Best of KC 2020: Lemonade Park gave us an opportunity to rock out again

Lemonade Park. // Photo by Zach Bauman.

This month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can browse the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some of our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2020. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

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One of the few bright spots in an utterly dark situation for live music in Kansas City has been Lemonade Park, organized by Wes Gartner and Jill Myers of Voltaire and the Golden Ox, along with Steve Tulipana and Shawn Sherrill of the Record Bar. Back in May, with the Record Bar shut down and Voltaire and the Golden Ox limping along with carryout orders, Gartner had a vision for a new kind of venue right in Voltaire’s backyard.

Over the course of a couple of weeks and with social distancing in mind, the group built a welcoming, attractive outdoor restaurant, gathering space and live venue in the West Bottoms parking lot behind Voltaire, complete with astroturf, string lights, a  custom-built stage, and picnic tables for guests set safely about 15 feet apart from one another. Throughout the summer and fall, Lemonade Park has both provided local musicians a place to play, bartenders an outdoor space to safely work, and the community a place to gather responsibly. Lemonade Park’s offerings have expanded to include film showings from the Stray Cat, dance nights, and even drag bingo, making Lemonade Park one of the most inclusive and diverse spots in the city.

Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St, Kansas City, MO 64102