With the pandemic winding down and the weather warming up, farmers markets are bound to be a hit this summer. Such is proven on this year’s Overland Park Farmers Market’s opening weekend: The market hosted 3,500 shoppers, making it one of their highest-trafficked opening days yet. The pandemic also brought more attention locally grown food… Continue reading 5 Kansas City farmers markets to shop this weekend
Starting in early June, Spirit Airlines will have nonstop flights from Kansas City International Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Meyers, Pensacola and Tampa. The new destinations now double the list of cities that Spirit Airlines flies to from KCI. Spirit Airlines gives Kansas City more go to four sunny spots in Florida, plus increased service… Continue reading KCI is getting new cheap direct flights to 4 more cities in Florida
The biggest barbecue event in the world is back: The World Series of Barbecue, held by KC-based American Royal, is returning this September. The event will again happen at the Kansas Speedway, where it relocated from the Stockyards District, and go from September 16-19. This will be the forty-first American Royal BBQ showdown. The event… Continue reading The smoke has cleared: American Royal’s World Series of Barbecue will return
Ask 20 people to describe the Ozarks, and you’ll get 30 answers. Some mainly think of it as the shoreline around the Lake of the Ozarks, others conjure images of the misty hollows you see in Winter’s Bone. The Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas are all that and more. At the bottom of this page,… Continue reading Hidden Ozarks: The insider’s guide to 37 secret spots and things to do in the hills and lakes
Last May, images of raucous holiday weekend parties at Lake of the Ozarks pool bars were beamed across the world. At the height of pandemic lockdowns—as most Americans were holed up in their homes and some were washing their groceries in fear of infection—the sight of hard-partying, unmasked Midwesterners dancing to EDM at an event… Continue reading We tracked down 5 people from the wild peak pandemic Ozarks pool party that shocked America
Diana Condori remembers the first time she passed through the Puerta del Sol gateway at Tiwanaku, an ancient sacred site in her home country of Bolivia. Angular petroglyphs are carved into a single ten-ton volcanic rock, and through the arch, this megalith offers breathtaking views of the Andes mountains. Puerta del Sol is thought to… Continue reading When the pandemic closed her tiki bar, a talented bartender launched pop-up bar Condor’s Cove
There are a few things we know for certain about the spiedini: The kebab-style Italian meat skewers beloved in Kansas City originated in Abruzzo, Italy, and the name comes from the Italian word for spit. In the early 1900s, Italian immigrants in New York were eating something they called a spiedie—a hoagie filled with beef… Continue reading Chicken spiedini is a KC icon—here’s how it was invented and spread
Another sign that the pandemic is nearing its conclusion: The Kansas City Symphony announced Tuesday that it will welcome live, in-person audiences to the Kauffman Center in May and June. One day after Mayor Quinton Lucas lifted all occupancy limits for indoor gatherings, the symphony will be back—though it’s keeping well below capacity, with attendance… Continue reading The symphony will perform for live in-person audiences at the Kauffman Center
Kansas City is one step closer to returning back to “normal.” As Covid-19 vaccinations are becoming more widely available and virus cases are decreasing, Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced that adjustments will be made to previous Kansas City mandates. Today at 1:15 pm, Mayor Lucas held a news conference to address updates to his emergency… Continue reading Kansas City rescinds all capacity limits for businesses and gatherings this Friday
ALUM COVE TRAIL 1.2 miles Deer, Arkansas Alum Cove Trail is a short loop trail seventy miles due south of Branson that features one of the largest natural bridges in the area. The trail takes you across the top of the natural bridge and down, then loops around a short but beautiful landscape filled with… Continue reading The 6 best trails in the Ozarks aren’t secrets to locals—but they’re lesser known in KC
After a hard year for many moms—from juggling work and homeschooling to keeping families safe and healthy—Mother’s Day is extra special this year. Show appreciation for Mom on May 9 by treating her to these gifts. And if you’re looking to ditch Amazon and shop small or local, you’ve come to the right place. Even… Continue reading Make Mother’s Day extra special this year with these 6 gift ideas
