The 2026 AViD (Authors Visiting in Des Moines) series kicks off with author Julia Quinn of Bridgerton fame, on Tuesday, April 7, at Hoyt Sherman Place. You can meet her before she takes the stage! The Foundation, in partnership with Bankers Trust, will host a private reception before the free public lecture. Proceeds benefit Des Moines Public Library programs and services.
You can meet Julia and snap a photo with her, enjoy appetizers and desserts, plus receive a signed copy of An Offer from a Gentleman, the book upon which the current Netflix season is based. You will also have a reserved seat for the public lecture. Tickets for the VIP reception are $125 per person. Proceeds will benefit DMPL programs and services. The final day to purchase tickets is Thursday, March 26.
Get your tickets by Thursday, March 26.
Many thanks to our 2026 AViD sponsors: Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino (Premier Sponsor); Nationwide Foundation, and Steve Jayne and Karen Shaff (Presenting Sponsors); Harry Bookey and Pamela Bass-Bookey; Brad and Kelly Edmister; Mary K. and Daniel M. Kelly Family Foundation; Bankers Trust; Above + Beyond Cancer; Martin and Shelley Brody; Douglas and Debbie West; Jann Freed and John Fisher; Rachel Stauffer and Jim Lawson; LaRue Maddox; Judy Blank; Dory Briles and Jim Christenson; and Jon and Barbara Yankey.