Yes, School is About to Start, but Enjoy Dog Days of Summer at Iowa State Fair

The West Des Moines City Council meets Monday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 4200 Westown Parkway. Among the items to be discussed is a capital improvement project at Holiday Park.

School registration continues all week for West Des Moines Community Schools. Here’s the schedule.

Thousands of families will line Grand Avenue in Des Moines between Penn Avenue and 15th Street to watch the annual parade. It starts at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday and will be broadcast on Fox 17 and Iowa Public Television.

Nothing Compares to the Iowa State Fair, which opens Thursday, Aug. 8, and runs through Aug. 18. There are hundreds of free activities, from old-time fiddler demonstrations to contest in cow-chip throwing and husband-calling, plus the Bill Riley Talent Search, daily horse shows, food on a stick and more. You can find a list of 100 State Fair freebies to try online.

On opening day, you can take part in a one-day meal-packaging event in partnership with West Des Moines-based Meals from the Heartland, the Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Food and Family Project and GROWMARK. The Fair’s goal is to package 250,000 meals to help alleviate life-threatening hunger around the world.

It’ll make you feel less gluttonous about all that fried food on a stick.

Also on Thursday, the Brian Holtz Band plays Music in the Junction Thursday during the Valley Junction Farmers Market. The free concert starts at 5:30 p.m. and music goes until 8:30.