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70 IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVID KOECHNER
The Missouri native (who claims KC as his own) talks about growing up in a small town, his iconic characters, and what he loves about Big Slick. 74 WHAT A WAY TO START YOUR
Twenty-four metro breakfast and brunch spots worth your time.
REFRESH. RENEW. ROAD TRIP
Time to plan a getaway. Daytrip, overnight, or weekend, what’s your pleasure? Get out of town!
STYLE RECIPE
Key ingredients make this designer’s Mission condo sparkle.
On the cover Actor, comedian, and Big Slick cohost David Koechner.
Put the Pedal to the Metal
It’s just like riding a bike, so the saying goes about any skill that once learned is never forgotten. Well, let me tell you, riding a bike after 30 years of not riding a bike is not “just like riding a bike.”
Encouraged by the miles of new bike lanes being added to Kansas City streets (and a friend who’s encouraging me to get off my tush), I have recently taken up cycling again for fun and exercise.
The last time I rode a bike regularly was in my 20s when I was living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it was a convenient way to get around that small college town. That bicycle had no gears, so it braked by pushing backwards on the pedals.
A couple of weeks ago, on an abnormally warm spring day, my friend loaded up our bikes and drove us and them over to the trolley trail in Brookside. It was a Saturday morning, and the trail was busy. Runners, walkers, and other bike riders (including little kiddos putting me to shame) made their way along the trail. My cycling mastery was shaky, at best. When I got too dangerously close to someone, I’d holler, “Watch out, coming through! I don’t have good control!” as I repeatedly tried to brake my 10-speed bike using the same method I used on my Huffy all those years ago.
I know some people don’t like all the road changes with the protected bike lanes that the city is adding, but I think it’s worth the trouble.
Last November, we made a weekend trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. It’s become quite the getaway with Crystal Bridges Museum, et al. It’s a vibrant small city, and one of the most notable things about it is the network of protected bike lanes everywhere, from downtown to the woods that surround the museum. And the bikers were out en masse.
I saw every type, from women and men obviously biking to work in street clothes (but with the requisite helmet) to hard-core riders who seem to be in training.
We may see few cyclists in Kansas City’s new protected lanes now, but we’ll hopefully see participation grow as more are finished. That’s been the trend in other metropolitan areas that have added protected lanes. Bicycles are even allowed (and welcomed) on the KC Streetcar, making a daily commute from close-in neighborhoods to an office a real possibility. Studies have shown that protected lanes can reduce all traffic accidents, not just for cyclers.
I’m going to keep up my new hobby, and my hope is to improve enough to take to the lanes. But thankfully, I had on a helmet and sunglasses that Saturday. I sure wasn’t going to identify myself to the friends I passed on the way.
Vol. 9 | No. 5
Editor In Chief Zim Loy
Digital Editor Evan Pagano
Art Director Alice Govert Bryan
Contributing Writers
Susan Cannon, Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Damian Lair, Katie Van Luchene, Jenny Vergara
Contributing Photographers
Bridget Chang, Jorden Durkee, Aaron Leimkuehler
Publisher Michelle Jolles
Media Director Brittany Coale
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Hungry? Try out a new, local eatery tonight!
If you’re dying to know about the local restaurant scene, we’ve got the city’s most comprehensive dining guide. So many restaurants to please your palate—many with outdoor spaces for you to enjoy the spring weather. Head to inkansascity.com/eat-drink/ dining-guide
Far-flung hearts. This one is for the voyagers. All April, the folks at Parade of Hearts were busy installing 150 unique heart statues across the Kansas City area. We found the 2026 parade’s most distant hearts— from Lawrence to Lone Jack and beyond—and are telling their stories on inkansascity.com
Hit the club… softly. On the last Thursday of the month, April through July, the majestic Museum of Kansas City hosts free-to-enter evenings of “soft clubbing” at its Elixir Soda Fountain. Espresso, soda, cocktails to drink, and a DJ to provide a low-key soundtrack. Read our experience on inkansascity.com
Load up for the World Cup. World Cup paraphernalia is everywhere. Want to make sure you find the best? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! We’re rounding up all the local World Cup products and deals we can find on inkansascity.com
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This Month IN KC May
by Evan Pagano
Painted Garden
Starts May 2
Powell Gardens powellgardens.org/painted-garden
WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE MAY SPOTLIGHT
A gem even brighter. From May 2 to June 21, artistry takes root at Powell Gardens. With spring blooming strong, the botanical garden is adorning the property with a series of original glass creations from Belger Arts, a glass fountain created by nine artists from across the nation, and a barn quilt installation. The month is packed with special programming, too— we have our eyes on the Mother’s Day picnics (May 9 and 10) and brunch (May 10).
Mobile Music Box
Various dates and locations kcsymphony.org/concerts-tickets/ neighborhood-concerts
Concertos to go. The Mobile Music Box—Kansas City Symphony’s souped-up, musician-filled box truck that brings free concerts to outdoor locations across the metro—is back on the road through midJune. On May 5, you can catch the symphony’s violin quartet in Prairie Village’s Meadowbrook Park. On May 13, the string quartet will be in Westwood Park. See the full schedule on the symphony’s website.
Festivals, Festivals, Festivals
Various dates and locations
Come one, come all. May means cold temperatures are comfortably behind us, and the KC metro is responding with festivals up and down the calendar—for all kinds of festival-goers.
For a good old-fashioned community festival, head to Merriam’s Turkey Creek Festival on May 16 in Antioch Park. There will be concerts, food trucks, an arts and crafts market, a kid’s zone, and even a 5K for the ambitious.
Want to grow your art collection? Or browse your heart out? Swing by the Lenexa Art Fair on May 9 and the Prairie Village Art Show, May 29–31. In Lenexa, 50 regional artists—plus jazz bands, food trucks, and face painters—will be on hand at the Lenexa Civic Campus. In Prairie Village, over 100 artists—including the featured artist, oil painter Sharon Sudduth—will take over the Shops of Prairie Village.
The third weekend of May is quite a stretch for the culinarily inclined. On May 16 and 17, the Kansas City Cocktail Festival will go down at the newly opened Rock Island Bridge. On May 17, the first-ever Kansas City Oyster Festival where local chefs will make magic with oyster farmers from across the country— comes to J. Rieger & Co. Both events are ticketed.