If you want to experience the magic of film, you’re going to have to drive to St. Louis. Today, Liberty-based B&B Theatres announced the rumors are true and the theater chain is acquiring the former Alamo Drafthouse cinema in downtown Kansas City, the city’s most storied moviehouse. The theater will turn a century-old this October… Continue reading Film is dead in KC: B&B will remove the city’s last operating 35mm projector from the old Alamo Drafthouse
Jazz has deep roots in Kansas City, and so does Hermon Mehari. Mehari, a jazz trumpet player, grew up here and has been involved in jazz music for the majority of his life. His latest album, A Change for the Dreamlike, was released in 2020 and topped the iTunes jazz charts. Mehari is now based… Continue reading World-renowned KC-born jazz trumpeter Hermon Mehari hosts new show on KCUR
Casual Animal Brewing’s expansion started when brewery owner Kyle Gray was taking out the trash two years ago. “One of the women that works behind us was out there and asked if I knew what was going on, and I said, ‘No—what’s up?’ She told me that the next-door space owners were retiring,” he says.… Continue reading Casual Animal Brewing Co.’s dashing new space is a product of the owners’ creative talents
“It goes back to the Federal Water Power Act [of 1920]—they were trying to get rivers around the country to produce hydroelectric power. So people thought, ‘OK, I can make a buck, let me see where some places to do this would be.’ In the Midwest, some engineers or somebody started looking at the Osage… Continue reading How the Bagnell Dam created the Lake of the Ozarks and reshaped southern Missouri forever
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Kansas City-area schools scrambled to move classes online. Ultimately, every public district in the area ended up with some sort of virtual learning program, a few of which remained in place into April 2021. While the pandemic seems to have an end in sight, virtual learning does not. Many school… Continue reading Even as most students return to classes, online learning is here to stay
There’s a line in the iconic film Selena when Edward James Olmos, who plays Selena’s father, is in the driver’s seat of the tour bus, careening down the highway. He’s on one of his many surly soliloquies, this one expounding the burden of being an American citizen with a Latin heritage: “Being Mexican- American is… Continue reading How cooking my mother’s rice gave me my name back
Kansas City Mavericks Blades Tribute Night May 15 Normally, minor league hockey season is wrapping up right about now. But with the pandemic pushing the start of the season back, things are just now heating up at Cable Dahmer Arena, where the Kansas City Mavericks are making a late-season push for the playoffs thanks to… Continue reading Kansas City Mavericks hockey and 6 other top KC events for May 2021
ICYMI, for our February issue, we spent a few months driving the metro area, block-by-block, to curate a selection of the nine coolest homes in Kansas City. Our list ran the gamut from a historic International Bauhaus and an Olathe home modeled after KCK’s famed Sauer Castle. Also in the lineup was our cover star,… Continue reading Check it out: ‘Standout’ Brookside home from our February cover featured in Midwest Living magazine
Ryan Sciara had been in the hospitality and wine industry for nearly a quarter-century when he opened Underdog Wine Co. in 2014. Given his experience, he had strong opinions on how things should work at his two shops, which stock a constantly rotating and always interesting assortment of wines across the full spectrum of price… Continue reading Shop at these local beer and wine shops in KC
Brunch is about style. It’s about breaking open a sexy yolk over avocado toast and lingering over Irish coffees. Here are a few ways to enjoy the decadence of a weekend brunch at home. Caviar Treatment What’s the ultimate brunch indulgence? Probably topping off your scrambled eggs with more eggs. Of course, the French came… Continue reading Brunch like royalty with these easy hacks that set the bar high
Normally, minor league hockey season is wrapping up right about now. But with the pandemic pushing the start of the season back, things are just now heating up at Cable Dahmer Arena, where the Kansas City Mavericks are making a late-season push for the playoffs thanks to a strong April from veteran forward Darik Angeli.… Continue reading The Kansas City Mavericks are making a push for the playoffs in their pandemic-delayed season
Toward the end of 2020, as we were collectively casting about for something to lighten our weary load, an unlikely hero emerged: salsa made with peanuts. This was new to most. Different. Thrilling, even. (It had been a long year.) And as the salsa macha trend spread across the nation, we wondered when Kansas City… Continue reading Trend Alert: Salsa made with peanuts is the new hotness
