Kansas City Magazine_Sept2025

OUR MISSION

We love Kansas City like family. We know what makes it great, we know how it struggles, and we know its secrets. Through great storytelling, photography and design, we help our readers celebrate our city’s triumphs, tend to its faults and revel in the things that make it unique.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dawnya Bartsch

GENERAL MANAGER, BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Alex Healey

ART DIRECTOR

Kevin Goodbar

FOOD EDITOR

Tyler Shane

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Nina Cherry

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Alex Kerr

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Dominique Parsow

ADVERTISING SALES

Angie Henshaw and Bob Ulmer

COPY EDITOR

Kelsie Schrader

WEB COORDINATOR

Madison Russell

Prairie Village 3975 W 83rd St, 66208 Leawood 13420 Roe Ave, 66209

Overland Park 7575 W 150th St, 66223 6904 W 135th St, 66223

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Tierney Flavin, Olivia Mahl and Alex Zoellner

DESIGN INTERN

Andrew Mason

WRITERS

Ann Butenas, Nina Cherry, Tierney Flavin, Nicole Kinning, Olivia Mahl, John Martellaro, Ryan Reed, Ian Ritter, Tyler Shane, Hampton Stevens and Alex Zoellner

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jacob Angier, Zach Bauman, Lane Miller, Laura Morsman, Pilsen Photo Coop, Kelly Powell, Brian Rice and Ian Simmons

SUBSCRIPTIONS kansascitymag.com/subscribe or call (913) 469-6700 Scan here to subscribe to our newsletter and magazine.

Kansas City magazine is published monthly by KC Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Kansas City magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Kansas City magazine adheres to American Society of Magazine Editors guidelines, which requires a clear distinction between editorial content and paid advertising or marketing messages.

INQUIRIES

KC Publishing, LLC 605 W. 47th St., Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64112 (913) 469-6700

As autumn blankets the Ozark hills, Silver Dollar City comes to life with pure old-fashioned fun at America’s #1 Theme Park! By day see visiting craftsmen and cowboys during Harvest Festival presented by Humana, and by night be wowed by thousands of illuminated pumpkins and larger-than-life masterpieces for Pumpkins In The City® presented by Mercy. Plus, thrilling rides, concerts and late-night fun September 12 - October 26...make plans to visit today!

A City on Fire

KANSAS CITY IS on fire, and it has been for a while now. I mean that in the best of ways. That’s why we thought our cover model, Martika Daniels, and her one-woman stunt show was a great way to encapsulate the unique, diverse and experimental world that is the KC metro. It’s a city full of creatives just doing their thing and living their life the best way they see fit. This is something to celebrate.

Not only is the culinary scene popping and the city’s art and design world thriving, but our sports landscape is ever-expanding. Whether it’s the new Laotian noodle house, the group of Current players and their growing coffee business, or the resurrection of one of the metro’s largest music festivals after more than a two-decade hiatus, there’s proof that the city’s creative minds keep showing up. And here at Kansas City magazine, we get the honor of showcasing them all.

Gathering and curating the events and shows for this year’s Fall Arts Preview was a pleasant reminder of how much is going on in the metro after the lazy lull of summer. There will be a lot more than just football to watch (and that’s not to disparage football—l love to watch a good football game).

Dawnya Bartsch, Editor-In-Chief dawnya@kansascitymag.com

Ann Butenas Writer

Writer Ann Butenas, who has been writing for more than three decades, wrote this issue’s home feature focusing on the Chris George family’s building legacy. She is the author of Koraspondence: Living Life to the Letter, inspired by her late grandmother who lived to be nearly 108.

Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden Photographers

Pilsen Photo Coop is a collaboration between photographers Rebecca Norden and Caleb Condit. For this issue, the Kansas City duo shot fire dancer Martika Daniels for the cover. Their work has appeared in various publications, including National Geographic, People, Rolling Stone and Esquire.

Laura Morsman

Photographer and Kansas City native Laura Morsman took photos for this issue’s story about local vintage rug and repair shop Aladdin Oriental Rug Gallery. Morsman has been an editorial photographer for more than a decade, working in both Austin, Texas, and Kansas City. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Cosmopolitan and People

Photographer

Publishing, LLC 605 W. 47th St., Suite 200

City, MO 64112 (913) 469-6700

Bar K Closes

Our online story about the closure of the beloved dog-centric Bar K, which not only had a large enclosed dog park but also included a restaurant and bar, elicited a lot of sad responses. Located just north of the River Market, Bar K was a hot spot for dog owners looking to let their pups run offleash while enjoying some food and drink.

So heartbreaking. So many good memories here. Wonder what they’ll do with the art tiles on the stage, two of my dogs are on there.

–Taryn Song

So sad but we’ll have to find new community events to make connections and promote pet adoptions. So many memories made here.

–Nicole Froning

Devastated. We loved taking our doodles there.

–Lindsay Walje

My pugs are pissed off. We’re trespassing. Who is with me?

–Tombiosawyer

Bon Voyage

A big thanks to our crew of summer interns. Pictured from left to right, back row: Alex Zoellner, James Vander Ark, Olvia Mahl and Andrew Mason. Front row: Tierney Flavin, Kyanne Carlgren, Emily Diester and Talli Cannon. Not pictured: Shelly Martin, Lindsey Ortiz and Zack Solem

Numbers From This Issue

99

The number of locals the traveling Broadway show Beauty and the Beast will hire to help present the show. Page 54

10

The age of the Kansas City Ballet’s Nutcracker costumes. Page 48

1975

The year Aladdin Oriental Rug Company opened in Westport. Page 30

Behind the Scenes

Photographers Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden of Pilsen Photo Co-op at this issue’s cover shoot.

Shout Out

We want to say a big thank you to summer marketing intern James Vander Ark for always going above and beyond. His last hoorah was making sure a not-so-fun hefty mailing project got out the door.

STORIES THAT INSPIRE

What is it about a great story that draws us in? There’s something in all of us that is captivated by masterful storytelling. It’s why we love books, movies, and entertainment. Stories help us find our way because we see ourselves reflected in the characters; finding hope in their triumphs and inspiration in their brokenness. Today, we have access to stories like never before. It’s easy to reach for devices that seem to have “all the answers” while our Bibles sit collecting dust. So how do we ignite a passion for God’s Word amid this struggle for our attention?

Sight & Sound’s founder sought to answer that question when he turned his gift of storytelling into a family business — growing from humble beginnings as a dairy farmer to producing live stage shows with a ministry focus. He was passionate about using stories, just like Jesus used parables, to help people understand scripture. What began as a traveling slide show has since grown into two live theater locations, an online streaming platform, and a feature film studio, reaching audiences around the world with stories from the pages of scripture and history.

There’s a reason the Bible is the bestselling book of all time—God is the Master Storyteller, and the Bible is His master script. For nearly 50 years, Sight & Sound Theatres ® has brought the Bible to life on stage because we believe in the power of these stories and the way they’ve been transforming peoples’ lives for thousands of years. We can’t take credit for them but do get to tell them in a new way! And this year, we’re debuting one of the Bible’s most legendary stories on our Branson stage…

Filled with towering giants, wild animals, and Philistine soldiers, DAVID is an action-packed adventure at every turn. From sets that soar three-stories high to a flock of animals grazing the aisles and a universe of Psalms brought to life on a state-of-the-art LED screen, this is not your average theatrical experience. But beyond the spectacle of the production, it is our hope that the message of the story shines brightest from the stage—throughout our victories and defeats, God is with us always.

DAVID is now playing live on stage in Branson, MO. Book your tickets direct at sight-sound.com.

Name That Turtle

A rare Kemp’s ridley turtle now calls Crown Center’s Sea Life aquarium home, but it needs a name

By Dawnya Bartsch (Continued

on next page)

ONE OF THE rarest sea turtles in the world has called Missouri home for about a month now, but it still doesn’t have a name.

After several years spent convalescing at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, it was determined that the rescued Kemp’s ridley sea turtle would not be able to return to the wild and would need a permanent home. Enter Sea Life Kansas City. Making the more than 1,000-mile trek from the East Coast via Turtles Fly Too, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the transport of endangered species, especially sea turtles, the endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle landed in Missouri to much fanfare, even making the local TV news. Although there are other rescued sea turtles at Sea Life and around the state, this is the only Kemp’s ridley sea turtle in Missouri. The yet-to-be-named Kemp’s ridley joins two other rescued green sea turtles, Gertrude and Lou, at the Crown Center aquarium.

“We’re really excited about her and the journey she took to get here,” says Kayla Leyden, a Sea Life curator. “There will be many memories created with the Kemp’s ridley here, and we want the community to be involved in picking her name.”

It’s estimated that there are only between 8,000 to 10,000 Kemp’s ridley turtles left in the world. They are not only the most vulnerable species of sea turtle but also the smallest. At maturity, they only reach between 80 to 100 pounds. Kemp’s ridley’s habitats are also limited to various spots in the Gulf of Mexico and along the East Coast.

This tiny species is also known for its unusual and dramatic nesting habits. During their nesting season, hundreds of females are seen arriving on sandy shores and laying their eggs in broad daylight. From April to July, females will do this up to three times, burying approximately 100 eggs each time. After about two months, hatchlings emerge from their holes and head straight to the ocean.

Sea Life’s Kemp’s ridley was rescued off the coast of Virginia Beach in 2023 after accidentally being caught on a fishing hook. An X-ray showed the sea turtle had swallowed a hook and needed a dehooking procedure. After surgery, the turtle needed time to recover and was transferred to the National Aquarium for long-term rehabilitation. There, it was discovered that the turtle also suffers from arthritis in its front flippers, making it unable to ever survive in the wild. But Sea Life officials promise the juvenile turtle, who will be feasting mostly on blue crab, will have a long and healthy life here in the heart of America.

“We are excited to be sharing [the Kemp’s ridley’s] story with our Sea Life visitors,” says Leyden, who, like the turtle, is originally from Virginia and has been working at Sea Life for three years. The rescue turtles’ roles are to open the world of ocean conservation to Sea Life visitors, Leyden says.

↓ WHAT’S IN A NAME

To learn more about about how you can suggest a name for the Kemp’s ridley turtle, check out Sea Life’s Facebook page, @SEALIFEKansasCity.

While Gertrude, who has been at the aquarium since 2013 and was Sea Life’s first rescue, and Lou, who began calling the Aquarium home in 2018, reside in the big tank, the Kemp’s ridley will stay in a smaller sanctuary tank for now.

Left to right: Chuck Yanke, lead pilot for Turtles Fly Too; Kayla Leyden, curator at Sea Life Kansas City; Kira Canter, assistant rehabilitation biologist, National Aquarium; Jenn Riling, rehabilitation biologist, National Aquarium

Barge Push Is

the Big Muddy a supply chain solution?

By Ian Ritter

PORT KC IS pushing for more river commerce as a lower-cost supply chain alternative to backed-up coastal train yards and snarled highways. They also see it as a possible moneymaker for the area.

Barges loaded with goods aren’t something you see floating along the Big Muddy through downtown KCMO very often, but barge transportation of goods up and down the Missouri isn’t unheard of or even a new thing. When The Dammed Missouri Valley by Richard Baumhoff, a book about the Missouri River Valley and its dams, was published in the mid-1950s, 3,000 tons of steel were shipped monthly on the river between Omaha, Nebraska and the Ruhr Valley of Germany by way of New Orleans. Despite that guaranteed waterway, though, Kansas City isn’t a river-commerce leader. The U.S. Department of Transportation ranked it 149th out of 150 domestic ports for total tonnage hauled in a January report. But if Port KC gets its way, that tonnage is poised to grow.

The Missouri River Terminal project is a push by Port KC officials to take advantage of what they say is a lower-cost and more environmentally friendly shipping alternative for companies that might want to circumvent future rips in the supply chain, like the one that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The MRT project is planned on 415 acres of Portowned land, where the Big Muddy passes the mouth of Blue River. There is already $30 million in dedicated state funding for the site. Richard Grenville, a maritime veteran brought on by the Port in 2012 to spearhead the MRT’s long-term development, said in an interview before his November retirement that the MRT is a multi-generational project.

During Grenville’s Port KC tenure, he worked on raising the profile of the Michael L. Parson Port Terminal, which handles the area’s current barge commerce on nine acres in KCMO’s West Bottoms neighborhood. Port officials claim that waterborne transport on a barge—a shipping equivalent of 16 railroad cars or 70 truck trailers—saves companies $10 to $12 per ton if they can wait five days to get a product to New Orleans.

The Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act was introduced by Sam Graves, the 13-term U.S. Congressman from Missouri’s Sixth District, and was signed into law by Joe Biden right before he left office. Although the act was first introduced in 1968, it is renewed by Congress every few years. It allocates funds for individual Army Corps projects as well as the National Dam Safety Program, which funds upkeep of states’ dams.

In an email, Graves, who is the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, wrote: “This WRDA bill continues to make small but meaningful changes to the policies that dictate how the Missouri River is managed to ensure flood control and navigation are the top priorities on the river. We’ve made a lot of progress on that front over the last several years and as long as we continue in the right direction, I think we’re going to see continued growth in commercial navigation in Kansas City and up and down the Missouri River.”

IAN RITTER, who wrote last month’s cover feature on the Missouri River, continues to cover all things Big Muddy for the magazine. Send Ritter a tip at river@ kansascitymag.com.

SAINT ROBERT, MO Route 66

MOTHER NATURE’S HAPPY PLACE

Skip the interstate and take a trip down Route 66 in Pulaski County, MO! Our 33-mile stretch of classic Americana and breathtaking scenery is filled with historic encounters, dozens of shops, selfie ops, and can’t-miss stops like the brand-new Route 66 Neon Park. This open-air museum features restored neon signs from the early days of Route 66. Discover unforgettable experiences only the Mother Road and Mother Nature can deliver.

Come Say “Hi” to Our Favorite Moms. Plan your trip at pulaskicountyusa.com.

Cider Season

By Nina Cherry

AFTER AN INTENSELY hot and humid Midwestern summer, the relief of fall is finally here—along with the heartland’s beloved seasonal staples: pumpkin spice everything, chili (maybe with a controversial cinnamon roll on the side) and, of course, apple cider.

For decades, Louisburg Cider Mill has been the region’s go-to source for the sweet, spiced fall beverage found on grocery shelves and restaurant menus across KC.

Later this month, the cider mill’s annual Louisburg Ciderfest returns for its 47th year. Less than an hour drive south of the city, the free festival spans two weekends—September 27–28 and October 4–5—and offers a full dose of old-fashioned farm fun.

GO: Louisburg Ciderfest. September 27–28 & October 4–5.

Doors open at 8 am daily.

Grab a bag of warm, cinnamon sugar-dusted apple cider donuts and sip hot or cold cider straight from the source. Snack on freshly popped kettle corn and smoked turkey legs while watching thousands of pounds of apples make their way through the press. Beyond cider, the festival features a steady lineup of local bluegrass artists performing just outside the Country Store, as well as open-air craft booths and children’s activities like pony rides and face painting.

Louisburg Cider Mill.

Buy the Ticket, Ride the Ride

Martika Daniels eats fire and swallows swords to get you motivated

By Ryan Reed

YOU WOULDN’T THINK that walking on glass, swallowing swords and playing with fire are motivational acts, but when Martika Daniels talks about how she used these skills to deal with depression and anxiety, it seems pretty clear. “The simplest task can seem so hard when you are in a bad bout of depression,” Daniels says, “but I would tell myself, ‘You know, if I can learn to walk on glass, what’s stopping me from doing this?’ I would use that as a catalyst to help me break through some of my darkest moments.”

Daniels started her journey to become the “One Woman Stunt Show” as a child living in Germany for four years during her father’s Air Force posting. When they were able, he would take them around Europe, and in Rome, at the Colosseum, she encountered her first buskers. There, she watched someone juggling fire, and the image and feeling it invoked left a mark. Although she adored the circus in books and film, it wouldn’t be until later that she bought a hula hoop and took her first step into that world.

Now, Daniels travels internationally, bringing her show everywhere from county fairs and renaissance festivals to corporate retreats and libraries. Unlike a traditional “trickster” entertaining the audience with spectacular feats, Daniels aims for her performances to be more of a conversation with the audience—a back-and-forth where they are left with an experience instead of just being entertained. She entwines her motivational speaking with daring acts: swallowing long swords, eating fire, popping balloons with a barbed-wire hula hoop, laying on a bed of nails, walking on broken glass and hammering nails into her nose.

Learning to swallow a sword is one of the more difficult feats Daniels has mastered. You have to condition your body, week after week, or you will be forced to relearn the whole process. “It took me several months to really perfect the skill,” she says. “It is very much a mind over matter kind of thing. When you put a sword in your throat, every part of your body, every cell in your body screams don’t do this thing. You have to really fight every part of yourself to be able to do it and to make it look good.”

In a world where the fantastic and spectacular are just a social media scroll away, Daniels says there’s nothing like sharing the experience in person as someone eats and breathes fire. Many spectators have seen things like sword-swallowing online, but sharing the spectacle in person and in a crowd brings a sense of community and an intimacy that is lacking on little screens. “It’s different when it’s happening right in front of you,” Daniels says. “The sound of the glass as you walk on it while everyone is quiet, the experience of watching someone swallow a sword—it’s kind of gross. When the sword enters the stomach, it releases air. Some people say it sounds like burping or almost gagging. It is very alive.”

Daniels’ mixture of entertainment, astonishment and motivation is a unique one, which is why she is travelling across the country this fall to shows in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Arkansas and Florida. You can experience her show this October at Carved Experience just north of Kansas City in Richmond, Missouri. For more details, including information about her book, The Amazing Martika, visit themartikashow.com and her Instagram @themartikashow.

Pour for More

J. Rieger distillery, Pour for More raised $55,000 for KidsTLC, an organization that provides mental and behavioral support for kids and families. Along with interactive games and an auction, creative cocktails, mocktails and food were served at the charity brunch. The nonprofit was founded in 1972 by the Johnson County Young Matrons to fund emergency shelkidstlc.com to learn more.

We want to hear from you. Tell us about events happening in the community. –Dawnya Bartsch, Editor-In-Chief editor@kansascitymag.com.

Left to right: Dan Brown, Nicholas Bosonetto, Aaron Young and Todd LaTorella

Left to right: Brian King, Rachel Sexton, Tom Cameron and Ann Marie Belcore

Left to right: KidsTLC Chief Development Officer Rojanae Williams and Laura Hennessy

Left to right: KidsTLC boardmember Maggie Kolb and Maureen Kelts

Left to right: Chris and Stephanie Hann

Left to right: KidsTLC President and CEO Erin Dugan and Theodis Watson

Cultural Comeback

After

more than 20 years, the

Kansas City Monarchs are reviving the historic KC Blues and Jazz Festival

By Nina Cherry

THE KANSAS CITY Blues and Jazz Festival was once one of the city’s largest events. At its peak, around 50,000 attendees descended on the Liberty Memorial’s grounds each year to listen to music.

Mike Hannah, director of special events for the Kansas City Monarchs baseball team, recalls attending the festival multiple times throughout its 11-year run. “I always remember it being the seminal event that captured the spirit of the Kansas City community in many different ways,” Hannah says.

Now, the Kansas City Monarchs are reviving the KC Blues and Jazz Festival this fall at Legends Field. “It’s such an important, missing part of the culture that we’re trying to revitalize and bring back,” Hannah says.

Launched in 1991, the festival was originally hosted by the Kansas City Blues Society and booked by Roger Naber, the owner of

“We want to represent that melting pot between blues and jazz that created the Kansas City sound.”

Midtown’s now-defunct Grand Emporium. Showcasing KC’s finest popular headliners, including old-guard musicians like Jay McShann and Claude “Fiddler” Williams—local legends who dominated the scene during its Swing-era heyday—and contemporary guitarist Pat Metheny.

But due to financial hardship, the festival disbanded in 2001.

The event’s renaissance is part of a larger effort by the minor league team’s owner, Mark Brandmeyer, to bring community events (beyond baseball) to KCK’s Legends Field. Recently, the stadium underwent a major renovation and installed an artificial turf field. Now, large-scale events can be hosted without damaging a natural grass field.

“We love having 50 home games here, but the rest of the year, there’s not a lot that happens,” Hannah says. “Bringing back this festival easily went to the top of the list.”

Across two days and three stages, the KC Blues and Jazz Festival will feature a diverse range of nationally regarded heavy hitters and local acts. This year’s headliners include jazz fusion legend and Grammy Award winner Stanley Clarke—the longtime bassist of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever—and Harlem-born blues singer Shemekia Copeland. Plus, KC artists like pianist and singer-songwriter Jackie Myers and Ken Lovern’s Organ Jazz Trio (a staple of Green Lady Lounge) will also take the stage.

“We want to represent that melting pot between blues and jazz that created the Kansas City sound,” Hannah says.

Beyond live music, the American Jazz Museum and the festival’s originators, Kansas City Blues Society, will bring educational exhibits to spotlight KC’s storied music history. Attendees can also expect plenty of food trucks and vendors—because BBQ is a must-have accompaniment.

“We hope to turn this into a long-standing event again,” Hannah says. “And we really want this to be a community-wide endeavor.” ↓

Photography by Matt Lorentzen

Modern Heirloom

By Nina Cherry

IN 2011, KARRIE DEAN— owner of KC-based blanket company Happy Habitat—found herself at a crossroads when she was laid off from her job at a local advertising firm. Did she want to find another 9-to-5 or go her own way?

“I wanted to do something I was fascinated with that could hopefully resonate with other people,” Dean says. “It all started with patterns.”

Inspired by a trip to southern Spain she had taken after graduating college, Dean was drawn to the region’s intricate, geometric tilework. “Even a crappy subway bathroom would have them,” she says. “They were so beautiful, and it was just a part of everyday life.”

But Dean didn’t want to sell something purely decorative; she wanted to create a practical product for everyday life. She landed on blankets. “A throw provided a function—physical and emotional warmth,” she says.

Guided by pattern and color, Dean began teaching herself graphic design and creating mock-ups of blankets.

Happy Habitat recently celebrated its 14th anniversary in business. The KC-based company has been featured twice in the New York Times in the past year and can be found in a growing list of hotels beyond individual sales—including KC’s Crossroads Hotel.

Self-described as a “modern heirloom,” Happy Habitat’s recycled cotton throws are perfect for snuggling up on the sofa with a warm beverage in hand this fall. Although the blankets are buttery soft, they’re sturdy enough to withstand the washing machine.

“I didn’t want to put a throwaway product on the market—I wanted something that would withstand a lifetime,” Dean says. “I also wanted to create something elegant and beautiful but user-friendly.”

Shop Happy Habitat’s collection in person at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s gift shop (4525 Oak St., KCMO) and urbAna (19 On The Mall, Prairie Village) or online at happyhabitat.com.

Magic Carpet Ride

This family business is a window into the rich history of hand-loomed carpets

By Alex Zoellner

FOR MASSOUD AND Shahin Tehrani, the true beauty of an oriental rug lies in its history. Each piece is stitched as a reflection of the weaver’s creativity, culture and moment in time.

Tucked on the busy corner of Broadway and Archibald in Westport, every carpet at Aladdin Oriental Rug Gallery carries a story of its own.

While antique rugs may be trending in interior design, the craft runs much deeper for the co-owners. It’s a family tradition. “I learned it since I was a kid back home, and then I carried it with me here and I survived with it,” says Massoud, who spent his summers growing up in Iran helping shopkeepers in the bazaars.

Shahin grew up surrounded by the art, too. “My dad and uncle were in the rug business,” she says. “My grandpa had a factory. They made rugs themselves in Iran. So knowledge is a power.”

“If the rug has history with quality, color, age, condition—everything— that’s a perfect rug.”

With this deep-rooted connection, the Tehranis are known as one of Kansas City’s most knowledgeable dealers and repairers.

After moving to the United States and graduating from the University of Missouri, Massoud explored different jobs but always kept rugs as a side pursuit, slowly building a personal collection until he opened a small shop at 45th and Main streets in 1975.

“I accumulated them little by little,” Massoud says. “I started [collecting rugs] when I left college. Then, I just started the rug business.”

The Tehranis relocated their business several times as it grew, finally landing in their current Westport locale. Today, the business draws in collectors, designers and rug lovers from around the metro and across the globe. Specializing in rare antique pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries, their extensive collection ranges from detailed silk Persians by Qom’s master weaver Jamshidi all the way to new carpets with a modern aesthetic.

But Aladdin is more than just a rug shop. It is also Kansas City’s only full-service cleaning and rug repair business, refurbishing damaged and aged items and reweaving imperfections by hand using time-honored techniques.

“We restore rugs the original way,” Massoud says. “No patching, no gluing, none of that.”

Weavers can often be seen working away, repairing, restoring and creating in the store’s front windows. Their attention and care has earned them a loyal customer base, Massoud says.

“When the people come here, I want them to feel comfortable,” Massoud says. “They are not pressured, and I educate them, share the knowledge with them and let them make a decision. I want them to say, ‘I’m happy to have this.’”

