Things to do around Kansas City: Melissa Etheridge, Plaza Art Fair, symphony rreturns

Dan Kelly
·4 min read
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The Kansas City Symphony, with conductor Michael Stern and guest pianist Jeffrey Kahane, will return to full audiences this weekend at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts after the pandemic wiped out the past 18 months’ indoor performances.

The symphony will begin its 2021-22 season with “Mahler’s ‘Titan’ with Kahane’s “Heirloom’ Concerto for Piano” at 8 p.m. Sept. 24-25 and 2 p.m. Sept. 26 in Helzberg Hall. Tickets ($25-$88; proof of vaccine required) are available at kcsymphony.org.

The concert will open with Beethoven’s “Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus.”

Conductor Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony will open their season Sept. 24 at the Kauffman Center for the Perfoming Arts.
Conductor Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony will open their season Sept. 24 at the Kauffman Center for the Perfoming Arts.

Three for free

▪ The 90th annual Plaza Art Fair will fill the streets of the Country Club Plaza, 5-10 p.m. Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sept. 25 and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 26. plazaartfair.com.

▪ The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum will begin a new series of virtual programs with “Whistle Stops: A Tour of the New Presidential Exhibition” featuring author A.J. Baime, 4 p.m. Sept. 23. trumanlibraryinstitute.org.

▪ “Puppets a Glow-Go,” Stonelion Puppet Theatre, 7:30-10 p.m. Sept. 24-25, National WWI Museum and Memorial. stonelionpuppets.org.

Leavenworth native Melissa Etheridge will perform at the Camp Leavenworth Festival, a free event Sept. 24-25 also featuring family activities, a craft fair and fireworks.
Leavenworth native Melissa Etheridge will perform at the Camp Leavenworth Festival, a free event Sept. 24-25 also featuring family activities, a craft fair and fireworks.

Festivals

▪ Liberty Fall Festival, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sept. 25 and noon-4 p.m. Sept. 26 (carnival only), Liberty (free). libertyfallfest.com.

▪ Camp Leavenworth Festival featuring Melissa Etheridge, 5-10 p.m. Sept. 24 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 25, Leavenworth (free). campleavenworth.com.

▪ Oktoberfest, 5-11 p.m. Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 25 and noon-4 p.m. Sept. 26 (carnival only), downtown Lee’s Summit (free). lsoktoberfest.com.

▪ Louisburg Ciderfest, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3, Louisburg Cider Mill (free). louisburgcidermill.com.

▪ Overland Park Fall Festival, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 25, Santa Fe Commons Park (free). opkansas.org.

▪ Grand Festival of Chez les Canses, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Fort Osage National Historic Landmark ($4-$8). makeyourdayhere.com.

▪ Spring Hill Fall Festival, 9 a.m.-midnight Sept. 25 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 26, Spring Hill (free). springhillfallfestival.com.

▪ Ameri’kana Block Party, noon-5 p.m. Sept. 25, GrindersKC (free). grinderspizza.com/kansascity.

Music

▪ Briarfest with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, 3:30 p.m. Sept. 24 and noon Sept. 25, Knuckleheads ($39.50-$100). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Little Big Town with Nightfall, 8 p.m. Sept. 24-25, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland ($35-$115). arvestbanktheatre.com.

▪ Oak Ridge Boys, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Ameristar ($30-$110). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ America, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Lied Center ($21-$55). lied.ku.edu.

▪ Don Felder, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Ameristar ($45-$170). ameristarkansascity.com.

▪ Boney James, 8 p.m. Sept. 26, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland ($34.50-$49.50). arvestbanktheatre.com.

▪ Lauren Daigle, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26, T-Mobile Center ($29.50-$126). t-mobilecenter.com/events.

▪ Kevin Gates, 7 p.m. Sept. 29, Uptown ($45). uptowntheater.com.

▪ Mt. Joy and Trampled by Turtles, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29, GrindersKC ($34.50-$134). grinderskc.com.

This Chinese robe from the late 17th or early 18th century will be part of “Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles” running Sept. 25-March 6 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
This Chinese robe from the late 17th or early 18th century will be part of “Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles” running Sept. 25-March 6 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

More entertainment

▪ Art in the Loop will conduct a tour of the artwork along the KC Streetcar line beginning with a short program at the Town Pavilion, 4:30 p.m. Sept. 23 ($20). artintheloop.com.

▪ The performing arts company Quixotic will return with the walk-through experience “Terra Luna” at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Sept. 24-26 and Oct. 1-3 ($25). artsandrec-op.org/arboretum.

▪ The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art will display rarely seen Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Persian costumes and textiles for the first time in decades with “Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles,” Sept. 25-March 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday ($18 for three featured exhibitions). nelson-atkins.org.

▪ The Kansas City Blues Society’s 40th anniversary party will feature Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials and an array of local acts at BB’s Lawnside BBQ, noon-10 p.m. Sept. 25 ($25). blueskc.org.

▪ The Tacos & Tequila Festival at Legends Field will have much more than tacos and tequila, including wrestling, exotic cars and music by Ludacris, Twista, Mario and others, 3 p.m. Sept. 25 ($59-$179). kctacosandtequila.com.

Local musician Danny Cox wrote songs for and will star in Theatre for Young America’s “Fair Ball: Negro Leagues in America” opening Sept. 2 at City Stage Theatre in Union Station.
Local musician Danny Cox wrote songs for and will star in Theatre for Young America’s “Fair Ball: Negro Leagues in America” opening Sept. 2 at City Stage Theatre in Union Station.

▪ Theatre for Young America’s “Fair Ball: Negro Leagues in America” with Danny Cox will open at City Stage, 10 a.m. Sept. 28; runs through Oct. 9 ($10-$12). united-we.org.

▪ United Women’s Empowerment will present We Work for Change 2021 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, with live and virtual speakers, 4 p.m. Sept. 29 ($150; $50 for livestream). united-we.org.