Four Favorite Festivals in May

May kicks off festival season in Kansas City. Read our complete Kansas City Summer Festival Guide with hundreds of terrific summer festivals to enjoy. These are our four top picks for the month of May.

The Brookside Art Annual April 29-May 1, Brookside Neighborhood (63rd & Wornall, Kansas City, MO).  This is the first art show of the year and draws more than 70,000 people from the entire region. This community loves art shows, and this festival consistently ranks in the top 25 shows according to Art Source. 

Sheep Shearing Days May 7, Missouri Town 1855 (8010 E. Park Rd., Lee's Summit, MO). Artisans will demonstrate the entire process of making wool, from the shearing of the flock and washing of the fleece to carding, spinning, dyeing and weaving. Handcrafted fiber pieces are available for purchase. 

Lawrence Busker Festival May 27-29, Lawrence, KS. 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 29, Union Station (Pershing & Main, Kansas City, MO). The Kansas City Symphony performs a two-hour concert event featuring crowd favorites such as the Overture to Candide, “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Armed Forces Salute” and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with live cannons. The concert culminates with a grand finale when all eyes turn skyward for a stunning display of choreographed fireworks, presented to the beat of patriotic music above the National WWI Museum at Liberty Memorial—Kansas City’s largest fireworks display of the year!