The thing about Kansas City is that it’s a lot of things. A sports town, a music town, a food town, an art town—fill in the blank. This is especially true this weekend, which starts with 816 Day on Friday and only gets busier from there.
Elsewhere, we previewed 816 Day 2024. For a preview of the whole weekend, stay right here. Then make some plans.
816 Day & Rieger Bourbon Release Celebration
August 16
J. Rieger & Co. is releasing a new 90-proof bourbon, Rieger Straight Bourbon Whiskey, on 816 Day. They’re pretty excited about it, and they’re throwing a party at their distillery in the East Bottoms. It starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m., and you can expect tasting stations, over a dozen vendors (including $75 tattoos), and $8.16 cocktails featuring the new bourbon.
There will also be live music from Supermoto, which has notes of jazz, funk, R&B, city pop, and disco. It’s a cool sound.
Correction: A previous version of this article said the tattoos were free. Not quite.
Art in the Loop 816 Day Performance
August 16
Art in the Loop is taking over City Market for 816 Day, and the main draw is live music. Folk singer Danielle Ate the Sandwich leads off at 5:30 p.m., then 45° Flamenco—a flamenco group that practiced the art in Kansas City’s sister city, Seville, Spain—performs in collaboration with poet José Faus. Kansas City rapper and “trombone Super Saiyan” Kadesh Flow gets City Market jumping to cap off the night.
Elsewhere in the City Market, you’ll find artist booths, merchandise for sale, and a live sidewalk chalk demonstration by artist Steve Johnson.
Ethnic Enrichment Festival
August 16-18
Kansas City’s massive multicultural gathering is back for its 45th anniversary. This three-day festival in Swope Park brings together dozens of cultures found in Kansas City. Visitors can experience food from more than 50 countries, entertainment from more than 30, and a myriad of booths selling cultural wares. Shop, dance, eat, and learn.
NFL Preseason: Detroit Lions at Chiefs
August 17
The Chiefs are back at Arrowhead for the first time since they knocked off the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. (search for tickets on Ticketmaster before resorting to the secondary market), and you know you’ll be getting there earlier to tailgate.
The preseason is what you make it. For veteran players—and many fans—the games are tune-ups with little of the regular season’s intricacy. But for on-the-cusp players, they’re auditions, and they’ll be playing like their careers depend on it. Get nerdy, pick a favorite, and while you’re at it, see if that new tailgate snack will make your starting lineup in the regular season.
We’re most excited to see Louis Rees-Zammit, a 22-year-old former rugby star from Wales, try to land a job as a special teamer and backup-backup-backup running back. He touched the ball a few times last week at Jacksonville—and perhaps most important for his chances, he shed a block to get a tackle in punt coverage.
Kansas City Taco Festival
August 17-18
Didn’t eat enough at the Ethnic Enrichment Festival? Head to KC Live! in Power & Light on Saturday or Sunday to enjoy an absolute bounty of tacos at Kansas City Taco Festival. Sixty-plus styles of tacos, the organizers say. A nacho station, margarita bars, live music, even Mexican wrestling—between this festival and 816 Day, we won’t be surprised if KC Live! needs a nap come Monday.