Polk County Iowa

Thank you to all who came out to celebrate 2026 World Refugee Day at Polk County Riverplace. Members of the Refugee Alliance held a great event on Saturday to observe the occasion with a 5K Fun Run/Walk, followed by performing artists, FREE food samples, lots of children's crafts and activities, and opportunities to connect with community partners at numerous information booths. With: Des Moines World Refugee Day Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa

This Week, the Polk County Board of Supervisors declared Saturday June 20th as World Refugee Day. With this proclamation Polk County celebrates the growing diversity of its residents and acknowledges that refugees strengthen the economy and cultural richness of our community. You can celebrate World Refugee Day with a free event at Polk County Riverplace. For details visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/2026-dsm-world-refugee-day/989516227373426/

Get your taste buds ready for an amazing weekend full of your favorite festival food during Ankeny Chamber SummerFest! What will you try this year? 🍕🍩🍿🥤🍟

Food Vendors:
Beverly Ann’s of Saylorville
Big Açaí Ankeny
Cottonwood Canyon
Dave’s Mini Donuts
G.G.’s Chicken & Waffles
Hardenbrook Concessions
Jethro’s BBQ n’ LakeHouse
Kona Ice of Central Iowa
Let’s Go Cookie Dough!
Los Primos Grill
Loudi’s Kitchen
Nopal Mexican Food
Papa Johns of Iowa
Sugar & Spin Cotton Candy
Sugarcane Fusion
Sweet Swirls Rolled Ice Cream
Syd’s Sweet ‘N Sips
Thai Street Food by Weena
The Outside Scoop
Whatcha Smokin? BBQ
WiseGuys Wood Fired Pizza
Yanni’s Grill

Ankeny Chamber SummerFest is presented by Karl Chevrolet with platinum sponsors Polk County Iowa and City of Ankeny - Government

This week, the Polk County Board of Supervisors recognized today, June 19th as Juneteeth. With this proclamation, Polk County is committed to fostering a community where the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives of all residents are understood, respected, and celebrated as a source of collective strength.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office, Iowa and Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack & Hotel have been named the joint recipients of the 2026 National Sheriffs’ Association Sheriff/Private Security Partnership Award. This national recognition highlights the strength of our collaboration and our shared commitment to public safety. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is also the only sheriff’s office in the United States to have earned this prestigious award twice—first in 2018, and now again in 2026. This accomplishment was recognized at Tuesday's Polk County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Congratulations to the Tyler Steinke Family Foundation on your Polk County sponsorship grant. The funds will be used for an upcoming golf tournament which raises money to benefit individuals with special needs in Polk County and surrounding areas by providing access to community events and assimilation into the broader community in ways that would not be financially possible.

Polk County was once again happy to support and take part in this year’s 2026 Capital City Pride celebration!

It's Polk County Day at Principal Charity Classic! Thank you to all the incredible people and organizations that make this one of Central Iowa's premiere events. Since 2007, more than $73 million has been raised for local children's charities. Polk County was proud to be a platinum sponsor at this year's tournament.