The curtain may be coming down on summer, but it’s going up on great shows around Des Moines! There are shows for kids of all ages, interests, and budgets throughout the fall season, including a few FREE options. Here are some shows taking place this fall that are great options for kids and families.
To find more entertainment happening in Des Moines this fall, sign up for our Weekend Fun Guide to get posts like this delivered to your inbox, visit the Events Calendar and check out our Fall Fun Guide.
Note: Dates listed are performance beginning and end dates. Please call for specific performance’s dates and times within those ranges, as not all performances take place on a daily basis. And, be sure to confirm dates, times, location and other information before heading to an event or activity, since circumstances may change.
Here’s your guide to finding family friendly theater performances in Des Moines this fall:
September
Once – John Viars Theatre
Des Moines Playhouse
September 8-24, 202; Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets $29-53
On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, underscored by emotionally charged music. Featuring all the magical songs from the critically acclaimed film, including the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly,” this achingly beautiful, joyously uplifting show strikes an unforgettable chord in audiences and speaks to the power of music to connect us all. A show like that only comes around Once.
Dan and Claudia Zanes – DMPA FREE Family Event
Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, West Des Moines & Doanes Park, Pleasant Hill
Friday, September 15 at 6:30 pm and Saturday, September 16 at 10:30 am
Recommended for All Ages
Tickets are FREE
Grammy award winning children’s performer Dan Zanes and Haitian-American music therapist / jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes have been making music with each other since the day they met in the fall of 2016. As a dynamic husband-and-wife duo, they are set to captivate audiences of all generations with their enchanting blend of contemporary, all-ages folk music. Prepare to be immersed in their artful musical journey that transcends age boundaries, promising an unforgettable experience for listeners young and old.
Athena – Iowa Stage Theatre Company
Stoner Theater
September 15-24, 2023; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 12+
Tickets are $40
Mary Wallace and Athena are brave, seventeen, and fencers, and training for the Junior Olympics. They practice together, they compete against each other, they spend their lives together. They wish they were friends.
The Addams Family – Main Season
Ankeny Community Theatre
September 29 – October 8, 2023; Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Rated G
Tickets TBD
The Addams Family is a comical, musical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family. Featuring an original story that is every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family– a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before– keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
October
Beetlejuice – Willis Broadway Series
Des Moines Civic Center
October 3-8, 2023; Tuesday through Saturday 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2:00 pm, Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 pm
Recommended for ages 10+
Tickets are $80-120
He earned his stripes on Broadway… now the ghost-with-the-most is coming to Des Moines. It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, Beetlejuice is “SCREAMINGLY GOOD FUN!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!
Wild Kratts
Stephens Auditorium, Ames
Tuesday, October 4, 2023; 6:30 pm
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets start at $28
Wild Kratts–Live! is a theatrical stage show based on the hit animated television series Wild Kratts. Martin and Chris Kratt, stars of the Emmy-nominated Wild Kratts, step out live on stage to engage the audience in a classic Wild Kratts story! Martin and Chris are sure to keep you entertained as they activate some fan favorite Creature Power Suits and go “Off to the Creature Rescue!”
Bluey’s Big Play
Des Moines Civic Center
October 10-11, 2023, at 6:00 pm
Recommended for All Ages
Tickets are $28-74
When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets, this is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life. Bluey’s Big Play is presented by BBC Studios and Andrew Kay in association with Windmill Theatre Co.
Cat Kid Comic Show: The Musical – School Matinee Series
Stephens Auditorium, Ames
Wednesday, October 18, 2023; 10:00 am & 12:30 pm
Recommended for grades 1-5
Tickets $4 online in advance, $5 day of show
Flippy, Molly, Li’l Petey, and twenty-one baby frogs each have something to say. Naomi and Melvin don’t see eye to eye and Poppy perceives the world differently than her siblings. Will the baby frogs figure out how to work together and appreciate one another’s point of view — both inside and outside the classroom? Adapted from the cat kid comic club series of books by Dav Pilkey.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre
Stoner Theater
October 20-29, 2023; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm; Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
This dramatization of C.S. Lewis’ classic work faithfully recreates the magic and mystery of Aslan, the great lion, his struggle with the White Witch, and the adventures of four children who inadvertently wander from an old wardrobe into the exciting, never-to-be-forgotten Narnia. The intense action features chases, duels and escapes as the witch is determined to keep Narnia in her possession and to end the reign of Aslan. All the memorable episodes from the story are represented in this exciting dramatization: the temptation of Edmund by the witch, the slaying of the evil wolf by Peter, the witnessing of Aslan’s resurrection by Susan and Lucy, the crowing of the four new rulers of Narnia, and more. The supporting characters are also here: the unicorn, the centaur and other forest animals, along with Father Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and Tumnus the Faun. This story of love, faith, courage and giving, with its triumph of good over evil, is a true celebration of life.