And just before you flip the calendar page, Festa Italiana, May 29–31, spreads across the lawn at Zona Rosa. It’s more than an excuse to eat Italian food (though there’s plenty of that). It’s an opportunity to laze into the night and take in oldcountry traditions and local Italian-American culture. Musicians, dancers, and even a meatball-eating contest will take the main stage.
tfolio
Por tfolio hen & Ho me is p lea sed to announce the opening of ou r ne wl y de signed Studio
An in tima te ele vated environ ment
Created to e xpand the scope of our wo r k and de e pen the c lien t e xpe rien ce A continued co mmitmen t to
by Merrily Jackson mjackson@inkansascity.com
My Backyard is a Mess. Come Over Anyway
Recently I asked a local nursery to design a low-maintenance backyard for me. “I’m not looking for a garden tour garden,” I said. “I just want it to not be embarrassing.”
The design they delivered was, in fact, garden tour-worthy. Also, very impractical. No irrigation system, several fussy plants, and a price tag that would have been quite something to maintain. A more knowledgeable friend gently pointed out these flaws, and just like that, the whole plan collapsed.
So here I am: no new garden, a few stubborn bamboo shoots, and a backyard that is still a bit of a situation.
What I’ve come to realize is that guests don’t experience a backyard the way a homeowner does. They’re not cataloging flaws or noting what hasn’t been planted. They’re scanning for a drink, a place to sit, and someone fun to talk to, and once they’ve found those things, the rest fades into the background.
Whether your garden is a showpiece or a work in progress, the principles of outdoor entertaining are remarkably similar.
You don’t need the whole yard, just a good corner. Even the most beautiful gardens benefit from a sense of focus. Create one inviting area
where people naturally gather: a table set for drinks, a cluster of chairs, a tray of something delicious. If your landscaping is spectacular, this gives it a stage. If it’s not, it gives guests somewhere better to look.
Comfort is the real luxury. In the spring and fall, Kansas City evenings can shift quickly from balmy to brisk. Keep a basket of lightweight throws or wraps within reach. It’s a small gesture that makes guests feel cared for—always the mark of a good host.
Comfortable seating matters, too. Your outdoor furniture does not have to be the latest thing, but it should be something people can truly relax in. Good cushions make all the difference. Ballard Designs offers beautiful, reasonably priced custom options that can breathe new life into older pieces.
Rethink the bug battle. Regular readers of this column know I’m a fan of outdoor foggers. If you’d rather rely on natural solutions, think about airflow and placement. A discreet fan near seating areas keeps air moving (mosquitos dislike this immensely) and helps guests stay cool. Position seating away from dense plantings at dusk, when insects are most enthusiastic.
Let the party move. The most enjoyable gatherings have a natural flow. Start outside with drinks, then allow things to drift toward the porch, the kitchen, or back out again as the evening unfolds. As people shift from one spot to another, conversations refresh and new ones begin, which is the quiet magic of a good party. It also gives you an effortless plan B if the weather turns.
Make the bar work for you. For smaller groups, a well-stocked self-serve bar is both charming and practical. Guests enjoy helping themselves, and it frees you to circulate. For larger gatherings—say, 20 or more—hire a bartender. It’s a civilized luxury that keeps things running smoothly and elevates the entire evening.
A final thought. Hosts tend to fixate on what isn’t finished: the planting not done, the cushions not replaced, the one corner that still needs attention. Guests, meanwhile, remember something else entirely: how easy it was to settle in, how good the drink was, how much they enjoyed the company.
Get those things right, and you’ve succeeded, whether your garden is magazine-worthy or gloriously beside the point.
Entertaining IN KC
ENTERTAINING AL FRESCO
55TH & BROOKSIDE BLVD. hudsonandjane.com
UNDERFOOT LUXURY
An outdoor rug instantly defines your entertaining area and makes even a simple setup feel elegant. Go for subtle patterns that hide the occasional spill. Provo teal rug by KAS, $658 for 8x10, from Amini's
A PLACE TO LAND
A small but sturdy side table or garden stool gives guests somewhere to set a drink. Scatter a few around and suddenly everyone is more comfortable. Wicker outdoor end table, $130, from World Market
POUR DECISIONS MADE EASY
A beverage dispenser with a spigot is perfect for batched cocktails, iced tea or citrus water. It invites guests to serve themselves and keeps you out of the weeds. Stoneware beverage dispenser, $66, from Be Here Now Home Decor and Garden
BREEZY SOLUTION
CRESTWOOD SHOPS
Entertaining IN KC
Batch Made in Heaven
A French 75 cocktail feels festive, sophisticated, and just strong enough to make everyone a little more interesting. It’s the ideal spring cocktail, and happily, it adapts beautifully to a pitcher, which means you can spend less time playing bartender and more time enjoying your guests.
FRENCH
75 FOR A CROWD (serves 6–8)
2 cups gin
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces simple syrup
1 bottle Champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine, well chilled
In a large pitcher, combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Stir well and chill until ready to serve, at least two hours. Pour into ice-filled glasses (or, if you’re feeling fancy, chilled coupes without ice).
For a slightly more interactive approach, place the prosecco or Champagne in an ice bucket nearby along with a small measuring jigger, and invite guests to top off their own drinks to taste.
Garnish with lemon twists or thin lemon wheels.
TWO IMPORTANT NOTES: 1) Taste before serving. Lemons vary, and a cocktail this simple benefits from a quick adjustment. Another squeeze of lemon or a touch more syrup can make it just right. 2) This is not the place for your finest Champagne. A good-quality prosecco or sparkling wine will do beautifully.
Entertaining IN KC
ASK MERRILY
Find answers to all your entertaining questions.
Do you have a question about entertaining? Email it to mjackson@inkansascity.com
Q: What’s the right way to handle outdoor smoking these days?
A: Designate a specific area and make it comfortable—an ashtray (a real one), a chair or two, perhaps a small table. This keeps things contained without making anyone feel banished. And do let guests know where it is, quietly and without fanfare.
Q: I worry about bugs landing on the food. How do I manage that gracefully?
A: Keep food covered until the moment it’s served, and favor items that can be refreshed in small batches rather than set out all at once. A simple mesh food cover is perfectly acceptable, and far preferable to shooing flies away mid-conversation.
Q: What’s the best way to light an outdoor dining table so people can actually see their food?
A: Aim for a mix: something soft and ambient (lanterns, candles) paired with just enough direct light to be functional. A small, wellplaced lamp or two can make all the difference. Guests should look lovely, but they should also be able to see what they’re eating.
