The twenty-first annual Ingersoll LIVE block party will take place Saturday, Aug. 23, from 3 — 10 p.m. on the 2800 block of Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines. This free, family-friendly event will feature local vendors, food trucks, kids' activities and two stages of live music. IPR’s Studio One will be presenting a stage at the party featuring three Iowa bands.
“I really like to call it the ultimate neighborhood block party,” Lauren Kollauf, executive director of the Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand organization, said. “It's just a really fun, vibrant sort of ‘farewell to summer' event, and it's always a good time.”
Local acts Weary Ramblers, Run Dog and The Swampland Jewels will play the Studio One stage. This will be Studio One’s first public event since launching its 24-hour KKSO signal last August.
Weary Ramblers — 5 p.m.
Weary Ramblers is the Iowa-based folk duo of Chad Elliott and Kathryn Severing Fox. Elliott is a 2025 Iowa Rock and Roll Association Hall of Fame inductee with 26 solo albums and over 1,500 songs to his name. Fox is also an accomplished songwriter and is a world-class violinist, having performed internationally and with artists like Eagles and the Beach Boys. Weary Ramblers’ self-titled debut album spent seven weeks at number one on the Contemporary Folk Albums chart, and in February, they won “Best Duo/Group” at the International Acoustic Music Awards. Their music combines traditional folk storytelling with elements of country, bluegrass and a little bit of jazz.
Run Dog — 6:30 p.m.
Run Dog is a folksy indie rock four-piece hailing from Waverly and Cedar Falls. The band features Addison Payne on lead vocals, keys and guitar; Sam Ackman on guitar, keys and harmonies; Derek Raatz on percussion and Matthew Bancroft-Smithe on bass and mandolin. IPR’s Anthony Scanga described Run Dog as “reminiscent of Father John Misty and The Decemberists, with a little bit of The Mountain Goats thrown in.” Their sound weaves together acoustic and electric elements with thoughtful, reflective lyricism.
The Swampland Jewels — 8 p.m.
The Swampland Jewels are an Iowa City-based roots rock band. Their music wanders down the Mississippi to Louisiana, where they draw inspiration from blues, jazz, Tex-Mex folk and country. The Swampland Jewels features five seasoned local musicians: Nate Basinger on accordion, keyboards and vocals; Eddie McKinley on saxophone, Randall Davis on guitar, Marty Christiensen on bass and Forrest Heusinkveld on percussion. Their self-titled debut album was inspired by the work of Iowa folklorist Harry Oster — listen to IPR's Charity Nebbe speak with Basinger and Heusinkveld about Oster's influence on the record.
Local artists will also be featured on the other music stage at Ingersoll LIVE. The Ingersoll neighborhood’s own Suede will bring high energy with covers of hit pop, rock and country songs, and Des Moines’ The Other Brothers will provide their original blues-infused rock and roll.
“My favorite thing about Ingersoll LIVE is that you always, always run into someone you know,” Kollauf said. “You run into friends, neighbors, your favorite local business, and that's really what it’s all about. That’s why we throw this event every year — to bring the community, the neighborhoods together to remind them that we have so much to celebrate in our district.”
More information about the Ingersoll LIVE schedule, vendors and activities is available on the Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand website.