That philosophy keeps clients coming back. “If the rug has history with quality, color, age, condition— everything—that’s a perfect rug.”

Every carpet is a chance to carry a story forward. The beauty lies in the subtle details shaped by time and intention. “You have to have a passion,” Massoud says. “You have to understand it.”

From Heartland to Handbags

Kate Spade co-founder Elyce Arons reflects on her Kansas roots, building a lasting fashion legacy and being named 2025 Kansan of the Year.

By Nicole Kinning

FOR DESIGNER ELYCE ARONS, a chance friendship at the University of Kansas with fellow journalism student Katie Brosnahan (later known to the world as Kate Spade) would change the fashion industry forever.

In her new memoir, We Just Might Make It After All, Arons reflects on those early days, the deep bond that fueled her creative partnership with Spade and how her Kansas upbringing continues to shape her work with her fashion line, Frances Valentine. Fresh off being named the 2025 Kansan of the Year, she spoke with Kansas City magazine about her career and the values that still guide her today.

Tell me more about your Kansas roots. I grew up on a farm outside of Wichita called Sedgwick, which has been in my family for many generations. We raised Angus cattle and had wheat, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, milo—you name it. There were no sons, so us girls did the farm work. I went to the University of Kansas when I was 18, and that’s where I met Katie Brosnahan.

When you went to KU, did you intend to study fashion? I loved fashion, but at the time, I didn’t know if there was much of a career in it for me. My mother was a graphic designer and did a lot of fashion illustrations

Photography

by

Adam Ward

for all the stores in Wichita. But I had no such talent, so I was really interested in political science and journalism, and what really pushed me over the edge was my love for the character Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

What made you and Katie connect? We were very different, but we immediately bonded because we were both majoring in the same thing. We’d walk back and forth to class together, and I think we each fell for the other’s sense of humor. We were also both very into vintage shopping. She was just a really lovely, gracious person and a very loyal friend.

How did your friendship grow into a business partnership? I had been working for several different fashion companies in New York for many years, and Katie had been at Mademoiselle magazine for about seven years when Andy Spade (Kate’s husband) started talking to her about starting her own handbag line. She was like, “What do I know about handbags?” And he said, “You know what you like and what you don’t like, and you know what’s missing in the market.”

They called me one night when I had just been relocated to North Carolina and said, “Do you want to start this business together?” I saw the bags and the idea behind it, and I really knew that by working with those two, who were brilliant at what they did, it was going to be a big success.

What do you carry with you from your Kansas upbringing in your work at Frances Valentine? I still learn a lot every single day, but there are a lot of values that are very Midwestern that I think will always remain true: being honest and transparent with people, being friendly and nice and gracious. I think that always matters and pays off in business.

Is there anything exciting coming down the pipeline for Frances Valentine? Next fall, we’re working on a collaboration with Mary Tyler Moore’s foundation, which is so full circle to me. They called us out of the blue and said they’d been watching our brand and that it reminds them so much of Mary. When I was on the Zoom with them, I held up a galley of my book, We Just Might Make It After All. The title is a line from the theme song of her TV show. They said when they saw me holding up that book, they knew it was a sign.

Trunk Show & Book Signing with Elyce Arons, September 25th Hall’s, 2450 Grand Blvd., KCMO, 4–6pm

You were named 2025 Kansan of the Year. What does this recognition mean to you? It makes me so happy because I really value my roots and how I grew up and where I grew up. I loved going to the University of Kansas. The only sad thing about it, for me, is my father passed away two days before I found out about this. He would have loved it.

BUILDING A FAMILY LEGACY

A family legacy is being constructed one house at a time

By Ann Butenas Photography by Jacob Angier Photography

The story of Chris George Sr. and his home-building business began in the 1950s. He launched Chris George Construction with his wife, Neva, who balanced a nursing career and raising their 12 children. It can be said that the George family legacy, now spanning four generations, is written in both blueprint ink and family blood.

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Chris George Sr., Chris George III and Chris George Jr.

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Chris George III, Caleb George and Lisa George in front of Lisa’s new home.

Chris Jr.’s construction company grew by leaps and bounds, and eventually Chris Sr. shut down his own company and went to work for his son, creating a seamless generational transition.

A FOUNDATION BUILT ON FAMILY

The large George family was a household that understood both hard work and deep love. Today, that family of 14 has grown to include 29 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, creating a family tree as sturdy as the homes they’ve built. By the time Chris Sr.’s son, Chris George Jr., was 18, he was already running framing crews for his father. In 1976, at just 21 years old, Chris Jr. decided to strike out on his own, founding Chris George Custom Homes with the same work ethic and family values his father had instilled. The decision proved transformative for the entire family. Chris Jr.’s construction company grew by leaps and bounds, and eventually Chris Sr. shut down his own company and went to work for his son, creating a seamless generational transition. Under Chris Jr.’s leadership, the company has built an impressive 3,000 homes across the metro.

PASSING THE TORCH

That work ethic and the “tradition of excellence” established by Chris Jr. continues today under the leadership of his sons, Caleb George and Chris George III.

“It’s a heavy responsibility to live up to dad’s reputation, but Caleb and I are up to the task,” Chris III says.

Under the leadership of these third-generation builders, the company continues to expand its building services and reach across the greater Kansas City area. The fourth generation is already showing signs of following suit, as Caleb’s sons, ages 11 and 13, started their construction education this summer by cleaning project sites, just as their father and uncle did decades ago.

A HOME BUILT WITH HEART

Twenty-seven years ago, Chris Jr. built a magnificent 8,500-square-foot brick home on 80 acres in South Olathe for his family of seven. Complete with a pond and sand beach, floating dock and stage for family gatherings, it became the heart of countless memories and celebrations. The property also houses the company’s office in a charming 1920 farmhouse, creating a perfect blend of business and family life.

But after Chris Jr. passed away from a brain tumor in August 2021, his wife, Lisa, found herself ready for a change. She wanted to be closer to her children and grandchildren, and her sons understood completely. They spent considerable time searching for the perfect lot and fell in love with a pie-shaped corner lot property in the Milhaven subdivision in Mission, Kansas.

“After praying on it, we knew this was it,” Chris III says.

The 4,700-square-foot home they built for Lisa represents both practicality and love. With four bedrooms and 3,500 square feet of main-level living space, the traditional cottage-style home features a reverse floor plan made for aging in place. The stone and brick exterior complements the neighborhood while the thoughtfully designed interior—including a caretaker suite currently serving as a guest room—anticipates future needs.

For the interior design, Lisa was confident in her own experience and took on the work herself. Interior design has long been both a hobby and passion for her, supported by formal coursework and years of experience designing not only the homes she and her husband built and lived in through the years but also projects for their company. With the added help from interior designer Megan Gensky, she brought her vision to life using the same approach her husband did—starting with hand-drawn plans sketched on paper.

“She had her budget and her wish list, and we worked with her to bring it all together,” Chris III says. “Building for Mom wasn’t much different from working with other clients. We knew it was important to proactively communicate throughout the build so we could be sure to get every detail right.”

The home beautifully accommodates treasured pieces from Lisa’s former life. The 10-foot kitchen table, a surprise gift from Chris Jr. when they moved to Olathe, anchors the new kitchen, a place where countless family meals, card games and conversations created decades of memories. Her parents’ grand piano, once black lacquer but now white to match her new decor, is in the main living area, while Chris Jr.’s pool table in the finished basement ensures the grandchildren have a favorite gathering spot.

They plan to transform the original 80-acre Olathe property into a subdivision, with the grand family home serving as a focal point for the new development.

LIFE IN THE NEW CHAPTER

Lisa, a retired nurse who spent 45 years at Olathe Medical Center, has embraced her new surroundings with enthusiasm. She enjoys walking, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and pursuing genealogy research. The move proved to be exactly what she needed, as she lives just three blocks from Caleb and half a mile from Chris III, with her 10th grandchild due this fall.

“We’re building a new home even closer to her,” Chris III says, showing how the family continues to orbit around each other by choice, not obligation.

PLANNING FOR TOMORROW

The George family’s vision extends beyond individual homes to community building. They plan to transform the original 80-acre Olathe property into a subdivision, with the grand family home serving as a focal point for the new development. The farmhouse office will eventually be demolished as part of the development, but the memories and the business philosophy it represents will continue in their new ventures.

“Mom is close to us now and is happy,” Chris III says. “She’s also happy with our choice of what we’re going to do with the house and the land in Olathe.” Lisa’s approval means everything to her sons, who know their father would be proud of both the changes they’re making and the traditions they’re preserving, too.

As Lisa settles into her new chapter, surrounded by children and grandchildren who live within walking distance, the Chris George story is a testament to their growing family legacy.

his year’s fall art season brings an exciting array of talent to KC: newly-choreographed dance showcases, nationally touring musicians, grassroots theater productions, thought-provoking art exhibits and so much more. In this issue, Kansas City magazine goes behind the scenes with the often-unsung experts— set designers, costumers, production supervisors and conservators—who make the magic happen.

A Look Behind the Scenes

Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Production Team Brings Cinderella to Life

By Alex Zoellner

AAS THE FIRST NOTE rings through Muriel Kauffman Theatre in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s production of Cinderella this September, the palace will appear as a distant silhouette cinematically coming into focus, scene by scene, as the layers of the set shift, until we’re finally inside its gilded halls. Each transition is intended to mimic the turning of a storybook page—subtle, seamless and enchanting.

But this isn’t Disney’s fairy tale. It’s Italian composer Gioachino Rossini’s quirky, irreverent twist, where magic takes a back seat to comedy, leaving out the carriage, Fairy Godmother and glass slipper.

With a closer look, the production’s carefully imagined vision is clear. Vines are curling along the weathered cottage walls, evoking the charm of a traditional fairytale in 18th century Versailles. Costumes showcase subtle pops of color, reflecting a Wes Anderson-esque flair. Somehow, it feels both timeless and new.

That emotion isn’t accidental. The visual details that feel so effortlessly right have been in the works for over a year, created entirely in-house by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s production team—an approach that’s rare even on a national scale.

The 75-person crew is led by director of production Tracy Davis-Singh, technical director Rafael Toribio, assistant technical director and lighting supervisor Selena Gonzalez-Lopez and artist services manager Sarah Zsohar.

For Cinderella, they’re collaborating with set designer Steven Kemp. A veteran of Lyric Opera, it’s his seventh production with the company, and as a KC resident, he’s designing for what he calls his “home stage.”

Unlike most companies that bid designs to outside shops, the Lyric Opera constructs everything under one roof at its state-of-the-art design shop. Built in 2012, it’s just one mile from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, home to all mainstage productions.

“It’s very rare that opera companies have an in-house shop,” Kemp says. “It makes it really special when the artisans are building the show that’s going to be on their home stage. There’s more inherent care and concern and pride in the whole project, and it’s more streamlined.”

Building in-house is cost-effective, avoiding shipping markups, and many of the same crew members who craft each piece also load the set into the theater and work backstage once the production opens. “That continuity creates such a great passion for everyone and really elevates the production because you have care and concern all the way through,” Kemp says.

The process for creating Cinderella began last July, with Kemp immersing himself in the score and libretto. Deep research with the team, “beat-by-beat” analysis and 3D renderings followed, and he eventually formed detailed construction plans.

Since the Lyric Opera rents its sets to other companies after use, it must consider reusability in its designs, though Kemp says that never dictates creative choices.

By February, the production team was hard at work in the design shop. Carpenters and scenic artists shaped and painted massive set pieces; cutters, drapers and stitchers crafted costumes; the prop master sourced props and furniture; the lighting team found the perfect fixtures, testing and refining cues.

The set is scheduled to be loaded into the Kauffman Center just a week before opening night, where final rehearsals take place.

According to Kemp, who has designed for over 40 opera companies, what makes moving the sets to the Kauffman stage flow so smoothly is the production team’s leadership and communication, as well as the fact that many staff have design backgrounds, giving them a deep understanding of the work.

“The organization that she [David-Singh] brings as the leader and of the whole production staff is incredible,” Kemp says. “The way that we’ve been able to just focus piece by piece and haven’t been rushed was amazing. They’ve really been able to make sure they have enough time to beautifully create each of these pieces.”

One standout Cinderella piece, Kemp says, is a 1930s Rolls-Royce Emerson Model J. Built entirely from scratch with sheet metal, it serves as the princess’s carriage.

While singing may take center stage on opening night, months of careful work from the production team—behind the scenes and just down the road—were slowly bringing Cinderella to life.

“It makes it really special when the artisans are building the show that’s going to be on their home stage. There’s more inherent care and concern and pride in the whole project.”

