(Radio Iowa) – The Des Moines Symphony Orchestra is offering back-to-back free concerts over the upcoming Labor Day weekend highlighting the music of two popular, consecutive decades from the last century. Symphony spokeswoman Angela Schwartz says there will be plenty of space on the lawn of Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park to spread out a blanket for a picnic, or to serve as an impromptu dance floor. “Saturday, we’re going to be hearing some ’80s music, of all the classics. We’re going to be doing ‘Material Girl’ from Madonna, Billy Joel and even some Footloose,” Schwartz says. “Then on Sunday night, we have Disco Divas, so that’s going to be music of the ’70s, icons like Gloria Gaynor and Earth, Wind and Fire.”

The symphony also hosts the annual Yankee Doodle Pops concert on the West Terrace of the Iowa State Capitol grounds over the 4th of July weekend. It typically draws more than 100-thousand people and is Iowa’s largest single-day concert event. The Water Works Pops shows, now in their sixth year, won’t be nearly as packed, but the focus remains the same. “One of our goals is to get out of the Civic Center and get right into the community at a place where people feel comfortable and safe to just enjoy themselves with no strings attached,” Schwartz says. “Then, hopefully they’ll get a taste of this and they’ll come back to the Civic Center for some of our pops concerts, like some of the movies that we’re doing this year, or they’ll try out a master works concert.”

The open-air concerts under the stars have free parking and free admission, offering plenty of musical fun for all ages, even for those who weren’t around in the 1970s and ’80s. “We also have a costume contest that we’re doing,” Schwartz says. “I think it would be really awesome if people dress on theme and maybe get a chance at winning some symphony tickets and merch.” Shows both nights begin at 7:30. Conducted by Joseph Giunta the past 36 years, the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra is marking its 88th season as one of the nation’s leading regional orchestras.