WHERE fun
FLIGHT TAKES
June 6 - Quilt Walk
June 6 - Art on the Side Art Festical
June 13 - Juneteenth Celebration
June 12 - GOoooal North KC Soccer Watch Party - USA vs. Paraguay Mark Your Calendars: VisitLibertyMo.com
Our Man IN KC
by Damian Lair dlair@inkansascity.com : @damianlair #OurManINKC
A River Reconnected
It was difficult to believe—and I had to consult my phone’s camera roll for confirmation—but in October 2020, I was invited to a very early tour of what promised to be a groundbreaking project.
Five and a half years, and several hard-hat tours later, it was surreal to be on Rock Island Bridge for its official opening. What felt like an undertaking that might never see a ribbon-cutting had become fully realized.
In case you’ve been sleeping on this project, the Rock Island Bridge is a complete entertainment district atop a decommissioned railroad bridge spanning the Kansas River. The 35,000-square-foot space includes a restaurant, event space, and two bars—all 60 feet above the Kansas River. And with Kansas City’s largest patio, there’s ample space for lounging. Relaxing on this suspended steel park feels special, with panoramic views of downtown, Strawberry Hill, the neighboring active railroad bridges, and paddling kayakers. The river itself is gentle, with no commercial traffic, making it ideal for nonmotorized boating or simply reconnecting with nature (I’m told the bridge has a resident bald eagle).
It opens at 8 a.m., so why not sink into a patio chair for a morning coffee on the breezy porch? Though barely behind us, it already has me craving autumnal sweater weather. With WiFi, you could even stay a bit and get your workday started. Both levels on the central truss (containing the event space, restaurant, and bars) are covered and heated.
With such an ambitious undertaking for founder Michael Zeller, setbacks and delays were inevitable. One was the Army Corps of Engineers’ work on a new levee wall (for protecting neighboring areas from 750-year floods). The work on the east end recently finished, allowing for the bridge to open. Work near the western entrance is expected to be completed in late summer. Doing so will fulfill the bridge’s function as a trail head, critically connecting hikers and bikers to trails on both sides of the river.
Come for the novelty. Come for the nature. But what about the food? After aggressively ordering from River House’s menu, I am thrilled to report that the restaurant on deck was no afterthought. Chefs Bradley & Brittany Gilmore (of LuLu’s Southern Kitchen) describe their menu inspiration as “Midwest lake house meets coastal smokehouse.” The establishment is led by Andrew Miller (of Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Guy’s Snacks, and Una Familia Tequila). It is American comfort food that’s elevated, but hardly fussy.
I’ll tick through several highlights. First, I am a huge fan of fish
OVERHEARD
“The only thing thin here is the crust on my pizza.”
dips, and the smoked trout dip paired with grilled sourdough absolutely slapped. The pickle chips and corn ribs round out my top picks for apps. Worth mentioning—the oysters on ice are a signature, even though I’m not an oyster eater. Another signature I should flag (though did not order) is the smoked and wood-fired whole chicken. An old train bell will ceremoniously ring around 5 p.m. when they’re ready to be served. For my entrées, I danced between the brisket-blend burger on a potato bun with rib sauce and the Cuban sandwich. Both were fantastic, and I would order on repeat. No meal is complete without a sweet ending, and the campfire s’mores skillet was positively phenomenal. Perfect for an outdoor bridge setting. As I was hoping, the River House restaurant is its own destination. The one-ofa-kind ambience is merely a bonus.
In addition to the table-service restaurant, there is a walk-up window, Rock Island Eats, that serves a limited menu for grab and go. You can snap up fries loaded with pulled pork or chili, a pretzel, burger, or
Damian Lair at the opening of Rock Island Bridge.
Our Man IN KC
sandwich, plus a beer or cocktail—all perfect for snacking on the patio.
As of this writing, the bridge and neighboring areas are just becoming activated. Already, Rock Island has hosted a Kansas City Boat Club rowing scrimmage watch party. They’ve also kicked off weekly Saturday yoga. On May 19, they’ll host Moon Market, with art and other handmade goods. Joggers and walkers are now visible on the levee-top trails and the new waterfront park. There are plans for a floating dock for kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddle board rentals. Programming wise, they intend to fill the calendar with farmers markets, artist popups, and various meditative and physical activities.
As part of the High Line Network (which famously transformed another abandoned, elevated railway line in NYC), Alan van Capelle, its executive director, opined that in revitalizing the riverfront, “It’s going to have the same effect as the High Line, which helped jump start the west side of Manhattan.”
I had the absolute best evening on the river. Having this community park and civic gathering space just minutes from downtown means you’ll find me there often.
ORIGINAL SOURCES
THE OLDER I GET, the less I like waiting in lines. Not that long ago (before efficient online preordering), if you wanted the new iPhone model, you had to pitch a tent. The night before that annual September drop day, a line began to form, snaking around the Country Club Plaza Apple store. I know this, because for many years, I was there.
These days, I don’t do a lot of line waiting, and I certainly don’t romanticize it the way I once did. For all the perks of media previews or an invitation to quietly slip in the back door, there is an unspoken tradeoff. Waiting, as a polite and patient person, results in an inherent sense of satisfaction and achievement. It’s a standalone benefit you cannot buy. I was reminded of this as I waited.
I was at the National WWI Museum and Memorial to see a handful of founding U.S. documents. The Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation exhibit was midway through its brisk, 16-day stop in our city. In full transparency, I had the opportunity to circumvent waiting altogether. It felt like a critical part of the common experience, however, to wait in line like everyone else. Standing (for roughly 2.5 hours) alongside like-minded, history-appreciating Americans to see these ultra-rare documents felt rousing and patriotic.
Kansas City had the distinct privilege of being the first stop for this eight-city tour commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary. Traveling on a dedicated Boeing 737, nine original, historic documents from the National Archives left Washington, D.C. to crisscross the country. For some of these documents, the last time they left the National Archives was via horseback. We’ve come a long way.
HOT GOSSIP:
Who had a summer breakup and finally told their parents at the holiday airport pickup?
Among the original documents on tour are an engraving of the Declaration of Independence (on loan from David Rubenstein—more on him in the next issue), Articles of Association, and Treaty of Paris. Having just seen the celebrated musical Hamilton (again) at Whose Taco Bell rendezvous took a turn south?
the Music Hall a couple weeks prior, it felt poignant to examine Hamilton’s signed oath of allegiance to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (alongside George Washington’s and Aaron Burr’s).
