Summer Guide 2017: The Pitch‘s list of hot-weather musts
Summer, in all its mosquito-buzzed, sweat-soaked glory, is finally here. Three months of barbecues, patio drinking and pool dips also brings music festivals, outdoor movies, sporting events, offbeat shopping and the occasional celestial thrill. With that in mind, here’s The Pitch’s handpicked list of seasonal musts — with special visual guest Marc Hayes, our summertime model, a dedicated midtowner and anti-shut-in whom you’re likely to see at some of these very events. Basically, here are the places you’ll find us for the next three months. So wax your ride, check the tint on your eclipse shades, hydrate as needed and get out there with your fellow Kansas Citians to eat, play, drink and dance (or find some shade). See you under the sun.
FRIDAY, JUNE 9
Vintage Market Days
(through Sunday, June 11)
Longview Community College (3801 Southwest Longview Road, Lee’s Summit)
Venture beyond the West Bottoms for your vintage and antique shopping this weekend with a stop at Vintage Market Days, a local market held in various locations throughout KC over the course of the year. This weekend’s market happens outdoors at Longview Community College in Lee’s Summit. Dozens of vendors will be out selling antique and vintage goods, clothing, furniture, crafts, food, artwork and plantings.
Elvis Costello & the Imposters
Crossroads KC (417 East 18th Street)
Elvis Costello has been no stranger to KC this decade, having appeared at the Uptown and Yardley Hall in the recent past. Yet this outdoors summer appearance — with his full band, the Imposters, and featuring music from his Imperial Bedroom album on its 35th anniversary — promises to be a highlight even by EC standards.
Tig Notaro
Uptown Theater (3700 Broadway)
Stand-up comic Tig Notaro may always be best-known for one devastatingly funny night in 2012, when she went onstage in Los Angeles and confessed to the audience that her mother had died and that she had been diagnosed with cancer. The impossible feat — to make that shitstorm funny — won her heaps of well-deserved praise. Five years later, she has long been in remission and has seen her public profile rise while her private life has seemingly flourished: She has married and had children. And she has written a lot more material, on the heels of her terrific Amazon series, One Mississippi.
Off-the-Wall Film Series:
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
Kansas City Central Library (14 West 10th Street)
The library’s summer series of free rooftop movies files this 1995 film — with Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo as drag queens — under this season’s “Misfits, Music and Mayhem” theme. The jaunt begins at 8:45 p.m.; doors at 8, with free beer and popcorn.
FRIDAY, JUNE 16
Boulevardia
(through Sunday, June 18)
Stockyards District (Genessee Street and Butler Way, West Bottoms)
The local beer-food-and-music fest returns this year with its massive beer-tasting event, loads of food and an impressive music lineup including Local Natives, the Joy Formidable, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Guster, Saint Motel, the Strumbellas, the Struts and the Heydaze, among a slew of local acts.
David Sedaris: Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002
Rainy Day Books (2706 West 53rd Street, Fairway)
Rainy Day Books is going all out for literary superstar David Sedaris today, projecting his reading in the store outside, in Rainy Day’s parking lot (which will be closed to cars and for which attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and other festival-like accoutrements). Your ticket purchase includes a hardback copy of his new book as well as the chance to meet Sedaris to have your copy signed.
Kansas City Symphony Season Finale
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (1601 Broadway)
Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony close out their season tonight with performances of the Russian master Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, followed by Barber’s Violin Concerto. For younger listeners, the symphony is also performing the score to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone the following weekend.
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
Fiesta Filipina
Filipino Cultural Center (9810 West 79th Street, Overland Park)
The annual Fiesta Filipina gives you a chance to sample heaps of homemade Filipino cuisine, including pork kebabs, chicken adobo, pancit (a savory rice noodle dish), lumpia (long, thin pork egg rolls) and much more. Also: performances by the Sinag-Tala dance troupe and the Sampaguita choir, among others. Exhibits, vendors and games round out the day.
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
The Big Slick Celebrity Softball Game
the Kansas City Royals vs. the Toronto Blue Jays
Kauffman Stadium, 1 Royal Way
The Big Slick charity event once again lures dozens of household names to KC for the weekend, including hometown products Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd, Rob Riggle and Eric Stonestreet. In this benefit for Children’s Mercy Hospital, your ticket purchase today is good for two games: the celebrity softball matchup (Jon Hamm, are you coming?) and an MLB contest that might be worth sticking around to see.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Maker Faire
(through June 25)
Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road
Celebrating all things made with human hands, Maker Faire takes over Union Station today. The gathering brings together inventors, engineers, farmers, cooks, hobbyists, kids — generally anyone interested in creative expression and the art of making stuff.
KC Nanobrew Festival
Berkley Riverfront Park (1298 East Riverfront Road)
A Pitch Best of Kansas City “Best Beer Festival” winner, the Microbrew Festival at Berkley Riverfront Park once again offers attendees a chance to choose from up to 250 different home brews while sampling from 10 food trucks and other vendors. Tickets are $35.
