Here are eleven things to do in KC this weekend, October 17-20, including: Halloween pop-ups, Korn and The Fray.
Ghouls: a Halloween Pop-up Bar
KC favorite KC Wine Co is hosting a Halloween-themed pop-up bar throughout the fall with fun photo opps, signature themed cocktails like the Hallow-Rita or Caramel Apple Sangria. There will also be a selection of wines, hard ciders, beers, a wine flight and candy pairing, snacks like Pretzels, charcuterie and flatbread pizzas.
September 1–October 27. Hours vary. KC Wine Co., black barn (13875 S. Gardner Rd., Olathe).
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill
Come experience the life and songs of Billie Holiday like never before in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, with songs like “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child” and scenes based off of many of her true life events.
October 8–27. Copaken Stage.
Goodnight Moon
Based on the beloved children’s book of the same name, Goodnight Moon is adapted for the stage by Chad Henry. This family-friendly musical features favorite characters like the three bears sitting in chairs, the cow jumping over the moon and the tooth fairy.
October 8–November 2. Times vary. City Stage at Union Station.
Alice (in Wonderland)
The Kansas City Ballet is ready to send you down the rabbit hole and straight to wonderland. With choreography by Septime Webre and music written by Matthew Pierce and performed by the Kansas City Symphony, this surreal performance of Alice (in Wonderland) adds a new modern twist to Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, blending ballet and contemporary dance to bring new life to the characters and story. Audience members are welcome to come to the Belger Footnotes an hour before the curtain opens to learn even more about the show’s creation and the details that make it truly magical, if a bit mad.
October 11–20. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Halloween Pop-Up Bar: gRAVEyard
This brand new, immersive pop-up experience at new KC tiki bar, Kon Tiki, promises to be a festive good time. At this unique Halloween-themed pop-up, guests will get two free Halloween-themed cocktails and there will also be festive selfie stations, a disco-tiled skeleton and pulsating electronic Halloween music.
October 16–31. Kon Tiki.
Hotel Elsinore
If you’re checking into Hotel Elsinore in the Midwest Trust Center, don’t be surprised if you find any skulls or ghosts in the room. In this Hamlet-inspired play that won the Carol Tambor Incentive Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2022, the playwright Susanna Hamnett and her son and daughter Joshua and Lily MacGregor star as the family of late actor Henry Elder, who was set to play Hamlet in the Elsinore Shakespeare Festival the next day and is struggling to find peace with his own absence.
October 17. Midwest Trust Center.
Korn
In honor of their 30th anniversary, Grammy award-winning metal band Korn is embarking on a North American tour with a stop in KC. A huge figure in the ’90s grunge-metal scene, Korn’s legacy has been felt in the decades since their formation. Grammy-nominated band Gojira and Canadian heavy metal group Spiritbox open.
October 18. 6:30 pm. T-Mobile Center.
The Fray
Denver-based rock band The Fray became one of the most successful indie-rock bands of the early aughts, with hits like “How to Save a Life” and “Over My Head” playing nonstop over airways and in teen romance shows. They are hitting KC in the aptly-named The Fray Is Back Tour in support of their newest album, Helios, released earlier this year. Rett Madison will open.
October 18. 8 pm. The Truman.
Kristin Chenoweth
Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth joins the Kansas City symphony with guest conductor Mary Mitchell Campbell. Best known for her starring roles in Wicked, Glee and more, Chenoweth is small in stature but has larger-than-life vocals, which she will showcase in show-stopping selections with orchestral arrangements from the symphony.
October 18 & 19, 8 pm; October 20, 2 pm. Helzberg Hall.
Cornucopia Fall Festival
Billed as Kansas City’s ultimate fall festival, Cornucopia will transform Power & Light into an autumnal celebration that could be ripped straight from Gilmore Girls. This festival is a whole weekend of fall fun for all ages, with carnival rides, live music performances, a petting zoo, seasonal food and drink vendors, and shopping.
October 18–20. Times vary. Power & Light District.
Maple Leaf Festival
Baldwin City’s Maple Leaf Festival began in 1958 as a way to celebrate the harvest and appreciate the changing colors of the maple leaves. Now, every third weekend of October, attendees can enjoy activities such as a 5K run, parade and and even family-friendly opportunities such as face painting and a petting zoo. More artistic folks might prefer to check out the craft booths, quilt show and live country music.
October 19 & 20. 711 High St., Baldwin City, KS.
