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Free Cultural & Carnatic Events in Des Moines

33 free events coming up — no ticket needed. All events in Des Moines →

Happening this week

Welcome Fall Harvest WeekThu, 1 OctFREE
Welcome Fall Harvest Week
Willard Straight Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
The S.C. Tang Macroeconomics Workshop | Zebang XuThu, 1 OctFREE
The S.C. Tang Macroeconomics Workshop | Zebang Xu
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
businessFREE
The Predatory Sea: Human Trafficking and Colonization in the Seventeenth-Century CaribbeanThu, 1 OctFREE
The Predatory Sea: Human Trafficking and Colonization in the Seventeenth-Century Caribbean
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Latina/o Studies Fridays with Faculty luncheon seminar Fall 2026Fri, 2 OctFREE
Latina/o Studies Fridays with Faculty luncheon seminar Fall 2026
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
techFREE
Authoritarianism and Legitimacy in Afghanistan: The Case Study of Taliban 2.0Mon, 5 OctFREE
Authoritarianism and Legitimacy in Afghanistan: The Case Study of Taliban 2.0
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE

Coming up

Celebrate National Noodle Day at OkenshieldsTue, 6 OctFREE
Celebrate National Noodle Day at Okenshields
Willard Straight Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
The Struggle for Oversight in Local Government: Mayors vs. Councils in the Heart of Taiwan’s DemocracyWed, 7 OctFREE
The Struggle for Oversight in Local Government: Mayors vs. Councils in the Heart of Taiwan’s Democracy
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Institute for African Development Faculty Book ChatWed, 7 OctFREE
Institute for African Development Faculty Book Chat
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Gendering Monastic Aesthetics in ThailandThu, 8 OctFREE
Gendering Monastic Aesthetics in Thailand
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Strange Marriages, Painted Skins, and Ghost Writers: Japanese Responses to Pu Songling from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth CenturyThu, 8 OctFREE
Strange Marriages, Painted Skins, and Ghost Writers: Japanese Responses to Pu Songling from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century
Uris Hall · Des Moines
literatureFREE
The S. C. Tsiang Macroeconomics Workshop | Simon MongeyThu, 15 OctFREE
The S. C. Tsiang Macroeconomics Workshop | Simon Mongey
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
businessFREE
The Patron’s Dilemma: Recklessness and Restraint Under Nuclear UmbrellasThu, 15 OctFREE
The Patron’s Dilemma: Recklessness and Restraint Under Nuclear Umbrellas
Uris Hall · Des Moines
techFREE
Rupal Mehta (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln) at PACS SeminarThu, 15 OctFREE
Rupal Mehta (Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln) at PACS Seminar
Uris Hall · Des Moines
techFREE
Sprocket: The Cognitive Science Film Series at CornellThu, 15 OctFREE
Sprocket: The Cognitive Science Film Series at Cornell
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Cognitive Science ColloquiumFri, 16 OctFREE
Cognitive Science Colloquium
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
CCCC: Poems from Visitors to Japan in 858: A Foray into the World of Merchants and Monks beyond Tang High SocietyFri, 16 OctFREE
CCCC: Poems from Visitors to Japan in 858: A Foray into the World of Merchants and Monks beyond Tang High Society
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
33rd Unity DinnerFri, 16 OctFREE
33rd Unity Dinner
Willard Straight Hall · Des Moines
musicFREE
A New Era of Political Mobilization: Who were the Yellow Vests in France?Mon, 19 OctFREE
A New Era of Political Mobilization: Who were the Yellow Vests in France?
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Joint S.C. Tsiang Macroeconomics & Development Workshop | Karthik SastryThu, 22 OctFREE
Joint S.C. Tsiang Macroeconomics & Development Workshop | Karthik Sastry
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
businessFREE
The Ante-Colonial: A Grassroots Discourse of Korean Diasporic Trans-indigenous RelationalityFri, 23 OctFREE
The Ante-Colonial: A Grassroots Discourse of Korean Diasporic Trans-indigenous Relationality
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
artsFREE
Cornell World Languages Day 2026Sat, 24 OctFREE
Cornell World Languages Day 2026
Arts Quad · Des Moines
artsFREE
The Persistence Question: Why Climate Tech Solutions Persist Despite Failing on Their Own TermsMon, 26 OctFREE
The Persistence Question: Why Climate Tech Solutions Persist Despite Failing on Their Own Terms
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
Red Dawn over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of HumanityTue, 27 OctFREE
Red Dawn over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE
unseenWed, 28 OctFREE
unseen
Willard Straight Theatre · Des Moines
wellbeingFREE
The S.C. Tang Macroeconomics Workshop | Eduardo DavilaThu, 29 OctFREE
The S.C. Tang Macroeconomics Workshop | Eduardo Davila
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
businessFREE
Voicing Aspiration: Bollywood Songs and Dreamwork in Contemporary IndiaMon, 2 NovFREE
Voicing Aspiration: Bollywood Songs and Dreamwork in Contemporary India
Uris Hall · Des Moines
musicFREE
Mechanobiology Hub Seminar: Mechanobiology meets Women's HealthTue, 3 NovFREE
Mechanobiology Hub Seminar: Mechanobiology meets Women's Health
Biotechnology Building · Des Moines
businessFREE
Joint S.C. Tang Macroeconomics & Labor Workshop | Hugo L'HuilierThu, 5 NovFREE
Joint S.C. Tang Macroeconomics & Labor Workshop | Hugo L'Huilier
Rockefeller Hall · Des Moines
businessFREE
Power Without Hierarchy: Relational Geopolitics, Total Defense, and International OrderThu, 5 NovFREE
Power Without Hierarchy: Relational Geopolitics, Total Defense, and International Order
Uris Hall · Des Moines
otherFREE

Des Moines runs one of the world's richest free cultural calendars. Sabhas hold Carnatic concerts most evenings, temples host utsavams and bhajans, and Bharatanatyam margams, harikathas and discourses happen year-round — most with free admission and no ticket needed. This guide gathers them in one place and refreshes itself as new events are added.

It peaks in the Margazhi season (mid-Dec to mid-Jan), when hundreds of free and low-cost kutcheris fill the sabhas — but there's something on almost every week. Bookmark this page, or get the app for reminders near you.

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