Westport Beer Festival
Westport Road and Pennsylvania
Down the road, the Westport Beer Festival is a different kind of beast: 35 local and national breweries and four craft distillers slinging their wares in the street in front of McCoy’s Public House. Sample beers from Ballast Point, Boulevard, Crane, Oskar Blues, Perennial Artisan Ales and more. Tickets are $25 and benefit AidsWalkKC.
Award Winners Tasting
Green Dirt Farm (19915 Mount Bethel Road, Weston)
At last year’s American Cheese Society’s American Cheese Society Conference and Competition (the Oscars of American cheese), Green Dirt Farm took home a staggering nine awards. Its award winners are showcased today, along with wine and cocktail pairings, at the company’s farm in Weston for $85 a person.
SATURDAY, JULY 1
Heart of America
Shakespeare Festival
Southmoreland Park (4600 Oak)
The annual outdoor KC Shakespeare Festival is staging its second-to-last performance of Hamlet for the season at Southmoreland Park. The free production stars Overland Park native Nathan Darrow (House of Cards, Gotham, Billions) in the title role.
SUNDAY, JULY 2
Doug Loves Movies
Improv KC (7260 Northwest 87th Street)
Stoner comedian Doug Benson brings his perennially popular podcast, Doug Loves Movies, to the Improv tonight. Watch a movie with him as he and special guests mercilessly mock it.
TUESDAY, JULY 4
Riverfest
Berkley Riverfront Park
(1298 East Riverfront Road)
The city’s biggest fireworks display is accompanied by full night’s worth of music (the Phantastics, 1980s tribute band Members Only, more), 14 food trucks and kids’ activities. Admission between 4 and 5 p.m. is free; tickets afterward are $5.
FRIDAY, JULY 7
Crown Center Weekender flick:
The Parent Trap
Crown Center, 2450 Grand
Movies don’t get much more parent-friendly (or twin-friendly) than this one, which kicks off a summer-long series of free films at Crown Center Plaza. (Also in July: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Remember the Titans and Jurassic World.) Outside food and drink aren’t permitted (food, drink and alcohol are available for purchase on site), but chairs and blankets are welcome, and bands and food trucks are on hand before showtime.
SATURDAY, JULY 8
Adventure Hunt
Go on a full-day, Amazing Race-ish scavenger hunt around Kansas City to unload one of 10 prize packs, including Go Pros and KZ gear. The winner gets a six-day stay at Red Frog Beach Resort in Bocas del Toro, Panama (airfare not included unless you are one of the top four teams nationwide). Tickets start at $50.
adventurehunt.co/products/Kansas-City
SUNDAY, JULY 9
Queen and Adam Lambert
Sprint Center (1407 Grand)
We won’t pretend this is akin to seeing Queen with Freddie Mercury, but American Idol alum Adam Lambert does have the chops to carry Freddie’s tune. If you want to see Queen in KC this century, well, this is as close as you’re going to get.
TUESDAY, JULY 11
An American in Paris
Starlight Theatre (4600 Starlight Road)
During its run on Broadway, An American in Paris received 12 Tony Award nominations for its stage interpretation of the classic film. Prepare for lots of dancing and a score by George and Ira Gershwin (with whom there’s no going wrong).
FRIDAY, JULY 14
Off-the-Wall Film Series: Wet Hot American Summer
Kansas City Central Library
(14 West 10th Street)
Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and Bradley Cooper go to a very R-rated camp in this installment of the library’s rooftop-movies series. Beer, popcorn, mustaches.
SATURDAY, JULY 15
’90s Charity Bar Crawl for Urban Ranger Corps
Kelly’s Westport Inn (500 Westport Road)
From 2 to 7 p.m. today, a chunk of Westport devotes itself to the most lamentable decade of the last century. Organizers of this event, which helps fund the youth-doing-good-works program, want to see every last bandanna and grunge T-shirt in the metro at Kelly’s, Westport Saloon, Johnny Kaw’s, Ale House and Dempsey’s Burger Pub. Slap bracelets are involved.
Tickets via Eventbrite.
TUESDAY, JULY 18
Blondie and Garbage
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (1601 Broadway)
The Kauffman Center doesn’t book many shows like this: the “Rage and Rapture” tour, which features Blondie in its first KC appearance since 2009 (and only its third ever), and Garbage, fresh off of its 2016 return to recording.
THURSDAY, JULY 20
Fringe Festival
Beginning today, KC’s largest arts festival, in its 14th year, kicks off a 10-day run, with hundreds of performances in more than 15 venues. You’ll see theater, spoken word, dance, variety, performance art, cabaret, visual art and film.
FRIDAY, JULY 21
Steve Martin and Martin Short
Starlight Theatre (4600 Starlight Road)
Comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short are continuing a slate of shows that combine stand-up, film clips and musical performances, including from Martin’s bluegrass band, the Steep Canyon Rangers.
