Culinary Arts
Spice up your visit to the Des Moines Arts Festival® by visiting one of our two Food Courts, along with several independent stations located throughout the Festival. Some of the best Central Iowa has to offer from over 20 establishments. The Festival’s food vendors represent some of the best culinary treats Central Iowa has to offer with everything from Indian, Thai, Bar-B-Que, Brats, Fajitas, Curry Chicken, Gyros, Steak Kabob, Hand-dipped corn dogs, Lambres, Buckwheat Noodles, and more. Refreshing beverage products include fresh squeezed lemonade, smoothies, ice tea, beer, and wine. And in 2012, we introduce Mimosas and Sangria to our Jazz & Wine Pavilion. See list below for this year's participating vendors:
Afiyet Olsun Des Moines, IA
Enjoy this selection of traditional Mesopotamian dishes. Menu items include: Tabsi Tavuk (chicken), Pasta Saladar (vegetarian), Riz Bil JaJ (chicken rice dish) & Riz Bil Laham (beef rice dish).
All Star Catering Hudson, WI
Offers classic American favorites and traditional festival treats. Menu items include: Brats, burgers, corn dogs, cheese curds, cheese fries, chicken tenders, gyros, chicken fajitas & fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Baja Smoothies St. Paul, MN
With each stand piled high with fresh fruit, you'll know your smoothie is 100% all natural, and 100% delicious!
Blondi's Lemonade Sauk Centre, MN
Quench your thirst with a delicious, fresh-squeezed lemonade!
Cafe Fuzion Des Moines, IA
Tantalize your tastebuds with this eclectic Asian cuisine. Menu items include: red curry chicken, veggie pad thai, spring rolls, eggrolls & crab rangoons.
Crepes de Luxe Cafe Iowa City, IA
Offers a savory selection of sweet tasting crepes. Menu items include: monkey treats, french toast, citrus burst, de luxe crepe, Jammin & Paris crepes.
Dippin Dots Des Moines, IA
Enjoy this twist on traditional ice cream with various flavors including chocolate, vanilla, rainbow ice, cookie dough and more!
Greek Flame Foods Crestview, FL
Calling all Mediterranean food lovers! Menu items include: lamb gyro, chicken gyro, seafood sampler platter, Grecian sampler platter, greek salad & chicken kabobs.
Hawaiian Grill Pleasant Hill, IA
Look no further for sweet and savory. Menu items include: Hawaiian chicken and rice deluxe, Hawaiian chicken and rice combo, eggrolls, crab rangoons & grilled spam musubi.
Hey Brothers Ice Cream Dixon, IL
Get all your ice cream fixin's under one roof. Menu items include: Ice cream (waffle cone or cup), icre cream double (waffle cone or cup), shaved ice & funnel cakes.
Indian Delights Ames, IA
For meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Menu items include: butter chicken with basmati fried rice, vegetable chaat, samosas & mango paradise.
Island Noodles River Falls, WI
Your one stop noodle shop! Menu items include: island noodles & island noodles with teriyaki chicken
Jerry's Cherry Lemonade & Shaved Ice Minneapolis, MN
Cool off with one of Jerry's fresh-squeezed lemonades, a shaved ice...or both!
Jose's Tacos Urbandale, IA
Squash your hunger with this extensive selection of traditional Latin-American dishes. Menu items include: alambres, chicken tacos, beef tacos, steak philly sandwiches, beef burritos, fruit cups & mango on a stick.
Kabab House West Des Moines, IA
Offers a wide variety of traditional Mediterranean dishes. Menu items include: gyro wraps, kababs (chicken or beef), tandoori chhicken wraps, falafel wraps, spinakopita, samosa, baklava & chana masala.
Maui Wowi Hawaiian Smoothies Johnston, IA
These rich, creamy delights provide not only 2 servings of fruit in a variety of flavors, but also the perfect pick-me-up during a busy day!
Mi Patria Ecuadorian Restaurant West Des Moines, IA
Offers an assortment of Ecuadorian inspired cuisine. Menu items include: sandwich de hornado, arroz con pollo & torilla de Yuca.