OVERHEARD
“It’s not a rut. It’s a groove.”
I also marveled at two other documents: a secret printing of the Constitution in draft form and a Senate markup of the Bill of Rights. Both included handwritten notes, heavy markups, and revisions, reflecting intense deliberations. It’s sometimes easy to forget that the novel ideas now easily printed in pocket size were the result of a complicated, intentional, and passionate process.
The document that really hit me, though, was the meticulous vote-tallying record for approving the Constitution. It reflects the debates, resolutions, scrupulous word choice, and eventual vote on the final text that would become the radical U.S. Constitution. Its passage was neither inevitable nor likely. Neither was its endurance. Line after handwritten line of ayes and nays are evidence of the messy, unpredictable, and nonlinear journey to what guides us today, with only modest amendments. Seeing this difficult process play out on paper forces one to reckon with the idea of an alternate outcome. What if there had been no Constitution?
Seeing so many people care, and willing to commit hours to the endeavor, renewed my sense of hope for our still-fledgling experiment in democracy. Though my resolve and optimism are sometimes tested, bearing witness to these historic and consequential documents, fundamental to our founding, made me excited about the approaching semi quincentennial. It also re-affirmed the need to persistently shape and defend these blessings of liberty.
MARBLE & CANVAS
ON A BEAUTIFUL SPRING AFTERNOON, I had the opportunity to preview Marble & Canvas, the new retail shop inside the historic Vanderslice Hall on the Kansas City Art Institute campus. It’s an exquisite retail destination featuring a rotating collection of thoughtfully considered items—all available for purchase. These original works, distinctive gifts, and art-inspired goods are designed and created by KCAI alumni, faculty, and students, celebrating the institution’s rich legacy of accomplished artists. Sales help fund student scholarships and provide artist commissions more favorable than most galleries.
The shop is a jewel box filled with handmade ceramics, fine-art prints, textiles, jewelry, and design-forward home furnishings. The diverse array of items appropriately reflects the breadth of creative practice across KCAI’s community. I spotted so many treasures but will mention a few standouts.
Sinuous, silver jewelry and tableware from Robyn Nichols gleamed and begged to be taken home. Sculptural ceramic busts from Bernadette Esperanza Torres followed me as I meandered around the shop. Irma Starr’s distinctive ceramics also caught my attention—particularly an intensely detailed miniature of Vanderslice. Laura Foster Nicholson’s hand-embroidered lounge and side chairs were both cheeky and sophisticated. Walls are sheathed with paintings from the likes of Les-
ter Goldman and Dean Kube, and a Thomas Hart Benton lithograph is tossed in for good measure. Mabel Johnson has a selection of incredible, collage-like garments inspired by patchwork quilts. An alcove is clad with a wallcovering from my globally renowned favorite, Porter Teleo Kelly Porter also has artworks available. Angelica Sandoval’s light installation, with 50 hanging spherical porcelain pieces, provides a celestial center to the space. Tying everything together is the wafting, intertwined signature scents from House of Cade Black. Both scents (I really loved Marble) are available in candle, bar soap, and room spray.
The space was designed by Kansas City-based York & Co. and seamlessly blends into the historic character of the building it occupies. KCAI senior Product Design students also contributed through project-based internships.
The name takes inspiration from its historic setting. At a dinner in 1928, Howard Vanderslice told KCAI students, “It is my hope that this school may aid succeeding generations of our young people to realize the ideals of their souls and return to this city, in the forms of great marble and great canvases, the inspiration it has given them.”
Later that evening, a very special opening event was held for a crowd of more than 600. It was envisioned to be a night in the French Quarter, and the creative inspiration delivered. It was every bit a grand opening. Guests packed Vanderslice, clinking glasses filled with imaginative cocktails from Sidecar Cocktail Catering Co., by the team behind Westport Cafe and Cézanne KC event space. Tasty Cajun food from Great Western Dining satisfied appetites. Guests were greeted by towering, stilted women in flowing gowns. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence interspersed with revelers, and a poet was on hand for typing on-the-spot personalized verses. Also reporting for duty was a tarot card and fortune reader.
Trevor Turla’s live brass band appropriately crashed the party, coaxing guests into a krewe-style parade march that ended in Epperson Auditorium, where everyone kept dancing. It was a proper (actually, rowdy) celebration. The levels of art, music, food, drink, and immersive energy were all reflective of the overflowing creativity and joie de vivre at KCAI.
Marble & Canvas is open Tuesday through Thursday and by appointment on Friday and Saturday. The online storefront, marbleandcanvas.com, will be launching soon.
So, KC—where do you want to go? XO
A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard. 1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905
Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions. therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900
The new Marble & Canvas shop at the Kansas City Art Institute.
ALWAYS THE LEADER IN KANSAS AND MISSOURI.
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by Judith Fertig
Kreshaun McKinney
photo by Jorden Durkee
THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS DIRECTOR AT THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS
‘‘I‘m a pop-culture enthusiast whose love for art, people, and education in their many high and low places is all in a good day’s work,” says Kreshaun McKinney. At the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, she was the learning and engagement director for the past five years. But when her old employer—the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art—offered her a newly created position, she just couldn’t say no.
During McKinney’s 16 earlier years at the Nelson-Atkins, she rose from teaching full-time studio programs in the Ford Learning Center to becoming the manager of audience engagement. She developed multiple public programs, including award-winning partnerships that greatly increased the cultural diversity of the museum’s guests and expanded program participation.
“People connect with art in their daily lives without even realizing it,” she says. “At the Nelson-Atkins, I am eager to celebrate these connections, platform different voices and viewpoints, and create opportunities for people to engage with art and with each other at any age.” nelson-atkins.org
INKC: What experiences in your upbringing led you to the arts and then to Kansas City?
Kreshaun McKinney: I often share that I feel I’m the last of the generation that enjoyed arts education as a standard part of public-school curriculum. Having those creative classes of music, literature, art, and theater really helped shape my formative school years, allowing me to excel academically while also motivating me to get through chemistry and algebra.
Growing up in Chicagoland, I was fortunate to have not only teachers who encouraged my arts interests and abilities, but also a musical
Arts & Culture IN KC
family (I’m determined to relearn the piano and flute) who appreciated the arts, plus gifted mentors who guided me along the way. So many great memories of my mom and family taking me to live performances, the theater, museums such as the DuSable Black History Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, the excitement of seeing the Chicago skyline coming into “the Loop.” It was always special.
