Shawnee Moonlight Market
Downtown Shawnee’s famous night markets, also known as Moonlight Markets, are hosted every third Thursday evening from now through October. You can shop for fresh veggies and local goods from market vendors while enjoying live music and cold beer—without the hot summer sun beating down on you and your produce.
Thursday, July 21. 4-8 pm. Downtown Shawnee.
Sheryl Crow
Missouri native, Sheryl Crow returns at just the right time to “Soak Up the Sun” in this outdoor venue. Stop by to listen to old and new favorites, only “If It Makes You Happy.”
Thursday, July 21. 8 pm. Grinders.
Animal Collective
The electro psych-pop band from Baltimore may never have lived up to the heaps of praise ladled on them when long-defunct blogs wondered aloud if they might have a career trajectory that tracked Radiohead, but their new album, February’s Time Skiffs, feels more like an intimate conversation with friends that they are inviting us to join.
Thursday, July 21. 8 pm. The Truman.
Smokin’ on the Osage: BBQ Contest & Car Show
Osceola, south of KC and on the edge of Ozarks, is hosting its annual barbecue festival this weekend with a car show, live music and a beer garden. On Saturday, there will be a community barbecue meal where tickets are just $10.
Friday, July 22-Sunday, July 24. Times vary. 655 2nd St., Osceola.
Water Lantern Festival
If you’ve ever seen Disney’s Tangled, you’re probably enchanted by the idea of watching hundreds of floating lanterns flood the night sky and glide across the water. The Water Lantern Festival is coming to Kansas City to make this dream a reality, aiming to create a happy, hopeful, healing experience for the whole family, with food and music. After decorating your own lantern, watch it disappear against the others, carrying your story with it.
Saturday, July 23. 6–10 pm. Frank A. Theis Park.
John Mulaney
Fan-favorite comedian John Mulaney’s impressive resume includes a long stint on SNL as a writer, his voice on Netflix’s hit adult cartoon Big Mouth and a role on Broadway as an elderly grump alongside pal Nick Kroll in Oh, Hello On Broadway. His newest anticipated, nearly sold-out comedy tour, John Mulaney: From Scratch, will not disappoint both new and longtime fans.
Saturday, July 23. 8 pm. Starlight.
Zeros at Zona
Local new wave cover band The Zeros are opening Zona Rosa’s summer concert series in the open green space right behind Bravo Italian Kitchen. On Friday and Saturday evenings this June, you can bring a chair or blanket and camp out with family and friends to enjoy free concerts. Every Friday, Hereford House will have a tent for burgers and brews. Others in the lineup include The Uproot, Steven Bankey & The Flatlanders and Lily B Moonflower.
Fridays and Saturdays in June and July. 6:30 pm. Zona Rosa Central Park.
Hugo Ximello-Salido at InterUrban ArtHouse
Mexican-American artist Hugo Ximello-Salido has a series exploring the Muxe (moo-shey) community in Oaxaca, where gender fluidity has been part of the local culture for many generations. The panels on display at InterUrban ArtHouse in June and July were created by Ximello-Salido in Mexico using traditional textiles. “The work represents the discovery of gender fluidity as a journey and the awareness that gender can be perceived through many lenses, including through the history of the Zapotec culture that still resonates today,” Ximello-Salido says.
On display in June and July at InterUrban ArtHouse, 8001 Newton St., Overland Park.
Tivoli Under the Stars
Tivoli Under the Stars is back for its second season, meeting every Friday night to screen a different film. Each ticket purchase includes an eight-foot “pod” of dedicated Nelson Atkins lawn that seats up to four people (five if the fifth is a child under three years old), movie tickets for four, museum admission for four, and garage parking for two cars. Food and drink are available from the Walking Snack Bar. Curated by Jerry Harrington, Tivoli Under the Stars is committed to continuing the legacy of Tivoli Cinema in a new outdoor setting.
Friday, June 10-Friday, July 29. Showtimes vary. The Nelson-Atkins. See more info here.
King Princess
If you’ve got energy left after the weekend, Brooklyn-based King Princess is returning to Kansas City again after her stint as a tour opener for pop-country superstar Kacey Musgraves last fall. King Princess is a songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist whose debut single focusing on untold queer love stories, “1950” skyrocketed her to stardom. Her debut album, Cheap Queen, is anticipated to release this year.
Monday, July 25. 8 pm. The Midland.
