The entertainment in Ankeny is booming right now! Festivals, theaters and great restaurants make Ankeny a designation place to have a good time!

Ankeny is located just north of Des Moines, close enough to the city that you can still work downtown and commute in less than 30 minutes. One particular area for entertainment in Ankeny is The District at Prairie Trail. This area is a New Urbanism community, which means the whole area is walkable. There are connections to walking and biking trails as well as shops, restaurants and other entertainment.

Due to Covid-19, a lot of their events were canceled this last summer, but there have been events such as local concerts, PizzaFest, Color My World Arts Festival and Putt Around Ankeny. While this summer may still be up in the air on whether they will go on, there are plenty of other things to do around the area.  The Kirkendall Library just opened its new location right in the heart of The District and is just begging to be explored. The beautiful new building is complete with reading programs for all ages, meeting spaces and more books than ever before! Another great family friendly entertainment option is the B&B Theater. This is not just a theater, though. No, this theater also has a limited menu of American classics that can be enjoyed from your theater seat complete with a full bar. Before the movie starts you can get there a little early and enjoy the arcade or bowling.

The District also offers places to take athletic classes at Legacy Fitness, Pure Barre, Yoga Six and Campus Cycle for a range of different kinds of activities to keep you active even when everything is still partially closed down. All these activities are bound to make you hungry, though, and The District has a long list of delicious restaurants to choose from. Just to name a few there is District 36 which has a wine bar if you are feeling extra fancy, Fongs Pizza if you are feeling adventurous, Magee’s Irish Pub if you are feeling casual or The Operating Room if you are feeling playful! The area is home to not one, not two but three murals for the sweetest photo opportunities. Lastly, The District is also quite the place to go shopping. Cute boutiques like eline. and Mainstream Boutique rest next to Valor and Violet, an Aveda salon, AR Workshops and Adina Blooms. The District is filled with fun things to do and the entertainment in Ankeny is ever changing so you are bound to have a good time!