Calendar

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN SEPTEMBER

September 10

GO: September 10, 9 am–4 pm. Sar-KoPar Trails Park, 87th Street Parkway & Lackman Road. Free. lenexa.com. LENEXA SPINACH Kansas City market looking for quality spinach” and was so “delighted” to find FESTIVAL Believe it or not, Lenexa was once known as the Spinthe quality product available in Lenexa that he bought as much as they could grow, rebounding their economy. ach Capital of the Popeye and Olive Oyl make an apWorld. Today, Popeye would surely be disap- pearance, dressing the World’s Largest pointed—unless he happened to sail in during Spinach Salad, served in a bowl “the the city’s annual celebration of its history. size of a kid’s swimming pool.” Festival-

Lenexa earned the label “thanks to a real- goers compete in spinach recipe comly amazing crop of spinach during the Great petitions, with dessert inviting some Depression during the times of drought,” ac- particularly innovative creations. Rock cording to Susanne Neely, the face behind skipping, balloon artists, pedicabs and the festival for the past ten years. Legend face painting provide a classic fall feshas it a “buyer from Chicago came to the tival atmosphere. —LIZ SCHROEDER

MORE FESTIVALS Scan for a full list of local fall festivals.

September

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THIS MONTH

“Weird Al” Yankovic

September 2, 7:30 pm

Best known for his outlandish parody songs, Weird Al’s The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour seems right on brand. However, the extensive North American tour will be a scaled-down version of what he is best known for, with limited production and no costumes, props or video screens in smaller, more intimate theaters, and his setlist will be composed “almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs.” Both fans and haters should be curious to see what this departure will be like. September 2, 7:30 pm. Kauffman Center.

Bar K 5K

September 3

The premiere dog-friendly 5K in the country is back this fall. Run with your dog or alongside the dogs of others through Berkley Riverfront Park and along the Riverfront Heritage Trail. The race starts early and ends at the Bar K Afterparty in their twoacre dog park. Competitive runners, novices, walkers and poodles are welcome. September 3. Berkley Riverfront Park. $40 registration.

Twelfth Night

September 6–25

The KC Rep’s season is kicking off with Shakespearean comedy Twelfth Night, a tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Nelson T. Eusebio III, this contemporary twist on a beloved classic features original music composed just for the production. September 6–25. Spencer Theatre.

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KC Symphony: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert

September 7–11

The magic of Harry Potter’s sixth year comes to life at the KC Symphony with big-screen showings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince accompanied by the transformative music of our very own world-class symphony orchestra. And who knows? Before you can say Felix Felicis, you might realize the music was the best part all along. September 7–11. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Luke Bryan

September 8, 7 pm

Country superstar and American Idol judge Luke Bryan has been making music for twenty years, songwriting and singing country hits revolving around beautiful women and equally beautiful pickup trucks. Country girls, get ready to shake it for him. September 8, 7 pm. T-Mobile Center.

Twenty One Pilots

September 9, 8 pm

Columbus, Ohio, “rap rock” duo Twenty One Pilots has been cranking out drum-heavy melodic radio hits for the past decade. Don’t get “Stressed Out”—there are still tickets available for their nationwide The Icy Tour. September 9, 8 pm. T-Mobile Center.

Hanson

September 10, 8 pm

One of the most iconic boy bands of the nineties, brothers with long blonde hair and nearly identical baby faces, Hanson has been riding the “MMMBop” gravy train for decades. Now, they’ve founded The Hanson Brothers Beer Co. in their native town of Tulsa and occasionally go on tour to inspire a new generation of boy-now-men band fans. September 10, 8 pm. Uptown.

Chiefs vs. Cardinals

September 11, 3:25 pm

The first game of the season for the Chiefs finds them facing the NFL’s oldest and most cursed team, the Arizona Cardinals, another squad with an MVP-caliber QB that had its playoff hopes crushed earlier than

anticipated last year. Patrick Mahomes visits Kyler Murray in Glendale for this anticipated matchup. If you want a game-day atmosphere, head down to the Power and Light district, where the game will be broadcast on the largest big screen in the city. September 11, 3:25 pm. KC Live! at Power and Light. Free, all-ages.

