Taylor Tomlinson | Saturday, December 11
If self-deprecating humor is your thing, then you might have seen Taylor Tomlinson’s recent Netflix special, Quarter-Life Crisis. If you didn’t see it and self-deprecating humor is still your thing, you can catch Tomlinson live at the Uptown this weekend.
7 and 9:30 pm. Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $28–$138.
Snapshots | Now–Sunday, April 3
The latest exhibition at the WWI Museum, Snapshots, is running now through April and features over three hundred images and reproduced albums, many never seen by the public. At the time of the First World War, technological advances allowed aspiring photographers to own personal, “pocket” cameras. With those, came photographs that chronicled war from new and intimate perspectives.
National WWI Museum and Memorial, Wylie Gallery, 2 Memorial Drive, KCMO. $10.
Bows in the Bottoms Holiday Weekends | Now–Sunday, December 19
This weekend (and every weekend until mid-December), the West Bottoms will host free holiday events with music, Santa and the Grinch, lights, Christmas trees and more. Plus, shops will be open, so you can knock a few things off your list while enjoying the festive atmosphere.
9 am-5 pm. West Bottoms 12th St. Bridge Entertainment District, KCMO. Free.
Get Lit Vareity Show: A Benefit for Liberation Lit | Saturday, December 11
Speaking of West Bottoms, Blip Roasters is hosting a cool evening of poetry, live music, drag, coffee, food and more to support Liberation Lit, an organization that works to send books and make pen pal connections to those incarcerated in Missouri and Kansas.
5-8 pm. Blip Roasters, 1301 Woodswether Rd., KCMO. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $1-20 and donations will be taken at the door.
The Nutcracker | Now–Friday, December 24
One of the quintessential productions of the year is back in full swing—Kansas City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. You’ll be immersed in the setting and enchanted by the melodies of Tchaikovsky’s classic as the Nutcracker comes to life to battle the evil Mouse King at the Kauffman Center.
Various times. The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $42-152.
Handel’s Messiah | Friday, December 10–Sunday, December 12
The Kansas City Symphony and the Symphony Chorus are back at the Kauffman Center to bring you their performance of Handel’s Messiah. Enjoy the rapturous sound of nearly two hundred instruments and voices in the beautiful Helzberg Hall, and let the sound of Handel’s choral masterpiece enchant you into the holiday spirit.
Various times. The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $28.
Winter Magic | Now–Sunday, January 2
You can cruise down Swope Park’s Oakwood Drive and enter a world of glimmering holiday wonder. The Winter Magic experience takes you through one completely LED-covered mile of the park and twelve themed holiday light displays. Load your merry little herd and enjoy a drive complete with a lighted canopy, toy workshop, stained glass nativity and more.
Various Times. Swope Park, 8400 Blue River Road, KCMO. $20-$40.
Festival of Lights | Now–Sunday, December 30
Need more lit options? You can usher in the holidays by wandering through the glow and twinkle of lights at Powell Gardens. The captivating and colorful display stretches nearly twenty miles of string lights across the garden’s bountiful trees and architecture. While you’re there, you can also visit Santa and stay warm with a cup of their hot chocolate or Louisburg cider.
4-10 pm. Powell Gardens, 1609 N.W. U.S. Highway 50, Kingsville, MO. Prices vary.
Van Gogh Alive | Now–Friday, January 14
The much-hyped Van Gogh show—the one that exists, not the one that sold millions of dollars worth of tickets to a “mystery venue” and then postponed—makes use of moving images, sounds, lights and fragrances to create a multi-sensory experience designed to transport you into the world of one of the most influential artists in history. And best of all, it has an actual location.
Various times. Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, KCMO. $30–$60.
