Here are twelve things to do in KC this Valentine’s Day weekend, February 12—15 including Joyce DiDonato, She’s Got Soul and Galentine’s Igloo Soirée.
Modern Night
Returning for its 22nd year, City in Motion Dance Theater presents its annual modern dance showcase. The program features new choreography from the company’s co-artistic director Roberta Foudree, as well as contemporary works from Kansas City dancers like Laura Behm, Olivia Emert and Miana Abramson.
February 14. 7:30 pm. Gem Theater.
Joyce DiDonato
Mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato is an international opera superstar, and she’s originally from Prairie Village. On Valentine’s Day, the Grammy Award-winning artist returns to KC for the hometown premiere of her latest endeavor, song cycle Emily — No Prisoner Be. A collaboration between DiDonato, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts and string trio Time for Three, the genre-defying theatrical work sets two dozen Emily Dickinson poems to music. DiDonato’s Folly Theater performance follows a leading role with the Metropolitan Opera in Amahl and the Night Visitors and comes just days before the song cycle’s Carnegie Hall premiere.
February 14. 7 pm. Folly Theater.
The Fantasticks
In this witty, vaudeville-inspired musical, two fathers try to reverse psychology their respective children, Luisa and Matt, into falling for one another by pretending to feud. Much to their dismay, it doesn’t stick—the first time around, at least. Music Theater Heritage brings The Fantasticks to KC stages.
February 5—22. Times vary. Main Stage at Crown Center.
She’s Got Soul
The Kansas City Symphony welcomes Broadway performer and powerhouse vocalist Capathia Jenkins to KC for this soulful pops concert. Performing the music of Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Adele and more, Jenkins and a trio of background singers will bring the Helzberg Hall house down.
February 13–15. Times vary. Helzberg Hall.
Edra Soto: the place of dwelling
Originally from Puerto Rico, artist Edra Soto is known for transforming utilitarian items—like plastic lawn furniture and wrought-iron screens—to commemorate the working class. Soto’s latest installation for the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the place of dwelling, does just that. The installation is a part of the museum’s Atrium Project, an initiative designed to support and amplify emerging Hispanic artists, and marks the program’s 10-year anniversary.
January 30—March 7. Times vary. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
Galentine’s Day: A Bestie’s Night Out
Galentine’s Day may have begun as a fictional celebration of female friendship by Leslie Knope on television series Parks and Recreation, but it’s now a widely recognized pop-culture holiday. At this Strang Reserve event, tickets include a mini bouquet-making station, candy bar, photo-op stations, a live DJ and a pop-up market.
February 12. 5 pm. Strang Reserve.
Whiskey Dynamite
The electrifying show Whiskey Dynamite returns and is set to captivate audiences once again with explosive performances and an engaging cast. This interactive multimedia performance—self described as a “nonsensical neowestern cabaret”—blends acrobatics, immersive visuals and live music. The event is produced by KC’s own innovative performance art collective, Quixotic, to bring audiences a unique multi-sensory celebratory experience.
January 16—April 18. Times vary. The Grand Theater (at Crown Center).
Galentine’s Igloo Soirée
Char Bar is also celebrating V-Day in Leslie Knope fashion: with a girls’ night. All weekend long, the Westport barbecue restaurant is taking reservations for its cozy igloos, and serving up smoky small plates and festive craft cocktails—like a decadent maple old fashioned with chocolate bitters.
February 11—15. Times vary. Char Bar.
Snow Creek
No need to head to the mountains to go skiing—enjoy the slopes at Snow Creek. Located just outside of Weston on the scenic Missouri River bluffs, the 25-acre resort offers skiing, snowboarding and tubing throughout the season, or for as long as temps stay below freezing.
December 26—March. Times vary. 1 Snow Creek Dr, Weston, MO.
World Oddities Expo
This weekend, the World Oddities Expo brings the peculiar to Kansas City. At this celebration of the strange and unusual, browse taxidermy, macabre artwork and attire, antiques and more.
February 14 & 15. 11 am—7 pm. Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center.
Linda Lighton: “Love & War, A Fifty-Year Survey, 1975-2025”
Born into an affluent Kansas City family, Linda Lighton was expected to marry well and become a housewife. Instead, she became an artist, helped publish a leftist newspaper and joined a commune in Washington state. Now, Lighton presents her ceramics at the Nerman Museum. Her sculpture captures her story and the universal story of love and politics and social strife over the past 50 years of her career. The exhibition—which focuses on gun violence, gender inequality and environmental activism—is accompanied by a 208-page book, chronicling her boundary-pushing ceramic work.
December 13–May 3. Times vary. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Songbird Sessions: Kate Whitefield
At Songbird Sessions, non-profit organization Manor Records spotlights musicians from the local scene. This week, Americana singer-songwriter Kate Whitefield takes the stage.
February 15. 5 pm. ArtsKC.