Mo'rub Des Moines, IA
Add a little Mo' soul to your food with these tasty back yard classics. Menu items include: Mo'rub original wings, Mo'rub original wings basket, pasta salad, Mo'rub chips w/sour cream, baked beans, pork sliders, pork chop on a stick, and wash it all down with a Mo'Mary or Mo'Jito.
Mulvihill Farms, Inc. Cumming, IA
Offers tasty twists on these traditional treats. Menu items include: chocolate-covered bacon, dipped cheesecake on a stick w/toppings, dipped frozen bananas on a stick w/toppings & frozen hot chocolate.
Otte's Concessions Sauk Centre, MN
Serving up all the classics! Menu items include: hand-dipped corndogs (6" and footlong), french fries, family fries, funnel cakes, cheese curds, sno cones & lemonade.
Otte's Old Fashion Kettle Korn Sauk Centre, MN
Get your sweet and salty on with a bag of toasty kettle korn!
Over the Top - Fabulicious Ice Cream Pleasant Hill, IA
All over the top, and all homemade! Menu items include: homemade ice cream cups, homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches & homemade fruit sorbet bars.
Pacific Rim Noodles Union Mills, NC
Your'e bound to be hungry after all that wokking! Menu items include: wok-fired veggies with noodles & fresh-brewed organic tea with mango.
Premiere Kettle Corn Marion, IA
Look no further for your kettle korn fix. We have it on good authority that the large bag is the tastiest!
Pronto: fun fresh food Des Moines, IA
Offers diverse cuisine inspired by diverse cultures. Menu items include: Asian BBQ rice bowl, fruit sticks w/spiced syrup, vanilla bean panna cotta, assorted cookies & pastries, & Artisan Italian sodas.
Taco Loco Des Moines, IA
Enjoy this selection of Latin American dishes. Menu items include: tacos special, Mexican sandwiches, burritos, flour tortilla tacos, quesadillas, corn tortilla taco & quesadilla combo, & Jarritos.
Thelma's Ice Cream Des Moines, IA
"It's okay to smile with your mouth full." Menu items include: chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches, snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches, & spicy chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.
Yanni's Grill Altoona, IA
Enjoy this selection of premier Greek and Italian dishes. Menu items include: gyros (lamb, chicken, or steak), homemade tiramisu, homemade cannoli, baklava & chicken skure.
Craft Beer
It all came from two characters created by local artist, Chris Vance – Bucktoothed Blonde and One-Eyed Red. These characters were the driving force behind the craft beer of the Festival. The Festival teamed up with local brewery, Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Co. (CABCo.) to use these characters as a starting point to produce a specialty red beer as well as a blonde wheat beer to be served at the Festival. Both beers will be available on-site at all four beverage stations.
Beer
The Festival features an unbelievable selection of Budweiser products and our friends at Doll Distributing. Our menu includes Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Michelob Ultra, Land Shark, Stella Artois, Goose Island 312, and the non-alcoholic O’Doul’s.
Wine
Jasper Winery hosts the Jazz & Wine Pavilion where you can taste and buy their excellent quality wines. 
Wines are available inside the Jazz & Wine Pavilion or a narrow selection is available at any one of the four beverage locations throughout the Festival.
Edelweiss – A flirty and lively white, Edelweiss is slightly sweet yet crisp, with refreshing flavors of citrus and green apple.
Front Porch - Our Front Porch is a fresh and flavorful semi-sweet rosé with savory aromas of strawberry and red cherry.
Behind the Shed Red - A robust dry red, Behind the Shed Red is a medium-bodied red blend with blackberry and plum aromas, concentrated fruit flavors, and an excellent finish.
Lucy Lane - Named after our dog Lucy, this red wine is delectably sweet with a smooth taste and rich Concord flavor. Try with cheesecake.
All-Night White - Made from the Niagara variety, this white wine is soft and sweet with flavors of freshly
picked grapes and honeysuckle.