SUNDAY, JULY 23
Powell Gardens Barn Dinner with chef Alex Pope
Powell Gardens (1609 Northwest U.S. Highway 50, Kingsville)
The barn-dinner series at Powell Gardens showcases the renowned Heartland Harvest Garden, deemed (by Powell Gardens) “the largest edible landscape in the country.” Tonight’s dinner is prepared by chef Alex Pope (the Local Pig, Cleaver & Cork).
TUESDAY, JULY 25
Violent Femmes and
Echo & the Bunnymen
Crossroads KC (417 East 18th Street)
The best music by post-punk mainstay Echo and the Bunnymen and angsty act Violent Femmes has aged well, so this should be one of those sweaty, high-energy summer nights that Crossroads KC is good at supplying.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 3
Alt-J
Starlight Theatre (4600 Starlight Road)
The EDM-influenced British rock band Alt-J is playing its biggest stage yet in Kansas City on the heels of a new album, Relaxer, released in June.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 4
Festival of Butterflies
Powell Gardens (1609 Northwest U.S. Highway 50, Kingsville)
This event, which begins today and runs through August 20, showcases a variety of locally raised, native butterflies in the Butterfly Breezeway; or venture into the conservatory to view tropical species. Kid-friendly exhibits, including those involving caterpillars and dragonflies, are also open.
Crown Center Weekender flick: Back to the Future
Crown Center, 2450 Grand
See this classic 1985 adventure comedy for free at Crown Center Plaza tonight.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9
Bruno Mars
Sprint Center (1407 Grand)
In an era when album sales are generally flat, Bruno Mars has sold 26 million of them: an incredible feat. Mars’ live performances are a good indication of why. From the elaborate dancing and singing to the massive staging, this is pure pop entertainment.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
Off-the-Wall Film Series: Harold and Maude
Kansas City Central Library
(14 West 10th Street)
The library’s “Misfits, Music and Mayhem” emphasizes the first word in that string with this 1971 classic. Beer, popcorn, weird love.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12
Tour de Fat
Crossroads KC (417 East 18th Street)
Fort Collins, Colorado, company New Belgium Brewing is hosting the 18th Annual Tour de Fat, a touring carnival of sorts featuring live bands (in KC the featured act is Atlas Genius), circus performers, buskers and, of course, beer. Tickets are $15 (or $20 depending on when you buy them) and benefit BikeWalkKC.
The New Pornographers
Liberty Hall
(644 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence)
See Neko Case, A.C. Newman and their power-pop mainstay in one of the region’s classic venues.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16
Kendrick Lamar
Sprint Center (1407 Grand)
Few artists ever achieve the universal respect that the 2017-model Kendrick Lamar is now enjoying. His newest release, Damn, somehow improves on his brilliant To Pimp a Butterfly, with smart storytelling and clever delivery.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
KC Improv Festival
Kick Comedy Theater
(4010 Pennsylvania)
The two-weekend annual KC Improv Festival begins this weekend. The schedule hasn’t been announced, but past headliners include Jason Sudeikis, Mick Napier and Susan Messing as well as the Cook County Social Club.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
Sporting Kansas City vs. FC Dallas
Children’s Mercy Park
(1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, Kansas)
As of press time, Sporting KC and FC Dallas were atop the MLS Standings for the 2017 season. If you can swing it, sit in “the Cauldron” for one of the rowdiest experiences a sports fan can have (outside of Allen Fieldhouse).
MONDAY, AUGUST 21
Total solar eclipse
Rosecrans Memorial Airport (100B Northwest Rosecrans Road, St. Joseph)
Just 45 minutes north of KC, St. Joseph is directly in the totality path of this summer’s solar eclipse — the first of its kind in the United States in 38 years, and our only chance to witness totality around here in our lifetimes. Head to Rosecrans Memorial airport for a free event organized by Front Page Science, which has invited astronomers and set up safety-filtered telescopes for the event. Here you can view the eclipse for 158 seconds, just one second short of the maximum time possible.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
The Vintage Whites Market
National Airline History Museum
(201 Northwest Lou Holland Drive)
The large-scale vintage market is a great place to shop for vintage clothing, furniture, primitives and home décor. This ticketed event also brings in guests for demos and talks. Last year’s guest of honor was Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond.
thevintagewhitesmarket.com/kansas-city
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
Moonshine on the Farm at Deanna Rose Farmstead
Deanna Rose Farmstead
(13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park)
Normally an immersive farm experience for kids, the farmstead is opening tonight for an adult fundraiser featuring live music, hayrides, heavy appetizers, drinks and games (giant Jenga, for example). Tickets are $50 a person.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
Farm-to-Table Dinner with chef Vaughn Good
Green Dirt Farm
(19915 Mount Bethel Road, Weston)
Venture out to Green Dirt Farm’s ridiculously idyllic farmstead for a farm-to-table experience with one of the area’s most impressive chefs (especially when it comes to protein), Vaughn Good of Hank Charcuterie in Lawrence. The dinner features fresh lamb from the farm’s flock as well as sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, made on site. Tickets are $200 a person.
