Favorite Kansas City Festivals in May

It's festival season in Kansas City! From trendy boutique shopping to old-fashioned county fairs, ethnic festivals with delicious delicacies and local barbecue festivals—there is something for everyone! Visit KCParent.com for our complete guide to Festivals in Kansas City. These are some of our annual favorites!

Truman Heritage Festival May 4-6, Grandview, MO, Grandview.org. The Truman Heritage Festival is a FREE three-day event full of fun family-friendly activities and attractions. Enjoy performances by regional and national acts at Grandview's state-of-the-art amphitheater. The festival also features a parade, one of the nicest carnivals in the state, food and drink vendors and so much more at Meadowmere Park next to the View at 13500 Byars Rd., in Grandview.

Brookside Art Annual May 5-7, Brookside District, BrooksideKC.org. This is the first art show of the year and draws more than 70,000 people from the entire region. The focus of the show is on art! This community loves art shows, and this one consistently ranks in the top 25 shows according to Art Source.

Polski Day May 6, All Saints Parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, KS, PolskiDay.com. Celebrate all things Polish at this festival featuring ethnic foods, a parade, cold beer, dancing, games and a polka mass. Join the fun celebrating the rich heritage and history of KCK’s Polish community.

Strawberry Swing May 6-7, Alexander Majors Barn, TheStrawberrySwing.org. This event has been voted one of the top indie craft fairs in the world. Featuring 100+ handmade and vintage vendors, food trucks, live music, kids crafts, photo booth and so much F-U-N!

Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmers Market Spring Celebration May 13, 7:00-1:00, Downtown Lee’s Summit, MO, DowntownLS.org. Enjoy live music and activities for kids while you shop for fresh produce, plants, baked goods and more.

Turkey Creek Festival May 20, Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch, Merriam, KS, Merriam.org. This annual day-long event includes a pancake breakfast, a 5K, an arts and crafts show, live music and a Kid Zone.

Lawrence Busker Festival May 26-28, Lawrence, KS, LawrenceBuskerFest.com. Now in its ninth year, the Lawrence Busker Festival is the area's largest gathering of street performers. Come join us for three days of family fun with some of the most talented freaks, geeks, artists and musicians around. The weekend includes a full performance schedule to make sure you don't miss your favorite acts. And for an even more up-close-and-personal experience, come check out Busker Ball on the Thursday before the big weekend.

Celebration at the Station May 28, lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial overlooking Union Station, KCSymphony.org. The Kansas City Symphony’s 15th annual patriotic concert event is the largest FREE Memorial Day weekend festival in the Midwest, and this year welcomes singer Patti Austin as our special musical guest and host. From a moving symphony concert to the city’s grandest fireworks display, nothing celebrates our military and veterans quite like this event. Enjoy pre-concert musical acts, food trucks and entertainment.

Plan Ahead…

Old Shawnee Days June 1-4, Old Shawnee, OldShawneeDays.org. Kick off your summer with everyone’s favorite Shawnee event, Old Shawnee Days! There’s something for everyone: music, carnival rides, contests, games, the parade, crafts, shopping, festival food and so much more. 

Jazzoo June 2, Kansas City Zoo, KansasCityZoo.org. Jazzoo is the Kansas City Zoo’s largest fundraiser, and your attendance helps us feed and care for more than 1,700 animals and educate Kansas City youth through our Zoo Learning Fund. Jazzoo includes live jazz music, performers and a delicious array of food and drink.

Downtown Days June 2-4, Downtown Lee’s Summit, DowntownLS.org. Downtown Days is a family-friendly festival featuring live entertainment, arts and crafts, a carnival, delicious food vendors, a kids area and much more in Lee’s Summit’s eclectic downtown district!