Here are twelve things to do in KC this weekend, August 14—17 including Art in the Loop’s 816 Day, Cats The Musical and Ethnic Enrichment Festival.
816 Day at J. Rieger
Celebrate all things Kansas City at J. Rieger’s 816 Day. The all day block party includes craft cocktails, a maker fair featuring local artists from Cherry Pit Collective, live music curated by Manor Records, a kids’ corner, photo booth and more.
August 16. 10 am. J. Rieger & Co.
Art in the Loop: 816 Day
The 816 Day festivities continue across the city with Art in the Loop’s free City Market concert. The evening’s local line-up includes performances from fiddling folk-pop group True Lions, poet and movement artist Myself Embodied, and soulful singer and bassist Jass.
August 16. 6 pm. City Market.
Grand Marquis
KC roots and blues band Grand Marquis’ brassy and soulful style celebrates the region’s musical heritage while infusing their own 21st century sound. Grab a bite at The Ship’s Friday matinee show and listen to a band that is beloved for a reason.
August 15. 6 pm. The Ship.
Ethnic Enrichment Festival
In a tradition that dates back nearly 50 years, Ethnic Enrichment Festival returns to Swope Park for one of the region’s largest multicultural events. Each third weekend of August, over 60 countries and cultures are represented to celebrate Kansas Citians’ wide-spanning traditions. In addition to a robust lineup of dance performances and live music, the three-day event offers an abundance of hand-crafted goods and traditional foods for sale. Snack on everything from feijoada, a Brazilian black bean stew, to Cameroonian soya, a charred skewered meat that’s a popular Central African street food. Admission is just $5 for adults. Children’s admission and parking are free.
August 15–17. Times vary. Swope Park.
18th and Vine Walking Tour
KC Jazz Alive kicks off its annual Spotlight: Charlie Parker event series with a walking tour in Bird’s old stomping grounds. In honor of the bebop legend’s upcoming birthday, the tour is led by historian and archivist Geri Sanders and kicks off at 18th Street’s historic Lincoln Building.
August 16. 10 am. 18th and Vine Jazz District.
Cats The Musical
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s seven-time Tony Award-winning musical comes to Crown Center. The musical follows a clowder of cats—named the Jellicles—as they gather for the annual Jellicle Ball and choose which cat will be reborn. Presented by Music Theater Heritage, the production is originally based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
August 7—31. Times vary. Grand Theatre.
Sunflower Festival
Get a last bit of fun in the sun before summer turns to autumn with the Kansas City Sunflower Festival, hosted by the Kansas City Pumpkin Patch. In this family-friendly event, guests get access to an acre of bright, beautiful sunflowers and unlimited photo opportunities. There are also fall fun activities such as a mega slide, barn party and corn cob beach and more than 60 farm activities. Wine and beer, a cider bar, various festival foods and wine slushies are also available for noshing and imbibing.
August 8–24. Kansas City Pumpkin Patch.
Mini Golf At The Museum
It’s back! A summer highlight, Art Course offers an artist-designed mini-golf adventure within the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Every Thursday through Monday, you can play nine unique holes, each offering a creative spin on a masterpiece from the museum’s collection.
May 22–September 1. Regular museum hours Thursday–Monday. Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.
The Notebook
Rooftop Cinema Club has officially arrived. Located at the corner of Broadway and 21st Street, the open-air movie theater—known for its skyline views in major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, London and more—opened its Crossroads’ locale in July. Enjoy cocktails, mocktails and elevated bar-food bites alongside a showing of romantic drama The Notebook, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
August 17. 8:40 pm. Rooftop Cinema Club.
Emo Night Tour
Starting a decade ago in an East L.A. bar, Emo Night quickly became wildly popular with aging millennials. The now-national tour plays hits from early 2000’s pop-punk bands like Good Charlotte and My Chemical Romance for now-thirty-year-olds who got bullied in middle school and made it their entire personality.
August 16. 8 pm. The Truman.
Paddington
Free movie nights are in full swing at Legends and this weekend’s feature is live-action comedy Paddington. Each Saturday night through October, the shopping center hosts an outdoor screening of a fan-favorite film. Pack a lawn chair and blanket and enjoy drinks from Dave & Buster’s mobile bar on the lawn.
August 16. 7 pm. Legends Outlets.
Talya Groves
Former Broadway performer Talya Groves is a Kansas City music scene star. Singing anything and everything from showtunes to jazz standards to pop songs, Groves’ magnetic presence seems to always captivate the room. Nearly every Friday night, she commands the stage at The Phoenix.
August 15. 4:30—8:30 pm. The Phoenix.
