Wanderfest, Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day, Percheron, and more: KC’s huge week in food and drinks, April 29-May 5

Tuesday, April 30

Hopcat (401 Westport Road) is hosting a collaboration beer dinner featuring beers from Torn Label Brewing Company and Lawrence Beer Company tonight. This includes a special collaboration IPA, the Vilfredo. A few sample courses: Hang Em High 26, an American IPA
from Torn Label Brewing Company, is being served with tuna poke wontons with mango coulis; and the aforementioned Vilfredo will be served with chimichurri chicken thighs with potatoes. The dinner is $30 a person (not including fees or tip), and tickets are available here.

Thursday, May 2

The seventh annual Shuttlecork begins tonight. As its name suggests, the event benefits the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak Street). This evening’s dinners are hosted in notable homes throughout the city and are prepared by some of KC’s best-known chefs. These dinners are $1,500 per person, and entirely benefit the museum; call 816-751-1278 and select option 8 to check on availability. On Friday, the festivities head to the museum, where two grand tastings and a live auction will take place. “Grand Tasting I” takes place at Rozelle Court and will feature wine from 20 West Coast makers, as well as food from some of KC’s best restaurants. Tickets to Friday’s events are $250 a person; call 816-751-1278 and select option 8 to purchase.

Rooftop lovers, rejoice: Percheron, the spectacular bar and restaurant atop Crossroads Hotel (2101 Central Street), is officially opening for the season. With 360-degree views of downtown and the Crossroads (plus cocktails, beer, bar bites, and bocce), Percheron is poised to be a choice spot when the weather is nice. To drink, try the Porchlight cocktail, featuring Ezra Brooks rye and Cynar, with orange, lemon and a pinch of salt; or the Upper East Side, featuring J. Rieger and Company gin, mint, cucumber and grapefruit, with lime juice, absinthe and tonic water. To eat, guests can dig into a variety of snacks, including a Calabrian chile cheese spread, piadina (Italian flatbread sandwich), fried pepperoni, pickled vegetables, KC Pop Company popsicles, and more.

Percheron at the Crossroads Hotel opens its roof to Kansas Citians on Thursday.
April Fleming

Saturday, May 4

The Kansas City Museum’s (3218 Gladstone Boulevard) Derby Day Party is back. Dress up with your fanciest hat and sample bites and drinks from Brown and Loe, KC Canning Company, Boozy Botanicals, J. Rieger and Company, Boulevard Brewing Company, and much more. Tickets are $70-$125. More information and tickets are available via Eventbrite. The event benefits the Kansas City Museum.

Out in Lawrence, check out the sixth annual Kansas Food Truck Festival in the Warehouse Arts District (9th and Pennsylvania Streets). The fest features more than 30 regional food trucks and offers everything from street tacos to crepes to Jamaican cuisine. Canned adult beverages, including selections from Goose Island, Crafter’s Union Premium Wines, and Bon and Viv Spiked Cider will also be available for purchase. General admission tickets ($10) and a list of all the participating food trucks can be found at the Kansas Food Truck Festival website. The event benefits Just Food, an organization that fights hunger in Douglas County.

Support the National Parks by attending a pop-up at Fetch (1101 Mulberry Street) in the West Bottoms. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature a unique selection of items from Fetch, plus bites and drinks from the Campground, J. Rieger and Company, and Kind Food. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the National Parks System.

Courtesy the Kansas City Museum

Sunday, May 5

The Tower East neighborhood is sponsoring Wanderfest, an event highlighting the culture of the midtown neighborhood surrounding Martini Corner (604 East 31st Street). The event takes place from noon until 10 p.m., and there’s a lot happening here, including live music, crafts, art, tours, and even a food truck plaza featuring The Wild Way Coffee, Seven Swans Crêperie, Cheesy Street, Urban Cafe KC, Easy As Pie, Sweet Ideas by Rachel sugar cookies, and Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls. Participating businesses include Urban Mining, 816 Bicycle Collective, Oddities Prints, and many more. For a full schedule and list of events and activities, click here.

It’s also Cinco de Mayo, and one of the best spots to celebrate this boozy holiday is at Port Fonda (4141 Pennsylvania Avenue). The street will be closed off for a block party from 9 a.m. to midnight, with margarita, drink and food specials, plus brunch.

And Restless Spirits Distilling (109 East 18th Avenue) will be getting into the holiday mood with $5 margaritas and $3 baskets of chips and queso or guacamole all day.

This is a crazy week with so many events we didn’t have time or space to list — check out the Pitch‘s comprehensive events calendar for more.