Here are ten things to do in KC this weekend, June 11—14 including Hadestown, North Kansas City’s Arts in the Park and FIFA Fan Festival.
Hadestown
This Tony and Grammy Award-winning hit musical comes to Starlight Theatre. Created by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, Hadestown tells the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to a rather upbeat (and catchy) tune. The brass-heavy folkloric score is inspired by the music of New Orleans, blending Dixieland jazz, ragtime, gospel and beyond with songs like “Wait For Me” and “Way Down Hadestown.”
June 9–14. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.
FIFA Fan Festival
After months of buzz (and construction), the World Cup has finally arrived in Kansas City. If you couldn’t get your hands on tickets to a match, FIFA Fan Festival is hosting watch parties across the month-long festivities—complete with live music, food and drink. Held downtown on the lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, headliners include Flo Rida, Cimafunk and KC’s own Tech N9ne, as well as an extensive lineup of local talents like Hailes, Brass and Boujee, Making Movies and Hembree. Admission is free, but passes must be reserved ahead of time.
June 11—July 11. Times and dates vary. National WWI Museum and Memorial.
The Wiz
Ease on down the road to Music Theater Heritage’s production of The Wiz. When this interpretation of The Wizard of Oz made its Broadway debut in 1974, it took home seven Tony awards and was soon followed by a film adaptation starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Reimagined through the lens of the Black American experience, The Wiz follows Dorothy—a teacher in Harlem—as she’s transported into a fantastical, urbanized Oz. With hits like “You Can’t Win” and “Home,” she picks up a few friends on her journey back to Manhattan.
June 11–July 5. Times vary. Grand Theater at Crown Center.
Tacos & Tequila Festival
There will be plenty of fiery salsas and margaritas to go around at this festival, but the event’s main draw is throwback hip-hop and R&B. An all-day party, this year’s headliners include Three 6 Mafia, Busta Rhymes, Bow Wow, Soulja Boy and more.
June 13. 1:30 pm. Legends Field.
Arts in the Park
In North Kansas City, Arts in the Park has spent the past decade celebrating local artwork, music and brews with its annual two-day festival. But aside from the typical art fest fare, stewarding the next generation of creatives has become a cornerstone of the event.
In 2018, the festival launched the Youth Art and Entrepreneurship Program, a four-week session that teaches children aged 10 to 17 how to create, promote and sell their artwork. This weekend, students of the program will debut and sell their creations to festivalgoers.
June 12 & 13. Times vary. Macken Park.
Juneteenth Celebration
Juneteenth KC is partnering with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to commemorate Freedom Day, as well as honor and educate people on African American culture and history. The free event includes live music and dancing, film screenings, storytelling and gallery learning stations throughout museum galleries.
June 13. 10 am. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Coffee Club At Central Park
Each Thursday morning throughout the summer, families can enjoy the fresh air in Zona Rosa’s Central Park while the kids play at the playground and splash fountain, along with rotating pop-ups and activities. This week, the series hosts a dance party with DJ Miles of Theatre of the Imagination.
May 28—July 30. 9 am. Central Park (Zona Rosa).
Mobile Music Box
The Kansas City Symphony’s free, metro-wide outdoor concert series, Mobile Music Box, is in full swing for the season. This weekend, the portable stage will make a stop at the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Farmers Market as members of the orchestra deliver a chamber music performance.
June 13. 11 am. Ivanhoe Neighborhood Farmers Market.
“The World in Kansas City”
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art anticipates the KC World Cup matches with its latest exhibition, “The World in Kansas City.” Representative not only of the global event but also of KC as a multicultural hub, the exhibit features a diverse array of artists with ties to the region. Curator Jessica S. Hong says the display aims to showcase “how we all belong to a shared, complicated and nuanced social and cultural fabric.”
March 6–August 9. Times vary. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Mini Golf At The Museum
It’s back! Art Course offers an artist-designed mini-golf adventure within the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Play nine unique holes, each offering a creative spin on a masterpiece from the museum’s collection.
April 10—October 25. Times vary. Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.
