By Diana Lambdin Meyer

Summer in Kansas City is defined in so many ways...

• the crack of the bat at The K
• a standing ovation at Starlight Theatre
• screams of delight from Worlds of Fun

...or just the energetic song of the cicadas as the sun sets in one of our many beautiful parks that become a haven for all blooming things during the summer months. Hey, it gets a little hot some days and some nights, but we like that way.

Take the Stage

The nation’s largest outdoor theatre, Kansas City’s very own Starlight Theatre brings Broadway musicals and more to Swope Park from early spring until late fall. In addition to great dining and back stage tours, it’s an inexpensive way to share live theatre with family, friends and all of KC.

Even less expensive, because it’s free is the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, outdoors in the night air at Southmoreland Park, 47th and Oak. This summer applaud the actors in The Merry Wives of Windsor, June 16 – July 5. Bring your blanket, your picnic and your muse.

Kansas City’s largest free music festival is Jazz in the Woods, June 12 -14, a Rotary Club fundraiser located in Overland Park’s Corporate Woods. Head north of the river the next weekend, June 19-20, to the Parkville Blues, Jazz and Fine Arts Riverjam for three days of local music and art on the riverfront. It’s free, too!

Free is always a good word for family entertainment and Crown Center turns Friday nights into a celebration with Free Friday Night Flicks on the front lawn. This summer, family favorites such as Karate Kid and toe tappers like Mama Mia fill the big screen.

Take the Field

The 40th season of the Kansas City Royals comes with a newly remodeled “K,” the city’s nickname for Kauffman Stadium. Watch highlights on the country’s largest jumbo-tron, topped by the team’s signature crown. New outfield entertainment, a bigger Hall of Fame, and oh, better bathrooms make game day at the K something to cheer about. Go on a Friday night for fireworks after the game.

Community America Ballpark, an intimate sports venue where you share the game with 6,000 of your closest friends, hosts both the Kansas City T-Bones, a member of the Northern League; and Wizards Soccer for their 14th year of summer fun in KC.

Professional tennis action with the Kansas City Explorers fills in the heart of downtown at Barney Allis Plaza throughout the month of July in what many consider the prettiest sporting venue in the league.

Always a Hit

Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun: Prowler, a new 2.5 mile wooden roller coaster that reaches speeds of 51 mph, kicks off the 2009 summer fun at this family favorite for nearly 30 years.

New combination tickets for both parks and onsite lodging and camping makes this a destination in itself.

Out at Night

Some parts of the world they call it “dining al fresco,” but in Kansas City it’s just another way to enjoy the summer in the many great restaurants of the Country Club Plaza, downtown, midtown, and all around the town. Go to our Restaurant Section for for outdoor dining options in Kansas City.

Always a hit, no matter what the season, First Friday in the Crossroads Arts District opens the doors to some of Kansas City’s best artists and artisans in their own studios and galleries. Mark the dates this summer: June 5, July 3 and Aug. 7. And new this year is Second Saturdays, June 13, July 11 and Aug. 15, where tours provide one-on-one interaction with the artists, chefs and entrepreneurs of the district.

And cross the state line to the Follow the Dotte Art Walk. Held the second Friday of the month, this less trafficked event still showcases remarkable talents of artists and artisans at ten locations KCK. Mark your calendars for June 12, July 10 and Aug. 14. A street festival with music, food and more highlights the June 12 Dotte Walk.

Hit the Dirt

Celebrate Rose Day June 7 in the newly renovated Rose Garden at Loose Park where the aroma of more than 5000 roses fill the air at 52nd and Pennsylvania just south of the Country Club Plaza. Something is always in bloom at Powell Gardens the city’s 915-acre botanical garden.

Two celebrations can’t be missed: Booms & Blooms on July 3 and the Butterfly Festival Aug. 14-16. Find more bounties of the earth and monthly food festivals The City Market, Kansas City’s premiere farmer’s market for more than 150 years.

Conservationists have begun to recognize Kansas City’s remarkable initiative to minimize water waste and run-off with its 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative. We’re not quite there yet, but look for the signs in public and private gardens around the city, including at Theis Park, UMKC’s campus and the Discovery Center at 47th and Troost.

Kansas City’s Water Garden Society invites guests to their homes July 11-12 to enjoy the creativity found in some of Kansas City’s most beautiful backyards.
 

Festivals

Delicious strawberries fill the front lawn at the Vaile Mansion in Independence June 6, along with antiques, crafts and other goodies. The same weekend, celebrate all that the Italian culture has contributed to Kansas City at Festa Italiana in Zona Rosa.  

There’s always something happening at Crown Center in the summer, Hallmark’s headquarters and 85-acre entertainment complex, but don’t miss the creativity of local artists when given a box of chalk and a slab of concrete at the Walk & Chalk Festival
June 19-20.

The Missouri Riverfront comes to alive with two days of festivities celebrating both life and KC and the US during KC Riverfest, July 3-4 at Dick Berkley Riverfront Park. And then the crowds move to Swope Park for Ethnic Enrichment Festival, an event where everyone feels at home.

More than 50 ethnic groups from around the world share their food, craft, dance and music Aug. 21-23.

Related Links

• www.kcstarlight.com
• www.kcshakes.org
• www.jazzinthewoods.com
• www.parkvilleriverjam.com
• www.crowncenter.com
   
• www.kcroyals.com
• www.tbonesbaseball.com
• www.kcwizards.mlnet.com
• www.kcexplorers.com
   
• www.worldsoffun.com
   
• www.kccrossroads.org
• www.downtownkck.org
   
• www.kansascityrosesociety.org
• www.powellgardens.org
• www.thecitymarket.org
• www.rainkc.org
• www.kcwatergardens.com
   
• www.vailemansion.org 
• www.zonarosa.com
• www.crowncenter.com
• www.kcriverfest.com