The stars will be in town for Planet Comicon this weekend, and on cue, the rest of Kansas City is stepping up. Let’s get right into what this weekend has to offer.
Glow Pickleball Tournament
March 21
SERV, a pickleball-and-dining complex in Overland Park, is teaming with rec sports giant KC Crew to put on a glow-in-the-dark pickleball tournament Friday night. Neon, dinks, and drinks—if that’s your idea of a good time, find a teammate and register here.
Planet Comicon
March 21-23
At this point, you know what to expect from Planet Comicon, which runs all weekend at the Kansas City Convention Center: nerd icons, pop culture stars, meet and greets, and the frenzy of gathering and niche activities that surround it.
The celebrity guest list is well over 100 names long; notable actors are Vincent D’Onofrio, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Andy Serkis, and Bob West—the voice of Barney.
Survival of the Fittest opening weekend
March 22
Saturday is opening day for Survival of the Fittest, which is, surprisingly, the first collection of wildlife art in the history of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It features 50 works from the “Big Four” of turn-of-the-century wildlife painting: Carl Rungius, Richard Friese, Wilhelm Kuhnert, and Bruno Liljefors. The exhibition will be on display until Aug. 24.
Music around KC
March 21-23
It’s a diverse weekend of music in Kansas City.
It’s Planet Comicon weekend, so let’s start with a composer who helped shape nerd culture and pop culture alike. John Williams composed the music for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Superman, and countless other classics. From Friday to Saturday, guest conductor Jack Everly will lead the Kansas City Symphony in Ultimate John Williams, a collection of Williams’s work. Tickets start at $120.
Over in the West Bottoms, Friday is Salsa Night at The Ship. The nautical-themed restaurant and music venue will host La Sanora KC, an eight-piece band, for a night of salsa music and dancing. Tickets are $10, and only adults 21 and older are permitted.
Finally, it’s opening weekend for Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, produced by The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City. On Friday and Saturday (and Thursday, if you want to go to opening night), Mia Ramsey will play gospel legend Mahalia Jackson in a story about her life. The musical runs on select dates until April 6; watch it at The Black Box downtown.
Bonus Events
- Andy’s Frozen Custard is opening a location at 650 Northwest Barry Road on Friday. There’ll be a bunch of giveaways and $2 one-topping Sundays all day. Here’s the Facebook event page.
- If the Big 12 Conference Championships didn’t satisfy your in-person college basketball craving, the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship runs from March 20-25 at the Municipal Auditorium. You can catch half of the round of 16 and the entire quarterfinals this weekend.