Tired of changing the clock twice a year, Missouri house has proposed a bill that would make daylight savings time the new standard time. If the bill survives future procedural votes and passes through the state senate—and if the other conditions are met, see below—the state would never return to “standard” time. As first reported… Continue reading Missouri lawmakers vote to make daylight savings permanent
In April, The Golden Scoop opened in Overland Park. The nonprofit ice cream and coffee shop is the culmination of years of planning for three founders—behavioral therapist Lindsay Krumbholz, her sister Amber Schreiber and culinary director Michelle Reeves—who wanted to find a creative way to provide meaningful employment to people with developmental disabilities. Reeves met Krumbholz… Continue reading A new KC ice cream shop employs people with special needs—here’s the founder’s story
Documents suggest Taco Bell appears to be poised to bring its cult-favorite Cantina concept to Westport. The news was first reported by the Kansas City Star (paywall), which seemed surprised to find a liquor license application for a Taco Bell. Taco Bell Cantina—if you haven’t had the pleasure in Vegas, New York or Chicago which… Continue reading Taco Bell appears to be bringing its cult-favorite Cantina concept to KC
Homelessness has always been an issue in Kansas City, whether or not it’s been visible. Earlier this year, a group of unhoused people shook things up by setting up a protest at City Hall. It’s part of a national trend of homeless people demanding attention by setting up organized camps in prominent places—like the grounds… Continue reading The mayor defused a standoff with unhoused protestors camping at City Hall—what happens next?
Back in January, we brought you the story of how Quixotic, one of the city’s most unique and successful performing arts groups, was navigating the pandemic—a task to which they were uniquely well-suited given the box-busting nature of the group. If you need people dancing on the brick walls of Tom’s Town distillery on a… Continue reading Quixotic returns to rooftop for celebrated summer show Soiree — here are the details
If you pay close attention to the KC barbecue scene, you may have noticed there’s a lot of beer involved of late. No, not the cans being crushed at midnight parties at ’cue competitions, which have mostly been on hold. It’s the pits themselves. Of spots that have opened since our last complete survey of… Continue reading Why are the great new BBQ spots in KC opening in breweries?
Back to back to back The post-pandemic awakening is upon us, with a number of institutions emerging from hibernation better than before. The city’s most celebrated ice cream shop, Betty Rae’s, has reopened under new ownership after controversy. Meanwhile, Gram & Dun is also open under new ownership and with longer hours. The redone menu… Continue reading Here’s what’s new in Kansas City food and drink in May 2021
EverWild Florals is like the DoorDash of flowers: Their newspaper-wrapped custom bouquets can be in your hands on the same day you order them. “I’ve always been the girl who had fresh flowers on the dining room table,” EverWild founder Sarah Jaeger says. “After a while, I was tired of the same four or five… Continue reading This local florals delivery company is like the DoorDash of flowers
For most people, the loss of smell that comes with a cold or allergies is familiar. It’s also one of the most common symptoms of Covid-19—and, for some, one of the longest-lasting. As we emerge from the pandemic and doctors grapple with how to help Covid long-haulers, olfactory retraining is becoming a hot topic. In… Continue reading Doctors are developing therapy to restore lost sense of smell in Covid patients
Having a plush outdoor living space where you enjoy spending time can be one of life’s ultimate luxuries. Whether you’re entertaining, working outside, enjoying native wildlife or just plain digging in the dirt, this guide will get you one step closer to your dream outdoor space. How to create an outdoor office Remote work is… Continue reading Your spring and summer guide to outdoor living in Kansas City
They come flowered, full and green. Often, they’re somewhat attractive and at first glance might not seem problematic. They may not look like your typical weed, but invasive plants are a serious threat to the natural ecosystem. That’s why Missouri established its own Invasive Plant Task Force, a networking and advocacy group made up of… Continue reading Missouri released its list of expanding invasive plants—here’s why you should care
