There’s something for all ages this weekend. Shoot, there’s a kids’ fall festival and a brew festival on the same day, in the same place! Here’s a breakdown of the goings on in Kansas City from Oct. 11 to 13.
Tivoli Presents: Spirited Away
Oct. 11 & 13
Friday or Saturday, head to Atkins Auditorium at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to watch Spirited Away, the animated classic by director Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a beautifully drawn coming-of-age tale that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.
The screening will use the original Japanese audio with English subtitles. That way you can experience Spirited Away in the form that, for nearly two decades, made it the highest-grossing movie in Japanese history.
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Oct. 11-13
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill isn’t a restaurant special—it’s a Tony-winning play. It shows Billie Holiday, known as Lady Day, reflecting on her life and career during one performance in a smoky venue in 1959.
The play takes Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Copaken Stage this week. If you can’t make it to a weekend showing, you can catch it starting Tuesday and on several dates through Oct. 27. Music and theater fans shouldn’t miss it.
Heartland Book Festival
Oct. 12
It’s unbelievable that this festival—with its author talks, book signings, writing workshops, and plenty more—takes place over one day at the Central Library.
Heartland Book Festival starts at 9:15 a.m. Saturday and wraps up at 4 p.m. In that time, there will be 13 speakers (including author and former Georgia House of Representatives member Stacey Abrams), ten writing workshops, five book signings, and even “Read It Watch It” movie screenings. What a day.
Hoots & Howls (Oct. 12-13) and Brew at the Zoo (Oct. 12)
The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is hopping for everyone this weekend. For the kids, there’s Hoots & Howls, with a mini hay maze, peddle tractors, and other fall activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For the big kids (and only the big kids), there’s Brew at the Zoo, where you can wander the grounds and enjoy a ton of local beer and wine. That’s 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.