It’s the newest holiday lights tradition in Central Iowa, featuring lights in the tropical indoor gardens under the geodesic dome at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in Des Moines, Iowa. Location: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, 90 Robert Ray Drive, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309 Website: https://dmbotanicalgarden.com/dome-for-the-holidays/ What is Dome for the Holidays? It’s a…
November and early December are the season for holiday markets and here are the best holiday markets in Iowa. Holiday Arts & Craft Show, Des Moines WHEN: Nov 15 -17WHERE: Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des MoinesWEBSITE: https://www.iowastatefairgrounds.org/event-calendar/iowas-largest-arts-and-craft-showADMISSION: $8 Des Moines Holiday Boutique WHEN: Nov 15 -17WHERE: Iowa Events Center, Des MoinesWEBSITE:…
We’re building a list of the best FREE Christmas Lights in Iowa. No admission, no reservation, just beautiful Christmas lights for your family to enjoy! We are just getting started with the list, so you’re welcome to add your suggestions/favorites. You can add them to the comments section below or email them to brian ….
Each year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Winterset celebrates its Festival of Lights. Here’s a glimpse of what the typical schedule of events. Location: 112 S. John Wayne Drive, Winterset, IA Starting at 5pm: Activities including: Starting at 7:15pm: The lighted Christmas parade The parade follows a really simple path: it goes around the town…
We recently asked Iowa Road Trip followers to submit their own fall photos – and here are some of our favorites!
If you like driving around neighborhoods looking for the best spooky houses, download the FREE Frightmaps app. It’s your guide to finding the best Halloween-decorated houses in your neighborhood. You’ll notice that the app is best in suburban areas and does not have much listed for rural areas – sorry, they only have listed what…
We’re working on building a list of Iowa’s U-Pick Apple Orchards. It’s certainly not a complete list – so let us know who else should be added, which can be done in the comments section or via email to brian . abeling @gmail.com NOTICE: Please contact the orchard ahead of time to confirm their hours…
It’s Land of the Giants, featuring several 12-foot lighted and animated creatures. It is located on personal property, so please stay on the sidewalk or slowly drive by. The owner typically turns the lights and animation on just after sunset and the display is turned off at 9pm. Location: 4908 NW Seventh Street, Ankeny, Iowa…
Here’s a list of Iowa Pumpkin Patches that have NO admission cost. Of course, you’ll pay for your pumpkins and any other products, but there isn’t a gate or admission fee on top of selecting your pumpkins. If you know other pumpkin patches with no gate or admission charges, please add them to the comments…
Every summer, the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, Iowa features over 100 hot air balloons during its 9-day festival. If you’ve heard of this event before, you are probably aware of the night glow or the mass ascension evening events, as they are the most popular events. While the evening events are great, don’t forget…