The downtown music event will kick off a series of Labor Day Weekend activities culminating with the Hy-Vee Triathlon on September 4th.
DES MOINES, IA – Pop rock band Gin Blossoms will be the headline act in a free downtown concert planned in conjunction with the 2011 Hy-Vee Triathlon.
The Gin Blossoms concert, with opening act The River Monks will be Friday, September 2 at 7 p.m. on the Michelob Ultra Stage, located in the City Hall parking lot at East Grand and East 2nd Avenue. The free concert, open to all ages, kicks off the Labor Day weekend and the series of events surrounding the Hy-Vee Triathlon, which is being held downtown on Sunday, September 4.
Darin Hirl, director of event marketing for Hy-Vee, said the free concert is a way for the Hy-Vee Triathlon to celebrate its return to the downtown venue where the event was launched in 2007. Flooding at Gray’s Lake in 2008 forced the triathlon to move to West Des Moines, where it has been held the last three years.
“Holding a major sporting event like the Hy-Vee Triathlon in an urban setting requires a tremendous amount of cooperation between the sponsoring organization and public officials,” Hirl said. “The City of Des Moines and the Downtown Community Alliance have been terrific partners in the planning for this year’s triathlon, so we wanted to thank the community by hosting a free event to get the weekend off to a fun start.”
“We’re thrilled to see the Hy-Vee Triathlon return to Downtown Des Moines,” said Glenn Lyons, Downtown Community Alliance CEO. “Downtown will provide a unique urban backdrop for the race as well as the ultimate destination for those seeking great food, live music, arts and culture as well as destination shopping.”
Gin Blossoms formed in Tempe, AZ in 1987 and enjoyed a decade of success as a studio and touring band, fueled by mega-hits such as “Hey Jealousy,” “Found Out About You,” “Follow You Down” and “As Long As It Matters,” which earned the band a Grammy nomination. After breaking up in 1997 so its members could pursue individual projects, the band reunited in 2002 and has been together ever since, touring and producing two new albums.
Lyons of the Downtown Community Alliance said food and beverage vendors will be on hand for the September 2 concert. Wristbands will be required for the purchase of beer.
The concert is the first of several Hy-Vee Triathlon activities scheduled for Labor Day weekend. On Saturday, September 3 the action shifts from downtown to West Des Moines for the Hy-Vee IronKids Triathlon at the City-School Campus on Mills Civic Parkway. Hundreds of youngsters ages 6 through 15 are expected to take on the swim-bike-run challenge, with the top finishers at each age level qualifying for the Hy-Vee IronKids U.S. Championship on September 17. Registration for the event is open at www.ironkids.com.
On Sunday, September 4, thousands of athletes from all over the country will converge on downtown Des Moines for the fifth annual Hy-Vee Triathlon. The event is composed of three USA Triathlon-sanctioned races: the traditional Hy-Vee Triathlon open to all participants; the Hy-Vee 5150 U.S. Championship, the crowning event of World Triathlon Corporation’s new 5150 Series ; and the Hy-Vee 5150 Elite Cup, featuring top professionals competing for the largest prize purse in the history of the sport.
For more information on the Hy-Vee Triathlon, or to register or volunteer for the event, visit the website at www.hy-veetriathlon.com.
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Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 233 retail stores in eight Midwestern states. For fiscal year 2010 the company recorded sales of $6.9 billion, ranking it among the top 30 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Hy-Vee annually sponsors the Hy-Vee Triathlon, one of the sports premier events with the richest prize purse in triathlon history. Learn more about Hy-Vee’s commitment to making lives easier, healthier and happier by visiting the company’s website at www.hy-vee.com
