DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Arts Festival will bring more than visual art and live music to Western Gateway Park this summer.
Festival organizers have released the literary and performing arts schedule for the 2026 Des Moines Arts Festival, set for June 26-28 in downtown Des Moines. The lineup includes bestselling authors, poets, children’s story time, fashion, theater, drag and pop-up dance performances.
Admission to the Festival is free. Literary and performing arts programs are also free, with casual seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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The literary arts schedule includes Iowa Poet Laureate Dr. Paul Brooke, Iowa Poetry Association State Slam Champion Henry Morray, and National and Iowa Youth Poet Laureate Daniel Umemezie.
One of the featured literary events is a visit from New York Times bestselling author Patrick Bringley, who wrote All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his time working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bringley will appear Saturday, June 27 at 11 a.m. at Central Library. The event is presented in partnership with the Des Moines Public Library and the Des Moines Art Center and will close the library’s 2026 AViD, or Authors Visiting in Des Moines, series.
Later that day, the Roots Stage presented by Cedar Ridge Distillery will host “From Page to Stage: Adult Poetry Out Loud” at 1:30 p.m. The program will feature Brooke, Morray, Des Moines theater actor Alex Schaeffer and other poets performing original poetry or dramatic readings of prose poetry.
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Families will also find programming designed for young audiences. “Children’s Storytime: Yee-haw!” is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, at 11:15 a.m. on the Roots Stage. The program will feature children’s author Rebecca Janni, author of Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse and Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots, along with Des Moines stage performer Ashley Schaeffer.
The performing arts lineup includes a fashion show presented by students from the DMACC Fashion Institute. “Phantasia” will take the Roots Stage on Sunday, June 28, at 2:15 p.m. The show will feature original student-designed garments and highlight emerging designers exploring imagination, concept and construction.
The Festival will also feature the Tyona & Friends Drag Show on Sunday, June 28, at 1 p.m. on the Main Stage. The show, presented as the official finale to Pride Month, will include local drag performers and the newly crowned winners of the Capital City Pride pageant. The performance will have a Y2K theme with early 2000s-inspired music, costumes, hair, makeup and high-energy performances.
The performing arts programs were developed through partnerships with the DMACC Fashion Institute, Des Moines Playhouse and Capital City Pride. Festival guests are also encouraged to watch for pop-up dance performances throughout the weekend.
The full literary arts schedule is available at desmoinesartsfestival.org/literary-arts. The performing arts schedule is available here.
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