See country act Old Dominion or dress as Santa for a 5K this weekend in Des Moines

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Kick off the weekend fun early with a night out at Wells Fargo Arena to see country band Old Dominion on Thursday. If you’d rather watch something to get in the holiday mood, Ballet Des Moines presents the classic holiday tale, “The Nutcracker,” at Hoyt Sherman Place this weekend. The holiday fun continues all weekend with plenty of things to do for families. Head to Ames on Friday to the Reiman Gardens for a stunning display of lights and spend the day in Indianola Saturday for the Home for the Holidays event, culminating with a parade in the evening. Plus, take the kids on a hide-and-seek adventure for ornaments you get to keep.

Have a night of good vibes only with Old Dominion

Thursday night: The Nashville act Old Dominion is coming to Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., Des Moines, on their “No Bad Vibes Tour.” Their name is a reference to some of their members’ Virginia roots. Hear some of their fan favorite songs such as “One Man Band,” “Memory Lane” and “I Was on a Boat That Day.” The show is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $31.

See the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King come to life

Thursday night: Ballet Des Moines presents the classic holiday tale, “The Nutcracker,” at Hoyt Sherman Place, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines. Join Clara and the Nutcracker as they travel through enchanting worlds to defeat the Mouse King. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $37.

More: 15 holiday shows you'll want to see in Des Moines, from acrobatics to Irish dance

Get in the jolly spirit with Irish music and dance

Friday night: Irish Christmas in America will take audiences through a lively performance featuring stories of seasonal Irish traditions, Irish music and dance at Temple Theater, 1011 Locust St., Des Moines. The show is produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Support the State Historical Society of Iowa by attending a gala

Friday night: The 12^th annual Celebrate Iowa Gala at the Iowa Historical Foundation, 600 E. Locust St., Des Moines, invites the community for an evening of music, art and food. This marks the return of the gala to the State Historical Building following a five-year hiatus while the home to the state's more than 200 million pieces of Iowa history went through a renovation. Proceeds from the gala support the State Historical Society of Iowa’s exhibits and programs. Celebrate Iowa Gala is from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets start at $100.

Check out the new professional indoor soccer team, the Iowa Demon Hawks

Friday night: Des Moines lands a new professional sports team, the Iowa Demon Hawks, bringing professional indoor soccer to Bucs Arena, 7201 Hickman Road in Urbandale. Some fast facts: The coach, Tiago Coutinho, hails from Brazil, where he played on the country’s World Cup team. He said he moved to Des Moines “to bring the Demon Hawks to victory and help them win their first title for the city of Des Moines,” according to a new release. The team includes players from 13 countries, many of whom played in World Cups. The Demon Hawks take on the Iowa Raptors at 7 p.m., with tickets starting at $20 per person.

Run in a Santa suit

Saturday morning: Fleet Feet Des Moines, a retailer dedicated to runners and walkers, hosts its Santa Run 5K at East Sixth and Walnut streets in the East Village in Des Moines. Registrants will get a Santa suit to ensure the run is true to its name, and $15 of your entry will be donated to one of five charities. The Santa Run 5K starts at 10 a.m. Register online for $35.

More: Spend the perfect day in Des Moines' East Village with restaurants, bars and shopping

Spend the day on Ingersoll and Grand Avenues

Saturday afternoon: The Peppermint Trail is transforming Ingersoll and Grand Avenues into an afternoon of holiday fun across participating businesses. Participate in a gingerbread house decorating contest at bakery Crème, take a free ride on the holiday trolley, and see Santa Claus as he visits shops along Ingersoll Avenue. The Peppermint Trail is a free event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday afternoon: Love the 48,000 lights in the Dogtown Lights? Now kids can learn how to make their own light shows. This free workshop for kids ages 5 to 14 explores how the Dogtown Lights animations are made. Head to Dough Co. Pizza, 2330 University Ave. in Des Moines, from 3 to 5 p.m. but register in advance at groupcreatives.com/dogtown.../2023-youth-workshop.

See a parade in Indianola

Saturday afternoon: Indianola hosts Home for the Holidays all week long at the Indianola Downtown Square along West Ashland Avenue and West Salem Avenue. On Saturday, stop by for a holiday market, cookie decorating, a breakfast with Santa and a lighted parade at 7:30 p.m. The free event has activities that begin at 8:30 a.m. and continues through 8 p.m.

Romance readers, have a fun night out

Saturday night: Head to Storyhouse Bookpub, 505 E. Grand Ave., Suite 102, Des Moines for Romance-A-Palooza. Authors Denise Williams of “Technically Yours” and Danielle Jackson of “Accidentally in Love” will be there to celebrate their latest books. Catch drinks, dessert and play romance trivia for prizes in addition to an author chat. Romance-A-Palooza starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8.

Shop local art

Saturday night: The Fitch Building, 304 15^th St., Des Moines, is hosting an open studios event. Browse different artists’ studios on the second, third and fourth floor. The open studios event is from 6 to 9 p.m. Reserve a free ticket online at thefitchbuilding.com.

Experience a dazzling holiday light show

Saturday night: Colorful light installations cover 17 acres at Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd., Ames, during the Winter Wonderscape walk-through event. Snap photos beneath vibrant tunnels, or see lights show off the wintery outdoor gardens. Choose your time to visit between 5 and 7:30 p.m. with your ticket purchase online. General admission tickets are $15.

Play a round of hide and seek

Sunday afternoon: Go on the hunt for ornaments with Hide and Seek Ornaments, in which local artists hide handmade ornaments across downtown Des Moines that folks who find them can keep. Hiding areas include the Historic East Village, restaurants and attractions in Western Gateway Park and more. Hide and Seek Ornaments, which runs through Dec. 17, also expands to different cities across the Des Moines metro each day with Sunday heading to Waukee, meaning residents won’t have to travel to downtown to participate. Check the hashtags #DSMUSA, #downtownDSM and #DSMlocal on social media for clues.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Things to do in Des Moines this weekend include Old Dominion concert