Birthdays are a pretty big deal, especially when you’re celebrating your 150th. With that in mind, the City of DeSoto is hosting their sesquicentennial celebration next weekend, and they invite the public to share in the revelry.

The festivities will start Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with a parade. Anyone wanting to enter a float can do so at no charge, but organizers request participants let them know ahead of time. Following the parade, there will be a full day of events, such as the Show & Shine Car Show from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in front of City Hall. There will also be free activities for all ages at the Little Bridge Park from 11-4, including: inflatables, face painting, glitter tattoos, the Iowa National Guard rock climbing wall, a magician, balloon animals, the Hansen Family Jugglers, food vendors, and music provided by Jager & the Polkameisters.

Evening festivities include dinner, music, and a beer garden starting at 5 p.m. at Ambros Bar & Grill. From 7-11 there will be a street dance featuring the Richard Paul Band, and attendees are reminded to bring their own seating. Finally, there will be a fireworks show starting at dusk. In addition to the events on Saturday, there will also be a DeSoto High School reunion and Ice Cream Social on Friday from 5-8 p.m. at the DeSoto Intermediate School.

For more information or to reserve your spot in the parade, reach out to Marie Hanson by phone at 515-707-2229, or by email at mariehanson415@gmail.com.