I moved to Kansas City soon-to-be 21 years ago to be an arts educator and community advocate at the Nelson-Atkins, and I have fallen more and more in love with this city. I have watched the KC arts community grow and thrive, and I have been welcomed to become a part of it. It has been an honor to have led a dynamic department at the Kemper for the past five years, and now it feels like a full-circle moment to be returning to the museum that brought me here.
INKC: How will being a hands-on artist, an educator, and a connector be reflected in your new job? What do you hope to accomplish?
KM: Because The Nelson-Atkins serves a great variety of audiences and artists and is always welcoming new people and ideas into the fold. Because of my experience and broad interests, I am open-minded, and I have a genuine enthusiasm for meeting people where they are. I know I’m not the only expert in the room! While there is so much that goes into supporting a thriving arts community and providing excellent arts experiences, you don’t have to have a formal understanding of art to find meaning in it, and you don’t have to follow a traditional path to make
meaningful artistic contributions.
I hope to advance arts integration in education because I recognize how early exposure to the arts can have a lasting impact into adulthood. My new role aligns with my sustained commitments to Kansas City, arts advocacy, and especially important to me, being a community partner and collaborator who seeks to build relationships. As the city continues to grow and the museum expands, I look forward to the creative role that I, the learning and engagement team, and my Nelson-Atkins colleagues will play.
INKC: In an age of AI, why is original art and engagement in the arts important?
KM: Original art and engagement can help us express our own humanity, cultures, and histories to help us connect with and appreciate others. But I appreciate both the possibility of technological innovation and respect the essential role that creativity has always played in life and society.
INKC: You seem to have an inner glow. How do you stay positive?
KM: My people! I have my anchors (in a good way) who keep me grounded, my faith and support system, and most importantly, people who let me be myself. I have been fortunate and blessed to have family, friends, and colleagues who have encouraged me and who look for me to encourage them.
Arts & Culture IN KC
by Judith Fertig
WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD OF OZ AT KCREP
FROM MAY 5 THROUGH MAY 24, the perennial family favorite The Wizard of Oz takes the stage at KCRep.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz debuted in a children’s book by L. Frank Baum in 1900. Then the book became the much beloved movie musical, The Wizard of Oz, in 1939, starring Judy Garland. The 1975 musical and 1978 film The Wiz gave this classic an urban spin, with Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow. And then along came Wicked, the musical and the recent films, which are based on the fantasy novel of the same name by Gregory Maguire.
What does this new production promise? In collaboration with PigPen Theatre Co., join Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion as this motley group travels the Yellow Brick Road in search of the Wizard and a way back home.
Directed by Stuart Carden, the KCRep artistic director, this beloved classic comes to life in a spectacular production for audiences of all ages. Full of heart, courage, and imagination, it’s a story that reminds us there’s no place like home.
For more information, visit kcrep.org
ONE NIGHT ONLY: PIANIST ISATA KANNEH-MASON AT THE BUILDING AT 1900
WHEN WINTER WEATHER postponed the Harriman-Jewell Series event in January, a new artist, new date, and new venue popped up to take its place in the schedule. While piano duo Arthur and Lucas Jussen will be rescheduled,* pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason will replace that event on May 15 at the Building at 1900.
British pianist Kanneh-Mason, isatakannehmason.com, offers eclectic and stimulating concerts with repertoire encompassing Haydn and Mozart, Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann, Chopin and Brahms and Gershwin and beyond. If her name rings a bell, it might be due to her family of seven children under the age of 30. They have become stellar classical musicians and were featured on CBS 60 Minutes. Born in Nottingham, England, Kanneh-Mason has researched the music of talented women that time forgot, such as Fanny Mendelssohn (sister of Felix) and Clara Schumann, a child prodigy who married Robert Schumann and had eight children. Kanneh-Mason frequently collaborates with her brother, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.
For more information and tickets, visit hjseries.org.
*If you had tickets for the Jussens’s recital, there are options to attend the Kanneh-Mason concert. Contact the Harriman-Jewell Series at info@hjseries.org or call 816-415-5025 to discuss your options.
Arts & Culture IN KC
by Judith Fertig
THE GREAT GATSBY WITH KC BALLET
FROM MAY 8 THROUGH 17, Jay Gatsby once again opens his lavish Long Island mansion, where champagne flows and the elite gather for extravagant parties. It’s the Jazz Age. The Roaring Twenties. What could possibly go wrong?
This stunning new production, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, features both classical and pop-culture dance (the Charleston and the Black Bottom among them) in choreography by Septime Webre (artistic director of the Hong Kong Ballet), along with Art Deco costumes and scenery by Tim Yip, and music by Billy Novick. You’ll find Kansas City songstress Eboni Fondren, tap-dancing jazz man Lonnie McFadden, and Tanner Rose as Gatsby’s “unreliable” narrator Nick Carraway as part of the cast.
The Great Gatsby unveils a world of glamour, jealousy, and hidden secrets. It’s the party to end all parties!
For more information and tickets, visit kcballet.org
Kansas City Ballet dancers Amanda DeVenuta and Andrew Vecseri.
photo by kenny johnson
STORIES OF BECOMING AT NERMAN
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
FROM NOW THROUGH JULY 26, the exhibit Stories of Becoming by artist Julia Buffalohead will be on view at Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art on the JCCC campus.
Children’s books, toys, and clothing are full of seemingly innocuous animal stories with European roots, from the Three Bears and Goldilocks to the helpful mice in Cinderella and even the cartoon Peppa Pig.
Yet if you are an Indigenous mother, you might see this subtle yet pervasive European influence on your children in another way. That’s what happened to Julie Buffalohead.
Stories of Becoming features her new series incorporating animals from Indigenous stories alongside the often contradictory stories from European folklore that inform the teachings and influence imposed on our youth, especially our daughters. A citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Buffalohead contrasts settler greed with Indigenous sovereignty in her debut of the folktales series, which includes the works Becoming Red, Puss Out of Boots, Throwing Stars, and Receiving Growth. While Becoming Red and Puss Out of Boots highlight two Charles Perrault tales that underscore the male deception of women and girls, in Throwing Stars and Receiving Growth, the animals act as the allegorical figures of nurture.
