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September 27, 2026

12:00pm - 6:00pm

4301 College Ave, DSM

16 Bands

1 Big Neighborhood Party!

​Admission is free.

Bring a chair. Bring your friends.

Tip the bands.

Photo Credits: Joe Crimmings, Todd Snell, Josh Mandelbaum

Welcome to Waveland Park Porchfest

2026 Welcomes the second annual Porchfest DSM, a rolling music festival held on the welcoming front porches and front yards of the residents of Waveland Park in Des Moines, Iowa. This family friendly, free event will feature 16 musical acts from a variety of genres performing throughout our beautiful neighborhood. The welcome tent will be located near 4440 College Ave Perkins Elementary and music acts will be on 44th Street and 45th Street. Festival attendees can migrate from one performance to the next and sit on front lawns and sidewalks to enjoy 45-60 minute sets of live music.

Maps of porches and performers will be available at the event, here at wavelandpark.org/porchfest, and also on our Facebook page. Street parking is available in Waveland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Biking to the event is encouraged. Bike racks will be available at the event. 

Union Park started the first Porchfest DSM five years ago. Their event is being held on Sept. 13. It’s also free and features 20 bands. Go get warmed up there and then stop by Waveland Park on the 27th to continue your free music festival weekend.

Join the Fun!

We'll have 16 bands starting every 45 minutes to keep the music flowing.

Tipping: Please remember to bring cash so you can tip the bands you enjoy!

Many bands can also accept Venmo.

All of the musicians at Porchfest are playing for tips and admiration, but only one of those pays the rent!

Meet the Bands

RiverCity Opry

Performance location/time
1532 45th Street
6:00 AM

River City Opry- bringing the Nashville Honky tonk music to Des Moines!

https://www.facebook.com/RCODSM/

Scott Eggleston

Performance location/time
1515 44th Street
6:00 AM

Scott Eggleston plays 50’s inspired blues, roots and rockabilly.
He is a 2020 Inductee Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. See Scott Eggleston Music on Facebook.

Marilyn Jerome

Performance location/time
1518 45th Street
6:45 AM

Marilyn Jerome has been performing for over 20 years in central Iowa; before moving to Iowa, she was performing in the Kansas City area as the lead vocalist in a country rock band. Her gigs include RAGBRAI, Hotel Pattee, Iowa Corndog Kick-off, many wineries, Party on the Patio in Ames, Art on the Prairie, fundraising events, private house parties, farmer's markets, the Iowa State Fair, Indianola Baloonfest and Indianola Art Festival, and more. Her sound is a blend of genres including country, rock, folk, and blues. She covers Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, The Everly Brothers, Elle King, Eric Clapton, John Prine, Brandi Carlisle, The Eagles, and many, many more. A sample of her sound can be found at SinnersAndSaintsDSM.com and on YouTube. To book her for your event, please contact her at marilynjerome84@gmail.com.

Scott Davis

Performance location/time
1424 44th Street
6:45 AM

Scott Davis is a member of the Des Moines Musician’s Association. A Des Moines native, he received his undergraduate degree in Education from the University of Northern Iowa, and a Master’s in performance and education at Drake University. Scott was inducted into the Community Jazz Center Hall of Fame in 2012. Although Scott’s musical roots and passion are in jazz, this Des Moines-based trumpet player has the resources and the talent to offer a variety of music styles to suit almost any musical taste.
https://www.scottdavismusic.com

Central Iowa Music Lab

Performance location/time
1441 45th Street
7:30 AM

centraliowamusiclab.com·myshopify.com
Des Moines' home for music instruction.

Anne and Tim

Anne Lorelle and Tim Earp

Performance location/time
1516 44th Street
7:30 AM

Anne and Tim have been performing together for a dozen years. A beautiful blend of voice and guitar. Anne released an album in 2008 while living/performing in Austin, Texas.

Ducharme-Jones Band

Performance location/time
1533 45th St
8:15 AM

Equally celebrated for their warm stage presence, humorous storytelling, and musical excellence, Ducharme-Jones seamlessly blends influences from folk, rock, country, and Americana to create a sound uniquely their own. Their live performances offer an authentic connection with audiences, balancing heartfelt moments with wit, energy, and exceptional musicianship.

Seth Hedquist

Performance location/time
1428 44th Street
8:15 AM

Seth Hedquist is a musician and historian from Des Moines. He performs with many bands and ensembles in Central Iowa and teaches improvisation at his own music school in Valley Junction. He is the writer and composer of "Agrimusic," a social history in song about rural Iowa musicians in the 1920s and 30s.

