Cake for a Cause

FRI 6/3
Given the idea of starving artists, it’s not hard to imagine painters hungrily gobbling anything baked on their behalf. That’s not exactly what’s going on when Dingle Dry Goods (329 Southwest Boulevard) hosts a bake sale, though. Friday evening’s dessert purchases do, however, double as donations to the Kansas City Art Institute — as do the on-site art sales. The arrangement puts money in the pockets of the artists displaying their work at the new shop while presumably enhancing the educational experience of future artists. We think it’s mighty philanthropic for this recent Crossroads addition to host such an event, though its proprietors surely won’t mind if buyers browse its boutique-caliber clothing, vintage furniture and intriguing trunks of junk, which contain everything from odd antique light bulbs to pottery shards, obscure old photos (perfect for postmodern band fliers) and chandelier prisms. The sale lasts from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday; the artwork hangs for an additional week. For more information, call 816-472-1897. — Andrew Miller

Out and About
6/3-6/5
The Kansas City Gay Pride Festival opens with Friday’s StreetBlast in the 19th Street and Main area from 7 p.m. to midnight. Saturday morning, festivities move to the south lawn of the Liberty Memorial (100 West 26th Street), where revelers will find the familiar spread of beer tents, political booths, carnival concessions and, perhaps, a bevy of wild-eyed American Idol fans. Two of the show’s former finalists take the stage: Kimberley Locke (of “Eighth World Wonder” fame) and pop dish Jim Verraros (who came out in The Advocate in 2003). The festival also has new sports tournaments. Volleyball starts at 1 p.m. Saturday; kickball, 11 a.m. Sunday at the softball fields just west of the memorial. Another change: The ban on pets has been lifted. So watch out for Frisbee-chasing Labradors. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. both days. For more information, call 913-706-0641 or see www.kansascitygaypride.org. — Sarah Smarsh

< Bard Times

TUE 6/7
This year hasn’t been treating the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival too well. Last month’s Bacchus Block Party was supposed to help raise $30,000 to buy a collapsible metal stage. Instead, liquor-control troubles got the shindig shut down (Backwash, May 19). So we feel obligated to show up for a discussion hosted by UMKC assistant professor Gene Friedman about the set design for this summer’s performance of Much Ado About Nothing — be it on a Bacchus-funded stage or not. The talk begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Kauffman Foundation’s Brookside Room (4801 Rockhill Road). Call 816-531-7728 for more information. — Rebecca Braverman