For more information, visit nermanmuseum.org
Closeup of Becoming Red by Julie Buffalohead
PRESENTED BY
SUMMER FUN AWAITS AT KANSAS CITY ATTRACTIONS
From iconic institutions to buzzy new destinations, Kansas City’s summer attractions invite you to explore, linger, and experience the city in a whole new way.
THE BERLIN WALL. A WORLD DIVIDED AT UNION STATION
History takes on a powerful, immersive edge at Union Station with The Berlin Wall. A World Divided, opening May 29. This North American premiere invites visitors to step inside one of the 20th century’s most defining stories, told through more than 200 original artifacts and even massive sections of the Wall itself. Moving through four galleries, you’ll experience life before, during, and after the divide—complete with personal stories, daring escapes, and the global tension of the Cold War brought vividly to life. It’s equal parts emotional and eye-opening, the kind of exhibit that lingers long after you leave. Add in Union Station’s grand setting, and this becomes more than a museum visit—it’s a can’t-miss summer experience that feels both deeply human and globally significant. unionstation.org
KANSAS CITY ZOO & AQUARIUM
At Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, summer 2026 is defined by a towering new arrival: the debut of its expanded giraffe habitat, designed to bring guests eye-to-eye with one of the savanna’s most iconic species. The thoughtfully reimagined space blends immersive viewing with conservation storytelling, offering a fresh perspective on these long-necked ambassadors and the ecosystems they inhabit. Beyond the exhibit, the Zoo’s summer calendar hums with energy, from family-friendly programming to after-hours experiences. Chief among them is Jazzoo (June 5), the Zoo’s signature adults-only evening that pairs live music, local cuisine, and cocktails with a festive, philanthropic spirit. Together, the new habitat and seasonal events position the Zoo as both a place of discovery and a lively social destination—where education, entertainment, and conservation meet under the summer sun. kansascityzoo.org
ROCK ISLAND BRIDGE
At Rock Island Bridge, summer feels like a rooftop party—just with better views. Suspended above the Kansas River, this reimagined rail bridge trades trains for tacos, cocktails, and a steady soundtrack of live music. It’s the kind of place where you can wander with a drink in hand, catch golden hour over the skyline, and linger long after the lights come on. With its industrial edge and festival-like energy, the bridge blurs the line between hangout and happening—equal parts scenic overlook and social scene.
Whether you’re meeting friends, sampling local bites, or just soaking in the atmosphere, the experience is the draw. Here, Kansas City doesn’t just cross the river—it turns it into a destination. rockislandkc.com
HARRY S. TRUMAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY & MUSEUM
Step into history—and a little summer fun—at the Truman Library & Museum, where the past feels anything but static. This season, United We Play: Kicking It with the Trumans (now through December 30) adds a playful twist, exploring the Trumans’ love of sports and connection—perfectly timed to echo the global energy of soccer fans arriving to the city. Meanwhile, Opening the Vault: The Story of US (now through May 24) offers a rare chance to see historic documents seldom displayed outside Washington, D.C., as part of the broader Story of US exhibition tracing America’s journey toward its 250th anniversary. Together, they create a dynamic mix of playfulness and perspective—perfect for a summer visit that’s as engaging as it is inspiring. trumanlibrary.gov
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
There’s nothing quite like a summer night with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium—and in 2026, the experience feels fresher than ever. With newly adjusted outfield dimensions bringing more home-run thrills and edge-of-your-seat action, every inning packs a little extra punch. Off the field, the ballpark is stepping up its culinary game, too, with an expanded lineup of local-inspired eats and creative concessions that go well beyond the classic hot dog. Circle a Memorial Day showdown against the New York Yankees on your calendar for a marquee matchup, then settle in with a cold drink, a great bite, and those iconic fountain views. It’s baseball, Kansas City-style! mlb.com/royals
ATLAS9
Atlas9 is an immersive narrative experience inside a transformed ’90s movie theater, where scenes from “forgotten films” have come to life. Spanning 45,000 square feet, the venue invites guests to dive into interactive installations, uncover hidden storylines, and engage with performers as a mysterious tale unfolds. Visitors can enjoy food and drinks from a concessions stand, pizza parlor, or hidden speakeasy, then step into a 240-seat auditorium for live shows or a 1930s jazz club for music and performances. Special
events add even more intrigue, from nostalgic Movie Nite screenings to Grown-Ups Only evenings that turn up the energy with a more mature, after-dark vibe. A classic arcade, secret story points, and a clandestine government agency add layers of discovery, while three distinct narrative arcs ensure no two visits are alike. It’s not just a night out—it’s an adventure waiting to unfold. atlas9.com
BOULEVARD YARD AT BOULEVARD BREWING CO.