Dirty Dancing in Concert
Des Moines Civic Center
Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Recommended for ages 13+
Tickets are $45-95
Join us for Dirty Dancing in Concert, the classic film’s first live film-to-concert experience. Enjoy the digitally remastered hit film like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the film’s iconic songs. With a soundtrack that marked a generation, Dirty Dancing in Concert promises to bring a thrilling new and unique experience to the 80s classic. Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years – now live!
Seussical The Musical – Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre
Des Moines Playhouse
October 27 – November 5, 2023; Friday 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 1:00 and 4:00 pm.
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
Harriet M. Welsch is an only child raised by busy parents and her well-read, pragmatic nanny, Ole Golly. Harriet is also… a spy. When her secret notebook of blunt and hurtful observations about her classmates and neighbors is accidentally found, her friends turn on her. Ole Golly has left Harriet to marry but returns to her lonely ward to offer her important advice: “Sometimes you have to lie. But to yourself, you must always tell the truth.”
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert
Des Moines Civic Center
Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 7:30 pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets are $29-70
Go back to where it all began with this concert event! Featuring a soundtrack that blends symphonic orchestral music with hip-hop, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert pairs a screening of the Academy Award®-winning animated film with live musicians and turntables featuring a DJ scratcher live on stage. Emmy® winner Daniel Pemberton composed a sprawling score of boundary-pushing original music that is complimented with song contributions by Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith, and Nicki Minaj. The hip-hop based score results in a sonic universe that is woven throughout the fabric of the film, supporting its themes of resilience and universal heroism. Joining the tour is The Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-women and majority women-of-color orchestra led by conductor Emily Marshall.
November
The Little Red Hen – Friday Funday
Des Moines Playhouse
November 3, 2023; 10:00 am and 1:30 pm
Recommended for ages 4-6
Tickets $6
Join the Adventure Clubhouse at the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. Who will help the Little Red Hen bake the bread? The Little Red Hen must do all the work while the other animals are sleeping and no one will help her bake the bread. What will she do when it’s time to eat the bread?
The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition – Mainstage
CAP Theatre, Altoona
November 3-19, 2023; Friday at 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm.
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM film. The timeless tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, continues to thrill audiences worldwide.
Casserole – Carousel Theatre of Indianola
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Innovations Office, Indianola
November 3-12, 2023; Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets can be purchased at the door. Adults $10, Students $5.
Set in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Casserole revolves around Clair Wilson, a Godly woman with love to spare. A normal day goes into high gear when Clair learns that a publisher saw her recipe for “Mayonnaise Casserole” and wants to feature her in a new cookbook, The Midwest Chef. Leonard, her grumpy husband, isn’t happy with the situation and their daughter Erica, an abstract artist living in New York City, suddenly shows up with stunning news and a mysterious friend, Penny. Arriving for dinner are the hipster editor, Zachary, and his photographer, Nicholas, who have a hidden agenda for the cookbook. A wild menu is set before them. A food-slinging argument erupts, revealing secrets and setting the stage for Clair’s loving wisdom.
The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen – Wellmark Family Series
Des Moines Civic Center
Saturday, November 4, 2023, at 11:00 am
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
We begin with Aesop’s classic fable of the The Tortoise and the Hare but continue the story which finds them 10 years down the road, now with children of their own and exploring modern day distractions. Smart phones and video games create a new landscape of lost connections to life experiences. The Next Gen features Tortoise Junior and Lil’ Hare in a whole new kind of race; where their adventures lead them into unexpected territory. Old man Tortoise and Big Daddy Hare must come together despite their differences to find and save their children. What hurdles will they have to overcome to make it to the finish line? With dazzling visuals, poignant storytelling and the creative use of music from classical to pop, this production brings this tale into a new brilliant light.
Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour
Des Moines Civic Center
Friday, November 10, 2023, at 6:00 pm
Recommended for ages 3+
Tickets are $25 – 64.50
Blippi is coming to Des Moines for the ultimate curiosity adventure in Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour! So, come on! Dance, sing, and learn with Blippi and special guest Meekah as they discover what makes different cities unique and special. Will there be monster trucks, excavators, and garbage trucks galore? You bet! So get ready to shake those wiggles out and OJ Twist your way through this brand-new musical party!
What shows are your family planning to see this fall in Des Moines? Let us know in the Comments below!
