Kansas City is kinder than usual this weekend. Often, there’s so much to do that you have to sacrifice one event for the other—but most of the events below go all weekend. You can do it all.
Note: You won’t see any haunted houses on this list. You’ll find those in Find Your Fright: 5 Haunted Houses in Kansas City.
Cornucopia
Oct. 18-20
There’s a carnival in Power & Light all weekend. Cornucopia is free to attend, and in addition to rides that’ll push you into the skyline, there’ll be a petting zoo, live music, and a ton to eat, drink, and buy.
The carnival is at the corner of 14th and Walnut streets. It goes from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday (with 21-and-up hours from 7 to 11 p.m.), and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Kristin Chenoweth and the Kansas City Symphony
Oct. 18-20
With Wicked hitting theaters next month, why not go see the original Glinda? Kristin Chenoweth is bringing her talents to Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the Kansas City Symphony is joining her.
See Kristin Chenoweth and the Kansas City Symphony on Friday or Saturday at 8 p.m., or on Sunday at 2 p.m. You can grab tickets here.
Planet Anime Kansas City
Oct. 18-20
If you’re an anime fan, you don’t need me to tell you this, but Planet Anime is coming to Kansas City Convention Center this weekend. Voices from Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball Z, and an array of other shows and video games will be there.
In addition to meet-and-greets and panels, there will be a console gaming lounge, karaoke, tabletop gaming, a rave, and a ton more. Grown up tickets start at $45 dollars, and kids tickets start at $10. Grab a ticket here.
gRAVEyard: A Halloween Pop Up Bar
Oct. 18-20
From October 16 until October 31, Kon Tiki—a dim, atmospheric tiki bar in the Crossroads—is throwing a Halloween rave. We imagine it’ll get more crowded as the holiday approaches.
Buy a ticket to gRAVEyard in advance—you’ll pay $34.99 and not $44.99. It gets you 90 minutes of partying and two “spooky” drinks. And as always, you can hop over to the attached Conchita Tacos at any time.
Botanical Brewfest
Oct. 19
It seems like the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens has a can’t-miss party every month. On Friday, it’s the return of Botanical Brewfest, where you can sample hundreds of beers from dozens of breweries and beverage companies from KC and its surroundings.
Beer, spirits, ciders, seltzers, and non-alcoholic options abound through the garden grounds. With food trucks and fire pits added to the early autumn scene, you’re in for a cozy fall night. Tickets start at $55.