Between Friday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, five of Des Moines' winter traditions open within the same 72 hours. Downtown has the Winter Market, the ice rink and the East Village Promenade. East University Avenue has the drive-through lights, and Water Works Park has its own lights festival. The lights have changed venues more than once since 2015, and these events now take place across the city on the same weekend, so planning it is mostly a question of where you'll be each night.
Five openings, three parts of town
| Tradition | Where | First date | Hours that day | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Winter Farmers' Market | Capital Square, 400 Locust St. | Fri., Nov. 20 through Sun., Nov. 22 | Fri. 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Free admission |
| Holiday Promenade | Historic East Village, along Locust Street | Fri., Nov. 20 | 5–8 p.m. | Free |
| Brenton Skating Plaza Opening Night | 520 Robert D. Ray Dr. | Fri., Nov. 20 | 5–11 p.m. | Free to attend, regular admission to skate |
| Jolly Holiday Lights | Iowa State Fairgrounds, Gate 2 | Fri., Nov. 20 | 5:30–10 p.m. | $25 per car |
| Tinseltown | Water Works Park | Sat., Nov. 21 | 1–9 p.m. | Tour de Lights is $20 |
Three of the five are downtown. The other two pull you in different directions. The light show that used to sit along the river is now on the Fairgrounds campgrounds off East University Avenue, and the park it left has filled that night with a festival of its own.
How the lights ended up on East University Avenue
Jolly Holiday Lights ran at Water Works Park for 20 years before flooding ended that run in 2015, according to the Des Moines Register. In March 2016, KCCI reported that the show was moving to Adventureland after the 2015 flood damaged displays and cut the season short.
It moved again in 2024. Axios Des Moines reported that Adventureland had decided not to host the show and that the previous season had been a walking display at the Outlets of Des Moines. Winterland Inc. took over and brought back the drive-through format at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The Register's coverage at the time said Make-A-Wish Iowa was stepping back from running the event and handing it to Winterland, its longtime display supplier.
The charity is still part of the show. The Jolly Holiday Lights FAQ says $1 from every ticket goes to Make-A-Wish Iowa, along with 20% of sponsorship revenue. Because the Fairgrounds is also a nonprofit, it benefits from the event too. For 2026, the FAQ directs drivers to Gate 2 at East University Avenue and East 33rd Street. Outside food and drinks are allowed, and light-up merchandise and candy are sold at the gate.
The official pricing page lists $25 per car, $50 for a bus, limo or RV, and $65 for an unlimited-visit 2026 season pass, all before taxes and fees. The organizer's homepage advertised a flash sale starting Nov. 9 at 8 a.m.
Water Works Park kept a night for itself
When the lights left, the riverfront park lost its holiday anchor. Tinseltown started in 2025 as a new event from the Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation. The Register covered it as its own event, separate from Jolly Holiday Lights.
Jolly runs for six weeks. Tinseltown is one day, Saturday, Nov. 21, and the Foundation's schedule fills it:
- 1–7 p.m. Tinseltown Marketplace, with local artists, craft vendors and the Des Moines Biergarten
- 4 p.m. on Photos with St. Nicholas and live reindeer, plus readings of "A Night Before Christmas"
- 6–6:30 p.m. Tree lighting on the Killinger Family Stage
- 7–9 p.m. The SCHEELS Tour de Lights, a self-lit bike, walk and stroll event
Wright Outdoor Solutions and Hawkeye Entertainment are providing the light displays. Top Hat Carolers are performing, the 104.1 EZ FM Warming Hut will be set up, and the Thrivent-presented Toy Drive collects gifts for children across Polk County. The Foundation's Tour de Lights listing gives the cost as $20.
Friday stays downtown
On Friday the three downtown openings run one after another. The market closes at 2 p.m., three hours before the Promenade and Brenton both start at 5 p.m.
- Lunch at Capital Square. The 21st Downtown Winter Farmers' Market, presented by Prairie Meadows, is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday. Vendors sell inside Capital Square and food trucks park outside on Cowles Commons. Friday has the shortest hours of the three market days, so it works best as a lunch break or an early start.
- 5 p.m. in the East Village. The Holiday Promenade begins its 25th year with a tree lighting with Santa Claus and a drag story time reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Historic East Village Neighborhood Association and Downtown DSM, Inc. produce the Promenade. On Promenade Fridays, East Village shops and restaurants stay open later and run holiday specials.
- Late skate at Brenton. Opening Night runs 5 to 11 p.m. with Santa photos, the lighting of the big Christmas tree and the concession stand. Attending is free, and skating costs regular admission. With the rink open until 11, you can finish the Promenade at 8 and still skate.
Jolly Holiday Lights opens the same evening at 5:30. Because it runs every night through Jan. 3, there's no need to fit it into opening Friday.
Saturday sends you in two directions
Saturday has the most going on, and the events are farthest apart. The Winter Market runs its longest day, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and hosts a Winter Porch Planter Make-and-Take. Tinseltown opens at 1 p.m. and lights its tree at 6. Jolly Holiday Lights stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
One way to do it is the market in the morning, Water Works Park from mid-afternoon through the tree lighting, and the Tour de Lights if anyone in your group has a bike and something that lights up. Save the Fairgrounds for a weeknight, when Jolly runs 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Sunday is a quieter day, with the market's last session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The one opening that depends on the weather
The rink's opening is the one date that can slip. Last season, Des Moines Parks and Recreation announced Brenton's opening on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, after "a brief delay caused by this fall's unseasonably warm temperatures and the recent snowstorm." That was 11 days later than the Nov. 20 Opening Night planned for this year. The city describes the rink as open "from November to March," and the ice depends on the weather. Before you head downtown with skates, check the city's Brenton events page.
The city's rate page lists two prices for each category. The lower one is for Des Moines residents.
| Brenton rate | Standard | Des Moines resident |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 13+ | $12 | $10 |
| Child 6–12, Senior 60+ | $8 | $6 |
| Child, 5 and under | $3 | $2 |
| Skate rental | $6/pair | $5/pair |
Last season's regular hours were Monday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. That's a useful guide to how the rink operates once it's open.
After opening weekend
The Promenade comes back every Friday through Dec. 18, with a different theme each week:
- Nov. 27: Holiday Window Display Contest with Sing DMC caroling, the day after Thanksgiving
- Dec. 4: Winefest's Very Merry Vino in the Village
- Dec. 11: Cozy Night with an Elf screening at Wooly's
- Dec. 18: Light Up the Night with live ice sculpting and Santa
Jolly Holiday Lights runs every day until Jan. 3, 2027, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Make-A-Wish Iowa's lighted logo is still one of the displays.
Our team lives and works across the Des Moines metro, and we watch these openings as closely as you do. If your family is getting settled before the holidays or planning a move after them, Ingrid Williams Real Estate Team can help you get to know the parts of town where these traditions happen. Start Your Next Move.