Kansas City’s summer is about to get a new gathering spot with the upcoming debut of Boulevard Yard from Boulevard Brewing Company, slated to open ahead of the global soccer tournament. Once it arrives, expect an open-air playground buzzing with energy—lawn games, live music, pop-up events, and plenty of room to linger over a Tank 7 or seasonal pour. It promises to be casual, social, and distinctly Kansas City: the kind of place where afternoons stretch into evenings and strangers become fast friends. Whether you’re planning a prematch meetup or simply chasing a perfect summer night, Boulevard Yard is poised to become the city’s go-to hangout—cold beer in hand and nowhere else to be. boulevard.com
MAKE MUSIC KANSAS CITY
On June 21, 2026, Make Music Kansas City turns the city into one big, joyful stage—where sidewalks, parks, and unexpected corners pulse with live sound from morning to night. Coordinated by Kansas City Parks + Recreation, this free, all-ages celebration invites everyone to listen, play, and join in, whether you’re catching a polished performance or stumbling upon a spontaneous jam session. And with the global spotlight shining on Kansas City, the day feels even more electric—an open-air soundtrack welcoming visitors from around the world. It’s vibrant, a little unpredictable, and completely contagious: the kind of day where you follow the music, discover something new, and fall a little more in love with the city. makemusicday.org
GREEN STREET IN THE HEART OF LEE’S SUMMIT
day’s worth of reasons to stay. cityofls.net/green-street
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA
A summer visit to the Country Club Plaza is equal parts stroll, sip, and discovery—especially in 2026, as a fresh wave of openings adds new energy to this iconic destination. Between fountain-lined walks and sun-dappled patios, you’ll find stylish newcomers like MERSEA, opening its first brick-andmortar shop, alongside fashion-forward boutiques, and incoming concepts like J.H. & Sons and the dreamy pop-up LoveShackFancy. Dining is evolving, too, with spots like Vertice Italian bringing a modern, cocktail-forward vibe to the mix. Start with shopping, linger over lunch or drinks, then settle in as golden hour washes the Plaza in that unmistakable glow. With new places to explore around every corner, it’s the perfect blend of timeless Kansas City charm and just-arrived-now excitement. countryclubplaza.com
NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
At the National WWI Museum and Memorial, summer unfolds as both a celebration and a journey through history. During the global soccer tournament, the grounds transform into a high-energy outdoor watch party with big screens, live music, and an international crowd. Inside, The Beautiful Game exhibition connects soccer’s worldwide passion to themes of unity and culture, while the Paris at War exhibit offers a vivid, immersive look at life in a city shaped by conflict. It’s a dynamic mix of spectacle and reflection, all set against one of the best skyline views in town. Come for the excitement, stay for the stories—you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for both the past and the moment Kansas City is living right now. theworldwar.org
JACKSON COUNTY PARKS + REC
There’s a new buzz in Lee’s Summit, and it’s all happening at Green Street—a fresh, lively destination that’s quickly becoming the place to gather. Think openair energy with a neighborhood feel: local eats, drinks, and hangouts all stitched together into one easy, walkable scene. By day, the Green Street Market brings the space to life with rows of local growers, fresh produce, baked goods, and artisan finds—perfect for a leisurely stroll with coffee in hand. By night, it shifts gears into a social hub with live music, patio drinks, and that easy, linger-a-little-longer vibe. Whether you’re stocking up on local flavor or settling in for an evening out, Green Street delivers a full
Need something different to do this summer? You don’t have to look far— Jackson County’s parks are just a short drive away, offering something for everyone. With nearly 22,000 acres of outdoor space—one of the largest county park systems in the country— the parks provide a playground for land and water lovers alike. Spend the day hiking, biking, or horseback riding, or head to the water at Lake Jacomo , Blue Springs Lake , or Longview Lake , where full-service marinas, boat rentals, and public beaches make it easy to dive into summer. Cast a line, set up a picnic, or simply relax by the shore. Feeling more active? Hit the golf course or join a game on the field. Whether you’re looking for adventure or a laid-back escape, Jackson County Parks + Rec delivers the kind of easy, outdoorsy fun that turns a simple day into a summer tradition. makeyourdayhere.com
150 HEARTS IN THE HEARTLAND
PARADE OF HEARTS is one of the most unique ways for visitors to experience Kansas City. The popular public art project features 150 unique heart sculptures placed throughout the metro, turning the region into an open-air gallery filled with color, creativity, and local pride.
The hearts offer a fun and memorable way to explore Kansas City beyond the usual attractions. Visitors can discover sculptures in downtown districts, shopping areas, parks, and surrounding communities while experiencing the personality of each area along the way. Every heart is designed by a local artist, making each piece a one-of-a-kind reflection of the city’s culture, history, and spirit.
Since launching in 2022, Parade of Hearts has become a favorite attraction for both locals and tourists, inspiring photo stops, day trips, and neighborhood exploration. It also adds to the excitement as Kansas City welcomes visitors from around the globe.
Whether you are visiting for a weekend or an extended stay, following the hearts is a great way to experience the warmth, creativity, and community spirit that make Kansas City special.
SUMMER STARTS AT STARLIGHT
SINCE ITS INCEPTION, Starlight has become a cornerstone of the community, capturing millions with unforgettable performances from its historic stage in Swope Park. Between hundreds of Broadway musicals, popular concerts, and more, Kansas Citians and patrons from all throughout the country have enjoyed a show under the
FIND YOUR INDEPENDENCE
SUMMER IN INDEPENDENCE offers an easy mix of history, local flavor, and new ways to explore. Start your day walking in the footsteps of President Truman, then spend the afternoon browsing locally owned shops and trying something new to eat.
This season, there’s even more to experience with our new interactive trails. Visitors can sign up, follow themed trails across Independence, and check in at each stop along the way. As you explore, you’ll earn points that can be redeemed for prizes—making it a fun summer challenge and a great way to discover places you might not expect.
Throughout the summer, the energy builds with lively gatherings that bring people together around the world’s game. It’s an easy place to join in, whether you’re a dedicated fan or just along for the atmosphere.
And as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, there’s no better place to reflect and celebrate. With deep roots in American history and a strong sense of community, Independence offers a meaningful backdrop for marking the moment.
Come see what you can find, take your time, and make the most of summer right here. Start exploring today at VisitIndependence.com.
The Pigeon Comes to Kansas City: A Mo Willems Exhibit May 23 - September 7
Kansas City Irish Fest
September 4 - 6
Hallmarket: A Hallmark Art Festival
September 19
KC Oktoberfest
October 2 - 3
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
October 24
Arrival of the Mayor's Christmas Tree
November 5
Crown Center Ice Terrace 2026 - 2027 Season
November 6, 2026 - March 14, 2027
Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting Event November 27
Christmas at Crown Center November 27 - December 31
Hallmark Christmas Experience Weekends November 27 - December 20
FUN AT CROWN CENTER
FOR A COMPLETELY KANSAS CITY EXPERIENCE, Crown Center is your go-to destination this season. With the city buzzing from global soccer excitement, it is the perfect place to keep the energy going with local shopping, dining, family-friendly attractions, theaters, and plenty of photo-worthy moments.
Step into the imaginative world of The Pigeon Comes to Kansas City: A Mo Willems Exhibit, a free exhibit open May 23 through September 7. Beloved characters like The Pigeon, Elephant & Piggie, and Knuffle Bunny come to life through hands-on activities and creative play, making it a must-visit for families.
Continue the adventure at SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium or build and explore at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center. Get creative at Kaleidoscope, a free hands-on art studio for kids, or discover the story behind the iconic Hallmark brand at the Hallmark Visitors Center. Then dive into Kansas City’s rich food culture at the world’s first Museum of BBQ
This summer, Crown Center also becomes the Center of Summer Soccer, featuring a 90-foot mural, a North America host city map, international flags, 15-foot inflatable soccer ball, and family-friendly games that celebrate the global spirit of the sport.
DIDN’T JUST RING. IT WAS WRITTEN. FREEDOM DIDN’T JUST RING. IT WAS WRITTEN.
