Spring
Fountains, barbecue, baseball and flowers ¦ spring celebrates some of our city’s most beloved icons.
City of Fountains
Kansas Citians know that we are the City of Fountains, but you may not know that our first fountains were not for ornamental purposes. They were rather utilitarian, providing water for horses, dogs and birds. The city’s first fountain, at Fourth & Minnesota, was built for just that purpose. It featured a large pedestal and a granite basin, and the water spewed from the mouths of lions into a taller bowl where people could get clean water as well. Since that time, it is said we have added more fountains than Rome boasts. Find a map to local fountains at KCFountains.com.
Farmers Markets
Kansas City is home to more than 30 farmers markets. They range from small markets selling exclusively organic produce to the City Market in Kansas City, Missouri, with more than 140 local vendors. You can purchase fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, homemade soaps, baked goods and even live animals. If you are new to the world of the farmers market, our simple guide will get you started-check out the Farmers Market Guide on KC Parent.com.
Barbecue
You know it’s spring in Kansas City when the aroma of barbecue fills the air. It’s hard to resist the temptation to pick up ribs at Fareway Meat Market when driving along Ward Parkway (other locations too), or make a weekend stop at one of our favorite barbecue joints. Enjoying barbecue is part of our city’s heritage. In 1908, Kansas City’s “king of barbecue,” Henry Perry, sold a slab of pork ribs for 25 cents in the 18th & Vine neighborhood. Since that time, our city has created an art form, developing the best sauces and smoking the tastiest meats in the United States. According to the Kansas City Barbecue Society, we have more barbecue restaurants per capita than any other city in the nation. Find your guide to the best barbecue in town on KCParent.com.
Baseball
Since 1969, Kansas Citians have been cheering the boys in blue who’ve won two World Series championships. This year, the Royals‘ home opener is April 4. You also can catch a game with the Kansas City Monarchs, part of the American Association of Baseball, now at home in Kansas City, Kansas. The team formerly known as the T-Bones rebranded in a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and now celebrates part of Kansas City’s rich baseball history.
Ride a Roller Coaster
Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, opens for the season on May 4. The theme park is home to eight world-class roller coasters, including one of the tallest, longest and fastest roller coasters in the world. This thriller is the Mamba and boasts a first drop of 205 feet! New last year, the Zambezi Zinger, one of the park’s original rides, made a comeback as a reimagined wooden coaster. The Patriot is a giant coaster with four inversions and carries riders at a top speed of 65 mph. Enjoy a thrill as the entire family rides together on the Spinning Dragons, where the cars freely rotate as they speed along the track. Young children will enjoy Planet Snoopy with great rides for little ones. Worlds of Fun boasts dozens of other thrill rides and attractions for guests of all ages.
Summer
Savor summer in Kansas City with these ideas for enjoying fun in the sun.
Wild Water Fun
Splash into summer fun at Kansas City’s premier outdoor water park. With waves from mild to wild, Oceans of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, offers amazing fun for everyone in the family. Extreme waterslides appeal to thrill-seekers, and kiddos love the pint-sized slides, geysers and fountains at Crocodile Isle. Float along on the Caribbean Cooler lazy river and catch some waves at fan favorite Surf City Wave Pool. One of the newest attractions is Riptide Raceway, the world’s longest mat racing waterslide. From five stories high, racers speed down 486 feet in enclosed, winding tubes and around a 360-degree loop before an epic splashdown finish. Visitors to Oceans of Fun enjoy Worlds of Fun admission for the price of one ticket.
Animal Adventures
The newest attraction at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is the world-class Sobela aquarium with thousands of animals including Tortellini, the sea turtle. You’ll also see sharks, stingrays, octopus, shrimp, lobsters and thousands of fish. During your visit, be sure to ride the African Sky Safari, a ski-lift styled ride above Africa offering great views of the animals. Hop aboard the train, boat and carousel for even more fun. The Elephant Expedition, camel feeding station, Discovery Barn, Australia exhibit, Helzberg Penguin Plaza and Polar Bear Passage are just a few of our favorite attractions at the zoo. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead is another favorite outdoor attraction. The combination petting zoo and farm offers fantastic educational attractions for the family. Pony rides, wagon rides, miniature tractors, an old-fashioned school, mining camp, gardens and farm animals are just part of the fun.
