Having a great time doesn’t always have to cost top dollar. Check out these free top picks for fun around town!
Date Night.
Nothing sets the mood for a romantic night on the town quite like live music, and the Kansas City Symphony aims to please with its Happy Hour Series. Casual one-hour concerts are held at the exquisite Helzberg Hall throughout the symphony’s annual season. And the best part? They are free! Reservations are required and can be made on the KC Symphony’s website. If you miss the last happy hour concert of the season, rest assured. The Kansas City Symphony offers two free outdoor concerts to bookend the summer season, Celebration at the Station during Memorial Day weekend and Pops in the Park during Labor Day weekend.
Fun with Little Kids.
For more than 36 years, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead has provided little ones the opportunity to see what life on a turn-of-the-century family farm was like. Children delight as they explore an Indian encampment, observe milking in the dairy barn, stroll through Beverly’s Butterfly Garden and take a spin on push-pedal tractors. The farmstead is free to the public Monday through Thursday (admission is $2 on the weekends and holidays), making it a popular outing for many Kansas City families.
Fun with Big Kids.
Your budding young artists can let their imaginations run wild at Kaleidoscope, Kansas City’s premier creativity center. By using recycled materials from Hallmark’s manufacturing processes, children can paint, draw and even make their own puzzles. Tickets are free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. After your session, consider a visit to the Hallmark Visitor’s Center next door, where you’ll receive a brief overview of the history of Hallmark and even make your own gift bow!
Fun for the Whole Family.
Grab the lawn chairs, pack a picnic and get ready for some toe-tappin’ fun! Kansas City and its surrounding areas boast more than a dozen free summer concert series, sure to delight every member of your family. These laid-back musical events are perfect first experiences for young children who may prefer to dance to the music rather than sit still! To find the concert series closest to you, check out KC Parent’s calendar of events.
Girls Night Out.
Kansas City is home to several free art galleries, from the Nelson-Atkins to the Nerman Art Gallery to the Kemper Museum of Modern Art. Call your girlfriends and make plans to visit one (and if checking out the Nelson-Atkins, don’t forget to check out KC Parent’s own scavenger hunt for it). Want to try your hand at a bit of art yourself? Look no further than your local library or community college, where free and low-cost art classes abound!
Lauren Greenlee and her family enjoy all the free fun Kansas City has to offer. She resides in Olathe.