☕📰Heartbreaker At State

Good morning Ankeny! Here's a fact to drop at the farm stand this month: strawberries aren't actually berries (bananas technically are), and the average strawberry has 200 seeds on the outside. More ya know.

In today’s digest:

Lets get started.

— Chase & Chance

Jaguars Boys Soccer Team Almost Had It

The Jaguars took a 1-0 lead into the final 25 minutes of Friday's Class 4A state championship. For a team that hadn't lost all season, it felt about right. Right after, unfortunately, Waukee Northwest scored three unanswered goals and walked off with the trophy. Centennial finishes 17-1-2. "The senior class raised the standard," said head coach Brian Duax. "It stinks we didn't end up on top, but they raised the level of what we expect." Hard day. Heck of a season. (more)

When Ankeny got its first home mail delivery in 1958, the whole town had about 1,500 people in it. A single mail carrier could probably cover the route before lunch. These days, nearly 5,000 of you get The Ankeny Digest dropped in your inbox every Tuesday morning. Different delivery method with the same idea. Thank you all!

Get Served

If Hawkeye Park is your go-to for tennis, pack up your racket for the summer. Courts close this week for a full reconstruction. There is going to be six new courts, new fencing, wind screens, lighting, and a practice backboard. The city expects it done by end of September, weather permitting. Greentree Park and Prairie Ridge Sports Complex have courts in the meantime. (more)

Take The Detour

NE Berwick Drive is getting some underground work done. A small stretch just south of 33rd Street closed yesterday for storm sewer installation as part of the Berwick Estates Plat 2 project. Detour runs through NE 70th Avenue, NE 46th Avenue and Oralabor Road/NE 78th Avenue. Should be wrapped up in roughly 10 days. (more)

Snarky Stiches @ Public Library - A fun embroidery workshop that supplies everything you need (hoop, fabric, needle, and floss) while you learn the basics and embroider whatever snarky message speaks to your soul! 6pm (info)  

Art Camp Week 2 @ AR Workshop - Perfect for kids ages 7–12. Room Refresh Series is a design-focused week where kids create personalized room decor from scratch. Including a pom pom pillow, canvas tote, wall hanging, plank sign, and photo frame. (Tuesday - Friday, 9:30-12pm (register your kids here)

Community Band Performance @ Ankeny Bandshell - Free outdoor concert at 7:30pm, with the band warming up on-site starting at 5:45pm if you want to arrive early and soak it all in! (info)  

Trivia Night @ Cabaret - Weekly laid back trivia night with fun competition, drinks and prizes. 7-9pm (info)

Beats & Eats @ Market & Pavilion - An evening featuring live music from Punching Pandas, mini golf, face painting, parkour with Paul Hubbard, and activities with the Ankeny Art Center. Plus food trucks from Amigos Taco Truck, Flame, Loaded, Midwest Dinky Donuts, and Outside Scoop, with drinks from the Iowa Beer Bus! 5-7:30pm (info)  

Patio Party @ WineStyles - Swing by for live music and drink samples. Free to attend and first come first served on tables! Grab a ticket to let them know you're coming. 5:30–8:30pm (free tickets)  

Art of Sourdough @ AR Workshop - Learn the art of sourdough from start to finish. This hands-on class walks you through everything from building your starter to the full baking process and beyond! 6pm (tickets)

Sips & Songs @ The District Stage - Turn up your Friday with live music from Dan Medeiros and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Free to attend, all ages welcome, and takeout from District restaurants is encouraged! Gates open at 5:30pm

DMAAC Auto Collision Roll-In @ DMAAC Campus - Car lovers, this one's for you. Located in Parking Lot H, with cars of all makes, years, and builds on display alongside live pinstriping, tool demos, detailing displays, facility tours, door prizes, and food from Bam's Kitchen Food Truck! Free, family-friendly, and open to everyone. 4-8pm (info)   

Movies Under the Stars @ Wagner Park - Grab a blanket and head outside for a free showing of Zootopia 2. Bring your lawn chair, pack your snacks, and settle in as the movie starts at dusk! 8:45 - 11pm (info)  

Fitness in the Park @ The District - Take your workout outside with a free class. Pulse, strengthen, and stretch your way through a fun Saturday morning led by Pure Barre instructors. Bring your mat, water bottle, and a friend, and sign up in advance on the Pure Barre app. 8:30am (info)  

Garden Market @ Firetrucker Brewery - A garden party featuring native plants, flowers, honey, and more from Preston Honey, Iowa Wildcraft, Littlefoot Flowers, and Pocket Prairies. The perfect excuse to grab a cold one and stock up your garden! 11am - 3pm

🎸Lucas Beebe @ Cabaret - 8pm

🎸Dick Danger Band @ Good Times - 8pm

Tour de Paws (IVMA Foundation) @ Market & Pavilion -  Grab the whole family and hit the High Trestle Trail for a scenic ride with distance options for every level. Then wrap up the day with a BBQ, live band, and social from 5–7pm! Proceeds benefit the IVMA Foundation's veterinary scholarship fund, rolling start with packet pickup beginning at 1pm. (info)  

Blues, Brews & BBQ @ Firetrucker Brewery - Rockett Fuel BBQ fires up from 4–9pm and Matt Woods Roots Music takes the stage from 7–10pm for the kind of summer evening that's hard to beat!

🎸Jake Beaty @ Cabaret - 1pm

Whiskey & Wax @ Whiskey River - Pour your own custom candle. Come early, stay late, and enjoy the full food and drink menu including brunch, mimosa buckets, and the Bloody Mary bar while you craft! 11:30am - 2:30pm (signup)  

FLIP Fabrique @ Ankeny Bandshell - Hop on the Vacation Bus for a circus performance that takes you straight back to the sights, smells, and feelings of summer camp. Just bring a chair or blanket and show up. 5:30pm (info)  

Thanks for reading today’s Digest. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who still hasn't gotten out on the water yet this summer. I know it’s not technically summer but it has been 90ºF already. I’ll call it what I want.

See you next week.