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Shop Local KC
I’m always looking for fun new places to visit, so I asked people to send me their favorite local Kansas City establishments. The results came in with a mix of places I know and love-as well as several places I haven’t visited yet! In no particular order, here is a list of unique, local Kansas City places to shop.
Hammerpress Design
This is a store of which I’ve heard but never actually visited. After browsing their website, I’m definitely going to have to go! They have a variety of letterpress items (which I love), including cards, calendars, stationery, etc. They even do custom printing. I love sending notes through the mail, so I want to go check out their note cards in person.
BOZZ PRINTS
Bozz Prints, featured on the cover of KC Going Places, uses inspiration from Kansas City landmarks to design prints, tshirts, posters, magnets, and mugs. Buy yours at BozzPrints.com.
5B & Co. Candles
5B&Co. is one of my favorite candle places in KC. I used to love going every time we visited Weston. Now they are in Brookside! The votives are a perfect little size (I love using them in my office), and the scents are awesome. My go-to fragrances are the burnt sugar, eucalyptus mint, fresh cut grass and peony. The seasonal scents are worth a special trip-I love their smells of fall and Christmas!
Indigo Wild Factory
Indigo Wild is the home of Zum soaps (and other fun products). While you can find Zum soaps at Hy-Vee and other local stores, I love to go straight to the source: the factory! They have a huge selection of soaps, as well as all their other products in stock (laundry detergents, face products, animal shampoo, etc.). Bargain-hunters enjoy the bin full of “misfit” soaps on discount, and some sort of sale on seasonal items usually is going on. As a warning, some peoples’ noses can’t handle the factory’s extremely strong smell! Every time we go, my husband waits for me in the car because it makes his nose run like crazy.
Charlie Hustle
Most folks probably have seen these shirts by now, and they’re made by a cool local company. One of my survey respondents nominated Charlie Hustle, and I definitely agree that it’s a great place to check out. Their shirts are fun-with a KC twist-and they’re super comfortable. Keep an eye out for their warehouse sale (I think it’s once a year). We went in 2016 and all shirts were $5! They also had hats for sale. Even Truman ended up with his own stash of Charlie Hustle. At that price, who can resist?
Savory Spice Shop
Savory Spice Shop is in Brookside, and I just recently discovered it. A friend and I took a Valentine’s truffle class and had so much fun! They offer a lot of interesting, reasonably priced classes throughout the year. Our truffle class was only $10, and we made and took home a bunch of fun, delectable chocolates.
The store is full of intriguing spices and seasonings. Making purchase selections from such an array was a challenge! I ended up buying a Greek seasoning, a citrus herb seasoning and a really awesome hickory smoked black sea salt. It is amazing-I just used it on homemade pizzas last week.
Browsing this shop for fun new spices is a blast-plus it’s a great place to find unique gifts!
Made in Kansas City
The Made in Kansas City store is another reader suggestion, with both physical locations and also a great online store. They curate all sorts of fun things made by local KC merchants in one place. I found a huge variety of fun items when I was looking around on their site.
Andrea Plunkett Ishmael is a lifelong Kansas City native with a passion for shopping local.
Kansas City By the Numbers
50 Fun Ways to enjoy summer in Kansas City
Make the most of your summer in Kansas City with these favorite local experiences:
- Get an amazing view of the city from the River Observation Tower as you gaze out over the vast Missouri River.
- Root for the Kansas City Royals and enjoy Friday night fireworks.
- Visit the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial and grab a free Family Guide at the entrance with a scavenger hunt for the kids. End your trip with photos at the top of the tower.
- Tour the Truman home and visit the Truman Presidential Library in Independence to learn about President Harry S. Truman.
- Ride the KC Streetcar and visit the FREE KC Rail Experience at Union Station, play chess on the roof at the Central Library and taste-test a yummy treat at City Market. TIP: Bring our Streetcar Scavenger Hunt from on your trip!
- Appreciate art at FREE First Fridays in the Crossroads. Boasting restaurants, galleries and live music, the district is one of the best places to enjoy Kansas City’s art scene.
- Spend a day at Crown Center, where children can play in free exhibits, touch sea creatures at Sea Life, explore Legos at Legoland Discovery Center and catch a free film on the lawn on Friday nights in the summer.
- Visit the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, where admission is just $5 each.
- Create a masterpiece at Kaleidoscope, KC’s FREE hands-on art center for children.
- Savor McGonigle’s ribs. Since 1951, the market has been selling some of the tastiest meats in the city. The smoker entices customers in the summer with the promise of juicy ribs and barbecue.
- Take a FREE tour of the Roasterie and learn about coffee.
- Create your own custom donut at Donutology in Westport.