By Olivia Mahl

MOLLY CARR AND ANNA PETROVA IN “HERS”

Violinist Molly Carr and pianist Anna Petrova are kicking off Park University’s concert season with a classical performance showcasing female composers. The show at the 1900 Building in Mission Woods, Kansas, will include works by Clara Schumann and Vivianne Fung. Carr and Petrova are lauded for their musical prowess, and audience members should expect to feel the heartbreak and struggles inherent in the female experience. September 5. 1900 Building.

GEORGE BROWN BAND WITH KADESH FLOW AND KEMET COLEMAN

Music lovers are in for a treat at the George Brown Band’s performance at The Ship. Hailing from New Orleans, trombonist George Brown is a two-time Grammy nominee and takes inspiration from artists like Michael Jackson and James Brown. Before forming his own namesake funk rock band, Brown toured the world with Hot 8 Brass Band. Brown has opened for Ghost Note, Soul Rebels and more. September 5. The Ship.

SUTTON

IN CONCERT

Two-time Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer Sutton Foster is performing at The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts this September. Audience members can expect to be entertained with Foster’s incredible performance range. From classical music and showtunes to pop and comedic storytelling, Foster does it all. She was most recently seen as Princess Winnifred in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress at the Hudson Theatre.

September 11. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

DEFTONES

2025 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

The alternative metal band Deftones is touring North America for the first time since 2022. The band, known for its experimental take on metal, has entered a new era, officially announcing their 10th studio album, Private Music in August. This marks their first full-length album release in five years. Concertgoers are sure to be treated to a set list of old and new pieces. September 17. T-Mobile Center.

LONELY MOUNTAIN TOWN TOUR

Country-folk singer Charles Wesley Godwin is headed to Grinders to perform songs from his latest album, Lonely Mountain Town. The West Virginia native, who is known for his powerful vocals and intimate, relatable songwriting, has become a prominent musician in the Appalachian music scene. Godwin has been touring the country promoting his latest album.

September 27. Grinders KC.

MISSIONARY IMPOSSIBLE TOUR

American rock band Blink-182 is headed to Kansas City to promote their most recent album, One More Time, in what they are calling their Missionary Impossible Tour. Formed in 1982, this album marks the band’s first release with its three original members since 2011. The reunion tour began in 2023.

September 27. T-Mobile Center.

MEET ME IN THE CAR TOUR

Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, an Australian indie-rock duo performing under the name Royel Otis, will be performing at Grinders in October. The pair are on their Meet Me in the Car Tour, which included performances at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Known for having a calm stage presence, the pair met while working in Australia and formed their band in 2019.

October 3. Grinders KC.

JONAS20:

GREETINGS FROM YOUR HOMETOWN TOUR

The Jonas Brothers are celebrating the iconic band’s 20-year anniversary with their Jonas20: Living The Dream Tour. The brothers formed their band in 2005 and started to blow up in 2007 after they released several albums and appeared on the Disney Channel. Concertgoers can expect to hear popular songs from every era of the group’s long career.

October 7. T-Mobile Center.

CUCO

Indie-pop singer Cuco—the artist behind the hit song “Lover Is a Day”—is coming to KC. Cuco, otherwise known as Omar Banos, has been playing instruments since he was eight. The California artist, who plays the trumpet and piano, also writes his own music.

October 24. The Truman.

Cuco

MISS POSSESSIVE TOUR

Pop artist Tate McRae makes her way to Kansas City this October on her Miss Possessive Tour. McRae hails from Canada and is known for her energetic stage presence and relatable, catchy lyrics. Also known for her insane dance skills, McRae is sure to put on an exuberant show. October 28. T-Mobile Center.

GET CRANKED 2.0

Celebrate Halloween in your costume with DJ and graphic designer Crankdat at the Power and Light District. Crankdat blends EDM subgenres electro-house and base with graphic visuals that he projects on 40-foot LED screens located on the central stage during his show, creating a high-energy atmosphere.

October 31. KC Live!

RACHMANINOFF

CELEBRATION, PART I

The Kansas City Symphony is planning a haunting Halloween weekend with performances of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto conducted by Matthias Pintscher, with a special performance by pianist George Li and the orchestra’s chorus performing a spooky rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem The Bells. The evenings’ performances will be topped off with several piano solos paying homage to Rachmaninoff.

October 31–November 2. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

FOLLY JAZZ SERIES: LAKECIA BENJAMIN

The Folly Jazz Series brings funk and soul saxophone player Lakecia Benjamin to town. Benjamin blends traditional sounds with R&B and is known for her unique style and tone that exudes warmth. The Grammy-nominated artist has produced four albums, and her show at The Folly will include music from each.

November 1. Folly Theater

MADAME BUTTERFLY

This beloved Italian opera continues to draw crowds, leaving audiences devastated with the love story of American naval officer Pinkerton and geisha CioCio-San, also known as Butterfly. This classic portrayal of love and betrayal soars with operatic grandeur and takes on deeper meaning when observed through a contemporary lens.

November 14–16. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

IF YOU ASKED FOR A TOUR

Indie-pop artist Sabrina Teitelbaum, professionally known as Blondshell, is playing a show at The Truman this fall. She originally started out as a pop musician under stage name BAUM before deciding to go a more moody route, she says. Teitelbaum plans to highlight music from her second album release, If You Asked for a Picture, but will also play hits from her first album.

November 17. The Truman.

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT: YO-YO MA

With dozens of albums and 18 Grammy Awards to his name, cellist and composer Yo-Yo Ma needs no introduction. Ma, who started his career playing classical music, has branched off in recent years, playing various genres, such as American bluegrass and jazz. Attendees can expect an eclectic mix.

December 2. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

AN INTIMATE CHRISTMAS WITH THE ICM

Head to Parkville to see the Park ICM Orchestra’s annual Christmas concert with Steven McDonald. Most of their performances are free, including this one. A variety of Christmas songs ranging from the classics to contemporary pieces will be performed. Some specific movements to look forward to are “Handel’s Overture to Messiah” and “Waldteufel’s The Skaters’ Waltz.”

December 5. Park University, Hawley Hall.

Sabrina Teitelbaum, aka Blondshell

Yo-Yo Ma

A Look Behind the Scenes

Creating Magic

Clothing KC Ballet’s Nutcracker dancers is a year-round project

By Olivia Mahl

“T

“THE SNOW QUEEN tutu is probably my nemesis,” says Kansas City Ballet’s costume director Jennifer Carroll about one of the most famous costumes in all of ballet.

Carroll and her two team members are getting ready for one of KC’s most beloved holiday traditions: The Nutcracker. Carroll says that with seven casts and more than 200 costumes, Nutcracker prep is really a year-round endeavor.

The ice maiden’s ethereal white tutu is in need of constant repair, Carroll says. Each performance is another chance for the signature tutu’s layers of delicate tulle and trim to be torn or smudged with makeup. But Carroll loves her job all the same.

Located in the basement of the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity in the Crossroads is KC Ballet’s costume shop and Carroll’s fiefdom. It’s where the magic that you see on stage starts to take shape. There are rows and rows of garments in one room, tables with sewing machines, fitting rooms, and even a cabinet filled with mouse heads and other Nutcracker paraphernalia.

The Nutcracker’s extravagant costumes were designed by award-winning costume designer Holly Hynes and her assistant Ricky Laurie 10 years ago. They were made at 29 studios across the country. Once a set of costumes is designed, a call is sent out to find the right artisans with the right skill sets needed to create each fanciful costume, such as the Sugar Plum Fairy’s tutu. Adorned with hand-sewn plums and velvet embossed leaves crafted with cast iron stamps, the costume is one of the show’s stars.

KC’s own costume department made The Nutcracker’s soldiers’, angels’, cherubs’ and tea girls’ looks. The whole process from design to wearable garments took nearly a year.

During production, Carroll’s days are filled with emails, paperwork and fittings. Including Carroll, the costume department only has three full-time workers. They hire a couple seasonal workers closer to showtime. Every year, the costumes are altered to fit each dancer, and there are several hundred performers between the various casts.

Betti Jo Diem, costume shop manager, and Becci Kelbaugh, costume shop assistant, do most of the sewing and alterations—if Carroll is at a machine, it means they’re behind. “I think the main thing I try to do is make sure that the vision that she’s [Hynes] created stays her vision and what she created, especially as we get to this point where we’re having to replace things,” Carroll says.

The garments have been in their care for 10 years now, with many of them in need of mending or replacing. Carroll keeps binders of used fabrics that include original designs and repair notes. Some of the fabrics aren’t made anymore or are too hard to find, so it’s Carroll’s job to find something close enough.

“I need to make sure the costumes look just as good now as they did years ago,” Carroll says. “The show needs to look good and be just as magical for that child coming for the first time now as it did for that child that came for the first time in 2015.”

↓ GO: November 29–December 24. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

Carroll says her favorite part of the job is working with the dancers—especially the young student performers. She enjoys helping calm their nerves. “[The Polichinelles and cherubs] are some of the youngest in the show, and they’re kind of my favorite,” she says. In awe of the process (and anxious to take the stage), the student performers often have a lot of questions, and Carroll doesn’t mind answering them.

“The show needs to look good and be just as magical for that child coming for the first time now as it did for that child that came for the first time in 2015.”

Dance

Dance

By Tierney Flavin

DANCE IN THE PARK

This year, City in Motion will hold the 26th annual Dance in the Park. Along with dance performances, the Roanoke Park event will also include local vendors, lawn games and activities for all ages, including mini dance classes for those so inclined.

Be sure to bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs for the main event. Starting at 6:30 pm, youth dance groups from across the metro will perform, followed by performances from a variety of adult troupes, including City in Motion.

September 6. 5:30 pm. Roanoke Park.

TERRA LUNA

Immerse yourself in the Overland Park Arboretum via a guided multimedia experience curated by none other than Quixotic Entertainment. The half-mile walk takes you through the gardens and features live music, light displays and dancers in avantgarde costuming. Take time before you enter the magic of this futuristic event to enjoy food and beverage trucks at the Visitor Center.

September 11–13 & 18–20. 7 pm. Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

NEW DANCE PARTNERS

The Midwest Trust Center partners with four dance companies and four choreographers to present New Dance Partners. Highlighting local contemporary and modern dance performers, the evening features the Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Störling Dance Theater and Regina Klenjoski Dance Company. Each performance showcases original works by choreographers Caroline Dahm, Caili Quan, Dolly Sfeir and Jessi Stegall, working with each company, respectively.

September 19–20. 7:30 pm. Midwest Trust Center.

SWAN LAKE

The iconic ballet Swan Lake originally composed by Pytor I. Tchaikovsky in 1875—returns this fall to the Kansas City Ballet. The classic performance of tragedy, passion, love and betrayal takes flight at the Kauffman Center this October.

Collage Dance Collective

Tchaikovsky’s music is performed by the Kansas City Symphony, and the ballet is choreographed by KC Ballet’s artistic director Devon Carney, who is modeling the choreography after Russian ballet masters and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov

All ticketholders have access to a free pre-show talk given by Carney to hear how the magic is created. Arrive an hour before curtain for this rare behind-the-scenes look at the show. October 17–19 & 23–26. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theater.

CIRQUE MECHANICS’ ‘TILT!’

This iconic, innovative and modern take on circus performance comes to KC in November. Founded in 2004, Cirque Mechanics prides itself on the inspiration that it draws from “American ingenuity” and traditional circus acts. In “Tilt!,” audience members are taken through a cast of characters traditionally found in a theme park. Their acrobatics take place on the backdrop of their unique mechanical ingenuity to bring the story to the stage.

November 7. 7:30 pm. Midwest Trust Center.

COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE’S RISE AND THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD

This Southern dance company brings two neoclassical ballet arrangements to the Midwestern stage in one night at Yardley Hall. Rise is choreographed by Kevin Thomas and brings Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech to a musical arrangement made specifically for a dramatic ballet performance. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a neoclassical arrangement of the 1937 novel by Zora Neale Hurston featuring period-inspired costuming.

These pieces highlight the growth and diversity of ballet while illuminating the modern human experience. Themes of freedom, love and overcoming adversity are explored through the Collage Dance Collective’s performance.

November 14. 7:30 pm. Yardley Hall.

THE NUTCRACKER

It wouldn’t be a proper Fall Arts Preview if we didn’t mention Kansas City Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker, with Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky’s music being performed by the Kansas City Symphony. Watch the Sugar Plum Fairy prance and the battles of the Mouse King in this classic magical Christmas story.

Whether you make it a point to see The Nutcracker every year or are looking for a new winter tradition, this ballet is the perfect way to celebrate the season.

