We’re coming up on a lively weekend across Kansas City. Art, sports, and culture combine to wipe away any excuse for boredom. Here’s a preview.
Stan Douglas: Metronome opening
March 28
The Stan Douglas: Metronome audiovisual exhibit opens at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art on Friday. It’s a treat for art and music lovers alike.
Stan Douglas—a former DJ from Vancouver—uses video, audio, and photography to create cross-cultural and cross-generational connections and jam sessions. Three Douglas-produced videos and two of his photography series will be on display until October 12. Opening night at the Kemper includes a cash bar and additional perks for museum members.
Kansas City FilmFest International
March 28-30
Kansas City FilmFest International will screen upwards of 100 independent films over four days at AMC Ward Parkway 14. The festival knows few bounds; expect narratives, documentaries, short films, and feature films in the lineup.
A highlight: The Militia was shot by Kansas City director Dylan Welter and features a heavily local cast and crew. We wrote about Welter in January and attended a private screening soon after. The film is unsettling in its plausibility, and its weight starts small and crushes you by the credits.
Individual film tickets are $10. A Gold Pass, which gets you unlimited film viewings and access to the “Filmmakers’ Lounge,” is $45.
Copa de Calle
March 29-30
Saturday and Sunday, the Copa de Calle soccer tennis tournament will pop off on opposite ends of the KC Streetcar line. The tournament is focused on amplifying Kansas City cultures; the courts in City Market will be Vietnamese themed, and the courts outside Made Mobb in the Crossroads will be Mexican-themed. Expect DJs, drinks, food from Cafe Cà Phê and Ollama, and fun for spectators.
Teams can register here.
Bonus: If you’re already going to Copa de Calle in City Market, swing by River Market Antiques. Their spring cleaning sale is Saturday and Sunday.
Royals first home series
March 29-30
After all the hoopla of opening day on Thursday, the Royals will finish out their first series of 2025 over the weekend. Last year, the Royals finally shook their post-World Series hangover—only took ’em nine seasons—and what better way to start the 2025 season than by knocking off the reigning division champs, the Cleveland Guardians?
The game starts at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday and 1:10 p.m. on Sunday. Kids run the bases after Sunday’s game. Grab tickets here.
Music in KC
You can try a different flavor of music each night this weekend.
On Friday night at 7 p.m., the Leonkoro String Quartet plays at the 1900 Building. They’re a lauded group of musicians—two violinists, a violist, and a cellist—formed in Germany, and you can take in their classical tones for just $40 with fees.
No shock—there’s music all weekend at Knuckleheads in Northeast KC. It’s quite a diverse lineup, but we’re most interested in Indigenous, a blues rock band playing Saturday afternoon at 3.
And finally, it’s a big day for metalcore fans in Kansas City. Killswitch Engage takes the Midland Theatre stage at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.