- Cool off at Schlitterbahn Waterpark with a ride through the water coaster and interconnected river of rapids.
- Visit the big cats at Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary.
- Enjoy a free concert in the park. Visit KCParent.com for a complete list on our calendar.
- Spend the night at the Kansas City Zoo, where they offer overnights in the penguin and polar bear exhibits and campouts in Africa.
- Indulge in a hand-crafted soda or snow cone at Little Freshie, where customers revel in flavors like blackberry lavender, strawberry rhubarb and more.
- Explore Downtown Kansas City and take photos featuring public art on display.
- Tour the Harley-Davidson Factory and watch as a motorcycle is assembled from start to finish.
- Marvel at modern art at the Nerman Museum, where admission is free.
- Spend a Saturday in the West Bottoms, a perfect excursion to get creative juices flowing as you explore antique shops, boutiques and retailers in KC’s most eclectic shopping district.
- Head to Moon Marble in Bonner Springs and watch a marble making demonstration.
- Tour Kansas City’s wineries.
- Play at Antioch Park in their Wild West Playground.
- Ride the Mamba at Worlds of Fun and enjoy water rides at Oceans of Fun.
- Take a tour of the more than 200 fountains that grace Kansas City.
- Attend a free family fun night at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop (Thursdays in the summer), where history comes to life.
- Take a class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City.
- Get lost in the new glass labyrinth on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
- Ride the rails with the Belton, Grandview & KC Railroad, the Midland Railway or the KC Northern Railroad. All three offer great train rides on summer weekends.
- Enjoy stargazing at Powell Observatory, home to a 30-inch telescope, the largest available for public viewing in the Midwest.
- Take a tour of the Kansas City, MO, City Hall and go to the roof for amazing views of downtown.
- Learn about the Santa Fe Trail at Cave Springs Nature Center.
- Feed animals at the Native Hoofed Animal Enclosure in Fleming Park.
- Celebrate African-American baseball history at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
- Pick blueberries, strawberries and fresh fruit at Kansas City’s u-pick farms. Visit KCParent.com for a complete guide.
- Take the family to a Kansas City T-Bones game and catch fireworks on Saturdays in the summer.
- Explore one of the area’s quaint shopping districts located on Main Street in KC’s surrounding suburbs and small towns.
- Watch a retro flick on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
- Ride the sky bike, a high-wire bicycle, at Science City and catch a show at the New 4K Gottlieb Planetarium.
- Learn the fine art of butchering at Local Pig, where they offer hands-on classes in everything meat.
- Discover a masterpiece and take a photo with the giant spider at the free Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Watch as homemade potato chips are sliced and fried in the machine at Price Chopper at 151st & Metcalf, then indulge in a bag of your favorite flavor.
- Discover Kansas City’s rich history aboard the trolley.
- Dine al fresco at one of the many restaurants offering patio seating at the Country Club Plaza, Brookside Shopping District, Briarcliff Village, Park Place or Prairiefire.
- Laugh at the live improv comedy at Comedy City.
- Dine with dinosaurs at T-Rex Cafe at the Legends Outlets.
- Rent a pedal boat at Shawnee Mission Lake or Lake Jacomo.
- Take a free trip to the Money Museum and leave with a bag of shredded cash.
- Visit KCParent.com and search our calendar for more ideas all year long!
Dinner & a Show
Enjoy dinner and a live show at one of Kansas City’s premier theaters.
The Coterie is Kansas City’s professional children’s theater, located on the first floor of Crown Center. From April 4 to May 21, watch Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are in a Play.” When “bestus” friends Elephant and Piggie get together, anything is possible! They might get invited to a fancy costume party, learn a crazy new dance or decide to spend the day playing ping-pong in silly hats. From June 13 to Aug. 6, Garfield takes the stage. In this brand new musical adaptation of everyone’s favorite sarcastic tubby tabby, Garfield awakens to find his birthday’the most important day of the year’has fallen on a Monday. The horror! To make matters worse, all his friends’Jon, Odie and Arlene-and even his nemesis, Nermal, have completely forgotten it’s his big day. Crown Center is home to many fantastic restaurants, but all-time faves for the kids will always be Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant, where trains deliver food to your table, d’Bronx, the New York-style delicatessen and pizzeria, and Three Little Pigs Barbeque. This year, Crown Center welcomed the additions of Unforked, a fast casual restaurant serving burgers, tacos and quesadillas made with locally grown ingredients, and Spin! Pizza, a favorite pizza chain.
