(Des Moines, IA) -- The Des Moines Symphony is resuming in-person concerts later this summer. The exception is Yankee Doodle Pops at the Iowa Capitol. The annual Independence Day concert will be broadcast statewide on Iowa P-B-S. The Symphony will host Yankee Doodle Pops in-person in 2022
“After much deliberation, we have come to the conclusion that we cannot responsibly invite 100,000 Iowans to gather shoulder to shoulder on the Capitol grounds this July,” said Executive Director Richard L. Early.
The Symphony plans to perform its second season of Water Works Pops on Labor Day weekend, offering a holiday weekend of free music in the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park. These free, outdoor concerts, will be the evenings of Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5.
The Symphony is closely monitoring guidance from the CDC and the Iowa Department of Public Health to create a distanced and safe environment for its outdoor concerts. Detailed guidelines, including distancing, masking requirements, and capacity limits, will be announced later in the summer.
“As always, the health and safety of our audiences, musicians, and staff is of the utmost importance,” said Early. “Thanks to the advice of several medical professionals serving on our COVID-19 Response Team as well as the mitigation strategies being developed by our administrative staff, we are confident that we will be able to perform these outdoor concerts in a safe environment, allowing our community to experience live, in-person symphonic music once again.”
(Photo from Des Moines Symphony)