Kings of Johnson County

In the center of the vast expanse of the 151st Street corridor, just east of Interstate 35, is the Great Mall of the Great Plains, Olathe’s $137 million, 811,000-square-foot outlet mecca, which opened in 1997. Though it was sold earlier this year, many of the businesses inside it are still active, including JR’s Place (20238 West 151st Street, 913-254-1307), a sports bar and restaurant that offers karaoke five nights a week. A new addition to JR’s lineup is the Drag Kings & Queens Show. Led by Buttwiser, KC’s first king of gay pride and The Pitch‘s pick for 2009 Best Drag King (real name: Kandy Combs), the show features the Kingz of Kansas City, a traveling drag troupe. Buttwiser and the gang are switching it up out in the burbs. “Many people who were very leery of gay people have opened up their minds because of the show and see that we gays don’t have cooties, so to speak,” Combs says. Have your dollar bills ready. The show starts around 10 p.m., and admission is free for everyone 18 and older.