Dry spell ends for downtown Des Moines' Lauridsen Fountain
Just in time for the height of summer, one of Des Moines' highest-profile splash pads is back in operation.
Children splashed and played in the zero-depth Lauridsen Fountain on Cowles Commons after it was activated Friday for the first time this season. The fountain. which usually begins seasonal operation after Memorial Day, had been shut down for the installation of new LED lighting, said Jonathan Brendemuehl, a spokesman for Des Moines Performing Arts, owner of the downtown plaza.
From 2021: Back after a long shutdown, Lauridsen Fountain at Cowles Commons draws joyous frolickers
Brendemuehl said the project, like so many others, encountered delays because of supply-chain issues.
The new lights will add another hue — white — to the existing green, red and blue array, he said.
More: Des Moines Symphony's Yankee Doodle Pops returns to the State Capitol after a two-year hiatus
"The next step (happening yet this summer) will be having Fluidity (the original Lauridsen Fountain design consultants) reprogram the light pattern," Brendemuehl said in an email. "The fountain has always had virtually limitless series of display options — with the upgrades we will be adding white lights to the mix."
DMPA is covering the cost from its own funds, he said.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Cowles Commons' Lauridsen Fountain back on with new lights