Photo by Austin Hyler Day

Major Blues & the Mugshots

Performance location/time
1500 45th Street
9:00 AM

Major Blues & the Mugshots has been playing traditional blues classics around the Central Iowa area for the last 10 years. As a blues preservationist band, MBMS plays the best of the Chicago and Delta style blues while sprinkling in tidbits of blues history along the way. 2026 marks a new chapter in the band's footprint with the release of three new original songs! While staying true to our roots in the blues we are looking forward to sharing our own original music with you!

https://www.facebook.com/majorbluesandthemugshots/

Dewey Cantrell

Performance location/time
1515 44th Street
9:00 AM

Dewey Cantrell is a guitarist, singer and songwriter from Des Moines, IA. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 13, learned a couple Ventures tunes, and has never put it down since. Early on, he was influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winter, along with the British invasion of blues-based guitar rock of the 60s and 70s, and later he became a student of acoustic blues and finger-style guitar playing. His songwriting covers the spectrum of emotion and life experiences - from good times, to pain and loss, to sentimental, to tongue-in-cheek humor.

B. John Burns

Performance location/time
1524 45th Street
9:45 AM

John Burns always says that "Des Moines is full of people in their 60s and 70s who played around town in the Sixties and Seventies." John Burns is one of those people. He wrote the first of his approximately 5,000 songs in September 1972 and has been out playing them since 1975 in 24 different states.

Matt Terronez with Dave Bohl

Performance location/time
1514 44th Street
9:45 AM

Matt Terronez is an Iowa singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. He is known for his warm baritone voice and vivid lyrical storytelling, and for his songs rooted in emotional honesty. His debut album, Tell Me A Story (2026), is a 10-song collection that explores themes of love, memory, and vulnerability.

Dave Bohl is an Iowa native and Drake University graduate. As a first-call saxophonist he regularly performs with The Des Moines Big Band, the Matt Terronez Band, Orquesta Alto Maizand others, and has graced stages with Aretha Franklin, Idina Menzel, Bernadette Peters, 10,000 Maniacs and more. He also leads his own quartet playing original compositions and arrangements.

The Night Lights

Performance location/time
1535 44th Street
10:30 AM

The Night Lights, an Iowa women’s folk trio, features lifelong friends Abbie Sawyer, Katharine Ruestow and Sarah Cram. Together, they deliver heartfelt songs about motherhood, growth, and friendship.Their introspective, folk-inspired sound focuses on storytelling and rich harmonies. This project honors creativity and emotion while sharing music that resonates with each other and their community.

A sophomore album is expected in 2026 as part of a grant from the Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Music samples:
The Night Lights (Debut Album, 2023)

Social:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.night.lights/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089457759058
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNightLightsMusic

Eric & the Dancing Foxes

Performance location/time
1441 45th Street
10:30 AM

Eric & the Dancing Foxes are composed of Eric Rucker and a rotating intergenerational crew of artists and who love to create and jam together. They most recently dropped an album for kids and families that sought to explore the whimsical and funny but also the challenging and profound elements of being in community together. Stylistically, think indie meets rock meets poetry reading meets birthday party. You can listen to Eric & the Dancing Foxes on their Soundcloud or Youtube pages.

https://soundcloud.com/ericandthedancingfoxes/sets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWCMJwhnjUk&list=PLDbD9r2KhGxHLSUP8eB6gKdBHYri8neG7

Bridges 2 Harmony

Performance location/time
1444 44th Street
11:15 AM

Bridges 2 Harmony Gospel Choir (B2H) is in its 19th year at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Founded by Rev. James McNear, Jr., the choir was formed to give students at Roosevelt a high quality musical experience in the gospel genre, while building community connections. Currently under the direction of Mr. Alexander Gray, Bridges 2 Harmony has performed in front of a number of notable figures and transformed many lives across the world.

Bob Pace

Performance location/time
1530 45th Street
11:15 AM

Guitarist Bob Pace has entertained Midwest audiences for more than 40 years. He proudly led the Tuesday night house band at the legendary Blues On Grand for almost 20 years. Bob has opened for Blues icons Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Winter, John Mayall, Tab Benoit, Tower of Power, Delbert McClinton and countless others. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/Blues.Bob.Pace.Band/ for more info.

Our Sponsors

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Map of Events

PARKING is available on the streets, and limited parking at Perkins Elementary. We advise biking if possible. 

44th Street will be closed to traffic.

Here is a map you can print out.
Here is a map you can put on your phone.

Food Trucks

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Party Pod

The City of Des Moines Party Pod will be on-site to offer games for all ages.
(Some games may not be available the day of the event)

  • 17-foot adjustable net for soccer, volleyball, and

  • pickleball

  • Activ Flyers (frisbees)

  • Balls (3 soccer balls, 3 basketballs, 3 footballs, 3

  • volleyballs, and 3 playground balls)

  • Bases for wiffle ball and kickball

  • (2) Cornhole

  • Crossnet with Crossnet ball

  • Giant Connect Four

  • Giant Jenga

  • Giant Yahtzee

  • (6) Hula Hoops

  • (12) Jump Ropes

  • Kan Jam

  • Ladder Toss

  • Pickleball Paddles and Balls

  • Ring Toss

  • Sidewalk Chalk

  • Spikeball

  • Wiffle Ball Bat, Ball, and Tee

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More Information

Have questions? Want to volunteer? Please get in touch!​

515-720-5524 (Tim Earp)

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© 2026 by Waveland Park Neighborhood Association

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