Des Moines Crawl Series™ Launches to Showcase Local Flavor and Strengthen Community Business

Des Moines is stepping into the spotlight with the launch of a new experience designed to celebrate local flavor while strengthening the city’s small business ecosystem.

The Des Moines Crawl Series™ is a curated, small-group event experience that guides guests through 4–5 standout local businesses in a single evening, offering an immersive way to explore the city’s food, beverage, and specialty destinations.

Each stop in the crawl lasts approximately 45 minutes and features a small tasting experience alongside an opportunity to hear directly from the owners, chefs, and makers behind each business. The format is intentionally simple, designed to highlight what local businesses do best while creating meaningful community connection.

Beyond its experiential appeal, the Crawl Series™ is rooted in economic development through storytelling and foot traffic. Participating businesses benefit from increased visibility, new customer discovery, and editorial coverage, which is documenting and amplifying each crawl.

At a time when many small businesses across the Puget Sound continue to navigate rising costs and evolving consumer habits, community-driven initiatives like this aim to re-energize local spending and encourage residents to rediscover what is in their own backyard.

The series will launch its first crawl on April 24, featuring a curated lineup of Des Moines businesses along the Marine View Drive and surrounding Marina District. Additional crawls are planned throughout the year, with a goal of expanding the program into neighboring communities across the region.

More than just a tasting tour, the Crawl Series™ is designed as a platform for connection—bringing residents, business owners, and visitors together in a shared experience that highlights the creativity and resilience of the local business community.

As interest grows, organizers hope the model will serve as a replicable framework for other cities seeking to combine economic support with community engagement.

In a time when local businesses need visibility more than ever, the Des Moines Crawl Series™ offers a simple idea with a powerful impact: experience the city one stop at a time.

To learn more, visit https://www.desmoinescrawlseries.com or connect with the team at Friends@SeattleMeansBusiness.com.