This year’s residency features a sensory-friendly performance on December 4 for adults and children who are neurodivergent. There will be specially-trained staff to accommodate audience members, as well as relaxed rules allowing for patrons to move from their seats during the performance. Music and sound will be at a lower volume, and lights will remain half-lit for the duration.

November 29–December 24. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

“A VERY IRISH CHRISTMAS”

For proud Irish-Americans or lovers of the culture, the Harriman-Jewell Series presents the Trinity Irish Dance Company’s “A Very Irish Christmas.” The Chicago-based company has modernized traditional step dancing with a focus on female empowerment, grace and passion. With festive performances highlighting classic holiday tunes and traditional instrumentation, audience members can clap along to this energetic and modern take on Christmas and Irish dance.

December 12. 7 pm. Folly Theater.

Swan Lake

The Nutcracker

By Nina Cherry

ART WESTPORT

The 45th annual Art Westport is the city’s oldest local art show, showcasing arts and crafts by the city’s top talent. Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a collector or are simply curious, this community event has something for everyone. In addition to the artist booths, there are hands-on activities for children, music and food.

September 5–7. Westport Road & Pennsylvania Avenue, KCMO.

PLAZA ART FAIR

The highly anticipated Plaza Art Fair encompasses nine city blocks in the historic Plaza shopping district and welcomes a crowd of more than 250,000 every year. Featuring 240 artists, the fair is a top-ranked national art event, with three live music stages and over 20 featured restaurant booths. It’s an event for serious art collectors as well as those just browsing.

September 19–21. Country Club Plaza.

OVERLAND PARK FALL FESTIVAL

The Overland Park Fall Festival has plenty of autumn fun for the whole family. With more than 75 local and regional artisans, as well as live music and performers for both adults and children, visitors will have a lot to do. There will also be food trucks and vendors in addition to the nearby restaurants and OP Farmers’ Market at this free event.

September 26–27. 7935 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park.

KC WINE CO.

FALL FESTIVAL AND PUMPKIN PATCH

Roam KC Wine Co.’s 40 acres at this all-ages extravaganza. The price of admission includes over 60 activities like corn pits, skee ball, mega slides and plenty of seasonal photo ops. Plus, the Olathe winery’s signature wine slushes will be available for purchase all day, every day.

September 27–October 26. KC Wine Co.

KC OKTOBERFEST

The region’s largest Oktoberfest returns to Crown Center for two days of authentic German food, drink and music. Hosted by KC Bier Co., this year’s lineup includes touring Alpine rock band Die Schlauberger and local polka favorites like The Happy Wanderers. The festival’s highlight competition? A Masskrugstemmen, a beer steinholding contest that tests endurance and perfect form.

October 3–4. Crown Center.

CHICANO ART FESTIVAL

At this celebration of Chicano culture, art isn’t the only thing on display. The event also features folkloric dance performances, traditional cuisine,

music and poetry. And if you’re a motorhead, this festival is home to KC’s largest lowrider show. October 5. Liberty Courtyard, West Bottoms.

WESTON APPLEFEST

Take a drive to Weston’s quaint historic square for Applefest. Now in its 35th year, festivities kick off Saturday morning with a parade, and the rest of the weekend offers live music, artisan makers and an abundance of warm apple dumplings. We recommend taking a quick detour (just a block from Main Street’s festival action) and grabbing a round at O’Malley’s 1847 Pub. The historic underground bar, nearly 60 feet below street level, was formerly home to one of the country’s first breweries.

October 5–6. Main Street, Weston.

LENEXA CHILI CHALLENGE

Judges aren’t the only ones to get a taste of the entries at this cook-off. Friday night kicks off with live music and family-friendly activities like face painting, but the festivities heat up on Saturday as more than 200 teams serve up their best chilis, hot wings and salsas. Grab a spoon at the gate and sample your way through a tradition nearly four decades strong.

October 10–11. Old Town Lenexa.

BOTANICAL BREWFEST

Enjoy the fall foliage with a beer in hand—and for a good cause. Admission includes samples of craft beers (over a hundred various pours will be available) to support Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

October 18. Noon. Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING FARM

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead gets a spooky makeover for this after-dark Halloween celebration. Enjoy performances from StoneLion Puppet Theater, hands-on science fun with Mad Science and seasonal staples like hay rides, mazes and marshmallow roasting. Costumes are welcome for all ages.

October 18, 19, 25 & 26. Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead.

NORTH KANSAS CITY FALL FESTIVAL

This Northland festival prides itself on showcasing some of the region’s best bands and beers. The event features pours from over a dozen KC breweries—including Casual Animal Brewing Co. and Vine Street Brewing—and performances throughout the afternoon, from soulful, nine-piece ensemble The Freedom Affair to indie band Honeybee and more. November 2. Noon. Swift Street (between 14th Avenue and 15th Avenue).

A Look Behind the Scenes Be Our Guest

Come behind the curtain with a touring Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast

By Tierney Flavin

SSTAGING A BROADWAY musical in the heart of America is no small feat. The labor-intensive endeavor is like moving into an apartment every week for months on end, says production supervisor Jason Trubitt. This fall, a company of seasoned professionals are packing up their New York productions and bringing Broadway shows to cities across the country, including Kansas City. One crowd favorite headed our way is the musical adaption of Disney’s 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast. This will be its first North American tour in 25 years. Presented by PNC Broadway In Kansas City, the show will stop in KC for about a week, entertaining audiences with eight shows at Kansas City Music Hall before continuing on to Nashville.

The crew travels across the country in nine 53-foot trucks, each holding pieces of the set specially crafted for national touring. Over the span of 13 hours, more than 17 tons of lighting, scenery and video materials are unloaded in each city. They even pack flooring to sit on top of the venues’ stages in order to automate movements within the scenery.

“We take great pride in protecting the material and presenting it in a way that would really elevate it as much as we possibly can.”

For Trubitt, a typical schedule includes arriving at a new venue and unloading for five hours. The following morning, the process continues for around eight hours before the production opens that evening. Taking down the set, he says, only takes five to six hours on a Sunday following the final show, leaving the nine big-rig trucks to drive overnight before repeating the process in a new city.

The touring cast and crew is made up of 75 New York-based professionals. In order to maintain efficiency and the standards of a Broadway show, the company also hires 99 locals to help around the production. They learn the ropes quickly within the 13-hour setup before the show begins. The company tours with two wardrobe technicians, but getting Belle changed into her rhinestone-studded yellow ballgown requires at least four people, Trubitt says.

Alongside the physical feat of moving a Broadway production from city to city, Trubitt says that producing a Disney show comes with “certain expectations.”

“We take great pride in protecting the material and presenting it in a way that would really elevate it as much as we possibly can,” Trubitt says. “We always want our audiences to enjoy the show as much as they can, because the source material is so close to them. So many people are familiar with the animated feature of Beauty and the Beast. It is a product that everybody already knows. This is quite different from when you present a new Broadway musical.”

Beyond these high expectations and a labor-intensive setup, Trubitt says there’s something really special about a national tour.

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GO: October 28–November 2. Times vary. Kansas City Music Hall.

“It’s a magical show, and we are delivering a Broadway-caliber production out to these places across America,” Trubitt says. “So they’re seeing a show very similar to what exactly the sort of scope and size and scale and talent level that they would see if they were in New York, which is a wonderful thing.”

By Alex Zoellner

ALONE TOGETHER

The bittersweet feeling of becoming empty nesters doesn’t last long in the Broadway comedy Alone Together. Just as all three kids finally move out, they slowly start trickling back in, returning home to mom and dad one by one. Starring The Brady Bunch’s Barry Williams and featuring Cathy Bennett, this show explores the chaos and joy of family life.

At New Theatre & Restaurant in Overland Park, the play is a full dining and entertainment experience, complete with waitstaff, cocktails and a gourmet buffet.

September 1–November 16. New Art Theatre & Restaurant.

THE COLOR PURPLE

Deep like the hue it’s named after, the musical The Color Purple brings emotion to every scene with compelling dialogue and music that spans several genres, including jazz, gospel and blues. Presented by KCRep, this inspiring stage musical is based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which follows the journey of Celie, a young Black woman in the early 20th century rural South, as she overcomes hardship.

September 2–21. Spencer Theatre.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Follow along as two missionaries travel to Uganda, eager to share and teach their faith, only to realize they also have much to learn in this nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical. As the pair navigates their tumultuous relationship and the complex realities of mission work, in the The Book of Mormon, satire is merged with show-stopping musical performances, delivering both humor and heart to Kansas City’s Music Hall.

September 16–21. Kansas City Music Hall.

LIFE OF PI

Starlight Theatre’s outdoor venue will come alive this season with Life of Pi Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel and adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti, the play tells the story of a boy named Pi who survives a shipwreck and finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with a group of wild animals. With themes of survival and faith, it will be a visually sensational production that combines live actors, life-sized puppetry and scenic stagecraft.

September 16–21. Starlight Theatre.

RENT

While the struggles of living with HIV/ AIDS may be hard to fully understand, RENT gives us a window in. Jonathan Larson’s iconic Tony Award-winning musical follows a group of artists in 1990s New York as they search for love and meaning while facing poverty amid the AIDS crisis. Presented by Music Theater Heritage, this show, which first opened on Broadway in 1996, is one of just 10 musicals to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and its message still rings true.

October 2–26. Main Stage at Crown Center.

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Disney’s “tale as old as time” is returning to the stage as the North American tour of Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast is making a stop at Kansas City Music Hall. You can join Belle, the Beast, Lumière, Chip and the rest of the beloved cast for an evening of enchantment alongside classic music tracks like “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Members of the original Tony Award-winning artistic team reunited for the touring production, creating new sets and costumes designed to reimagine the story like never before.

October 28–November 2.

Kansas City Music Hall.

HELLO, DOLLY!

Hello, Dolly! says hello to KC. The White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center presents this musical adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker, following the bold and charming Dolly Gallagher Levi as she heads to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the single and wealthy Horace Vandergelder. Revived on Broadway four times and staged around the globe, the show’s memorable music, dance, humor and heart continue to resonate with audiences.

November 1–23.

The White Theatre at The J.

Life of Pi

MAGIC VALLEY COMMUNITY

THEATRE’S

LITTLE WOMEN

If you’re looking for something new, Magic Valley Community Theatre’s Little Women makes its world premiere this fall at the Unicorn Theatre. After a workshop last year with Clubbed Thumb and Concord Theatricals in NYC, the final version of this play is ready for the stage. A play within a play, the story follows the actors playing the March sisters on closing night of Little Women, but the real drama is happening offstage, where personal chaos unfolds as they scramble to make their dreams come true and perform the play at “nationals” in Rochester. It might just have you wondering what’s going on behind the scenes of the show you’re watching. November 12–December 7. Unicorn Theatre.

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS

Kansas City Public Theatre presents The Disappointments, a story that teaches hope and resilience in the face of addiction. Directed by Elizabeth Bettendorf Bowman, this free show centers on Second, a man who enters treatment for drinking after receiving an ultimatum from his wife. There, he meets a group of fellow “disappointments,” and together, they face the challenges of recovery and healing. In addition to its main run, the production will also be performed at two community-based venues prior to opening night, connecting theater with recovery support and outreach: Healing House KC (Nov. 9), a substance use disorder recovery organization, and Independence Boulevard Christian Church (Nov. 11), which will offer a hot meal, hygiene products, clothing and a free medical clinic to attendees. November 15–17.

Kansas City Public Theatre.

& JULIET

“O happy dagger, / This is thy sheath”— except the blade never falls. Instead, Juliet drops the dagger, picks up a pen and rewrites her famously tragic ending in Shakespeare’s classic tale. Presented by Broadway Across America at the Kansas City Music Hall, & Juliet shows what happens when Juliet steps beyond others’ expectations, leaving Verona for Paris to claim a second chance at life on her own terms. Featuring pop hits like “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar” and “I Want It That Way,” this musical is a fun, empowering twist on a timeless story.

November 18–23. Kansas City Music Hall.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

As always, KCRep welcomes the holiday season with one of Kansas City’s most cherished annual productions, A Christmas Carol. But this year’s show carries a special significance. After more than 1,100 performances since 2000, Gary

Neal Johnson will take his final bow as Ebenezer Scrooge. Honoring both the tradition and the man who has been its beating heart for more than two decades, this Charles Dickens classic is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit. November 22–December 27. Spencer Theatre.

EBENEZER SCROOGE’S

BIG KC MO CHRISTMAS SHOW

Directed by Ernie Nolan, Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big KC MO Christmas Show is back at the Unicorn Theatre, and it’s anything but your run-of-the-mill Christmas Carol. Set not in London but right here in KC, this playful retelling features just five actors taking on dozens of the classic roles, including Scrooge, Tiny Tim, the ghosts and more. It may not be traditional, but it’s sure to make you laugh and get you ready to celebrate the holiday season.

