Calendar

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN OCTOBER

October 01

GO: Oktoberfest is October 1-2 at Crown Center. General admission tickets are $10, VIP is $55. Small mugs are $3. All attendees will be required to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test. LET THE GUTEN Tradition and authenticity. ZEITEN ROLL For KC Bier Co., these are the central components of their annual Oktoberfest, which, after a brief hiatus last year, is back with all the schnickschnack that we’ve come to expect.

For a native-born Bavarian, many American Oktoberfests may seem a far cry from the traditional revelry that they’re accustomed to— there are no pee troughs, giant wreaths hung from the rafters or rival beer tents. But KC Bier Co. aims to produce a fest that would make any German transplant feel right at home.

It starts with the beer. Everything at the fest is made only with imported malt and hops and brewed using traditional recipes and techniques. It’s paired with bratwursts, pretzels and schnitzel. You’ll see locals in lederhosen and dirndls.

And just in case the drinking isn’t enough, there are of course games and music, too—look for a hammer-strike (hammerschlagen) and stein-hoisting contest (masskrugstemmen).

There’s a long set of bands like Polka on Steroids and the Bavarski band playing traditional, high-energy German music. “They will have you standing on the tables,” says organizer Cathy Holle. “Just like a true Bavarian Oktoberfest.” —ETHAN EVANS

October

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS MONTH

1Deanna Rose Farmstead October 1-31 Deanna Rose Farmstead in south Overland Park has its own annual Pumpkin Hollow event. There’s a lot of hay to be had: a horse-drawn hayride, a hay pyramid and a hay slide. There’s also a spider web maze, lawn games and pumpkins for sale. Friday, October 1–Sunday, October 31. 10 am–3 pm weekdays, 10 am–4 pm weekends. 13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Ghost Light: A Haunted Night of Songs and Stories from KC’s Cultural Crossroads

October 2

After selling out during its debut season last fall, Ghost Light will be back this year with ten outdoor shows on the South Lawn of the Nelson-Atkins. The hybrid concert and ghost-story performances are quickly becoming a Kansas City annual tradition. This year, Ghost Light will feature Latinx rock ‘n’ rollers Enrique Chi and Juan-Carlos Chaurand of Making Movies. Plus, KCRep is partnering with Lifted Spirits Distillery to offer signature cocktails for the event. Thursday, September 30-Sunday, October 17. 7pm. Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak St., KCMO. $30. kcrep.org.

Blackhawks vs. Blues at Cable Dahmer

October 2

It’s been forty-five years since KC lost its NHL franchise, which moved to Denver and then to New Jersey, where it became the Devils. But we get a little taste at the home of the Mavericks minor league club, as bitter rivals from Chicago and St. Louis face off in an exhibition game on intimate ice in Independence. Saturday, October 2. 7 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena,19100 E. Valley View Parkway, Independence. $50–$175. kcmavericks.com.

Royals vs. Twins

October 3

It’s been a season of disappointment for both the Royals and the Twins, who expected to be contending for the division title in this series and instead look extremely likely to play game one hundred and sixty-two for pride. But if you’ve never been to a season-ender, you should. It tends to have a great atmosphere, as the most loyal of fans gather to celebrate the team and the sport before the winter break. Sunday, October 3. 2:10 pm. Kauffman Stadium.

Pitbull and Iggy Azalea

October 6

For elder millennial clubgoers, this show on the I Feel Good tour is sure to be a therapeutic night. It’s been about a decade since the Miami and Australian pop-rappers were at their peak, but both seem eager to get back on the road. Wednesday, October 6. Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road, KCMO. $40–$150.

Renaissance Festival

Now-October 17

Doth thee liketh turkey forks and elab’rate costumes? Well, thou art in luck. The Renaissance festival in the springs of Bonn’r hast a few Octob’r weekends with jousts, dirt cakes, coney dogs the length of the king’s foot, and daily maypole dances and parades. Weekends through Saturday, October 17, plus Monday, October 11. kcrenfest.com.

Legends of Hip Hop

October 15

There was a time when Bun B had Bobby by the pound, Whitney by the key and DJ Screw by the gallon. It all ended with the passing of his UGK running mate, the sweetest of Joneses. But did it? Game never die, and this tour takes you straight back to that drank-fueled and all-toobrief micro golden era of Gulf Coast hip-hop. If even half the references above made sense to you, don’t miss the chance to see Mystikal, Juvenile, Scarface and Bun B on one bill, on this tour finally rescheduled from its early pandemic cancelation. One day you’re here, baby, and the next day you’re gone. Legends of Hip Hop. Friday, October 15, 8 pm. Municipal Auditorium, 301 W. 13th St., KCMO.

Judas Priest

October 19

After postponing their fiftieth anniversary tour due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Judas Priest is back, sporting most of their definitive lineup (as well as a lot of leather and studs). Tuesday, October 19. 7:30 pm. Cable Dahmer Arena, 19100 E., Valley View Parkway, Independence. $39–$294. cabledahmerarena.com.

Matt Braunger

October 21-23

The actor/comedian will be bringing his situational and, at times, self-deprecating humor to the stage at the Comedy Club of KC. Braunger’s comedic legacy stretches all the way back to his days on Mad TV and, more recently, his Netflix special Big Dumb Animal, where he gives everyone a glimpse of what it’s like to be six-foot-four with an anger problem. As a standup, Braunger likes to draw from his own life, so prepare for tales of hilariously bad decisions and strange experiences. Thursday, October 21–Saturday, October 23. Various times. The Comedy Club of Kansas City, 1130 W. 103rd St., KCMO. $18–$33. thecomedyclubkc.com.