Back in the early 1900s, Kansas City thrived off city clubs. Notable Kansas City elite like Tom Pendergast and presidents Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were known members of the Kansas City Club, a gentlemen’s club that operated from 1882, allowed women in 1975 and ceased operations in 2015. The old-school River Club in… Continue reading A look inside Lauren Merriman’s creative blueprint for women-focused city club The Nelle
Today is Paul Rudd’s fifty-second birthday, and you’d never know it to look at the man. In the year 2021, Rudd looks like he just walked off the set of Clueless—which he somehow did almost thirty years ago. The internet has taken notice as the proud Kansas City native—always popular among the Twitterati—is trending. Kind… Continue reading It’s Paul Rudd’s birthday and the internet is a little obsessed
Tricia Rojo Bushnell thought she’d go into immigration law. She’s Mexican-American, born in California, and the first in her family to attend college. Working for migrant justice resonated with her—until her last semester of college, when she found herself working the case of Emanuel Gissendanner, an Alabama man wrongfully convicted and on death row. That… Continue reading Midwest Innocence Project leader Tricia Rojo Bushnell shares her perfect day in KC
Betty Rae’s is back. The beloved ice cream parlor, the consensus pick for the best in town, softly reopened its doors late last week under new ownership. Betty Rae’s closed its locations in Waldo and the River Market district after a series of controversies triggered by misconduct allegations by employees and the owner’s then-estranged wife.… Continue reading BREAKING: Betty Rae’s Ice Cream has reopened
It seems like artist Kit Landwehr has been popping up all over the city over the past few months. Her bold-colored, structurally modern murals and prints are all over Instagram, and her work is featured prominently at Sequence Climb climbing gym, the new social club The Nelle and new Crossroads mini-hotel No Vacancy. After graduating… Continue reading Meet muralist Kit Landwehr, whose work you’ll spot all over KC
Ted and Kathee Kramm have lived in Kansas City for the past thirty years. When the couple built their home in Overland Park’s Farm at Garnet Hill, they were hands-on in every step of the process. This home is as custom as custom gets—everything from the geothermal heating and cooling system to the pool was… Continue reading This custom-built Overland Park home is filled with colorful artwork and smart features
The people of the KCI Airport project aren’t just building a representative space in Kansas City—they’re implementing goals to make sure the project represents what Kansas City could be. Geoff Stricker, the senior managing director for Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, and Julie Wellner of Wellner Architects have collaborated with upwards of 200 firms on… Continue reading How the KCI airport project is landmark in representing women- and minority-owned businesses
The cover story in the April issue of Kansas City magazine, in mailboxes and on shelves now, is all about Big Ideas to remake the city. The ideas are, admittedly, a big uneven—some are so obvious it’s amazing they have not yet been done, while others are what Silicon Valley types call “moonshots.” This morning,… Continue reading WATCH: Associate editor Nicole Bradley talks ‘Big Ideas’ on Fox 4
Two hundred years ago, the young state of Missouri was looking for a new capital. The territorial legislature was holed up in a hotel in St. Charles, and eying an escape to an unspoiled slice of wilderness somewhere in the center of the state. They ended up on a bluff overlooking the mighty Missouri River,… Continue reading Why Jefferson City is the key to understanding Missouri’s unique history and culture
There are many people in Kansas who are creative, imaginative, and come up with some brilliant ideas for new inventions. However, not all of these people get any further than simply having a great idea. After this, some simply do not know what steps they need to take, and they end up giving up on… Continue reading How Kansas Inventors Can Enjoy Success with Expert Support from InventHelp
The phrase “uncertain times” makes me squirm. That could be partly personal. I turned twenty-one a few days after 9/11 and I turned forty in the middle of a pandemic. In both cases, a world I was just starting to figure out got flipped and shaken at a most inconvenient time. But, of course, uncertainty… Continue reading How “uncertain times” have created a future of opportunities
You’ve heard it before, probably more times than you’d care to: These are “uncertain times.” Mostly, that means we’re in an era rife with challenges, both immense and trivial. But uncertainty also comes with opportunity. There’s a really refreshing sense of freedom and possibility that’s born of collective confusion. We’ve spent the past months chatting… Continue reading 11 ambitious and offbeat ways to make Kansas City a better place to live
