Des Moines urges downtown to 'light it up' for holidays; Hy‑Vee parade, skating events planned

A staff member urged downtown Des Moines businesses and residents to add holiday lights and decorations to create a festive atmosphere and draw visitors, saying the city is building “a holiday experience in Downtown Des Moines that stretches from the East Village to the Western Gateway.”

The speaker listed several planned activities downtown, including programming at Brenton Skating Plaza, an East Village Holiday Promenade and what was described as the first Hy‑Vee Holiday Parade on Ford Avenue featuring music, floats and an appearance by Santa. The speaker said hot chocolate will be available at the skating plaza and that the rink will be decorated for the holidays.

"Holiday time is just around the corner, and we wanna make the downtown area as festive as it can be," the staff member said. "We want people to add lights for decorative scenes and bring opportunity for people to come down and enjoy the holiday spirit."

The announcement emphasized broad participation rather than announcing specific dates or logistics. No dates, parade route times, permitting details or vendor information were provided in the remarks. The speaker encouraged property owners and community members to contribute to the downtown display: "So again, whatever you can do to make this the merriest holiday season for downtown Des Moines, we would appreciate it."

City calendars or event pages were not cited during the remarks; attendees were not given contact or registration information. As presented, the remarks were an appeal to increase decorations and awareness of planned downtown events rather than a final schedule or formal city action.