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A Maid of Honor HQ Guide

Her Des Moines bachelorette, done right.

The underrated East Village weekend

Des Moines, IA ranks 6/10 on the Maid of Honor HQ bachelorette index, with 2 bachelorette-friendly nightlife venues and 6 curated daytime activities in this guide. Hello, Marjorie anchors the shortlist; best months are May–Jun–Jul.

Des Moines surprises every bridesmaid who shows up skeptical. The Historic East Village is a walkable strip of cocktail dens, tiki bars, and patios, the sculpture park is free, and the whole weekend costs a fraction of a coastal trip.

IAAirport: DSMBest: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
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Three full weekends at three price points in about 60 seconds. Trip terms sheet included.

What to do

Days worth getting dressed up for.

East Village cocktail crawl

brunch crawl3 hr

Walkable bohemian district — bar to bar without an Uber

$40-$90/pp

Pappajohn Sculpture Park walking tour

walking tour1.5 hr

Free downtown park with 30+ blue-chip sculptures

$0-$20/pp

Exile Brewing taproom tour

brewery tour2 hr

Flagship craft brewery + tasting flight

$30-$70/pp

Gray's Lake kayak paddle

kayaking2 hr

Downtown-skyline lake with rental fleet

$25-$55/pp

Downtown Farmers' Market food tour

food tour2.5 hr

One of the country's biggest markets, May–Oct Saturdays

$40-$80/pp

In Confidence speakeasy cocktail class

cocktail class2 hr

Hands-on mixing inside Hotel Fort Des Moines

$55-$95/pp

Where to go out

Rooftops, drag brunches, and the main event.

Hello, Marjorie

cocktail barbalanced $$$

Deep-green leather lounge that anchors the city's cocktail scene

Bellhop Tiki Bar

tiki barbalanced $$

Palm Springs-style tiki den in the East Village

Where to eat

The tables worth booking ahead for.

Exile Brewing Company

American$$ • Best for: first night

Craft beer + big patio in the East Village

Le Bouillon

French$$$ • Best for: group-dinner

Rural-French comfort food — duck frites + raw bar

Ted & Wally's

Dessert$ • Best for: late-night treat

Premium homemade ice cream to cap the night

Where to stay

A getting-ready suite for the whole weekend.

Hotel Fort Des Moines (Curio Collection)

boutique-hotel • Max 2 guests

1919 landmark hotel with the In Confidence speakeasy downstairs

$180-$320/night

East Village loft

airbnb • Max 10 guests

Walkable to the cocktail bars + sculpture park

$350-$650/night

From the archive

Sample Bachelorette Weekends

Her Des Moines weekend, her way.

Three full weekends at three price points in about 60 seconds. Real venues from the list above, parallel tracks for the pregnant friend and the sober bridesmaid, and a trip terms sheet for the group chat so nobody gets a Venmo surprise. Free. No card.

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Other IA cities

Her other IA options.

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