Updated for 2019.It’s a music symphony like no other! The Des Moines Symphony kicks off the 4th of July holiday weekend in Des Moines with their annual Yankee Doddle Pops concert. Enjoy this music spectacular at the State Capitol grounds, bring a blanket and chair and get ready for fun, including a fireworks finale.
Know Before You Go
Date and Time
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019
6:30 pm: Concert Prelude
8:30 pm: Des Moines Symphony’s 23rd annual Yankee Doodle Pops concert
Location
Yankee Doodle Pops plays on the West Terrace of the Iowa State Capitol. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get there, so you are not rushed. Visit the Des Moines Symphony’s website or call (515) 280-4000 for additional information.
Tickets
This is the best part, it’s FREE! No tickets required.
Parking
Parking is available in designated downtown lots around the Capitol (lots 1-6, 11-12, 15-17, 20). There’s also several street closures. Put your patient hat on! There’s a lot of traffic and pedestrians! It took us over an hour to exit a parking ramp one year. A better alternative, ride the bus. DART will detour its FREE D-Line shuttle and extend its hours to 11:00 pm to accommodate Des Moines Symphony’s Yankee Doodle Pops attendees.
Food Policy
Outside food and beverages are permitted and it’s a great time for a picnic. However, if you forget to bring something or would rather let someone else do the cooking, there are food vendors available. Unfortunately, alcohol is not allowed on the Capitol Complex grounds.
Restrooms
Yankee Doodle Pops is touted as Iowa’s largest single-day concert so there are a lot of people at this event. And while there are several porta potties available, there’s also a long wait. If you have kiddos that are potty training or wait to the last minute to tell you they need to go, you may want to have a conversation with them that they need to tell you sooner rather than later.
While You’re There
If you live in or near Des Moines and have never been to Yankee Doodle Pops, you’ve probably at least heard of it. If you’ve heard of it but don’t really know what it is, Yankee Doodle Pops is—in a nutshell—an outdoor concert, it typically has a featured singer with all of the music accompanied by the Des Moines Symphony. Sound boring? Wait! Don’t hit the snooze button just yet.
There’s a reason thousands flock to this concert each summer. People come because it’s affordable, it’s social, and it’s relaxing. No matter if you’re a symphony-goer or not, if you like live music and being outdoors— you’ll dig it.
The Capitol offers both a unique concert setting and an incomparable accompaniment to the evening’s concert. I can’t think of a more patriotic spot to celebrate the 4th of July, while enjoying an evening picnic, some live music and a spectacular fireworks show with Des Moines as the backdrop.
Whether you’re a seasoned “Popper” or brand-new, these tips could help maximize your enjoyment of one of Des Moines’ best summer activities:
1. Plan ahead.
Please, take this tip with a grain of salt. If you’re a “planner” you’ll really want to plan ahead, because once you get there and see all that some people put into their seating, food, and drinks, you’ll be disappointed in yourself. Not a planner? You don’t really need to be! But at least think ahead, so you don’t become irritable when you find yourself sitting in the grass without something to nosh on and whiny kiddos.
2. Know how to get there.
While the venue isn’t necessarily hard to find (just look for the gold dome:), traffic does back up and it can take a while to get in and out. If you know where you’re going it makes it a much more pleasant experience.
3. Know where to sit.
It seems like the older, more serious-about-the-music crowd stakes out the territory closest to the stage. As you head up the hill and off to the sides, things become a bit more casual as the audience spaces out and gets younger. If you want to be close to the stage, get there extra-early. If you have kids who like to run around, don’t come too early. You’ll want to be on the sides or near the top anyway, so the kids can play without annoying other concert-goers. If you’re going in a group, it’s best to plan at least a general meeting spot ahead of time.
4. Know what to bring.
You’ll see a variety of setups. Some people really go all-out, bringing tables, chairs and beautiful spreads of food. Others bring a blanket and small cooler. Certainly, yummy food and drinks can add to the overall experience—just remember that whatever you bring, you have to carry it in and out and possibly up and down a hill. We bring a small cooler that’s on wheels and I highly recommend bringing a chair for the adults to sit in and a blanket for the kids to stretch out on.
5. Know your kids’ limits.
Attending Yankee Doodle Pops can be a long evening for kids. I recommend getting on-site at about 5:30 or 6:00, staking out your spot and enjoying a picnic. The main concert does not get started until 8:30 pm, close to many kiddos bed times, and ends at about 10:30 pm. I highly suggest taking along some activities that will keep your kids occupied. I usually throw in some activity/coloring sheets, markers and clipboards and maybe even a 4th of July scavenger hunt. The boys have taken along a football in the past, which is fine earlier in the evening, but once people start packing in, it becomes a little hazardous. We also take along glow sticks and light up toys. Once it gets dark, the kids love twirling them and it also makes it much easier to find them.
Lastly, if you have a child that has some noise sensitivity, you’ll want to bring along some ear plugs. The concert itself isn’t overly loud, but cannons are shot off during the 1812 Overture and the fireworks can pack quite a boom.
Have you taken your kiddos to Yankee Doddle Pops? Tell us your best tips!
