Here are sixteen things to do in KC this weekend, July 18-21, including KC Fringe Festival, Beauty & the Beast and Jason Mraz.
KC Fringe Festival
The 20th annual KC Fringe Festival kicks off this weekend. The 16-day festival showcases local, national and international artists, showcasing film, live performance pieces and the visual arts. The various shows and activities are scattered throughout the downtown area across two weeks.
July 9–July 27. 12–6 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. Various locations.
Prairiefire Summer Music Series
Prairiefire has free live music concerts all summer long, for an evening of music, community and family fun. This week, Flashback performs live. Bonus: Alcohol can be taken from any restaurant or bar at Prairie Fire and into the street—grab a cocktail and feel free to roam.
Every Thursday from July 4 to September 5. 7–10 pm. Prairiefire.
Bowling for Soup
Texas pop-punk rock band Bowling for Soup, best known for radio hits like “1985” and “Stacy’s Mom,” has garnered a loyal fanbase through the years with their whimsical humor and well-loved songs. The band hits KC on tour in support of the 20th anniversary of A Hangover You Don’t Deserve with openers Keep Flying and Eternal Boy.
July 18. 7:30 pm. The Truman.
The Festival of Butterflies
The Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens kicks off this weekend and nature enthusiasts of all ages are encouraged to celebrate butterflies—those fluttery creatures loved by all. Spend a day outdoors exploring tropical and native butterflies alongside stunning botanical displays.
July 18–August 4. Times vary. Powell Gardens.
Crown Center’s WeekEnder series
Crown Center’s free family event series continues this weekend with a live musical performance by Perryman and an outdoor screening of classic Footloose. There will also be food trucks and beverages available for purchase (rotating weekly) and guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to watch the film under the stars.
July 19. 6 pm. Crown Center Square.
Lindsey Stirling
Performer Lindsey Stirling meshes intricate choreography, breathtaking aerial acts and stunning costumes—which she designs herself— in her multifaceted show. Stirling blends music, dance and visual artistry during the shows on tour, in support of her new album, Duality, a meditation on personal strength and the “ever-shifting nature of identity.” Pop music group Walk off the Earth open.
July 19. 7 pm. Starlight Theater.
Off the Wall
The Library’s annual summer film series returns with free movies to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the library and the 20th anniversary of the Central Library branch. Co-presented by Young Friends of the Kansas City Public Library, the 2024 Off the Wall series on Central Library’s Rooftop Terrace continues with cult classic Dazed and Confused.
July 19. 8:45 pm. Rooftop terrace on the Central Library.
Amelia Earhart Festival
The birthplace of Amelia Earhart keeps her soaring spirit alive with a weekend-long summer fest. This two-day family-friendly community event features a food and crafts fair, an outdoor concert, children’s activities, Earhart research and literature, a fun run, music on the riverfront, aerobatic performances and a “Concert in the Sky” fireworks show for the grand finale.
July 19 & 20. Times vary. Atchison, KS (various locations).
Disney’s Beauty & the Beast
The Culture House Summer Broadway Series presents Disney’s Beauty & the Beast. The magical 1991 musical is reimagined for the stage with incredible costuming, beloved music and dazzling sets to create this enchanting, family-friendly adventure. Experience the magic of these classic characters live as bookish Belle changes the Beast’s heart and saves both him and her father with the magic of love and determination.
July 19 & 20. 2 & 7 pm. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Dream State
Performed by Denver Aerial Dance Collective, Dream State is a non-stop aerial dance experience set to a selection of dreamy-dramatic music from the artists of Son Lux. The performance is focused on the human experiences, exploring themes of love, loss and transformation.
July 19–21, 24, 26 & 27. Times vary. City Stage Theatre at Union Station.
Breakneck Twelfth Night
Breakneck Twelfth Night is the oddball one-man production by actor Tim Mooney. Mooney is known for performing Shakespeare’s most beloved works in a fast-paced, innovative Breakneck style, playing all of the characters and giving brand new tunes to Shakespeare’s old words.
July 19–21, 26 & 27. Times vary. Whim Space (414 Prospect Ave).
Zona Rosa Summer Fest
Summer Fest at Zona Rosa—a block party meets pop-up shopping experience—aims to be the perfect all-ages summer event. All day, KC favorite The Strawberry Swing will hold an indie craft fair with more than 50 local makers selling unique wares. Food and drinks will also be available throughout the day, including The Rub BBQ, Sugar Daddy’s Lemonade and over half a dozen others. This year’s Summer Fest will also have ongoing entertainment, including a two-hour dance party for children curated by DJ Miles of Theatre of the Imagination, a petting zoo by Paramount Pony and Petting Zoo, a foam party in North Park and a musical performance by Nick Nave. Local Park Hill Robotics Club will also demonstrate the robots they’ve created. There will also be photo ops to help you remember summer ’24, with a Summer Fest floral sign by Luminate KC and a balloon wall by BalloonistaKC.
July 20. 11 am–6 pm. North Park and the bridge at Zona Rosa.
KIDZ BOP Live
One of the most popular childrens’ performance groups, KIDZ BOP, covers the most popular songs today with children performers and cleaned up language.
July 20. 7 pm. Starlight Theatre.
Summer Outdoor Movies In The Park
As part of their summer series, Zona Rosa will be showing both new movies and classic flicks in their free, family-friendly outdoor movie nights all summer long. Grab a blanket or lawn chair and find a spot in North Park (the green space South of Dillard’s). Now cult-classic favorite Clueless will be playing for the last show of the season. Loosely adapted from Jane Austen’s 1815 novel Emma, the comedy follows shallow and rich popular girl Cher (played by Alicia Silverstone) as she turns her Beverly Hills high school world out of order—as if!
July 20. 8:45 pm. Zona Rosa North Park.
GULAG GIRLS
Based on true accounts, GULAG GIRLS tells a story of courage, hope and loss in a Soviet Union-era women’s prison. Arrested as Enemies of the People, a group of women bravely fight the system from within the constraints of a Soviet era gulag, proving the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
July 20, 21, 24, 26, 27. Times vary. The Arts Asylum.
Jason Mraz
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz reached fame in the early-aughts with radio hits like “I’m Yours” and “Lucky.” He hits KC during the second leg of the Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride tour supporting Mraz’s eighth album of the same title.
July 21. 7:30 pm. Starlight Theatre.