A Stroll Through the Garden
Flowers are blooming! Powell Gardens, the Loose Park Rose Garden, Kauffman Memorial Gardens and the Overland Park Arboretum are just a few of our favorite places to enjoy the blooms. Discover Kansas City’s local nature centers and gardens using our interactive Going Places Guide to Kansas City on KCParent.com.
Summer Festivals
From trendy boutique shopping to old-fashioned county fairs, ethnic festivals with delicious delicacies and local barbecue festivals … the metro area offers something for everyone. Some of our favorites include Celebration at the Station, Great Balloon Glow, Strawberry Festival, Festival of Butterflies, Waterfire, KC Nights at Worlds of Fun, Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, Jazzoo, Independence Day festivals, Missouri State Fair, Ethnic Enrichment Festival and more. Find them all in our Festival Guide on KCParent.com.
Spend a Lazy Day at the Lake
Summertime at the lake-there’s not a more quintessential way to savor the season. Lake Olathe in Kansas is one of our favorite local lakes and boasts a beautiful swim beach and inflatable aqua park. For landlocked Midwesterners, it’s great to have a place where you can build sandcastles, swim with the family and jump into the water from a giant floating playground. Lake Olathe Park visitors can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and pedal boats at the marina. The upper lawn at the lake is surrounded by landscaping and a small stream with a water feature that flows into a waterfall before ending in a pond. A creek leading from the pond wraps around the kid-friendly sprayground before flowing into the lake. Lake Jacomo rents pontoons, paddle boats (including the rubber duck boat), and offers camping and fishing. Search “Beaches and Boating” on KCParent.com for a complete guide to local lakes.
Fall
Fall in love with fall in Kansas City with these traditions the entire family will love!
Apple Picking
Autumn and apples ¦ the two go hand in hand, and this fall you can create family memories as you pick apples at a local orchard. Check out one of our top three favorite Missouri apple orchards: Historic Weston Orchard & Vineyard, the Fun Farm in Kearney and Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins in Belton. The Fun Farm is home to a variety of animals, including miniature horses. Their Keebler Village playground features terrific tree houses kids love to explore, and the farm offers jumping pillows and other attractions to enjoy, including a train ride. Historic Weston Orchard & Vineyard takes families on hayrides and offers jumping pillows, a petting zoo and a variety of fun play spaces and fabulous photo ops. Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins is a beautiful agritourism site with a nice orchard and tons of fun during pumpkin season. Their pig races, goat play yard, petting zoo and variety of play spaces are always favorites with the kids.
Pumpkins
Pumpkin patches in the metro offer many wonderful family attractions. Corn mazes, trains, play spaces, hayrides, corn cribs, carousels, zip lines, rides, concerts, ponies and pumpkins are just a few of the enticements Kansas City’s pumpkin patches have to offer visitors. In addition to the farms listed for apple picking, we also love Carolyn’s Pumpkin Patch in Liberty, Missouri, and Louisburg Cider Mill’s pumpkin patches in Louisburg, Kansas. Carolyn’s is one of the biggest patches in the metro and enjoyed by generations of families. Their famous pumpkin donuts, fabulous petting zoo, jumping pillows, train, pig races, carousel and fall fun play spaces create a carnival atmosphere the entire family loves. Check out the KC Pumpkin Patch Guide on KCParent.com to discover the best patches in town.
Hoots and Howls at the Zoo
We love visiting the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium on a fall day when the air is crisp and the animals are playful. The first four weekends in October at the Kansas City Zoo are filled with zoo spooky fun that includes the annual Hoots and Howls weekend, as well as Boo at the Zoo on Halloween weekend. Come in costume and celebrate with the entire family. Enjoy fall decorations, enrichment for the animals and fun for all. Visit KansasCityZoo.org for information.
