Don’t miss the Botanical Garden’s summer music series presented by EMC Insurance Companies. Enjoy the best parts of the Garden, music, family, food, and the warm summer weather. Sounds thanks to Ripple Productions.
Thursdays | June 6 through August 29
Doors open at 6 p.m. | Music starts at 6:30 p.m.
Bring chairs and picnic blankets
Leave coolers and food at home
Bring Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Silipint® for 10% off drinks
Purchase admission at the door
Parking is available in the Botanical Garden parking lot and along Robert D. Ray Dr.
Tickets
Member – $6 off all ticket types
Adult – $12
Senior (65+) – $11
Active Military – $11
Children (2-12) $9
Children 1 and under – free
Museums for All (WIC and SNAP EBT card holders ) – free
Members from participating AHS Reciprocal Admission Program institutions are not eligible for member ticket prices.
Event Details
All concerts will be held live and in person in the outdoor Koehn Garden. Doors open at 6 p.m. and music begins at 6:30 p.m.
The Garden will close at 9 p.m., music conclusion time will vary.
This is a rain or shine event. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors. Please check our Facebook page for weather related updates.
Music in the Garden attendees are encouraged to bring their own folding, outdoor seating, or picnic blankets. These items will also be available for purchase in the Garden Shop.
2024 Lineup
June 6
June Bugs DSM
June Bugs DSM are a Des Moines cover band highlighting women in the music industry by showcasing your favorite songs written and/or performed by women.
June 13
The Sheet
Established in 2011, The Sheet brings the positive vibes with familiar reggae infused cover tunes. You’ll want to drink, sing, and dance along!
June 20
NOLA Jazz Band
In only a few short years NOLA Jazz Band’s “gutsy and heartfelt” blues and jazz stylings have earned them a nationwide fan base. The band has played many festivals and music hot spots around the Midwest and Central Iowa.
June 27
Gina Gedler
Vocalist Gina Gedler has been entertaining audiences with her musical versatility and personality for over 40 years. She is known for her vibrant personality and multiple vocal stylings. She is a regular to the Des Moines entertainment scene and has had the privilege of appearing in numerous musicals on stage and many professional variety and musical acts throughout the state and outside of the state as well.
July 11
Surf Zombies
Surf Zombies raise surf rock from the dead with fast, crazy, original instrumentals that straddle retro surf, bubblegum punk, and garage rock, conjuring images of beach parties, Saturday morning cartoons, and hot rod car shows. The driving rhythms, swirling tremolo, crashing spring reverb from dueling guitars, and authentic growl of vintage tube amps make for a truly weird Midwestern wonder.
July 18
Son Peruchos
Son Peruchos play a fusion of Andean and South American folk music utilizing traditional instruments such as the zampoña, quena, and charango. This musical group integrates their traditional Andean sound with more modern Latin and Caribbean rhythms such as cumbia, bachata, and rock en español.
July 25
Bruce Day – Family Night
Bruce Day is an Iowa born, life-long singer with 20 years of experience performing across Iowa and the Midwest. Now based out of Des Moines, Bruce is able to make a living as a full-time musician/dad/rock diva. In addition to playing 150 solo shows each year, Bruce plays several duo shows with his ole pal Mike Staebell, and has recently joined an exciting new project called Duke and the American Dream.
August 1
Adé & The Soul Brothers
Formed in the heart of the Midwest, these talented musicians deliver an array of diverse musical genres ranging from soul, jazz, blues, funk, soft rock, and mainstream R&B.
August 8
The Feel Right
The Feel Right is a smooth blend of neo-soul, Pop, R&B, and jazz sounds, led by The Voice Season 14 finalist Sharane Calister and backed by five of Des Moines’ top musicians and singers. Just like their name says, The Feel Right comes to make you “feel right all night.”
August 15
Randy Burke & the Prisoners
In the rich tradition of artists like Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, and Dave Alvin, artist Randy Burk creates music that is at once exciting and familiar, honest and soulful, fearless and introspective. Burk has an unparalleled blue-collar work ethic that he’s easily applied to the cutthroat world of music with a midwestern sensibility that for the last 23 years has enabled him to play more than 200 shows a year across the Midwest, West Coast, and Europe with the Prisoners.
August 22
Brad & Kate
Brad & Kate is a pop-folk group lead by husband and wife duo, Kate and Brad Myers. Charming and dynamic, the duo have grown an organic following around Iowa and the Midwest in a few short years. Their first full-length album, released May 2022, boasts a variety of sounds from their newly released pop single, “You Right Next to Me” to indie-folk-rock, “Better on My Own” to a reflective, “Dreams Change.”
August 29
Damon Dotson
Damon Dotson has opened for legendary performers like BB King, Willie Nelson, The Beach Boys, Huey Lewis and The News, as well as modern artists like Matt Nathanson, The Band Perry, Edwin McCain, and The Lone Bellow. He was named Des Moines’s “Best Local Musician” of 2022 by CITYVIEW Magazine.