Thank you so much for attending the 2024 Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting! We hope everyone had a great time attending sessions, meeting colleagues, learning new things, and (for those who attended in person) exploring the great city of Des Moines!
The Program and Local Arrangements Committees for this year’s conference would love your feedback. Please consider filling out a survey about your experience at either the in-person or virtual conference. If you would like to contribute, please complete the survey by Friday, May 17. We appreciate your comments as they will help improve future conferences.
The interactive seesaw installation Impulse. Image courtesy Catch Des Moines.
There’s so much to do in Des Moines this week/end we couldn’t fit it all in one post! Read on to learn more about fun events happening during MAC (and for more ideas check out our activities post from earlier this month, which includes highlights like the farmers’ market, spring plant sales, board game bar nights, and more).
Sports fans can check out an Iowa Cubs game while they’re in town; they play at noon on Thursday, 7 pm on Friday, and 3 pm on Saturday. Tickets range from $10 to $50.
Thursday night, Iowa City native Pictoria Vark and Boston’s Mint Green bring their bedroom pop to the big stage at xBk.
On Friday evening, check out Mainframe Studios’ First Friday event, an open-studio tour that will also feature refreshments and a guided painting activity for guests.
Bringing your pup along to MAC? Stop by Living History Farms Saturday morning for a dog-friendly Fido on the Farms day! Doggie crafts and pet portraits are included in the general admission fare ($19 for adults, $13 for kids).
Saturday, the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is setting up shop at the Iowa Fairgrounds! Tickets are $29; the event features live music, a bacon-eating contest, crowning of the Bacon Queen, and many bacon-themed eateries!
If you’re traveling to MAC this week, you may want to familiarize yourself with the Skywalk, a great way to get around downtown Des Moines, especially if it’s rainy or windy (current forecasts show precipitation on Thursday and maybe Saturday morning).
For those staying at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, limited valet parking is available at the hotel for $36/day. For offsite parking, the hotel recommends the public parking garage on 9th St. between Grand and Locust ($1/hour, $10/day). You can find more information about the hotel parking on their website.
MAC 2024 is coming up soon! Here are a few quick notes from the organizers about some accessibility options for this year’s conference:
A gender-neutral bathroom will be available on the the third floor of the downtown Marriott (one floor up from most of the MAC programming). This bathroom will be near the Des Moines Exhibit Hall, and will be marked with a sign.
A family care/lactation room will also be available on the third floor. Attendees can obtain a key card upon request. There will be a fridge in this room.
As you’re building your schedule for MAC 2024, consider signing up to host a meal or find one to join using the Lunch Buddies sign-up spreadsheet. The Lunch Buddies program facilitates the arrangement of casual restaurant outings with other MAC attendees. This can be a great way to expand your professional network and experience the host city in a group setting. We encourage all attendees to participate!
What does hosting entail? It’s pretty simple: hosts select a restaurant, fill out the spreadsheet so guests can sign up, and if needed call ahead to ensure their group can be accommodated. All attendees should plan to pay for their own meals.
Please note: the Lunch Buddies spreadsheet is intended for informational use only. It is not a matching service; you need to use the information on the spreadsheet to find people to share meals with. MAC is not responsible for, or endorse the contents of this spreadsheet or any actions which result from using this spreadsheet. Please use good judgement and common sense when reaching out to strangers.
Harbinger restaurant in Des Moines. Photo courtesy Harbinger DSM.
Whether you’re a foodie looking to plan a mini culinary tour or just running for a quick coffee before your next panel, the MAC 2024 Local Arrangements Committee has you covered!
We’ve prepared a Google map of downtown Des Moines eateries, bringing together favorite haunts of the locals on our committee with a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops within easy walking distance of the Downtown Marriott.
For those interested in a truly deep dive, dig into the resources provided by Catch Des Moines, the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau, including a comprehensive guide to restaurants in the Des Moines metro area, plus local deals and specials for the budget-conscious!
Looking to find some folks to eat with at MAC? Sign up to host or join an outing using the Lunch Buddies spreadsheet!
The Des Moines Downtown Farmer’s Market. Photo courtesy Catch Des Moines.
While your MAC 2024 schedule may be jam-packed, we hope you’ll have time to check out a show, stroll by the river, get a head start on your holiday shopping, or generally enjoy all Des Moines has to offer!
Catch Des Moines, the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau, is a great resource for planning any excursions you might want to take in and around Des Moines. They have guides for fans of museums, parks, live music, and much more!
A few specific recommendations that are taking place during MAC 2024 (May 2-4):
If you have a little time to sneak away during one of MAC’s meeting days, check out the Central Campus Plant Sale! Open 10-4 Thursday and Friday and 11-3 Sunday, this popular annual event features flowers, veggies, herbs, hanging baskets, and more grown and crafted by the students at Central Campus, a Des Moines Public Schools career academy for high school students.
This year, MAC aligns with DEMICON, the Des Moines Annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, running from 2pm Friday to 4pm Sunday, open 24 hours and featuring artist talks, vendors, and more!
The Des Moines Marriott Downtown room block for the Spring meeting has sold out, and no longer has rooms available at the discounted rate of $148. You will still be able to book rooms at the conference hotel at the regular, non-discounted rate.
To help you make travel decisions, the Local Arrangements Committee has put together a short list of recommended hotels in the immediate area, all of which have comparable rates:
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have questions or need assistance, please email LAC at maclocalarrangements@gmail.com.
Seed Savers Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa. Photo by Shawn Linehan, courtesy Seed Savers.
MAC is coming up soon and we hope you’re all getting excited for an amazing Plenary Session that digs deep into the connections between archives, museums, and agricultural history! This year’s session, entitled “Unlocking Midwestern Agricultural History through Archival Investigation,” will feature representatives of two organizations dedicated to preserving the farming practices of earlier eras (a task made more important than ever by the dramatic shifts in agriculture over the past century). Jaime Nicolet Rutan, curator at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, and Sara Straate, seed historian at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, will present about their organizations’ efforts to preserve techniques and plant species from the past. David McCartney, University of Iowa archivist emeritus, will moderate the discussion. Read the full description of the plenary session in the MAC 2024 program, available here.
MAC 2024 Annual Meeting 