Bed Head Red - A fun and easily drinkable sweet red wine, Bed Head Red has spicy aromas and deep fruit flavors of black cherry and wild berry, with a hint of vanilla.
Seyval Blanc - A widely planted Midwestern grape variety, Seyval Blanc gains weight and complexity with oak barrel aging. This dry white offers refined aromas of lemon, melon, and honey, with a rich and creamy texture.
La Crescent - A new Midwestern variety with potential to make excellent white wine, our La Crescent features zesty citrus aromas of lemon and lime, with grapefruit and pineapple flavors and crisp acidity balanced with just a touch of sweetness.
JW Rosé - A unique dry style rosé made from the Catawba variety, our JW Rosé offers an enticing blend of flavors reminiscent of cranberry, watermelon, and red cherry accompanied by a lively and refreshing acidity.
Chancellor - The Chancellor variety was developed and remains widely planted in France, and has long been used to make dry red wine of exceptional quality. Now being grown in central Iowa, our Chancellor is a medium-bodied red displaying characteristic aromas of cedar and plum, with a dark and rich berry flavor.
Norton - Norton (also known as Cynthiana) is the oldest cultivated North American grape variety. Widely popular in Missouri, Norton has gained a reputation for making remarkably bold and full-bodied dry reds. Our Norton exhibits dark fruit aromas of currant and blackberry with slight hints of cinnamon and mint.
Jazz & Wine Pavilion presented by Meredith
Stop in the Jazz & Wine Pavilion to sample and purchase a variety of wines and craft beers produced by Des Moines' own Jasper Winery, Madhouse Brewery and Anheiser Busch. You can taste the winery's full palette of bottled wine. New this year in the Jazz & Wine Pavilion is beer tastings, along with Mimosa and Sangria. Madhouse Brewery will offer all of their labels for tasting.
Find something you like? Grab a glass of your favorite wine or beer and enjoy the live entertainment on the Jazz & Wine Pavilion Stage.
| Honey Pilsner- Light and crisp, our Honey Pilsner has great flavor for an easy drinking lager beer. It is golden in color, with intriguing floral aromas from noble hop additions. Flavors of bready malt are well-balanced with the addition of honey, which is sourced from the Ebert Company, and Iowa-based apiary. Drink carefully, you might catch a buzzzzz! |
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| Pastime Pale Ale- Pastime Pale Ale is a “hopped up” version of an American style pale ale. The beer is deepamber to copper in color, and receives several generous additions of Centennial and Cascade hops. These hops give the beer a complex and enticing character, with spicy aromas of citrus and pine. Specialty grains deliver a rich and full-bodied flavor, with a bold taste of caramel and toasted malt. Our brewery is located in the former headquarters of the Maytag Corp., and the “Pastime” was the first washing machine made by the Maytag Company in 1907. |  |
| Hopburst IPA- Hopbursting is a relatively new brewing technique in which the vast majority of hops are added to the kettle late in the boil in order to achieve enhanced extraction of hop components (i.e. Hopbursting gives you tons of hop flavor and aroma!) Our Hopburst IPA has a substantial malt base, balanced with huge additions of our unique hop blend. This creates an incredibly flavorful beer, with smooth bitterness and hoppy goodness. |  |
| Coffee Stout- Our Coffee Stout is rich and smooth with just a hint coffee flavor. It is crafted using five different malted grains, which results in a dark color and flavors of chocolate and heavily roasted malt. We then partnered with Des Moines based U.S. Roasterie to select a Mocha Java coffee to add depth and flavor to the beer. We think it turned out great and hope you will agree! |  |
Jasper Mimosa- The perfect way to start (or enhance!) your day, our mimosa is a delicious blend of our Sparkling Edelweiss and orange juice. If you enjoy mimosa, be sure to give this a try!
Jasper Winery Sangria- A well-known crowd pleaser, our sangria is a refreshing blend of red and white wine, with a bit a juice mix and carbonation for the perfect summer sipper. Served chilled with ice, our sangria is sweet, fruity, and easy drinking.