The Kansas City Repertory Theatre performs on two stages, one on the UMKC campus near the Country Club Plaza, and the other in the Kansas City Power & Light District. Both shopping districts are home to dozens of excellent restaurants appealing to any palate. The KC Rep proudly presents the world premiere of What Would Crazy Horse Do? April 28-May 28, a new play by preeminent Native American writer Larissa FastHorse. Twin siblings, the last members of their tribe, have just lost their grandfather when the KKK comes knocking with hopes of forming an alliance to ensure the continuation of their race. Man in Love, April 29-May 28, is a mystery telling of a string of murders, but no one suspects the killer is the quiet, charming librarian, Paul Pare, Jr. Reactions vary across the city, and as we watch the word spread from person to person, we wonder whether the killer’s violence will extend to those closest to him.
Enjoy the Kansas City Ballet‘s performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Director’s Choice, May 12-21, is a showcase of Kansas City premieres for both new and venerable choreographic masters. Jerome Robbins’ exuberant, jazz-infused Interplay, Val Caniparoli’s suspenseful The Lottery, based on Shirley Jackson’s short story about a small town’s shocking annual ritual, and George Balanchine’s epitome of classical ballet, Theme and Variations, all combine to make for a memorable evening in the theater. The center now offers a dining option in the Founders’ Lounge, featuring a three-course menu with robust selections boasting a variety of fresh, local flavors. Reservations are encouraged for this popular option. Show fans also enjoy nearby restaurants. Los Tules, one of the most authentic and delicious Mexican restaurants in town, is across the street. And for upscale dining, you can enjoy brunch or dinner next door at the elegant Webster House.
Starlight Theatre is Kansas City’s premier outdoor theater. You can dine at the theater before the show or purchase concessions. Summer 2017 brings Disney’s The Little Mermaid (June 3-11), Mamma Mia! (June 23-25), Jersey Boys (June 27-July 2), An American in Paris (July 11-16), Something Rotten! (July 25-30), The Bodyguard The Musical (Aug. 8-13), Kinky Boots (Aug. 18-20), Motown: The Musical (Aug. 22-27) and Grease (Sept. 8-14).
Little ones will delight in Theatre for Young America‘s live plays at Union Station. The upcoming season includes The Velveteen Rabbit, through May 14. This play is a faithful adaptation of the beloved book by Margery Williams. The Realistic Joneses, May 24-June 14, is winner of two Drama Desk Special Awards and is arguably the best work yet from one of America’s wisest, most clever new playwrights of the past decade. The Hare and the Tortoise, June 20-July 8, based on Aesop’s famous fable, is a high-stepping ragtime musical comedy that brings together a sensitive skunk, a spaced-out butterfly, a musical raccoon, an oratorical tortoise and a smarty pants hare for a forest Fourth of July, complete with fireworks, patriotic songs, a magic love potion and a frantic farcical race. Stop in at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a treat before or after the show, or cross the tunnel to the Freighthouse district for lunch at Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue!
Editor’s Letter
Kansas City comprises many neighborhoods. Each part of town has its own style, its own heritage and its signature ambiance. From eclectic West 39th, trendy Leawood and charming Downtown Lee’s Summit, to historic Downtown Overland Park, the reborn treasure of the West Bottoms, classic Midtown with the Plaza and Brookside, and an updated Downtown Kansas City, the metro offers something for everyone. As different as each area is, they all share a common hospitality and friendliness. We hope you experience Kansas City’s signature hospitality as you visit our attractions, restaurants and shops.
This season knows no bounds when it comes to fun opportunities to experience the best of Kansas City. For the daring: Spend a day riding Worlds of Fun’s world-class roller coasters, ziplining through the woods at Go Ape in Swope Park or rock wall climbing at the Cave. For the history buffs, we recommend a festival at Missouri Town 1855 or Shawnee Town 1929, a visit to the Truman Home and Presidential Library and a day at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop. Art lovers will want to plan an entire day at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and then make time for First Fridays in the Crossroads, a stop at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and the Kemper Museum.
Spring and summer also mean the beginning of festival season! My family looks forward to Celebration at the Station, the Festival of Butterflies, the Brookside Art Fair, the Ethnic Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival every year. These are just a few of our best local festivals. With dozens to choose from in every area of town, you’ll find a new festival to discover every weekend.
Another favorite tradition is watching live theater outdoors at our own Starlight Theatre. This summer, my daughters are looking forward to Disney’s The Little Mermaid. We’re also excited for Garfield: The Musical at the Coterie and a chance to visit our favorite Crown Center attractions, including Kaleidoscope, Sea Life, Legoland and the free summer exhibit featuring Thomas the Train.
These are just a few of the things I enjoy about Kansas City. You’ll find many more as you flip through the pages of KC Going Places.
Welcome to Kansas City! We’re happy you’re here and we hope you love it just as much as we do!