Here are ten things to do in KC this weekend, August 22-25, including: West Side Story, Parkville Days and KKFI Crossroads Music Fest.
Trouble in Mind
From acclaimed novelist, actress and playwright Alice Childress comes Trouble in Mind, co-directed for the stage by KCAT company members Teisha Bankston and Darren Sextro. This funny and moving dramedy follows an experienced Black stage actress through the first days of rehearsal for a new play about racism. This workplace-centered play looks at identity and the high-pressure world of ’50s Broadway.
August 7–25. Times vary. City Stage in Union Station.
Sunflower Festival
Get a last bit of fun in the sun before summer turns to autumn with the Kansas City Sunflower Festival, hosted by the Kansas City Pumpkin Patch. In this family-friendly event, guests get access to an acre of bright, beautiful sunflowers and unlimited photo opportunities. There are also fall fun activities such as a mega slide, barn party and corn cob beach and more than 60 farm activities. Wine and beer, a cider bar, various festival foods and wine slushies are also available for noshing and imbibing.
August 9–25. Kansas City Pumpkin Patch.
West Side Story
This iconic musical features music by late legendary lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim and is based on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, Romeo & Juliet. Now almost equally iconic (and perhaps even more beloved) in its own right, West Side Story follows the rivalry between teenage street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, in the mid ’50s in the Upper West Side as two star-crossed lovers get caught in the turmoil. You know how the story goes.
August 20–25. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.
The Freedom Affair
Part of the free, family-friendly Light Up the Lawn Concert Series, there will be immersive activities and a performance from The Freedom Affair. Guests will be able to make seed mandalas, see Nerman’s newest exhibition Actions for the Earth: Art, Care & Ecology (running through Dec. 8) and get a bite from a local food truck before the show. Female-fronted soul band The Freedom Affair blends refined vocal harmonies while backed by a powerhouse band. Throughout this year, they are releasing four stand-alone singles recorded in their Kansas City studio in anticipation of their sophomore album, which will be released in early 2025.
August 23. 8:30 pm. Nerman Museum lawn.
Parkville Days
It all began with a painting of Parkville’s quaint Main Street by local artist Gale Stockwell, who had been commissioned by the federal government to capture everyday life in America. Stockwell lost track of the painting after he submitted it to the government and then, some 40 years later, learned it was hanging in the White House. Parkville officials were able to get the painting on loan from the White House, and they decided to celebrate with a fair, which they called Parkville Days. Now some 50 years later, the three-day festival with a carnival, vendors, food and music has become a Northland staple.
August 23–25. Times vary. English Landing Park.
1309
KC-based performance artist, singer and playwright Mazzy Mann makes her directorial debut in music-centered play 1309. The play is an autobiographical story about an average Midwestern family grappling with the pressures of suburban working-class society centering on a teenage trans girl.
August 23 & 24. 7:30 pm. Greenwood Social Hall.
KC Jazz Alive’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2024
For the final event of this year’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker series, KC Jazz Alive is partnering up with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra as their featured artist. The ensemble is set to perform Parker’s bebop standards—including “Anthropology” and “Now’s the Time”—as well as other tunes pertinent to his career. Many of the big band arrangements will be tailor-made for the occasion. The evening will be emceed by historian and radio host Chuck Haddix. The author of Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker, Haddix will provide context on the musical selections and share stories about Bird for a captivating and informative experience.
August 24. 7 pm. Folly Theater.
Canaries Cabaret
Local favorite dance crew the Kansas City Canaries are hosting an all-ages Canaries Cabaret event which aims to show audiences generations of vintage solo jazz and modern theatrical numbers while acknowledging KC’s historical and ever-vibrant jazz scene.
August 24. 7:30 pm. The White Theatre at The J.
KKFI Crossroads Music Fest
KKFI’s annual benefit showcase of more than 30 Bands, DJs and more is celebrating its 20th year. KKFI Crossroads Music Fest will be taking place over two days in the West Bottoms and Folly Theater, there will be a free day party at Lemonade Park with Strawberry Swing makers booths, along with a lineup of musicians, including KC faves The Salvation Choir, Back Alley Brass Band, Grand Marquis’ 25th anniversary celebration, and so much more.
August 24 & 25. Times & locations vary.
Head for the Cure 5K
The 22nd annual Kansas City Head for the Cure 5K is taking place this Sunday, where KC is just one of 28 cities throughout the US taking part in the event. This year, the organization has teamed up with the University of Kansas Cancer Center, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Solace House, the Children’s Brain Tumor Project and Brains for the Cure to raise funds for local brain cancer research.
August 25. 8 am. Corporate Woods.
