A whole mess of fresh July events for you and yours
We’re getting very excited about the Q Kansas City BBQ Festival with local pitmasters including Jeff Stehney (Joe’s Kansas City), Deborah “Shorty”, and Mary “Little” Jones (Jones Bar-B-Q). // Courtesy Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
First Fridays are back this month, along with a host of other highly anticipated events. From Q Kansas City BBQ Festival to The Black Creatures concerts, from LARPing to goat yoga, there’s a little something for everyone. Check it out below and follow our calendar chock-full of events around the city for more updates.
Events Running Beyond July
July 1-March 2022
Testimony: African American Artists Collective, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
July 1-January 2022
Auschwitz, Union Station Kansas City
Fridays from July 9 to August 6
Camp Wornall / Majors, Alexander Majors House Museum
July 10-March 2022
Castles, Cottages, and Crime, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
July 30-August 7
Heartland Chamber Music Festival, Midwest Trust Center
July 31-August 1
Missouri Wine and Jazz/Blues Festival, Kansas City WWI Museum and Memorial
Thursdays through August 26
Mission Market, 5635 Johnson Drive, Mission, KS 66202
Saturdays through September 25
Merriam Farmers’ Market, Merriam Marketplace
Saturdays through October 30
Lenexa Farmers’ Market, Lenexa Civic Campus
Saturdays through November 20
Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market, Downtown Lawrence
July 3-4
True Crime Podcast Festival, Loews Kansas City Hotel
KC Air Show feat. US Navy Blue Angels, New Century Air Center, kcairshow.org
Celebrate the 4th of July with a spectacular view at this year’s KC Air Show, headlined by the United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. General admission tickets are $35 for adults in advance and $45 at the gate. At an additional cost, tickets from the event’s premium packages can gain access to perks like boxed seats, food and beverages, and shuttle and golf cart access. Got tickets to the 2020 show? You’re in luck, those tickets will be honored at the 2021 show.
Courtesy KC Air Show
July 3-25
Annie, Jewish Community Center, Overland Park, KS
July 4-25
KCAC June Exhibitions: Margo Kren, Jim Needham, and Brian Spies, Kansas City Arts Coalition
July 4
J Fowler, Parlor, multiple dates
Free Sunday Open Jam, Knuckleheads, multiple dates
Dagorhir Boffer LARP, Meadowmere Park
Ryan Lynch, KC Wine Co.
July 5
Karaoke Monday with Vanessa Davis, The Black Box Theater
History Geek Camp, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center
July 6
The Suicide Squad, Theatrical film release
Nature Walk at Baker Wetlands Discovery Center, Lawrence, KS
Anastasia, Starlight Theater
July 7
Blues Traveller, Knuckleheads
Visit the Museum, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, multiple dates
Guided Docent Tour, 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City
Mobile Food Pantry, Clay County Public Health Center
July 8
Grinch-mas in July, KC Wine Co.
The Black Creatures with Adeta Marie and Bad Alaskan, The Black Box Theater
Drawing at the Museum with Sharon Hunter-Putsch, Kansas City Art Institute
Kitchen Kids Go to the Farm, Gladstone Community Center
Jones Bar-B-Q. // Photo by Chase Castor
July 9-11
Q Kansas City BBQ Festival, Arrowhead Stadium, kcbbqfest.com
Show your favorite KC BBQ spot some love while also giving, say, San Antonio’s 2M Smokehouse a try. Local pitmasters include Deborah “Shorty” and Mary “Little” Jones (Jones Bar-B-Q), Jeff Stehney (Joe’s Kansas City), and Todd Johns (Plowboys BBQ). Keep an eye out for Operation BBQ Relief, whose set-up features Stan Hays and John David Wheeler. OBR is a nonprofit organization that brings hot meals to communities and first responders in the wake of disasters like the 2011 EF5 tornado in Joplin. Entry is free, and festival-goers can choose to buy BBQ and drinks inside or go the all-you-can-eat route with a $79 Pit Pass.