December 3–28. Unicorn Theatre.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

A Christmas Carol

A Look Behind the Scenes

How to Mount a Photography Exhibit

By Hampton Stevens

SSUPPOSE YOU ARE April Watson, senior curator of photographs at the Nelson-Atkins. You can curate a show called “American Prospects and Landscape Photography, 1839 to Today,” but someone has to get the images out of storage and onto the walls of the Bloch Building. For that, you need a phenomenally talented human like Saori Lewis, a conservator of photographs at the Nelson-Atkins.

Kansas City magazine met Lewis in the museum’s behind-the-scenes restoration lab, where she explained the painstaking process of getting rare photographs ready to view.

She starts months before an exhibition opens with a list of every image in the show, diving into the Nelson’s massive database to study each item’s exhibition history. The photographs are terribly fragile, so her first step is light measurements and estimates.

“I do some calculations to quantify how much light a photograph has had,” Lewis says. “Then I calculate how much we anticipate for the next display.”

That is, she measures the intensity of the light, multiplying that by the number of hours the lights will be on in the galleries over the exhibit’s run.

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Next, she takes extensive notes on each image, including the photographic process itself, how the image was mounted and originally presented by the artist and condition issues, like soiling or tiny rips.

After that, Lewis decides how to prepare each picture for public display. Her priority is anything that might interfere with the viewing of the photographs or impact the image’s long-term stability.

“Dirt can interfere with the overall appearance,” she says. “It’s usually so thin that you can’t see, but dirt is bad for image preservation because it attracts moisture. And it can transfer onto other things and hold acidity, which degrades paper.”

From there, she writes formal proposals for any image that needs treatment. Those treatments range from simple to crazy complex.

After taking an image of the photograph she plans to treat, documenting its condition, she might simply clean the surface using soft brushes. After that, she could humidify the image and bathe it in a tray of water. There might be a “bleaching step” —gently using light or chemical agents to reduce discoloration.

She also does a lot of flattening.

“Undulation is a common problem,” she says. “Like a wobbly picture. So when it’s on the wall, it doesn’t look good. It casts these, like, wavy shadows. So pressing and flattening is a step that I do a lot.”

As you might suspect, this work takes tons of education. Originally from Japan, Lewis got her bachelor’s degree in studio art from the Kansas City Art Institute, then a master’s in art conservation from Buffalo State.

A steady hand matters too, particularly in the “consolidation of emulsion.”

“For a standard black and white picture — a silver gelatin print — the image is held on a really thin layer of gelatin, like hardened gelatin,” Lewis says. “It’s kind of hard and it snaps easily.”

She repairs those flaws by introducing a tiny amount of warm, extremely pure gelatin to the surface with a fine-point brush—while looking through the massive microscope she calls her “best friend.”

After more documentation, she finally passes the image on to a matting and framing specialist. Then it goes to the installer who hangs the pictures.

Once the images are on the wall, Lewis has one last task: more measurements of each work’s light exposure and color condition. That gives her “a reference point to make recommendations for the future.”

The future. That’s what Lewis’s work is all about.

“American Prospects and Landscape Photography, 1839 to Today.”

February 7–August 2, 2026. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

The record-keeping and caretaking is done to ensure that these images can be seen and enjoyed by generations to come.

“For hundreds of years, I hope,” she says.

By Tierney Flavin

WRAPPED WALK WAYS

A gift from the Christo and JeanneClaude Foundation, “Wrapped Walk Ways” is an exhibition of photographs and other pieces of memorabilia that tell the story of the Christos’ 1978 Loose Park art installation. For two weeks in October of 1978, the Bulgarian-born artist Christo and his partner, Jeanne-Claude, vividly transformed the park by covering 2.7 miles of paths with shimmering, saffron-colored nylon fabric, altering the way visitors experience the park.

Although the Christos conceived “Wrapped Walk Ways” as a temporary installation, its legacy continues both in this exhibition and in the memories of those who encountered it. Last year, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Foundation gave the museum a trove of preparatory works, architectural plans, documents and photographs related to “Wrapped Walk Ways.”

Drawn from that gift, this exhibition tells the story of this breakthrough art project that brought Kansas City international attention.

On display now through January 18, 2026. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

ARTSALON:

BIENNIAL ALUMNI EXHIBITION

Head over to the Kansas City Art Institute’s 2025 alumni exhibition to see what former KCAI students are creating right now. Whether you’re collecting or just want to take a look, the annual exhibition is always a good show. There will also be an opening reception, bringing together alumni, faculty, collectors and patrons, that’s open to anyone who wants to meet the artists and celebrate this year’s exhibition.

Every piece in the show is available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting both the artist and the KCAI Annual Fund, which supports student scholarships. September 6–October 19. KCAI Gallery.

THIRD FRIDAY ART WALK

Each third Friday through October, take a stroll through downtown KCK and experience local art and food. Whether you want to cool off with shaved ice or watch an artist paint live, the Art Walk has something for everyone. Bring the whole family or come together with friends to enjoy an evening of celebrating all things local. Maybe you’ll even come home with an art piece to display in your home. September 19 & October 24. 5 pm. Strawberry Hill.

MANHATTAN

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Kansas Citians can play a part in the 2026 Academy Awards this fall. The Johnson County Library and the Lenexa Arts Council will host the 28th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Audience members will be among the 500 other cities with short film festivals allowed to vote on the best film and the best actor from a top 10 short film list.

Last year’s winner—Room Taken— was shortlisted for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

September 25. 6:30–9:30 pm. Lenexa Community Forum.

18TH AND VINE ARTS FESTIVAL

This weekend of arts, fashion, film, food and music celebrates Black culture in Kansas City’s 18th and Vine Historic Jazz District. Each day will highlight a variety of local arts. On Friday, watch a runway fashion show and a local Black film showcase. Saturday features over 100 local artists and vendors with jazz and R&B tribute concerts throughout the day. On the festival’s final day, be sure to come with an empty stomach to enjoy culinary creations by local vendors and peruse the community marketplace.

September 26–28. Times vary. 18th and Vine Jazz District.

18th and Vine Arts Festival

VISIONS OF THE FLINT HILLS

At this annual art benefit and sale, celebrate the beautiful plains of Kansas, portrayed through art pieces inspired by the Flint Hills’ landscapes—the largest tallgrass prairie in North America. Artists from around the country find themselves inspired by the region and present their pieces at the Buttonwood Art Space this fall. Half of the proceeds go to the artists themselves, while the other half benefit the Friends of Konza Prairie, which promotes education and research in the Flint Hills. Although the sale is open from October through November 10, a First Friday reception with live music and refreshments will be held on October 4. October 1–November 10. Times vary. Buttonwood Art Space.

RAVEN HALFMOON

Building on the Kemper Museum’s legacy of visionary commissions, the museum will present a solo exhibition by artist and Native American Raven Halfmoon. Known for her monumental ceramic sculptures, Halfmoon has emerged as a leading artistic voice. Born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, Halfmoon’s influences range from ancient Indigenous pottery, Moai monoliths and elements of Western culture, such as cowboy hats. For this exhibition, she explores the various cultural histories that make up Kansas City. November 14–April 19, 2026. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

LINDA

LIGHTON: “LOVE & WAR, A FIFTY-YEAR SURVEY, 1975-2025”

Born into an affluent Kansas City family, Linda Lighton was expected to marry well and become a housewife. Instead, she became an artist, helped publish a leftist newspaper and joined a commune in Washington state. Now, Lighton presents her ceramics at the Nerman Museum. Her sculpture captures her story and the universal story of love and politics and social strife over the past 50 years of her career. The exhibition—which focuses on gun violence, gender inequality and environmental activism—is accompanied by a 208-page book, chronicling her boundary-pushing ceramic work. December 13–May 3. Times vary. Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Christo in his studio with preparatory works for “Wrapped Walk Ways,” New York City, August 1978.

Family KC

Summer may be coming to a close, but fall fun and adventure awaits you. Whether it’s in or out of town, check out these fun, educational and cultural ways to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Hallmarket

hallmark.com/hallmarket

Hallmarket returns to Crown Center Square on September 13th, from 10:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.! Experience the creativity of Hallmark employees and retirees through handcrafted art and unique pieces available for purchase. It’s free, family-friendly, and your chance to see the passion that fuels Hallmark employees beyond their 9-to-5!

Midwest Trust Center

jccc.edu/MTC

What if Puppets for T-Rex Took My Toothbrush premiers September 24-27 at Midwest Trust Center. Join Mr. Greene, a paleontologist, on the adventure of a lifetime when he finds himself parenting a baby dinosaur! Soon life isn’t so simple, and his home isn’t so tidy. Purchase tickets online.

Eureka Springs

visiteurekasprings.com

This October, you're free to have a spooky good time in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The Crescent Hotel’s eerie visitors invite you to their Kids Ghost Tours, the NWA Ballet haunts the night with their performance of Dracula, and the Zombie Crawl unleashes the undead through the city’s winding streets.

Silver Dollar City

silverdollarcity.com

Give your family a fall adventure like no other in the heart of the Ozarks at Silver Dollar City, voted America’s #1 theme park! Discover craftsmen, cowboys and record-breaking coasters by day and, by night, thousands of illuminated pumpkins and larger-than-life carved masterpieces. Conveniently located 3 hours south, Silver Dollar City’s Harvest Festival runs Sep 12 – Oct 26. Make plans to visit today.

Overland Park Fall Festival

opkansas.org/FallFestival

The Overland Park Fall Festival is a family favorite! Enjoy delicious food trucks, live music, facepainting, kids’ activities, local entertainers and artisan shopping. It’s a weekend packed with personality, hometown pride and community. Join the fun in downtown Overland Park on September 26 and 27.

Wayside Waifs

WaysideWaifs.org

Wayside Waifs prepares pets and people for one of life’s most meaningful bonds. They provide a second chance for animals by caring for them medically and behaviorally. This care is available thanks to the support of volunteers and donors. To view adoptable animals and to learn more about the shelter, visit WaysideWaifs.org.

Wonders of Wildlife

wondersofwildlife.org

Meet the coolest residents at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium during their exclusive Penguin Encounter! Get face-to-feather with live gentoo penguins and experience the sights, sounds, and chilly temperatures of their habitat while discovering their unique personalities, behaviors, and conservation stories.

Oakhill Day School

oakhilldayschool.org

Pulaski County

VisitPulaskiCounty.org

When two moms team up, good times are bound to follow. In Pulaski County, MO, the Mother Road and Mother Nature combine with float trips down scenic waterways, Route 66 nostalgia, and numerous sites honoring the U.S. Armed Forces. Plan your next family road trip to Mother Nature’s Happy Place and make lifelong memories today.

Discover the Oakhill Day School difference, where students from pre-toddler (18 months) through 8th grade thrive in a warm, welcoming environment that inspires curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning. Located in Gladstone, Missouri, Oakhill blends strong academics with individualized attention and dynamic extracurriculars—creating a well-rounded educational experience. Schedule your tour today!

Green Dirt Farm

creamery.greendirtfarm.com

Fall is on its way and Green Dirt Farm is rolling out the welcome mat. Enjoy a family-friendly picnic on the lawn at their café in Weston, complete with games that kids will love, as well as grown-up treats for parents. Or take a guided tour of the farm and enjoy a tasting of the cheeses at the café afterwards. The café offers lunch, snacks, and ice cream for after your tour.

Pumpkin Hollow at Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

opkansas.org/Farmstead

Fall isn’t complete without a visit to Pumpkin Hollow. Put it at the top of your bucket list! October 1–26, enjoy hayrides, mazes, pedal cars, goat climbs and old-fashioned games. Pick your own pumpkin to take home. Open daily, except Mondays, it’s the perfect fall adventure for the whole family.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre

KCRep.org

Follow the yellow brick road to magic and adventure with The Wizard of Oz, coming this May to KCRep. With dazzling costumes, stunning sets, and timeless songs like “Over the Rainbow” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” this beloved classic comes to life in a spectacular production for audiences of all ages.

Margaritaville Hotel

https://mville.io/4kSdJ8A

KC’s newest hotel opened its doors in June this year. It’s the perfect getaway, staycation, or day trip destination for the whole family. The year-round indoor pool features a basketball hoop, climbing wall, and a retractable NinjaCross obstacle. The Fin City Family Entertainment Center adds to the indoor entertainment with arcade games and family-friendly fun.

