Fair Trade

8/20-8/22
Collecting baseball cards isn’t just an American rite of passage — it’s how boys learn business. Ah, the satisfaction of trading a tattered Dunlop of some crappy Expos catcher for a smooth, Topps rookie of Kevin Seitzer. The second-grader who agreed to the deal at recess never knew what hit him. Nowadays, the athletes don’t miss a trick, either. An impressive assortment of them are on hand from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Kansas City Sports Fair, where Hall of Famer Ernie Banks is happy to sign some poor sucker’s bat — for $149. A few of the stars are keeping it real, though. Kansas City favorite Christian “Up the Middle” Okoye, the Chiefs’ all-time leading rusher, signs anything — tattered Dunlops included — for ten bucks. Beyond the autograph tables is a collector’s wet dream, where vendors buy, sell and trade what purports to be the world’s largest collection of cards and memorabilia. Admission costs $5 at the door of the Overland Park Convention Center (6000 College Boulevard). Advance tickets cost $2 at www.naxcom.com, which also provides an events schedule. For more information, call 310-568-8825, ext. 113. — Sarah Smarsh

Party Animals
If you thought last Saturday night was wild …

SAT 8/21

So, every Saturday night you smoke grass and chase box. How about a Saturday night frolicking in prairie grass with box turtles? The Sierra Club’s night hike at the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary (407 North Lafrenz Road in Liberty) is good, clean fun that won’t lead to a blood test. Not that the Sierra Club isn’t a party waiting to happen. But if you wake up Sunday morning with a pretty raccoon whose name escapes you, chances are you strayed too far from the hiking trail.

On the hike, which begins at 7 p.m., a naturalist reveals what sorts of debauchery the turtles, raccoons, birds and caterpillars get into over the course of a weekend. The privately funded, nonprofit sanctuary has 100 acres to explore — way more than Kona Grill. For more information, call Anne McDonald at 913-384-6645 or see www.naturesanctu ary.com. — Sarah Smarsh

Wild Horses
It’s more than a rodeo — it’s a charreada.

SUN 8/22
The charreada is not to be confused with a Mexican rodeo. (And, incidentally, Mexican rodeo is not to be confused with Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio.”) Whereas the charreada is a combination of competitions derived from ranching, much like the rodeo, it has more pageantry and symbolism. And speed isn’t a factor in most events; instead, teamwork and skill are regarded more highly. Plus, the charreada cowboys are way hotter. Check out their displays of horsemanship at 1 p.m. Sunday in Sedalia as part of the Missouri State Fair. Tickets are $6 through Ticketmaster at 816-931-3330. You may have to request “Mexican rodeo” tickets, but you’ll know the truth.—Annie Fischer

Braggin’ Rights

MON 8/23

Perhaps Mayor Kay Barnes’ tirade against our neighbor to the east will have an added bonus — intensifying an already heated rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams. Their preseason matchup starts at 7 p.m. Monday at Arrowhead Stadium (1 Arrowhead Drive). Call 816-920-9300 for tickets or just belly up to your favorite sports bar — it’s scheduled to be televised. — Fischer