The Music of John Williams, Kansas City Symphony at The Kauffman Center

October 22-24

Looking for a classy date-night excursion? The Kansas City Symphony will be playing the

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Ben Folds with the Kansas City Symphony

October 5 & 6

The standout rock pianoman of his generation will perform both alone and with the Kansas City Symphony on the In Actual Person Live For Real Tour, one of the first large-capacity events at the Kauffman Center since the pandemic began. Folds has long been a great live act. Tuesday, October 5, and Wednesday, October 6, 7 pm. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $70–$160. film scores of John Williams, one of the greatest film composers of all time. Williams is responsible for some of the most popular film scores in cinematic history. He wrote music for Jaws, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, to name a few. Kansas City Symphony will honor the American icon in what promises to be a captivating performance. Friday, October 22–Sunday, October 24. Various times. The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $40–$88. kcsymphony.org.

Walk The Moon

October 25

Cincinnati-based indie band Walk The Moon brings their upbeat tunes to the Truman for their Dream Plane tour. Fans of the alternative group’s ever-socatchy hit single “Shut Up and Dance” can look forward to more of the same with new single “Can You Handle My Love??”, which stays true to the band’s signature energy-filled sound with yet another dance-inducing hit. Monday, October 25. 8 pm. The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road, KCMO. $38–$70. thetrumankc.com.

Shawnee Town 1929’s Historical Hauntings

October 26

Johnson County’s historic village, Shawnee Town, hosts a one-night Halloween party that has many of the same attractions you’ll find at commercial pumpkin patches, but for just one dollar per activity. Saturday, October 26. From 6 pm to 8:30 pm you can trick or treat, take a hayride or enter the costume contests. 11501 W. 57th St., Shawnee.

GHOSTED

The stories behind four Kansas City ghost signs

BY LAUREN FOX

Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company

Corner of N. Sixth Street and

Sandusky Avenue in KCK “Why not Takhoma Biscuit?” asks a ghost sign in Kansas City, Kansas. Why not, indeed. At only five cents a package, it’s a great deal. Large advertisements for the former Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company are painted on the north and south sides of a building in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood now occupied by OG Cutz Barber Shop and Tarahumaras Mexican Restaurant.

Matt Tomasic, owner of the building, says that when he purchased it about twenty years ago, he removed the faux stone facade that had covered the building since the late 1940s. Underneath, he discovered faint outlines of advertisements. Tomasic’s brother, an anthropologist, found images of buildings in Chicago and New York with the exact same advertisements. Tomasic hired a local artist to repaint the ghost sign.

“I love history,” he says. “It’s how it looked a hundred and twenty years ago. It’s supposed to be there.”

According to records from the Kansas City Public Library, Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company was formed in 1902 by John Wiles and John and Jacob Loose, namesakes of Loose Park. The company changed its name to the Sunshine Biscuit Company in 1947. It was later acquired by the Keebler Company.

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Westhaven Hotel

Broadway between W. 75th Street and W. 74th

Terrace in KCMO History has almost faded off the side of a building in Waldo. But in the right light, you can make out the remnants of a sign for Westhaven Hotel, which once occupied the second floor of the building that now houses Waldo Pizza. The Westhaven Hotel opened in 1926, according to local writer LaDene Morton. Morton, author of The Waldo Story: The Home of Friendly Merchants, said the hotel had both permanent and shortterm guests during its existence. It also served as a regular community gathering space. Morton found newspaper notices advertising meetings at the Westhaven Hotel for a local elementary school PTA, a Republican club and a citizens’ group petitioning for the extension of the bus line to 75th and Wornall.

At the end of its run, Westhaven Hotel functioned as long-term, single-occupancy housing. Jim Birt, the former owner of the building, said the space had about two dozen bedrooms and a common space for the residents. The basement was rumored to have been a speakeasy. The Westhaven closed its doors in 1991.

Linden Pharmacy Corner of Westport Road and Bell Street in KCMO

The past meets the present in Midtown. Café Corazón, a coffee shop on Westport Road, kept the ghost sign for Linden Pharmacy on the side of their building while adding a mural that celebrates Latin American culture.

The history of Linden Pharmacy is unknown—some ghost signs remain mysterious. Dan Weindling has owned the building since 1978. When he purchased it, it was a bike shop.

Miel Castagna-Herrera, co-owner of the cafe, said they wanted to add something that would speak to their business: “The idea wasn’t to cover it, but to show new history.”

The ghost sign is white, a stark contrast to the bright colors that represent Latin American culture below it. According to the cafe’s website, artists Rodrigo Alvarez and Isaac Tapia sought to paint a portrait representing the strength of people from different Latin American countries who have found a home in Kansas City. In the new mural, the turquoise foreground on the left is the skyline of Kansas City, with the dark blue skyline of Mexico City behind it. Similarly, the foreground on the right shows the dark blue skyline of Buenos Aires with the turquoise skyline of Asunción behind it. In the middle, Frida Khalo is surrounded by the respective national flowers of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and Mexico.

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Abernathy Furniture Co.

Corner of W. Ninth Street and Wyoming Street in KCMO Kansas City’s West Bottoms is a hot spot for ghost signs. On W. Ninth Street are signs for a company so old it was established while Kansas was still a territory. According to records from the Kansas City Public Library, Abernathy Furniture Company was founded in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1856 and moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1878. Throughout its existence, the company amassed eight buildings that totaled more than 300,000 square feet. Abernathy Furniture Company came to an end in 1950, when it was acquired by another furniture company. The Kansas Museum of History in Topeka has a few pieces of furniture from Abernathy Furniture Company, including an oak sofa bed, maple crib and office chair. Today, “Abernathy” is the name for a new apartment building in the West Bottoms.