KCMPT New Playwright Festival, Just Off Broadway Theater
July 10
Water Lantern Festival, Frank A. Theis Park
Ryan Grace Memorial Hambino, Hamburger Mary’s
Calvin Arsenia, Lemonade Park
Par 3 One Club Challenge, Hy-Vee Arena
Adam Stuber, KC Wine Co.
Raj Mall Open Studio and Concert Series: Fritz Hutchison and Jametatone, 2829 E. 7 St.
Knock Kneed Sally, Aztec Shawnee Theater
Backyard Movies: Ghostbusters, Screenland Armour
The SmartAlecs, Aztec Shawnee Theater
Beginners Photography Class, National WWI Museum and Memorial
Saturdays with the Swing, Alexander Majors Historic Museum
Book Sale, Lawrence Public Library, multiple dates
Brunch and Day Party, Soirée Steakhouse and Oyster Bar
July 11
Cameron Russel, KC Wine Co.
Dagorhir Boffer LARP, Meadowmere Park
Matt Carillo, 1747 Summit St.
July 12
St. Joseph Patee House and Glore Museum Tours, High Blue Wellness Center
KidScape Summer Adventures: Retro Week, Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center
July 12-15
MCHE Summer Institute: The Path to Genocide, Union Station
July 13
Sunflower Writers Workshop, Online
July 14
Charity Drag Bingo, Hamburger Mary’s
July 15
Gallery Guided Meditation, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Pints on the Patio: Jessica Page, Kansas City Irish Center
July 16
Kadesh Flow / NuBlvckCity / Mensa Deathsquad / DJ Skeme, Lemonade Park
Nick Nave, KC Wine Co.
Weekender, Crown Center Square
Backyard Movies: Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, Screenland Armour
EMS: Extemporaneous Music Society, 1747 Summit St.
Meghan the Band, Aztec Shawnee Theater
The Cubanisms, The Ship
The Night House, Theatrical
Crypticon KC. // Photo by Kuhlpics
July 16-18
Crypticon KC, KCI Expo Center, www.crypticonkansascity.com
Tube of fake blood leftover from last Halloween? Now’s your time to shine. Mid-July, the tenth annual everything-haunted-and-spooky Crypticon convention takes over KCI Expo Center. The event promises steampunk, goth, cosplay, and anime vibes, plus live music, magic, and comedy. Scream queen Dee Wallace of E.T. and The Hills Have Eyes fame will be there to answer questions and take photos, as will Titanic’s villainous Billy Zane, among others. Some panel topics include The Walking Dead and Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Single day tickets range in price from $20 for Sunday to $35 for Saturday, while full weekend passes are $60 each. VIP weekend tickets are available for $75 each or $120 for two. Remember: never feed the gremlins after midnight.
July 17
for King and Country, Azura Amphitheater
Ukuleles: Beginner Workshop for Children 10 and Under, Shawnee Town 1929 Museum
Matt Snook, KC Wine Co.
Raj Mall Open Studio and Concert Series: Fritz Hutchison and Jametatone, 2829 E. 7 St.
Eat Drink Play: An Evening of Fun for Grownups, Wonderscope Children’s Museum
Backyard Moves: Twister, Screenland Armour
Better Off Dead, Aztec Shawnee Theater
Soul Jazz with KC Green, The Ship
Moonlight Bike Ride, Old Town Lenexa
Maria the Mexican / the MGDs, Lemonade Park
Pop-Up Yoga, Kansas City Museum, multiple dates
Bingo and Brunch, Chicken ‘N Pickle
Christmas in July, Wyandotte County Lake
July 18
Erica McKenzie, KC Wine Co.
Dagorhir Boffer LARP, Meadowmere Park
Leah Sproul, 1747 Summit St.
