.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 10px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} Downtown Des Moines will be teeming with free music, theater and dancing – and a poetry slam – from June 29 to July 1, all courtesy of the 10th annual Des Moines Arts Festival. The venues include the U.S. Cellular Stage, the Meredith Corp. Stage and the Prairie Meadows Performing Arts Stage plus street theater performed at Mercy Medical Center.

The legendary Joffrey Ballet will dance outdoors, under the stars on Friday, June 29, at 8 p.m. The performance takes place on 12th Street between Des Moines Central Library and the John and Mary Pappajohn Educational Center. The Chicago-based Joffrey has commissioned ballets from renowned American choreographers Alvin Ailey, Laura Dean, William Forsythe, Mark Morris and Twyla Tharp. The Joffrey caught the attention of rockers when it created a ballet set to the music of Prince.

Also that Friday, the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame will perform on the U.S. Cellular Stage at 7 p.m. Veteran musicians and students from Scavo Alternative School will play their favorite blues songs, old and new.

The Nadas take the U.S. Cellular stage on Saturday at 8 p.m. The folk rock band is from Ames and owns its own label, Authentic Records. Other musicians from Authentic will give free shows onstage after the Nadas. The lineup includes The Heroes, Forty Watt Bulb, The Trained Professionals, Bob Hillman, The Tyler Thompson Band, Dick Prall, Benjamin Wagner, Randy Burk and the Prisoners and Josh Davis.

The Central Library’s loading dock is one of the unorthodox locales for a concert. Local garage bands will perform there Saturday, June 30 from 5-9 p.m. The lineup includes rock and hip-hop with Skin of Earth, Beati Paoli, DJ Raj, Slaughterhouse and Welcome to Amber.

The sidewalks of Mercy Medical offer an unusual setting for Shakespeare, but that’s where the Strolling with Shakespeare company will act out scenes from the Bard’s comedies.

Street performances will abound throughout the festival. Visitors rambling through downtown will be able to catch the Las Guitarras de Mexico mariachi band, jazz artists Chris and Jean Sidwell, the break-dancing Floor Spiders and the Swing Crew, who play calypso, country and rockabilly.

For those in the mood for death-defying feats, Roberto the Magnificent bounces coconuts off his head and juggles blowtorches, knives and rubber chickens.

Irish pavement artist Gary Palmer will transform sidewalks into art. Palmer has been commissioned by festivals in Australia and Britain. He’s also a painter whose fans include Sean Lennon (the son of Beatle John Lennon), who commissioned Palmer to paint a mural.

For downloadable maps, schedules and more information about the Festival, visit www.desmoinesartfestival.org or call 286-4950.