For over 40 years, Kansas City’s beloved tradition has created holiday memories for families all around our community. You’ll meet the Cratchits, Tiny Tim, the irresistible Fezziwigs, and hear the haunting and joyous Candlelight Carol — all this and more, to kindle your Christmas spirit. Don't miss A Christmas Carol at KCRep this holiday season.

Ravin’ Ramen

By Tyler Shane

IN LAOS, when someone is enjoying their meal, they might express it with the simple phrase “saap saap.” Simply translated, it means “yummy” or “delicious.” The phrase, also commonly used in the Northeast region of Thailand bordering Laos, is the name of Adison Sichampanakhone’s noodle shop, where you will find both Laos and Thai dishes simmering in the Northwest corner of the Lenexa Public Market.

And, yes, the dishes are saap saap.

Photography by Kelly Powell

Adison, who also owns Ice Cream Bae on the Country Club Plaza and in Leawood’s Park Place with his wife Jackie Sichampanakhone, recreates his Laotian mother’s recipes throughout the shop’s menu. A few favorites are the curry soup khao poon nam gai and the Laotian equivalent of a comforting chicken noodle soup, khao piak sen.

“Everything on our menu, he would always eat and make at home,” Jackie says.

Having grown up in the U.S., Adison adds his own twist to his mother’s recipes, best seen in the dish of ribeye ramen red curry. Curry ramen, a noodly soup from Thailand,

might traditionally sport pork as its protein, but Adison fans his with slices of ribeye.

The ribeye, already tender with fatty marbling, is extra juicy while swimming in a rich coconut milk broth with herbaceous lemongrass and galangal, a root similar to ginger, but more earthy. The broth is the perfect compliment to the savory beef and grips the wide egg noodles, allowing you to savor every drop.

And because the depth of Laos and Thai cuisine is created with a “more is more” approach, the ramen is topped with fried shallots, cilantro, basil, sliced onions and a squeeze of lime.

WHEN IT COMES TO NEW YORK-STYLE PIES, KC’S NORTHEAST PIZZA DELIVERS

By

Tyler Shane Photography by Zach Bauman

ANSAS CITY MAY excel in barbecue and steak, but it has long lacked excellent pizza. That’s not to diminish the exciting pie joints that have popped up over the past couple years, like Fortunati in the West Bottoms, the masterful Jhy Coulter’s Orange and the family-friendly City Barrel Pizza and Patio. In fact, the emergence of these successful pizzerias would suggest KC does indeed have a gap to fill.

It’s possible we’re in the midst of a pizza wave, and if so, Northeast Pizza, in its uncomplicated perfection, is part of it. The Pendleton Heights restaurant has the heart of a pizzeria from a ’90s movie, invoking something nostalgic in the way you can show up on a whim, order your go-to from a chalkboard menu and throw your kid a quarter to get a gumball from the coin-operated candy machine, all with little worry about the bill. There’s nothing new or shiny. There’s, with the highest of respect, hardly any innovation. Northeast Pizza’s simplicity drives home a universal truth: Pure, simple pizza is one of life’s most unifying pleasures—something everyone can agree on.

Owners Noah Quillec, Max Popoff and Michael DeStefano do

New York-simple but still manages to create a delightful vessel. DeStefano does attribute the dough’s nice, light chewiness to a few of his signature techniques, such as letting it coldproof in the fridge. The pies are finished off with a run in the electric deck oven at 565 Fahrenheit, creating a crispy brown crust.

At Northeast Pizza, there are seven curated 16-inch pie varieties to choose from—the trendy but not overrated combo of jalapenos, pepperonis and hot honey being one of them, blessed be—but you can also choose to create your own. Pizza is also sold by the slice, although flavors are limited to cheese, pepperoni and the “pie of the day,” which, upon one visit, was a dang-good thin-crust chicken Philly with white sauce and sweet onions.

With its Gumby-green walls that match a vintage 7-Up sign, mint-colored booths and an actual inflatable Gumby hanging from the ceiling, Northeast Pizza definitely has a cool, quirky, vintage feel. The restaurant is Quillec’s efforts to steer away from the French fine dining environment he grew up in (his family owns and operates the Prairie Village gems Café Provence and the French Market) while also catering to the melting pot that makes up the pizzeria’s Northeast neighborhood, in which he’s lived for the past seven years.

But even more than it is cool, Northeast Pizza feels like home. Sitting off Brooklyn Avenue across from PH Coffee, there is an undemanding casualness that permeates the space. Come in, order a side of canned wine from Oregon or a good ol’ Coke, get your pie with a side of housemade ranch, then go hang at a table set with those ubiquitous pizza shop shakers filled with Parmesan and dried oregano. It’s good food with zero bells and whistles, except maybe the lemon slices served with the

us all a favor by not over-thinking their restaurant. Pizza is for you and me, your grandma, your grumpy neighbor and your punk teenager. The menu consists of New York-style ol’ faithfuls—cheese, pepperoni, supreme, pies smothered with white sauce and the like. Northeast Pizza pays homage to this Big Apple tradition by using the highest quality ingredients and making pies so large and thin you must hold your slice with two hands as you eat it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Like Scarr’s and L’industrie in Lower Manhattan, both staples in New York’s namesake pizza style, Northeast Pizza uses the gold standard of tomatoes, Stanislaus. The vine-fresh sweetness is best experienced in the Brooklyn Margherita, spotted with a fresh, creamy mozzarella and peppery basil and finished with a gratuitous sprinkle of aged mozzarella and a drizzling of olive oil. The vodka pie has a similar makeup of ingredients but with an unparalleled creamy rich sauce that begs to be tossed over some penne. The house cheese, Grande, is a mozzarella blend and considered the essential fromage in New York pizzerias, an ingredient comparable to Marconi’s hot giardineria for Italian beef vendors in the Windy City. Any reputable New York-style pizza is doused with this stuff.

Northeast Pizza’s hand-tossed dough is wonderfully flimsy but with a slight chew. It requires no rustic sourdough starter or prefermentation method— techniques that are all the rage right now when it comes to anything taking the form of bread. Chef DeStefano, who is also the executive chef at Prairie Village’s Verbena, keeps his pizza dough technique

white pie. The lemon creates an unbeatable tang when combined with the garlic cream sauce in an untraditional, unexpected and fun twist.

I’ve refrained from describing anything as perfect, but the two salads I tried were very near it. The Caesar was well dressed in a pungent anchovy dressing and blanketed with snowy bits of freshly grated Parmesan, which is exactly what you hope for in the classic salad. The tomato-cucumber salad, inspired by a dish at Avelluto’s in Mission, is just that, but it’s lightly coated with a sour cream and ranch dressing with bits of fresh dill. My niece, the aforementioned punk teenager who proudly states her disdain for vegetables to her food critic aunt anytime possible, was fighting me for the last few bites.

With respect to the principles of delivering the quintessential foldable New York slice, creativity takes a respectful backseat at Northeast Pizza. Chef DeStefano says there’s room to play in the future, however, and hopes to offer regional styles as “pies of the day,” like the tomato pie from Philly served with twice the amount of sauce and finished with breadcrumbs.

GO 2203 Lexington Ave., KCMO. Open Tuesdays–Thursdays, 3–8 pm; Fridays, 3–9 pm; Saturdays, 11 am–9 pm; and Sundays 11 am–8 pm. (816)-957-0957. northeastpizzakc.com.

There’s a saying that pizza is like sex. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s bad, it’s still kind of good. Many of us don’t have high pizza standards, but even so, we know a good slice of pizza when we have it. Northeast Pizza is better than good. It’s the kind of pizza you envision Macaulay Culkin eating in the limo in Home Alone 2 or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles riffing about with their rat sensei. Except at Northeast Pizza, you get to finish it all off with a chocolate chip cookie. Just don’t forget to bus your table when you leave.

Top: The White Pie; Bottom Left: Northeast Pizza’s bar; Bottom Right: Northeast Pizza owners Max Popoff, Chef Michael DeStefano and Noah Quillec

Cloudy Spirits

By Tyler Shane

ABSINTHE ISN’T A common U.S. libation, and it’s even less so in Kansas City. In my extensive efforts to seek out places that serve the licorice-tasting spirit, I found only two spots offering a traditional absinthe cocktail: Lifted Spirits Distillery and the Rieger.

Rooted in Paris’ Bohemian 19th century cafe culture, absinthe struggles to move past its murky hallucination-inducing reputation. However, the modern-day distilled beverage should not be feared.

Michael Stuckey, owner of Lifted Spirits Distillery and a self-proclaimed “absinthe nerd,” studied the absinthe distillation process from late-1800s French manuals long before he actually began making it for consumer consumption. Absinthe is a delicate botanical, traditionally distilled from fennel, anise and wormwood. Stuckey’s absinthe, released in 2018, was the first created in KC and has notes of mint and chamomile.

Rooted in Paris’ Bohemian 19th century cafe culture, absinthe struggles to move past its murky hallucination-inducing reputation. However, the modern-day distilled beverage should not be feared.

Absinthe’s historic infamy is due to a chemical called thujone found in wormwood, a key absinthe ingredient. The small amounts found in real absinthe are not enough to produce hallucinogenic experiences. Still, it was banned in several countries in the 20th century. It wasn’t until 2007 that the ban was lifted in the U.S., after discovering that small amounts of thujone are safe.

Because absinthe is a bitter, high-proof spirit, the ritualistic method of serving it includes diluting it with water and sugar. If you head to Lifted Spirits (1734 Cherry St., KCMO) or the Rieger’s basement cocktail lounge, Hey! Hey! Club (2700 Guinotte Ave., KCMO), they’ll present you with a water fountain, glasses filled with a small amount of absinthe and a spoon holding cubes of sugar. The fountain’s spouts will slowly drip water over the sugar cubes, melting it into the glasses and, once finished, diluting the absinthe into a cloudy, smooth concoction.

Once you’ve wet your whistle with a fountain, try Lifted Spirits’ secret menu item, the Roadie Sodie, featuring absinthe and root beer syrup over ice. “Root beer and absinthe are amazing together,” Stuckey says.

It’s a drink meant to be savored with friends. “At the core of it, absinthe is a social spirit,” Stuckey says. “It’s meant to be enjoyed with people together.”’

GO:

Lifted Spirits’ absinthe cocktail class. Guests will learn how to make absinthe cocktails and how to use an absinthe fountain. September 27 at 3pm. Sign up at liftedspiritskc.com.

I recommend heading to Stuckey’s distillery on a Wednesday night when the jazz band, led by Marcus Lewis, a trombone player and a jazz professor at UMKC, is playing. Another great combination, according to Stuckey? Jazz and absinthe.

Road Trip-Worthy ’Cue

This rural hot spot is worth a detour

By John Martellaro

TAKING A FALL color sightseeing trip headed southwest from KC? Why not time your travel to one last bite of great barbecue on your way out of town at Guy and Mae’s in Williamsburg, Kansas?

This rural gem has been a haven for in-the-know barbecue fans for decades, and it’s still well worth a short detour off I-35. (It’s roughly 60 miles from the I-635/I-35 interchange, exit 170 from I-35.)

The vibe is come-as-you-are, classic small-town taproom. The draft Bud is served cold in mason jars with handles, sides are served in foam cups with a handy plastic spork, and their famous pork ribs come wrapped in foil with sheets of newspaper underneath. Cash only, a sign on the door warns, with the helpful tip that there’s an on-premise ATM.

Those ribs are irresistible in both directions—the quintessential fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth experience. They arrive unsauced and minimally seasoned. Tips

are pre-trimmed, St. Louis style, leaving lean meat with little or no cartilage to work around. If you want to taste meat and smoke with not much else getting in the way, Guy and Mae’s is your jam.

Lori Thompson is the owner of the restaurant, which was founded by her grandparents, Guy and Mae Kesner, in 1973.

“We kind of evolved from a tavern, pool hall kind of place,” Thompson says. “The food hasn’t changed all that much because grandpa had it all figured out. Grandma came up with the sauce recipe. We still cook over the hickory fire in the pit,” which, Thompson says, has been rebuilt four times over the past five decades.

Guy Kesner was originally from southern Missouri, where he learned to make barbecue with “whatever he caught hunting,” Thompson says. “He tried everything.” The family moved to De Soto, where Guy met Mae. The couple later moved to the Williamsburg area when they bought a dairy farm.

“Then he got a job managing the truck stop in Ottawa,” Thompson says, but the barbecue bug was in his blood. “That was a wild hair of grandpa’s, and grandma kinda got swept up in it.”

We found an almost full house on a recent early Wednesday evening. In addition to the ribs, Guy and Mae’s offers sandwiches with a choice of four meats: brisket, ham, turkey and Polish sausage. The brisket was moist, tender and smoky, with a saltiness that hints of Texas influence. The Polish sausage was the one choice where the just-smoke-and-meat approach disappointed; I wanted some garlic and spice. The sauce was sweet but not overly so. The double meat sandwich was hefty, served on a burger bun with pickle slices and a bag of chips.