Bill Maher

September 11, 7:30 pm

Hate him or tolerate him, political commentator and satirist Bill Maher has been making jokes and thrusting his political opinions on anyone willing or unwilling to listen for decades. September 11, 7:30 pm. Uptown Theater.

Panic! at the Disco

September 13, 7 pm

Originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas who skyrocketed to fame with edgy lyrics and catchy melodies in the wave of the mid-2000s punk boy-band fame alongside groups like Fallout Boy, Panic! at the Disco is now only lead singer Brendon Urie. Although the band has changed, Urie is still churning out nostalgic, angsty tunes. September 13, 7 pm. T-Mobile Center.

The National

September 13, 8 pm

Formed in Cincinnati in 1999, Brooklyn-based The National has been a staple in the moody rock scene ever since. Lead singer Matt Berninger’s croony, indifferent vocals alongside melodic guitar riffs will make you bob your head in rhythm or wonder if you need to up your Zoloft prescription. September 13, 8 pm. Grinders.

Mother/son

September 15

The Melting Pot Theatre begins its season with Mother/son, written by KC native Lewis Morrow and directed by Nicole Hodges Persley. Set in the midst of the Covid pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s a dark comedy-drama about a mixed-race man and his white mother who’s in denial about her own racism and addiction. September 15–17 and 21–24, 7:30 pm. September 18, 2 pm. Melting Pot Theatre.

New Dance Partners

September 16–17, 8 pm

The ninth annual festival of contemporary and modern dance is back. Each night features performances by four local dance companies: Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Störling Dance Theatre and the Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. The “ultimate dance collaboration” brings four choreographers to Kansas City to create original works each year. September 16–17, 8 pm. Yardley Hall in the Midwest Trust Center.

Collect-A-Con

September 17–18

Did you ever think you would see Vanilla Ice and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the same stage again? We did not see that coming, but it only makes Collect-A-Con that much more exciting. This convention offers a space for people to nerd out over their favorite things and claims to be the nation’s largest trading card, anime and pop culture convention. September 17–18, 10 am–6 pm. Kansas City Convention Center.

Tour de Bier

September 18

BikeWalkKC and Head for the Cure are teaming up for a day of cycling, beer and philanthropy. The social bike ride around Kansas City’s craft breweries and

Jimmy Eat World

September 14

A recent headline from The Hard Times, a punk rock version of The Onion satirical newspaper, read: “Jimmy Eat World Issues Formal Apology for Telling Us Everything Everything Would Be Just Fine.” That is very funny and also a little painful. Immerse yourself in poppy early noughties emo and forget everything after the summer of 2001 at this show. Or you can buy in on their comeback single, “Something Loud,” which has renewed their relevance by racking up more than a million Spotify plays. September 14. Uptown Theater.

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historic neighborhoods doubles as a fundraiser for safer streets and local brain tumor research. September 18. Berkley Riverfront Park and Riverfront Heritage Trail. $65 registration. bikewalkkc.org/tourdebier.

Carmen

September 24–30

Even after a century and a half, Carmen is still that femme fatale. The popular opera tells the story of an ill-fated romance, touching on themes of jealousy, obsession and bullfighting. Performed in the original French with English subtitles. September 24–30, 7:30 pm. Muriel Kauffman Theater.

American Royal World Series of BBQ

September 28

How many barbecue contests are there in the world? We don’t need to count—the American Royal’s World Series of Barbecue is the biggest. A longstanding Kansas City tradition, the World Series brings global competitors together with a backdrop of live music, kid-friendly fun, and of course, delicious barbecue at the Kansas Speedway. September 28–October 2. Kansas Speedway. americanroyal.com/bbq.

Holiday Mart

September 29

Kick off the Christmas shopping season at the largest non-profit shopping event in the city. The Junior League of Kansas City’s annual holiday mart is in its thirty-fifth year and will have a large lineup of retailers ranging from Kendra Scott to Messner Bee Farm. September 29–Sunday, October 2. Times vary. Kansas City Convention Center.

Living in Vitality Conference

September 30

Now in its twenty-fifth year, Advent Health’s annual conference aims to help attendees have a healthier mind, body and spirit. This year’s breakout sessions include presentations on how big tech hijacks our attention (and how to fight back), the effect that stress has on the microbes in our gut and how to make the most of big transitions in your life. September 30. 8 am–4 pm. Overland Park Convention Center.