Everclear / Living Colour / Hoobastank / Wheatus, Grinders
Kansas City Nutrition and Wellness Festival, Somerset Ridge Vineyard and Winery
The Great Car Show, National WWI Museum and Memorial
July 19
Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard with Poison, Kauffman Stadium
July 20-25
The Illusionists, Starlight Theater
July 20
Pre-War European Jewry, MCHE via Zoom
July 23
Nathan Corsi, KC Wine Co.
Weekender, Crown Center Square
Moose with a Scarf: Neon Kingdom Debut Concert and Album Launch Party, Shawnee City Hall
Backyard Movies: Labyrinth, Screenland Armour
Matt Carillo, 1747 Summit St.
Old, Theatrical film release
Summer Chill Art and Craft Expo, The Pavilion at John Knox Village
4-H on the Farm: Outdoor Art Adventure, Atkins-Johnson Farm and Museum
Friday Afternoon Camp: Native People of Missouri, Alexander Majors Historic Museum
Friday in the Park, William E. Macken City Park, multiple dates
July 24-28
Grand Carnivale, Worlds of Fun, worldsoffun.com
Worlds of Fun amusement park is back with another season of vibrant sensory magnificence. For a week in July, the park gets lit with the Spectacle of Color Parade, a “joyous procession of cultural traditions from around the globe.” As day turns to night, the parade becomes a Carnivale street party, where guests can witness high-energy entertainment, dancing, and international cuisine. Expect street performances, floats, games, and crafts, too—maybe a glimpse of the King of Carnivale himself. Season passes for the park range in price from $75 to $202, and daily admission tickets start at $35.
July 24
Paseo’s ALL Alumni BBQ, Oak Park
Bryton Stoll, KC Wine Co.
Route 66, Aztec Theater
Josh Abbott Band, PBR Big Sky
Backyard Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Screenland Armour
The Grisly Hand, The Ship
North KC YMCA Youth Triathlon, North KC YMCA
Dagorhir Boffer LARP, Meadowmere Park
Chris Stewert, KC Wine Co.
Songwriting Workshop with Holly Arrowsmith, National Airline History Museum
Dillingham-Lewis Museum Ghost Hunt, Blue Springs Historical Society
July 26
WWE RAW, T-Mobile Center
July 27
Educational Series: Plan for Tomorrow, Today, Alexander Majors House Museum
The Lone Bellow, Knuckleheads
July 28
Jammin’ on the Green with the Vine Street Rumble Jazz Orchestra, Shawnee Town 1929 Museum
July 29
Miguel, KC Wine Co.
Backyard Movies: Pitch Perfect, Screenland Armour
July 30
The Green Knight, Theatrical film release
Sunset Goat Yoga, The Barn on Hickory, Stewartsville, MO
Friday Afternoon Camp: Underground Railroad, Alexander Majors Historic Museum
Newsies, The Theater in the Park, Shawnee, KS
Everybody’s Favorite BBQ and Hot Sauce Festival, E.H. Young Riverfront
July 31
Oddities and Curiosities Expo, KC Convention Center, odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com
If you’ve ever found yourself desperate to take a jackalope taxidermy class, you’re in luck: the traveling convention for lovers of the peculiar comes to KC at July’s end. The Oddities and Curiosities Expo hand selects vendors and artists who deal in bizarre arts including taxidermy, horror-inspired artwork, antiques, artisanal oddities, torture-y medical devices, bones and skulls, dark jewels and clothing, and, according to the site, “funeral collectables.” We’re not scared, but we’re not not scared. General admission tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance or $15 day-of. The jackalope class is $120 per person.
The Cadillac Three, Knuckleheads
And a few events in early August (as a bonus)
August 3
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit / Lucinda Williams, Azura Amphitheater
Jason Mraz, Starlight Theater
August 5
Foo Fighters and Radkey, Azura Amphitheater
August 6
Tanya Tucker, Knuckleheads
August 7
Garth Brooks, Arrowhead Stadium
The Decemberists, Grinders
August 8
ZZ Top / Willie Nelson / George Thorogood, Azura Amphitheater
