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RentWise

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Learn about your rights as a tenant and a renter under Iowa law. Join Home Inc for a free two hour class to better understand the rental process, managing your credit, your rights and responsibilities, and the basics of Landlord/Tenant laws in Iowa.
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Fall Author Series: Daniel Kraus

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 | 7-9 p.m.
Just in time for Halloween, best-selling author Daniel Kraus will discuss his newest novel, "Pay the Piper" (release date: September 3), a supernatural horror story set in a cursed Louisiana bayou. The book started as a half-finished novel by deceased horror directing legend George A. Romaro, and Kraus, a Fairfield, Iowa native, who worked with the Romaro estate to complete it. Kraus is also the author of bestsellers "Whalefall," "The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch" and "The Shape of Water."
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See a rundown of all events happening at the Des Moines Public Library in the August/September edition of engage. And find a list of great places to cozy up with a good book in Downtown Des Moines.