Des Moines Community Playhouse Throws the City a Summer Street Party

The city is invited to a Summer Street Party, 5:00-8:30 PM, Thursday, August 3, 2017, on Rollins Avenue between 42nd Street and 41st Street. Hosted by #ShopRoosevelt, Roosevelt Cultural District, and the Des Moines Community Playhouse's Curtain Crowd, the block party features food trucks, live music, kids activities, and a live visual arts creation.

The excitement begins at 5:00 PM on Rollins Avenue, between the Playhouse and the Shops at Roosevelt. Juice Co will be selling smoothies, bubble tea and lemonade, and food trucks from Waab's Piggin' Out and Sweet Treats Ice Cream Company will be on site. Shops will offer one-night only specials. vomFASS will sample olive oil and infused vinegar spritzers. Activities for children, such as bubble painting and backpack bling, will be provided by Five Monkeys, Swell, and Elements Ltd.

An unique aspect of the evening is a live visual art event, the Battle of the Brushes. Five artists will be given a theme and then have 90 minutes to each create a 24" x 36" artwork. Participating artists Eric Guyler, Luke Hubbard, Kindra Noel, Kathleen Roling, and Ben Schuh work in a variety of mediums including chalk, pastel, and oil. A silent auction will be held for the finished pieces, with 75% of proceeds going to the artists and 25% going to the non-profit Roosevelt Cultural District, currently involved in the 42nd Street beautification project.

"Meredith Willson's The Music Man" will be on the Des Moines Community Playhouse stage a 7:30 PM that evening. Tickets are still available online at dmplayhouse.com or by phone at 515-277-6261. The Playhouse's Curtain Crowd, a social group for young adults 18-35, will be hosting a pre-show event in the theatre's lobby.

#ShopRoosevelt consists of businesses in the Roosevelt Cultural District, encompassing The Shops at Roosevelt, Roosevelt Shopping Center, Hubbell and Roosevelt schools, and the Des Moines Community Playhouse. The Roosevelt Cultural District (RCD) is a certified historic district comprised of 29 businesses and schools. The RCD undertakes activities that preserve and promote the area as an arts, education, and commerce resource in Greater Des Moines.

Kindra Noel is a Des Moines-based artist. Noel uses acrylic and charcoal on gallery wrapped canvases. She focuses on landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits. Kathleen Roling is a professional 3D chalk artist creating colorful chalk art murals and 3D art pieces at various festivals, fairs, contests, and events. She is also a prophetic arts minister, traveling to churches in the US and overseas missions to encourage and edify church families through God's voice expressed through art. Roling will be creating a vibrant chalk piece on stretched cotton fabric at Battle of the Brushes.

The Playhouse is Iowa's oldest and largest producing theatre. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage. The Curtain Crowd is a newly-formed group at the Playhouse exclusively for patrons ages 18-35. Membership is free, and members receive perks such as a $29 ticket and free drink at any show. The group also hosts an exclusive event for every Mainstage musical.

For more information on the Summer Street Party, contact vomFASS at 515-244-5020. For more information on the Playhouse's Curtain Crowd or "The Music Man," contact the theatre at 515-277-6261.

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