The beans were the best of the sides, with well-balanced elements of smoke, spice and vinegar providing a nice kick. The potato salad was well-flavored with firm chunks, and the standard-issue slaw was inoffensive. The apple butter cheesecake was a unique, well-executed dessert. Table service was prompt, friendly and just attentive enough.

“People come from all over,” Thompson says. “People going from Wichita to KC and vice versa, people camping at Lake Pomona or Melvern (Eisenhower State Park). We have a lot of people who just enjoy the drive coming down here. That’s part of the draw.”

It’s good to note that, if you do plan on making the trek, Guy and Mae’s (119 W. William St., Williamsburg, KS) is closed Sundays.

Wyatt Thompson, son of Guy and Mae’s owner Lori Thompson, at the grill.

Chef

Feeded on Set

Carlos Mortera reflects on lassoing the catering event of the year: Apple TV’s Ted Lasso show

By Tyler Shane

WHEN CARLOS MORTERA started his catering business last year, he was looking to wind down from the chaotic and arduous lifestyle that comes with being a restaurant owner. He closed his KCK restaurant, Poio Mexican BBQ, in 2023, hoping to spend more time with his family. Little did he know this pivot would provide him with one of the biggest opportunities of his career: catering for Apple TV’s hit show Ted Lasso

The Ted Lasso production team originally planned on bringing in a caterer from Chicago while filming in KC for the last two weeks of July, Mortera says. However, producers were tipped off that Mortera’s local catering company, Golden Brown, had plenty of experience working on film sets.

“The initial idea of Golden Brown was to do productions,” Mortera says. “There’s a lot of commercials shot in Kansas City, and with the new tax credits that Missouri is giving to productions companies,

I was like, ‘Hey, I can do this by catering to them and have a niche.’”

While Ted Lasso filmed in KC, clips of the show’s star, Jason Sudeikis, circulated on social media as he was seen shooting at landmarks throughout the city, like the Country Club Plaza. It’s been speculated that Ted Lasso, which is plotted around Sudeikis playing an American football coach who unexpectedly transitions to lead an English soccer team, was possibly filmed in KC due to the World Cup being hosted here next year. But Mortera can’t speak on that. When asked about any interactions with the cast, he gives the answer of someone who is under contract not to spill juicy details.

“We’re all there to do a job,” he says. “The cast has respect for everyone in the crew and they’re very professional.”

No phones are allowed on set, although Mortera says he was able to sneak a picture with Brendan Hunt, who doubles as the show’s co-creator and featured actor portraying Coach Beard, before filming wrapped up. (Mortera had already met Sudeikis while catering for Thunder Gong, an annual benefit concert based in KC.) Despite having worked on film sets before and regularly catering to large high-end parties and fundraisers, like the Charlotte Street Foundation, Mortera says the Ted Lasso gig was the most intense. Working 16-, sometimes 18-hour days while catering to the various diets of the cast during some of KC’s hottest weeks is something he describes as “grueling.”

A typical day catering on the Ted Lasso set consisted of Mortera waking up at 3 am and, with his team of five chefs, preparing a continental-style breakfast buffet. Mortera needed to prepare enough food to feed up to three different departments for each meal, so in addition to a large buffet, his crew also brought a food trailer to prepare specialty items and meals that catered to the cast’s various dietary needs.

Breakfast was usually ready by 5:30 am. By 11 am, Mortera and his team would break down the buffet

and head back to their Midtown kitchen to begin preparing lunch. Lunch, served during the last half of the day, anywhere between 2 and 5 pm, was where Mortera was able to showcase his signature cooking style, a blend of Mexican and barbecue with Asian influences, prepared using French techniques.

“A lot of food that we made showcased Kansas City’s diverse culture that we have,” Mortera says. “We have a big Vietnamese community, so we did Vietnamese food one day. Of course, we had to have barbecue. We did Mexican food, street tacos, Korean food.”

One of Mortera’s favorite memories on set was introducing churros to an executive producer from England. According to Mortera, several English producers arrived during filming and were delighted to try his food because much of it was food they’d never had before. It became his goal to introduce them to a new food each day. They reveled in his Chipotle-style buffet, and he even taught them how to make a Frito pie—a Southwestern comfort meal that involves putting chili and cheese in a bag of Frito chips.

CARLOS MORTERA’S PERFECT DAY IN KC

Breakfast

Breakfast is my favorite food. My family has been going to Dagwood’s almost every Sunday for six years. I was into their club sandwich for a while. It’s the most simple sandwich: white bread, turkey, ham, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo. It’s toasted. You get the three layers cut into a triangle. It’s what a club sandwich should be. My other go-to is the biscuits and gravy with three fried eggs, country fries and a side of bacon.

Thrifting

My wife and I will head to some local thrift and vintage shops, especially on First Friday weekend. I also like the City Thrift on Shawnee Mission Parkway because they have a little vintage area. Blessings Abound on Metcalf also has a lot of great furniture. We’re all about reduce, reuse, recycle. Lately, we’re looking for stuff for my wife’s studio. She makes custom women’s suits (amybayless.com).

Union Station

A perfect day for me is just hanging out with my kids. Sometimes we’ll head to Union Station. We love to see the trains, then we hit Science City. It’s chaos and a lot of noise, but they love it.

“I like to cook food that I like to eat,” Mortera says. “And a lot of the producers were really cool. They were really down to earth.”

As the producers prepared to fly home, Mortera prepared churros for them to take on their homebound flight.

Now that Mortera has had some time to reflect on the chaotic and fulfilling two weeks of catering for one of Apple TV’s most beloved series, he says that it was a lesson in “adaptability.”

“Things change all the time,” Mortera says. “There’s a saying in film: You have to have the urgency to stand around. Sometimes they need you right away, but they won’t give you direction, so you just have to stand there until they tell you what to do.”

Filming locations were also revealed on short notice, so Mortera would find himself suddenly needing to prepare food for 400 people to shoot at the KC Current stadium at the drop of a hat. Whether they were filming in the River Market or near Swope Park, inside or outside underneath a giant tent, he and his crew had to make it work.

“Sometimes in that food trailer, it could get up to 130 degrees,” Mortera says. “That’s why we decided to prepare everything offsite instead of in the truck, so we don’t get heat exhaustion.”

After such an intense catering event, you’d think Mortera would prioritize rest. Instead, he went right back to his usual local work.

“Because I’m a crazy person, the day after production wrapped up, I had a food styling gig for T-Mobile,” Mortera says. ”My wife said I need to book myself a hotel so I can just sleep all day. I did that, then I got a haircut. For those two weeks [of catering], I only had a week to prepare for it, so I’m trying to get myself back together.”

Newsfeed

What’s new in Kansas City food and drink

By Tyler Shane

Bar K Closed Permanently

Bar K has closed.

The beloved establishment, which sits just north of the River Market and includes a bar, restaurant and dog park, was a hot spot for dog owners looking to let their pups run

off-leash while enjoying food and drink (501 Berkley Parkway, KCMO). Bar K published a statement citing “a variety of challenges,” including economic hardship and constant construction at its riverfront location, as the reason for closing.

“Among many other factors, we faced the same severe economic challenges as the rest of the hospitality industry, including inflationary costs and expenses, an extremely difficult labor market and sharply reduced consumer spending,” states the announcement. “On top of this, each of our locations had its own challenges—particularly in Kansas City, which became extremely isolated by massive construction projects that made access difficult at best and consumed much of its parking.”

Bar K was voted the Best Dog Bar for USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards in 2024.

KC Current Players Open Pitchside Coffee Shop in the Crossroads

After a year of operating their mobile coffee trailer, Pitchside, six KC Current players opened their first brick-and-mortar cafe on August 31 (1819 Grand Blvd., KCMO).

Pitchside co-owner and KC Current forward Kristen Hamilton says the new space is “spacious, comfortable and very inviting. It’s a nice open space with lots of windows and cool garage doors that we can open when the weather’s nice.”

The teammates had originally hoped to open closer to the River Market near the CPKC Stadium, but when the Crossroads location became available, it was an opportunity they couldn’t refuse. Alongside Hamilton, the owners include teammates Elizabeth Ball, Vanessa DiBernardo, Mallory Weber, Desiree Scott and Hailie Mace.

The cafe seats 60 to 75 customers, and while you don’t need to follow the KC Current to enjoy the new Crossroads site, fans will appreciate the TVs regularly streaming soccer matches—especially during the team’s fall afternoon games.

Although Pitchside’s mobile trailer model allowed Hamilton and her teammates to directly connect with the community while they worked there, she says the shop’s hours require the help of staff. Hamilton says they do plan to be behind the bar sometimes and “just hanging out in the coffee shop.”

Vietnam Cafe Is Opening a Second Location

A Kansas City restaurant staple is expanding. Vietnam Cafe, a locally owned establishment considered one of Kansas City’s best Vietnamese restaurants, is opening a second location in Overland Park.

The new site, which joins the location in Columbus Park, will be located at 135th and Switzer Road (9500 W. 135th St., Overland Park) and will occupy the 4,075-square-foot former Beef-A-Roo space, which sits on just over an acre. The property, represented by Block & Co. Inc., Realtors during the transaction, will undergo construction.

An opening date has yet to be determined, but Micky Chun, who operates Vietnam Cafe alongside her family, says the restaurant is slated to open in 2026. The new location will feature the same menu Chun’s family has always served.

“We’re very fortunate,” Chun says. “Our customers from Olathe, Overland Park and Lenexa will drive 30 to 45 minutes to eat at our restaurant, so we want to give them an opportunity to eat closer to home. We’ll be offering a drive-thru as well for our customers that are always on the go because sometimes they just want a bahn mi sandwich and coffee to-go.”

Chun says her aunt and uncle, Ngoc Le and Ming Hoang, have owned Vietnam Cafe in Columbus park since 2015. Although many think her family’s restaurant in Columbus Park is associated with Vietnam Cafe 39 in KCK (3934 Rainbow Blvd., KCK), it is not.

Vietnam Cafe’s River Market restaurant (522 Campbell St., KCMO) features an array of delightful authentic Vietnamese dishes, but the bowls of brothy pho with vermicelli noodles are considered one of their best menu items.

surreal estate

End of the Road

A

lonesome bridge along I-70 that went nowhere is gone for good

By Nicole Kinning

IF YOU DRIVE I-70 as often as I do, you’ll start to memorize its quirks: the curves where you have to ease off the gas, the traffic patterns, the Royals logo off the Benton curve. But chances are you never noticed a bridge with no destination. In fact, it connected nothing to nothing much longer than it ever connected anything to anything.

For the purpose of this story, we’ll call this structure the Bridge to Nowhere. It was located off I-70 between Indiana Avenue and Truman Road along the Benton curve. You couldn’t quite spot it from the interstate, but if you ever took Benton Boulevard,

“After World War II, there was a big migration of people from the urban core to the suburbs, growing a need for ramps like this one.”

you passed right by it. According to Missouri Department of Transportation Assistant District Engineer Jeffrey Hardy, the bridge was built in the early 1960s and remained in use until 1980.

“If you were on Benton, you could get onto eastbound I-70 by taking that ramp,” Hardy says. “After World War II, there was a big migration of people from the urban core to the suburbs, growing a need for ramps like this one.”

The Bridge to Nowhere’s biggest flaw, when it was functional, was that it was a left-entrance ramp. Although the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Manual doesn’t strictly prohibit left ramps, it does address their safety concerns. In early 1980, there was a push to remove ramps in Kansas City that were either low-volume or considered unsafe due to their left-side access to the freeway.

With that, the Bridge to Nowhere’s ramp onto the interstate was removed, but the structure remained. And until recently, it served a surprising purpose.

“We were going to tear the bridge down over 10 years ago, but the University of Missouri was doing a study on it to evaluate how long a bridge would last without putting a lot of salt and vehicles on it,” Hardy says. That data helped engineers understand how concrete and steel structures age in relatively untouched conditions, which is valuable insight for infrastructure planning. A Missouri DOT analysis of nearly 40 years of bridge data found that salt speeds up deterioration more than any other factor, often cutting a bridge’s life in half. In other words, the Bridge to Nowhere gave them a rare before-and-after comparison they could never have purposely recreated.

While nothing remains of the Bridge to Nowhere, which was officially demolished this past May as part of the I-70 rebuilding project, a small part of the era still remains: “At the [former] Troost ramp, you can still see the retaining wall,” Hardy says.

Photography by Ian Simmons