Waukee and Metro Events When and Where: Katie's Crusaders, Martinifest, Ringling Bros. Circus, 'Les Miserables'

There’s plenty to do in Waukee this weekend, and if you want to travel into Des Moines and around the metro, there’s plenty to do there, too.

Friday

Waukee vs. Des Moines East

The Waukee Warriors will face Des Moines East tonight at 7 p.m. at East High School's Williams Stadium. Don your purple and gold and come out to cheer on the Warriors!

Saturday

Katie's Crusaders Race at Centennial Park

The 4th Annual Katie's Crusaders 5k run/walk & 10K run will be held Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. at Centennial Park. All proceeds from the event will benefit local families during their fight against breast cancer. Join Katie and her Crusaders in their fight to help families with their medical bills so they can concentrate on fighting the disease. For more information, go to www.katiescrusaders.org.

Waukee Fire Association Pancake Breakfast

The Waukee Fire Association will host a pancake breakfast and food drive Saturday to kick off Fire Prevention Week.

The bi-annual event takes place Saturday morning from 7-11 a.m. at the Waukee Fire Station.

Fire truck rides, demonstrations, a bounce house, kid’s tattoos, and coloring are just a few of the other activities planned at Saturday's event. Cost to attend is $5 for ages 5 and up. Children 4 and under are free.

The Waukee Public Library Book and Bake Sale

The Waukee Public Library's semi-annual book and bake sale will be held Saturday at the Waukee Public Library from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Whether you're looking for the latest New York Times bestseller or maybe a couple board books for your toddler, you'll want to make plans to attend. If you're tied to your e-reader, then come for the baked goods.

All the profits from the sale are used to purchase new books and movies for the Waukee Public Library. The Library's Summer Reading Program is also supported by sale profits.

City of Waukee Ribbon-Cutting for Raccoon River Valley Trailhead

The city of Waukee is pleased to announce the completion of the Waukee Trailhead on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. The public is invited to join to a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this great accomplishment! Attendees are asked to go to 955 W. Hickman Road at 9 a.m. for the event.

Waukee State House and Senate Candidate Forum

The Waukee Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee will host the Waukee State House and Senate Candidate Forum on Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Theater Arts Center, 655 S.E. University Ave. The forum will be moderated by Drake University's Dennis Goldford. Candidates include Eric Brenneman and Rob Taylor, candidates for Iowa House District 44, and Desmund Adams and Pat Ward, candidates for State Senate District 22. The event is open to the public. There is no charge to attend.

Monkey, Monkey, Monkey at Mickey's Irish Pub

Come out and listen to the sounds of Monkey, Monkey, Monkey at Mickey's Irish Pub Saturday at 9 p.m. There is no cover charge to attend.

Here are some selected events, with a full list of Des Moines metro events available here.

Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: In this Tallgrass Theater production, five reluctant bridesmaids hide out in a dressing, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings. Frances, sweet but sheltered; Mindy, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, mourning her own failed marriage; Meredith, the bride's rebellious younger sister; and Trisha, jaded about men until she meets bad-boy usher Tripp, discover common bonds in this funny and touching celebration.
Rex Mathes Auditorium, 401 Vine St., West Des Moines
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets.

Cityview Martinifest: Sample the metro's finest martinis at this year's Martini Fest! Try specialty martinis from all of your favorite West Glen retailers. For all beer lovers, for the first time there will also be a Summit Beer Garden at Cabaret.
West Glen Town Center, West Des Moines.
Friday, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Tickets.

Colt Ford: Appearing with Sunny Dedfurd and Crawford County.
Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines
Friday  8 p.m.
Tickets.

Also this weekend:

Les Miserables: Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schö's legendary musical, "Les Miserables," with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.
The Civic Center, Des Moines. 
Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: The fun begins as soon as the audience enters Ringling Bros. Presents BARNUM BASH with a rockin’ Pre-show party happening directly on the arena floor. Party goers can learn fresh dance moves from Ringling Bros. clown DJ Dean, style in glitzy costumes, learn balancing and juggling skills, meet and take photos with circus stars, and even step behind the curtain for an exclusive backstage experience which includes an up-close look at the most exotic animal menagerie only at BARNUM BASH.
Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.
Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Tickets.

American Quilter’s Society National Show: More than 1,000 quilts, a huge Merchant Mall with new and antique quilts, the newest quilt-making supplies, and jewelry and other gifts that are quilt related.
Iowa Events Center, Des Moines.
Friday, 9 am. - 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tickets.

Upcoming

Norah Jones: Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Norah Jones just released her fifth studio album, Little Broken Hearts. Since coming on the scene in 2002, Jones has sold over 36 million albums worldwide. Her three studio albums have each topped the Billboard top 200 album charts in the U.S. and gone to No. 1 around the world.
The Civic Center, Des Moines.
Thursday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
Tickets.

Bill Maher: For the past 17 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last eight years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 26 Emmy nominations.
The Civic Center, Des Moines.
Saturday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets.

Celtic Thunder: Surpassing sales of one million units combined, the musical phenomenon that is Celtic Thunder has been hailed as BILLBOARD’s Top World Music Artist, along with Top World Music Imprint and Top World Album of 2011 for their most current disc, Heritage.
The Civic Center, Des Moines
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets.