What's happening
The day-by-day rundown of everything worth leaving the house for.
This Week in Ankeny
Off work and not sure what to do? We keep the whole week in one place so you're not digging through five Facebook pages. Here's what's on, plus the stuff you can count on every week.
This week · Aug 17-23
Every week, count on these
Coming up
Bigger Iowa weekends (the Balloon Classic, Hinterland, the State Fair) are down in Outdoors.
More to plan with: the weekly rhythm (trivia, live music, markets by night) · the Iowa State Fair guide · the full events calendar · the can't-decide Activity Finder.
This Week's Spotlight
Five hand-picked local things this week - a spot to support, something to do, a hidden gem, a new opening, and a local doing good.
Cafe Diem Coffee
With schedule pickups and back-to-school nights stacked all week, we'd post up at Cafe Diem, the homegrown Ankeny coffeehouse. Real coffee, room to work or meet a friend, and a local alternative to the drive-thru chains. Bonus: they are hiring right now.
It's trivia-and-games season
Skip the same old night in. DJ Trivia at Yankee Clipper, Puzzle League at Uptown Garage, and free DJ Bingo at The Other Place all run through the week, plus live acoustic sets Thursday at The District. The full rundown is in the weekly rhythm.
Trailside Tap
Right at the High Trestle Trail trailhead: a tenderloin, a cold one, and a patio built for the last warm evenings of summer. The easiest way to earn a beer is to bike to it.
Cinnaholic
Build-your-own cinnamon rolls at The District at Prairie Trail: 40-plus frostings and toppings, everything vegan and dairy-free. Still new enough to be worth the trip. 1465 SW Park Square Dr, Ste 103.
Ankeny Miracle League
Everyone bats, everyone scores, and every game ends in a tie. Free to play for kids 5 to 18 with special needs, plus an adult division, at Ankeny Miracle Park. It runs on volunteers: "Angels in the Outfield" get paired with a player, and anyone 14 or older can sign up.
Nominate any Ankeny business, nonprofit, or hidden gem for next week - recommend it here → (or reply to any issue). It's always free; we never charge to be featured.
Our Town, Our Leaders
Biggest name in town: Casey's General Stores - an Iowa Fortune 500 (2,950 stores, 40,000+ employees) - is headquartered right here.
Safe streets
Eyes on the streets - Flock cameras
Like much of the metro, Ankeny PD uses Flock Safety automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) - cameras at select intersections that photograph passing plates and basic vehicle details (make, color, type) to flag cars tied to active investigations. It's a public-safety tool and, for a lot of towns right now, an open privacy question. We're not here to pick a side - just to point you to the receipts.
- Footage is held 30 days on Flock's standard setting, then deleted - unless it's tied to an open case
- Every search is logged and needs a stated law-enforcement reason; the images aren't public
- Cameras sit on public rights-of-way, not private property
Official - the city's own Ankeny PD Flock transparency portal →: program details and usage numbers, straight from the department.
Citizen-mapped - DeFlock's crowd-built ALPR map →: volunteers plotting camera locations nationwide, Ankeny included.
New to this? We break the whole thing down - what the cameras capture, how long the data's kept, and both sides of the debate: the full guide to Flock cameras in Ankeny →
After a storm
Ankeny took a real hit on June 11 - 60mph gusts and quarter-size hail brought down trees and damaged roofs, siding, and vehicles across town. If it happens again, here's who to call:
What's being built
Permits, big projects, and where the orange barrels are - all from City of Ankeny & Iowa DOT records.
- City issued 207 permits worth $44.8M in July (the newest report posted)
- Biggest by far: four 60-unit apartment buildings at about $7.86M each, all Jensen Group
- That is 240 new apartments permitted in a single month, on NW Sage Hollow, NW Cherry Creek and NW Camel Sands lanes
- 19 new detached houses, 6 townhomes and 6 duplexes also broke ground
- Priciest new house: $571,362 at 3811 NW Reinhart Dr (Sage Homes)
July's report is the biggest apartment month Ankeny has posted this year: $31.4M across four 60-unit buildings, all pulled by Jensen Group in the northwest quadrant. For scale, the entire month of June came to $22.6M. If you have wondered where the growth is going next, the answer is rental, and it is going up on the northwest side. We follow public money milestone by milestone - straight from the record, no spin.
Getting around while it's built:
- South Ankeny Boulevard (Peterson Dr-1st St) - 2-year rebuild, expect lane closures
- I-35 - new northbound lanes Ankeny to Huxley; NE 158th Ave bridge back open after its rebuild
- Live construction map →
Your tax dollars
- FY2026 city budget: $198M total
- $152M (77%) to run the city day-to-day
- $46M (23%) for capital projects
- Property-tax levy: $9.90 per $1,000 - lowest of any metro city over 5,000 people
- (the city's just one slice of your bill - county, DMACC, DART & schools levy the rest)
Where this year's money is going:
The $46M capital budget funds these; the Council's stated goal is upgrading essential infrastructure while holding the levy flat.
At City Hall - what the Council is working on
- City Council meets Monday evenings, 5:30pm - Council Chambers (1250 SW District Dr) or the Kirkendall Library, depending on the week
- Open to the public, with time for public comment
- Agenda posted the Friday before: Agendas & Minutes →
Here's what actually lands on it - the decisions that shape a fast-growing town:
- Biggest item on the table: a full rewrite of the city's zoning & subdivision code - the rulebook for how Ankeny grows
- Expected to wrap summer 2026
- Will reshape density, parking & what can be built where for years to come
- Starting soon in the Brief: agenda items that actually touch your life - a rezoning near you, big spending, anything worth a heads-up - with the packet linked so you don't have to dig
Who represents you
Ankeny's big enough to span several overlapping districts - here's who holds each office right now (mid-2026):
Not everyone in Ankeny is in the same state Senate/House district - look up your exact one by address.
Full guide: every Ankeny office, how to contact them & what's on the ballot →
2026 is a turnover year locally:
- Sen. Bousselot is running for a different seat (District 23), leaving District 21 open: John Hollinrake (R) vs. Rep. Matson (D)
- Matson moving up from the House leaves District 42 open: Heather Stephenson (R) vs. Amy Tagliareni (D)
- Sen. Ernst isn't seeking reelection, leaving the U.S. Senate seat open: Ashley Hinson (R) vs. Josh Turek (D)
Full dates & ballot details below.
School board & PTOs
- Ankeny CSD Board of Education: 7 members, elected at-large, unpaid 4-year terms
- Current members: Katie Claeys, Stephanie Gott, Joy Burk, Shelly Northway, Amber Romans, Erin Lee Schneider & Jeff Schumacher
- Meetings open to the public, with time for public comment
- Schedule & agendas: School Board page →
Want to get involved at your kid's building? Every elementary runs its own Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) - Ashland Ridge, Crocker, East, Northeast & Northwest all have one; details at ankenyschools.org/parents/pto.
Election center (it's a voting year)
First up: an Ankeny-only special election on Tuesday, Sept 8. The single question on the ballot is whether to adopt a 1-cent local option sales tax, which would take Ankeny's sales tax from 6% to 7%. The city says half the revenue would go to property tax relief and half to capital projects (streets, parks, trails, facilities, debt). Groceries, rent, gas, prescriptions and vehicles would not be taxed.
The city held its public information meetings through early August. Early voting opens Wednesday, Aug 19, and the full breakdown of what the penny would fund is on the city's page. Details: ankenyiowa.gov →
Then the general election is Tuesday, Nov 3. (The June 2 primary set the matchups.)
- On the 2026 ballot: Governor
- U.S. Senate & House
- Other statewide offices
- The Iowa Legislature
- County races
Bring a valid photo ID (Iowa voter-ID law). Key dates:
Polk County Election Office: 2309 Euclid Ave, Des Moines · (515) 286-3080. We'll run a plain-English ballot guide closer to November.
Worship in Ankeny
Nearly 30 congregations in town - yours not listed? Add it →
Living in Ankeny - quick answers
The stuff every resident ends up googling, answered in one place - or browse the full Ankeny guides index →
150 Years in the Making
Every fast-growing suburb looks like it sprang up overnight. Ankeny didn't - it took exactly 150 years, four fires, a world war, a dairy farm, and one very persistent rail line.
The land deal that started it all
On July 11, 1874, Des Moines businessman John Fletcher Ankeny and his wife Sarah bought 80 acres along a proposed rail line for $1,600, platting the town the next spring and naming it after themselves.
They platted the whole town and named it after their own family - then stayed in Des Moines the entire time. They never moved to Ankeny.
A town's population, decade by decade
The milestones
The Ankeny Area Historical Society Museum (301 SW 3rd St) is free and volunteer-run - a 1905 farmhouse plus a 2005 barn, covering Ankeny and its neighboring towns.
That's the short version - the full 150-year story is here →
More about Ankeny: the Ankeny almanac · fast facts (ZIP, area code, county)
The Families & Companies Behind Ankeny
Ever wonder who Albaugh, Casey's, or Tone's actually are - or who Ankeny is even named after? Short, sourced profiles of the people and companies that built this town.
For the Kids
Ankeny's built for families - here's where to take them, rain or shine.
Make a splash
- Cascade Falls Aquatic Center (2350 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy) - largest municipal pool in Iowa: lazy river, five slides, zero-depth area, Iowa's first FlowRider surf machine
- Prairie Ridge Aquatic Center - the neighborhood option, free weekday mornings (Mon-Fri, 10-11:45am)
- Both run Memorial Day through Labor Day
Free splash pads
Four neighborhood splash pads are free all summer - just push the button to start the water. (On reduced noon-6 p.m. hours right now under the Stage II water alert.)
Rainy-day rescue (indoor)
Youth sports & leagues
- Ankeny Parks & Rec - youth soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, flag football, swim lessons
- i9 Sports - more seasonal leagues
- Sign-ups: ankenyiowa.gov →
- School district feeds Hawks & Jaguars teams from there
A real point of pride: the Miracle League is a free, coed, non-competitive baseball league for kids ages 5-18 with special needs - everyone bats, everyone scores, every game ends in a tie. It plays on a custom rubberized field built to be fully wheelchair- and walker-accessible.
Movie night
- B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling (1580 SW Market St) - 12 screens incl. SCREENX, MX4D & the Grand Screen
- Plus bowling, an arcade & Sterling's restaurant under one roof
- This week's showtimes →
Now playing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Toy Story 5, The Odyssey and Insidious: Out of the Further.
Animals & the outdoors
- Jester Park - free to see the resident bison & elk herds, paddle a beginner pond, explore the nature center
- AHeinz57 - Ankeny's own pet rescue, always worth a stop if you're dog people
Need a vet? Ankeny has more per capita than most towns its size:
Free at the library
The Kirkendall Public Library runs a full Summer Library Program every year - story times, a book giveaway, and a closing pool party at the end of July - all free. This year's wrapped July 30; the fall calendar picks up with the school year.
Free food pantry boxes
Dotted around town are the pink & lime-green "A Helping Hand in Ankeny" pantry boxes - take what you need, leave what you can, no questions asked. Known locations by area:
North - 2425 N Ankeny Blvd (in front of the Coldwell-Banker building)
Southeast - 1100 SE Sharon Dr (by St Paul Lutheran) · 2081 SE Windover Dr · 602 SE Delaware (United Church of Christ) · 317 SE Trilein Dr (Presbyterian lot, south of East Elementary) · 801 SE Belmont Dr
West - 423 W 1st St (at Walnut St) · 1510 W 1st St (Ankeny Funeral Home lot)
Southwest - 517 SW Des Moines St (Holy Trinity Lutheran) · 517 SW Elm St
Northwest - Mel Ray Trailer Park (by the mailboxes, Polk City Dr & Polk City Ct) · 1313 NW Beechwood · 4807 NW 5th St
Boxes move now and then - the current list is kept by the A Helping Hand in Ankeny Facebook group.
Know a family gem we're missing? Recommend it →
Family guides: things to do with kids · pools & splash pads · parks & playgrounds · the dog park · movie theater & bowling · daycare & preschool · pumpkin patches · trick-or-treat & lights · winter in Ankeny
Hawks & Jaguars
Ankeny High (Hawks) & Ankeny Centennial (Jaguars) - the week's scoreboard, straight from the local coverage.
The fall season starts
What's next: football opens Friday, Aug 28 - Ankeny at Waukee Northwest, Centennial at Southeast Polk, both 7pm - and the two meet at Ankeny on Sept 18. Centennial volleyball opens Aug 27 at the Marj White Classic, which Valley is moving outdoors for the first time.
Day-to-day coverage lives at Ankeny Fanatic - the town's dedicated sports site. Schedules & brackets: Hawks · Jaguars. Full 2026 schedules, the rivalry & recent results: our Ankeny high school sports guide.
Sports guides: Ankeny high school football · sports complexes & youth sports
Trails, lakes & Saylorville
Where to hike, bike, fish, and cool off, minutes from town.
Get Outside
This is the part of town we brag about: Ankeny sits in the middle of one of the best paved-trail networks in the country, ten minutes from a 26,000-acre lake.
The trails
- High Trestle Trail trailhead: N 1st St, Ankeny
- Half-mile, 13-story bridge over the Des Moines River valley - go at dusk for the blue lights
- Links to Gay Lea Wilson, Neal Smith, Oralabor Gateway & Chichaqua Valley trails, then the Raccoon River Valley Trail - 120 mi continuous paved loop
- Plus 40+ city parks and the 7.5-acre dog park
- Flat, paved, stroller- & beginner-friendly; for dirt and hills, the metro's singletrack trails are a short drive
Want an e-bike?
Saylorville Lake
Ten minutes northwest:
- Two swim beaches - Oak Grove's the best for families
- A 24-mile paved trail
- 11 campgrounds
- Fishing: walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie & northern pike
More water close by
- Big Creek State Park (Polk City, 15 min north) - largest beach in Iowa's state-park system, 1,300 ft of sand
- Kayak, paddleboard & pontoon rentals, an 18-hole disc golf course, a fishing jetty
- Paved Neal Smith Trail runs 27 mi from the beach through Saylorville to Des Moines
- Jester Park (1,661 acres, since 1958) - bison & elk herds, nature center, 8+ mi of trails, horseback riding, mini-golf, cabins, archery/kayak rec center
- The Des Moines River tailwaters below the Saylorville dam are a go-to for anglers
Fishing
Some of central Iowa's best fishing sits a short drive from town - no closed season, just a license.
- Saylorville Lake - walleye, wiper, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie & northern pike; the Des Moines River tailwaters below the dam are a go-to
- Big Creek State Park - a fishing jetty plus bank & boat access
- Jester Park - a stocked beginner pond, easy for the kids
- Neighborhood ponds too - our Fish Finder maps 17 lakes & ponds within 30 minutes →
License required (Iowa DNR), no closed season. The full breakdown is in the Ankeny fishing guide →
Rent a boat (or a kayak)
Camping near town
Three good basecamps within 20 minutes, from full-hookup to rustic walk-in tent sites:
Sites run roughly $12-30/night - reserve early for summer weekends. (Iowa has no open "off-road"/dispersed camping nearby; Jester's primitive walk-in tent sites are the most rustic option.)
Want something different? Hipcamp lists 220+ options within a short drive - here are the 10 closest:
Golf
- Otter Creek Golf Course (4100 NE Otter Creek Dr) - the city's 18-hole course, par 71, 47 bunkers, 17 ponds, once Iowa's Course of the Year
- Driving range & practice greens; tee times at ottercreekankeny.com or 515-965-6464
- Briarwood Club of Ankeny - the private option
- Jester Park adds mini-golf & a driving range for a casual round
- A short drive out: Woodland Hills (north DSM), Tournament Club of Iowa (Polk City), Beaver Creek (Grimes, 27 holes), Toad Valley (Pleasant Hill)
- In town, private: Ankeny Golf & Country Club
- Rained out? BackSpin Indoor Golf & Bar and NetPar run simulators year-round
Courts, fields & leagues
Ankeny is stacked with places to play - most free and first-come:
Want a team? Ankeny Parks & Rec adult leagues run through the year - softball, sand volleyball, kickball, pickleball and bags. Register at ankenyiowa.gov/register or call 515-963-3570.
Hunting seasons (2026-27)
Always confirm legal dates, zones, and tags at iowadnr.gov. Public land close to home: Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt. Fishing needs only a license - no season.
Iowa's big summer
Already wrapped this year: Ankeny SummerFest (Jul 10-12), RAGBRAI (Jul 18-25), Hinterland (Jul 30-Aug 2) and the National Balloon Classic (Jul 31-Aug 8) - all back next summer.
Outdoors guides: trails & bike paths · High Trestle Trail · Neal Smith Trail · Saylorville Lake · Big Creek State Park · Jester Park · parks · camping · golf · disc golf · pickleball
Rainy Days & Nights Out
When the weather turns - or the kids are finally in bed.
Make a night of it
More a short drive away in the metro: axe throwing at Lumber Axe (Des Moines), arcades, and indoor ranges.
Get active indoors
The Prairie Trail Sports Complex has indoor basketball, pickleball, volleyball and tennis with drop-in times and leagues - the go-to when it's too cold or wet to play outside.
Clubs & leagues
- Ankeny Parks & Rec adult leagues - softball, sand volleyball, kickball, pickleball, bags
- Kirkendall Library - book clubs & programs
- Summer group rides out of the metro bike shops
Runners have a home too:
Run a club we should list - car club, garden club, anything? Tell us →
Indoors & night-out guides: movie theater & bowling · live music · Prairie Trail & The District · hotels
The Housing Market
No Zillow guesses here. We pull every figure straight from Polk County Assessor records, refreshed weekly.
Median by month: April $299,900 → May $339,990 → June $330,000 → July $352,000 - spring spiked, dipped, then July closed as the strongest month of the year so far.
By the quadrant
Most active streets this year: NW 17th St (20 sales), NE Verona Dr (17), NE 12th St (16) and NE 11th St (15).
Just closed
Housing & moving guides: the housing dashboard · neighborhoods · cost of living · apartments & rent · is Ankeny a good place to live? · the Des Moines commute · public transit & DART · senior living
Beyond Ankeny - Pile in the Car
Some of the best nights out aren't at an Ankeny address. You've got a car - here's the metro and the easy day trips, with rough drive times from town.
Big days out
Worth planning a whole day or evening around:
Outdoors around the metro
Beyond the lakes north of town (see Outdoors), these are the metro's signature green spaces:
Free in Des Moines
No ticket needed - great when you just want to wander:
Eat & drink worth the drive
When you want more than Ankeny's own (excellent) lineup:
Worth a Saturday - day trips
A little farther, but easy round-trips and a true change of scenery:
Make a weekend of it - 2 to 4 hours away
Pack a bag. Within a half-day's drive: a world-class zoo, Mississippi river towns, Iowa's lake country, and a baseball field in a cornfield.
The full rundown - with what to do and who each trip is best for - is in our day trips & weekend getaways guide →
Drive times are rough door-to-door estimates from central Ankeny - add a little for downtown parking or game-day traffic. Got a favorite spot we're missing? Recommend it →
Nearby guides: Saylorville Lake · Big Creek State Park · Jester Park · day trips & getaways · where to stay
Where Ankeny Eats
Where we'd send you to eat: the highest-rated spots in town by aggregate review score (mid-2026).
By cuisine - a starting lineup
Mexican - Guadalajara, Fiesta Jalapenos, Flame Cantina
Italian & pizza - Portofino's, Nonna's Pizza & Pasta
Breakfast & brunch - Egg Bistro, Early Bird Brunch, Main Street Cafe
Steak & date night - Filet Steakhouse, Tribute Eatery & Bar
Sports bars & patios - Whiskey River, Cabaret, 30hop, Mullets, Trailside Tap
Seafood, sushi & ramen - Waterfront Seafood Market, Toyo Ramen
BBQ & Irish - Jethro's BBQ, Magee's Irish Pub
Asian - Toyo Ramen, Wasabi (sushi & hibachi)
Wings & pub grub - Buffalo Wild Wings, Wig & Pen Pizza Pub, Sports Page
The full rundown: best restaurants in Ankeny →
The caffeine index
- 7 Brew (4.7★) - the current drive-thru go-to
- Hyper Energy Bar (1101 S Ankeny Blvd) - 120 flavors, double drive-thru
- Dutch Bros - projected to open Aug 28 at 315 NW 36th Dr
Sit-down favorites - Porch Light Coffeehouse, Cafe Diem, Blue Bean, Smokey Row, Twisted Bean
The full local coffee scene, ranked drive-thru to sit-down: the best coffee in Ankeny →
New spot opening? Tell us → - we run a "new this month" feature.
New & coming soon
Deals around town
Always worth a look - current standing deals (we refresh these weekly):
Kids eat free (with an adult meal) - Guadalajara & Flame Cantina (all day), Mullets, Sports Page, and IHOP (4-10 p.m.).
Happy hour - Whiskey River (weekdays 3-6, plus free chips & salsa + $3.50 domestics on Fridays), 30hop's craft-cocktail hour, Jethro's ($7 select apps + 50% off draft beer/liquor/wine/domestic cans, Mon-Fri 3-6 & Sun 4-close), and Wasabi's Happy Sushi Hour (M-F 3-6pm dine-in, $2 off draft beer & $3 off martinis).
Maniac Monday - B-Bop's: $2.39 single burger, every Monday.
Wing Tuesday / Boneless Thursday - Buffalo Wild Wings: Tuesdays, buy an order of traditional wings and get the second 50% off (dine-in, free Rewards account required); Thursdays, buy an order of boneless and get the second free (dine-in or ordered through the BWW app or site).
Wednesday BOGO - Casey's Rewards app: buy-one-get-one-free on Casey's Favorites (varies by week - check the app for what's included).
Taco Tuesday - Flame Cantina: taco specials, and the birria tacos are the standout.
Weekend brunch - 30hop (scratch menu, mimosas) and Trailside Tap on Saturdays, plus Louie's Wine Dive weekend brunch.
Got a deal or happy hour we should list? Add it here → - and owners, your specials run free.
Food guides: what should we eat tonight? · a night out · best restaurants · pizza · Mexican · breakfast & brunch · ice cream & dessert · coffee
Schools & Learning
Ankeny is a school town - a third of residents are raising kids here.
This is the week it all happens. Classes start Monday, Aug 24, and every building runs its welcome events first:
- Mon Aug 17 - schedule pickup at Ankeny High and Centennial; Parkview pickup and pictures
- Tue Aug 18 - Meet the Teacher at every elementary, 4-6pm, all on the same night; Southview pickup, pictures and back-to-school night
- Wed Aug 19 - back-to-school nights at Ankeny Centennial and Prairie Ridge (Prairie Ridge also does pickup and pictures)
- Thu Aug 20 - back-to-school nights at Ankeny High, Northview and Parkview
No early-outs this week - school is not in session yet. Lunch menus and early-out reminders take over this box once classes start. The full building-by-building grid, with picture days, is in our back-to-school guide.
Top-rated elementaries: Prairie Trail, Northeast, and Crocker. The new $41.5M school is being built to keep up with the growth.
- Free meals for any child 18 & under - no sign-up, no income check
- Sites & times: district's Nutrition Services page
- Or call 211 (or 1-866-3-HUNGRY) or use the federal Summer Meals Site Finder
Beyond K-12
- DMACC's main campus is right here - its theatre program stages 4-5 free public productions a year
- Kirkendall Public Library - the Summer Library Program wrapped July 30; year-round programming keeps running (chess, D&D, book clubs, author talks)
Support for every learner
Ankeny schools back students from preschool through 12th grade with a full Student Services team:
- Special education - individualized IEPs & specially designed instruction
- 504 plans, talented-and-gifted, at-risk support, ESOL for multilingual families
- Special Education Service Delivery Plan written in the open, public comment taken each year
- Questions: Director of Special Education, 515-965-9604
Out in the community, the free Miracle League (see Families) gives kids with special needs their own accessible ball field - everyone plays, every game.
Hawks vs. Jaguars
The crosstown rivalry: Ankeny High (Hawks) and Ankeny Centennial (Jaguars). Centennial's Quiz Bowl team has won back-to-back Iowa state titles - taking its first ever from Ankeny High, then defending it in a record ten-overtime final over Johnston.
On the field, both are big-school contenders in the CIML (Central Iowa Metro League), Iowa's deepest conference, and frequent state qualifiers across the major sports. The Hawks brought home a Class 4A football state title in 2020. One town, two large schools - the head-to-head games (football kicks off late August) are the tickets to have.
For the weekly game scoreboard - scores, playoff runs, and where the Hawks and Jags sit in the standings - see the Sports section → Deeper day-to-day coverage of both schools lives at Ankeny Fanatic and each school's athletics site.
School guides: back to school 2026 · schools & boundaries · daycare & preschool · the library
New in Ankeny
Every business newly registered in town, freshest first - straight from the state's public record.
We love featuring businesses started by Ankeny grads and lifelong locals. Own one - or know one? Tell us your story → and we'll spotlight it here.
Now hiring
A weekly snapshot of real openings within about five miles of town - pulled from public job listings, with the national trucking-board spam filtered out. Tap any role to see pay and apply.
Bartender - Whiskey River AnkenyApply → Technician - HelloTechApply → Injection Molding Process Specialist - Revere Plastics SystemsApply → Maintenance Technician - Diedre Moire Corp.Apply → Mechatronics & Robotics Technician - Genesis10Apply → Assistant Manager - Cafe DiemApply → Personal Lines Sales Associate - Adamson Insurance & AssociatesApply → Pharmacy Customer Service Associate - WalgreensApply → Accounting Clerk - Robert HalfApply → Customer Service Representative - Mom's MealsApply → Mechanical Maintenance Technician - AerotekApply → Pharmacy Data Technician - ActalentApply →Business guides: what's newly opened · jobs & largest employers
Sales, Stands & Markets
Bargain-hunting, fresh sweet corn, taco trucks, and the weekend treasure hunt.
This weekend's garage sales
Pulled fresh from the public sale maps - we refresh this list weekly in season:
No sales posted for Ankeny this weekend on the live maps - check back closer to the date, or browse the links below.
See the full live map (and post your own) at gsalr.com or GarageSaleFinder - but the real action is on Facebook: Ankeny Community Swap & Meet (87K members) is where most sales and finds post first.
Farm stands & sweet corn
The Uptown Ankeny Farmers Market is the anchor - Saturdays 8 a.m.-noon, May 23-Sep 26 at the Market & Pavilion (715 W 1st St), 100+ vendors across the season with more than half there every week. For roadside sweet corn and melons:
More on Patch's Ankeny sweet-corn map and the state's licensed farm-stand directory.
Food trucks
Beats & Eats at the AMP (715 W 1st St) is the easiest place to graze - select Thursdays, 5-7:30 p.m. in June & July, with a different rotating lineup of trucks, live music and kids' activities every week.
Beats & Eats is done for the year. The city runs it on select Thursdays in June and July only (this year: June 11, 18, 25 and July 9, 16, 23), so the trucks are back next summer. Thursday nights now belong to Thursday Night Acoustics at The District at Prairie Trail.
Ankeny licenses 40+ trucks. The regulars, by craving:
Tacos & Mexican - Tacos Don Juan, Tacos Meza, Amigos, Nina's, Gorditas Villa Madero, The Walking Taco
BBQ & comfort - Jethro's, Comfort Food, Loaded, Off the Griddle, Flame, Charlotte's Kitchen
Around the world - Karam's Grill (Mediterranean), The Eggroll Ladies, Sugarcane Fusion, On the Hook Fish & Chips, Graziano's (Italian)
Sweets & treats - The Outside Scoop, Sweet Swirls, Loudi's, Let's Go Cookie Dough, Daylight Donuts, Whip Delight
Cold drinks - Kona Ice, Tropical Sno, Jack Frost Drink Lab, Iowa Beer Bus, Roasted Mary's
For everyday lunch, Tacos Don Juan parks in the Sportsman's lot on SE Oralabor Rd. Track who's where on StreetFoodFinder or the city's licensed list. Running a truck? Tell us → and we'll feature it.
Market guide: the Uptown Farmers Market
Recommend a spot
This whole thing is better with you in it. Know a great restaurant, a hidden gem, a deal, a can't-miss event or garage sale - or run a local business yourself? Send it our way. The best picks land in the Brief, and the spotlight's always free.
Recommend a spot →Prefer email? Just send it to [email protected].
Ankeny, all in one place
