These are our favorite July festivals. Read our complete Summer Festival Guide and Fourth of July Fun Guide.
Booms and Blooms July 1, Powell Gardens, PowellGardens.org. Celebrate our nation’s independence with explosions of color and texture on land and in the air at this annual event. Arrive early to stake out a seat with your picnic blanket, enjoy hands-on activities and admire our ground-level blooms in the daylight. After sunset, the Lee’s Summit Symphony will accompany the choreographed blooms in the sky. Food and beverage vendors are featured throughout the festival’s entirety. Members receive free admission and free parking!
Flags 4 Freedom July 1-8, Merriam Marketplace, Merriam.org. Each year, Downtown Merriam and the surrounding area transform with patriotic pride. Flags 4 Freedom organizers place perfect rows of more than 1,500 U.S. flags at the Merriam Marketplace, Irene B. French Community Center and along Merriam and Johnson drives. Everyone is invited to stop by during the week around the Fourth of July to view an astonishing display that honors our nation.
Cass County Fair July 11-16, Cass County Fair, CassCountyFairMo.com. The Cass County Fair continues to grow and attract bigger crowds for such events as the motocross, concerts, demolition derby, live entertainment, tractor pull, rodeo and carnival.
Wyandotte County Fair July 11-15, Wyandotte County Fairgrounds, WyCoFair.com. Old-fashioned county fair with games, rides, carnival, demolition derby, food, 4-H events, petting zoo, pony rides, music and more!
Platte County Fair July 19-22, Platte County Fairgrounds, PlatteCountyFair.com. Old-fashioned county fair with games, rides, carnival, food, music and more! The fair has been an annual event in the community since 1863 and is recorded as being the oldest continuously operating fair west of the Mississippi River. The fair draws participants and spectators from a 100-mile radius, and in some cases from even further.
Miami County Fair July 22-29, Paola, MiamiCountyKansasFair.com. Youth rodeo, carnival, races, parade, demolition derby, bike derby, dog show, horse show, pancake breakfast, concerts and more.
Kansas City's Big Picnic July 23 on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Nelson-Atkins.org. Celebrate National Park and Recreation month and KC Parks’ 125th anniversary as we join with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to host the biggest picnic the region has ever seen! The Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park and Theis Park will be linked to become a giant space for Kansas City to come together for an evening of fun. Pack your own picnic or grab dinner from an on-site food truck! Rain or shine; no grills, no stakes, no tenting.
Douglas County Fair July 24-30, Lawrence, DGCountyFair.com. Petting zoo, pony rides, demolition derby, tractor show, live concerts, turtle races, carnival, tractor pull and more.