The Grimes Brief
Grimes is small enough to know and growing fast enough to keep surprising you. Here is what is actually worth your time, from the city's parks and trails to the June festival named after the governor the town is named for.
Cool off at the Waterworks Park splash pad, play a round at Beaver Creek Golf Course, shop the Saturday farmers market at Heritage Park, grab a bite along SE Main Street, and mark your calendar for Governor's Days the first weekend of June.
Grimes has its own network of paved city trails linking the parks and newer neighborhoods, good for a family walk or an evening ride. For a longer haul, the Raccoon River Valley Trail, one of the longest paved loop trails in the country, is a short drive southwest: its nearest trailhead is in Waukee, near Sugar Creek Elementary at Hickman Road and North 10th Street.
Grimes runs a deep bench of parks. A few worth knowing:
From roughly June through September, the market runs Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon at Heritage Park, with a dozen-plus vendors and live entertainment. It is the town's weekly gathering spot in summer.
The SE Main Street stretch is Grimes's downtown core, with a cluster of local spots like Uptown Bar & Grill, Sips on Main, and Stevie C's. For the full rundown, see our Grimes restaurants guide.
Grimes is named after James W. Grimes, Iowa's third governor, and the town throws itself a party every June to match. Governor's Days has run since 1983 and draws around 12,000 people to the South Sports Complex for a carnival, parades, live music, a bags tournament, and the Lions Club pancake breakfast. If you visit Grimes once a year, make it this weekend.
The Grimes Brief is a free weekly email with the week's events, the new places, and the Mustangs, all in one Monday read.
City parks and the Waterworks splash pad, the paved city trails, Beaver Creek Golf Course, the Saturday farmers market, the Main Street bars and eateries, and Governor's Days in June.
The first weekend of June, at the South Sports Complex. Carnival, parades, live music, and a pancake breakfast, running since 1983.
Yes, Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon, roughly June through September, at Heritage Park, 1055 NE Beaverbrooke Blvd.