Fall Festivals
Autumn means fall festivals in Kansas City. Enjoy food, crafts, rides, barbecue and more. Some of our favorites include Lenexa’s Spinach Festival in Lenexa, Kansas; Missouri Town Living History Museum’s Fall Festival of Arts, Crafts & Music in Lee’s Summit, Missouri; the American Royal World Series of Barbecue in Kansas City, Missouri; Shawnee Town 1929’s Arts & Crafts Fair & Fall Festival in Kansas; Kansas City Zoo Run in Kansas City, Missouri; the Great Pumpkin Fest at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri; the Plaza Art Fair in KCMO; Louisburg Ciderfest in Kansas; Lee’s Summit Oktoberfest; Kaw Valley Farm Tour in Kansas; Weston Applefest in Missouri; Miami County, Kansas, Fall Farm Tour; and the Enchanted Forest at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park in Lenexa, Kansas. Find these and more in our Festival Guide on KCParent.com.
Ride the Rails
Enjoy an autumn-themed train ride with the entire family. On weekends, climb aboard the Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad in Missouri. Call for more information: 816.331.0630.
Winter
Ice-Skating
Enjoy skating at one of Kansas City’s outdoor rinks. The Crown Center Ice Terrace (2425 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., 816.274.8411) is located in the heart of downtown. Enjoy an entire day of shopping and dining there at Crown Center, or treat the kids to Legoland or Sea Life Aquarium. During the holidays, take in the view of the mayor’s Christmas tree lit in holiday splendor. The Rink at Zona Rosa (8731 N. Stoddard Ave., Kansas City, Mo., 816.208.3690) is the Northland’s newest ice rink. Zona Rosa is one of the city’s premier shopping destinations. Additional outdoor rinks: Summit Ice, 120 NE Chipman Rd., Lee’s Summit, Mo., 816.249.2600. Linden Square Ice Rink, 602 NE 70th St., Gladstone, Mo., 816.423.4200. The Ice at Park Place, 11549 Ash St., Leawood, Kan., 913.663.2070. The Rink at T.B. Hanna Station, 214 S. Washington St., Raymore, Mo.
Christmas Lights
Kansas City sparkles in holiday splendor with magnificent displays across the metro. Here are some of our favorites: Enchant Christmas (1800 Village West Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., EnchantChristmas.com) features a giant walk-through holiday light maze and ice-skating trail. The mayor’s Christmas tree at Crown Center Square (2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., CrownCenter.com) towers 100 feet high and is adorned with 7,200 lights. Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake Park (I-470 & View High Drive, Kansas City, Mo., 816.503.4800) features more than 500,000 lights, 175 animated figures and splashes of Christmas color, making an enchanting drive-thru winter wonderland. Legendary Christmas at Legends Outlets Kansas City (1843 Village West Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., LegendsShopping.com) is a unique lighting display on a 45-foot holiday tree created by a world-renowned, technology-driven holiday lights team, all synchronized to music. Winter Magic in North Kansas City is an amazing drive-thru experience along historic Cliff Drive. The Country Club Plaza holiday lights (Info Center: 4745 Central, Kansas City, Mo., CountryClubPlaza.com) enchants with more than 80 miles of illuminated strings of bulbs. Find even more displays using our guide to the Best Christmas Lights in KC on KCParent.com.
Living History
The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm in Olathe, Kansas, is one of our favorite local history sites. The staff and volunteers bring history to life with annual events celebrating Christmas and teaching families how early pioneers survived winter. On snowy days, take a horse-drawn sleigh ride!
Hit the Slopes
Head to Weston, Missouri, for skiing and snowboarding at Snow Creek, a Midwestern ski resort (816.640.2200). Early winter, the facility offers snow skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, as well as lessons for beginners. The most daring experience at Snow Creek is tubing at Tornado Alley. Slide down a 700-foot-long slope and then jump onto a special conveyor carpet “twister” for a ride back up!
Celebrate the Holidays
Kansas City celebrates the holidays in style! Professional live shows, living Nativities, outdoor holiday festivals and local traditions can all be found at kcparent.com/christmas-in-kc.