Celebrate Halloween and more with ten great things to do in Kansas City the weekend of October 27-30, including Symphonie Fantastique with the KC Symphony Chorus, the longest-running Halloween parade in the KC area, and a spooky transformation at Electric Park.
Raven Chacon Lecture
Chacon is an experimental musician and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation whose composition “Voiceless Mass” was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Chacon’s work can also be seen in the exhibition “Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts,” on view at KCAI Gallery through October 30.
October 27. Reception, 5:30 pm. Lecture, 6:30 pm. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Dark Forest at Powell Gardens
As nightfall sweeps across an eerie Midwest sky, Dark Forest returns to offer a magical and mysterious landscape with captivating music and innovative, creative technology. Local performance art collective Quixotic is working with Powell Gardens to create one of their signature immersive installations in the woods.
October 27–30. 5-11 pm. Powell Gardens.
Trunk or Treat
Sun Fresh Market is hosting a “Trunk or Treat” event for Halloween family fun, including bouncy houses, balloon artists, face painters, free hot dogs, and a costume contest.
October 28. 4–7pm. Sun Fresh Market, 241 South 18th Street.
The Four Freshmen
The Four Freshmen that originally founded this vocal jazz quartet were part of the class of 1952 at Butler University in Indiana. A half-century and two dozen lineups later, they’ve kept the sound and look while performing hits like “Day By Day” and “Blue World” accompanied by the JCCC Jazz Band, directed by Ryan Heinlein.
October 28. 8 pm. Yardley Hall at JCCC.
Symphonie Fantastique, Brahms and Mendelssohn with the KC Symphony Chorus
Guest conductor Domingo Hindoyan is currently chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and promises to bring drama and fantasy to this jam-packed program which features Mendelssohn’s Overture to Ruy Blas, Brahms’ Nänie and Schicksalslied, and Berlioz’s famed Symphonie fantastique.
October 28-29. 8 pm. October 30, 2 pm. Kauffman Center.
Independence Halloween Parade
Celebrating its 74th year, the longest running Halloween parade in the KC area features creative floats with performances from school marching bands, community organizations and dance studios, alongside fire trucks, tractors, classic cars, and of course—extravagant costumes.
October 29. 10 am. Independence Square.
Boo & Brew
This super family-friendly Halloween event has literally something for everyone. Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars tribute band, JAM, will be playing live, promising hourly Thriller dances. Spectacular aerial performances by KC Aerial Arts, food trucks, and a beer garden are also provided for adults. Kids can trick-or-treat with retailers, slide down and bounce in giant inflatables, and get complimentary face painting. If that wasn’t enough stimuli, new this year is “The Great Pumpkin Drop,” which promises to smash KC’s largest pumpkins from a sky-high crane.
Oct 29. 3 pm. Town Center Plaza.
CarnEVIL Halloween Party
The annual P&L Halloween Party returns as a circus nightmare bar crawl, with all-inclusive bar packages and KC’s “Biggest Costume Contest,” boasting over $10,000 in cash and prizes.
October 29. 7 pm. KC Live!
Terror at Electric Park
Historic distillery J. Rieger & Co. transforms the Electric Park Garden Bar into a haunted hang out with live beats from DJ CQUENCE, a costume contest and freaky performances. It’s the perfect spooky setting to sip on drink specials while being entertained by clowns, fire eaters, stilt walkers and contortionists.
October 29. 8 pm. Electric Park.
Día de los Muertos Festival
This annual, nearly all-day Día de los Muertos Festival at the Nelson-Atkins Museum holds countless performances, artist demonstrations and readings to honor Mexican heritage. This includes folklórico dance, Mariachi performances, poetry from local Latinx writers, printmaking, and other traditional crafts to educate and celebrate Mexican culture.
October 30. 10 am. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