They didn’t just ring the bell. They backed it up. And you can see nearly two dozen documents that formed a nation, together for the first time in a lifetime. Only at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum. They didn’t just ring the bell. They backed it up. And you can see nearly two dozen documents that formed a nation, together for the first time in a lifetime. Only at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum.
GKCAA MEMBERS
AIRO | KANSAS CITY HELICOPTER TOURS
10 Richards Rd, Kansas City , MO 64116 816-499-3342 • iflyairo.com/kansas-city
AMELIA EARHART HANGAR MUSEUM
16701 286th Rd, Atchison, KS 66002 913-372-0021 • ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org
ANITA B. GORMAN CONSERVATION DISCOVERY CENTER
4750 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110 816-759-7300 • mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter ATLAS9
1100 N 98th St, Kansas City, KS 66111 913-708-8081 • atlas9.com
BLADE & TIMBER
1303 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City , MO 64105 816-343-8489 • bladeandtimber.com/locations/ kansas-city-power-and-light
BOULEVARD BREWING CO. BEER HALL 2534 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-701-7247 • boulevard.com/visit-us
BREAKOUT KC ESCAPE ROOM
River Market: 114 W. 3rd St. #102, Kansas City, MO 64105 Park Place: 11535 Ash St., Leawood, KS 66211 (MO) 816-945-2633 • (KS) 913-298-1081 breakoutkc.com
CAROLYN’S PUMPKIN PATCH
17607 NE 52nd St, Liberty, MO 64068 816-781-9196 • carolynspumpkinpatch.com
CHILLICOTHE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU 100 Elm Street, Chillicothe, MO 64601 660-240-0093 • visitchillicothe.com
CLAY COUNTY PARKS & GO NORTH KC 17201 Paradesian St, Smithville, MO 64089 816-407-3400 • smithvillelakecamping.com
THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE AND (MEN’S) NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME 1401 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106 816-949-7500 • collegebasketballexperience.com
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA
47th & Broadway Kansas City, MO 64112 816-753-0100 • countryclubplaza.com
CROWN CENTER
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-274-8444 • crowncenter.com
EXPLORE LEE’S SUMMIT
220 SE Green Street, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 816-969-1008 • lstourism.com
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF KANSAS CITY MONEY MUSEUM
1 Memorial Dr, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-881-2683 • kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum
FULL MOON HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS
1401 W 13th St, Kansas City, MO 64102 816-842-4280 or 816-842-0320 • fullmoonprod.com
HARRY S. TRUMAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM
500 W US Hwy 24, Independence, MO 64050 816-268-8200 • trumanlibrary.gov
HISTORIC LECOMPTON
640 E Woodson Ave, Lecompton, KS 66050 785-887-6148 • lecomptonkansas.com
HOLLADAY DISTILLERY
One McCormick Lane, Weston, MO 64098 816-640-3056 • holladaydistillery.com
HOLLYWOOD CASINO AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY
777 Hollywood Casino Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66111 913-288-9300 • hollywoodcasinokansas.com
Celebrating America 250
JUNE EVENTS AT JESSE JAMES BIRTHPLACE
June 13 • 10am – 3pm
Crooked River Posse Reenactment Group
1pm Speaker Tom Rafiner talking about Order#11
June 16 • 10am
Speaker Tom Drennan talking about Guardian Guerrillas
June 27 • 10am
Speaker Dr. Loftin Woodiel talking about Quantrill
JUNE EVENTS AT JESSE JAMES BANK MUSEUM
June 15–30
Traveling exhibit “Waging Wars”
June 6 • 10am
Speaker Jean Warren talking about Historic Quilts
Jesse James Birthplace
HY-VEE ARENA
1800 Genessee St, Kansas City, MO 64102 816-505-0404 • hy-veearena.com
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE ASSOCIATION (HISTORIC DOWNTOWN)
106 S Liberty St., Independence, MO 64050 816-381-7181 • indepsquare.com
JACKSON COUNTY PARKS + RECREATION
22807 SW Woods Chapel Rd, Blue Springs, MO 64015 816-503-4800 • MakeYourDayHere.com
JESSE JAMES BIRTHPLACE
21216 Jesse James Farm Rd, Kearney, MO 64060
Jesse James Bank Museum, 103 N Water St, Liberty, MO 64068 (Farm) 816-736-8500 • (Bank) 816-736-8510 jessejamesmuseum.org
JOHNSON COUNTY MUSEUM
8788 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66212
913-826-2787 • jcprd.com/museum
KC FRINGE FESTIVAL
PO Box 415001, Kansas City, MO 64141 646-844-1505 • kcfringe.org
KC WINE CO AND KC PUMPKIN PATCH
13875 S Gardner Rd #1, Olathe, KS 66061 913-484-6251 • kcwineco.com and kcpumpkinpatch.com
KANSAS CITY BALLET
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts 1601 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-931-8993 • kcballet.org
KANSAS CITY CARRIAGES
Nichols and Pennsylvania on the Country Club Plaza 816-531-1999 • kccarriages.com
KANSAS CITY CURRENT
CPKC Stadium, 1460 E Front St, Kansas City, MO 64120 913-374-0233 • kansascitycurrent.com
KANSAS CITY MONARCHS BASEBALL
Legends Field, 1800 Village West Pkwy, Kansas City, KS 66111 913-328-5618 • monarchsbaseball.com
KANSAS CITY PARKS & RECREATION
4600 E. 63rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64130 816-513-7500 • kcparks.org
KANSAS CITY RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
633 N 130th St, Bonner Springs, KS 66012 913-721-2110 • kcrenfest.com
KANSAS CITY REPERTORY THEATRE
Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry St, Kansas City, MO 64110
Copaken Stage, 1 H&R Block Way, Kansas City, MO 64105 816-235-2700 • kcrep.org
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Kauffman Stadium, One Royal Way, Kansas City, MO 64129 816-921-8000 • royals.com
KANSAS CITY ZOO & AQUARIUM
6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City, MO 64132 816-595-1234 • kansascityzoo.org
KAUFFMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 1601 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-994-7222 • kauffmancenter.org
KEMPER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART 4420 Warwick Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111 816-753-5784 • kemperart.org
LEGOLAND ® DISCOVERY CENTER
2475 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-556-3958 • legolanddiscoverycenter.com/kansas-city
MAHAFFIE STAGECOACH STOP & FARM
1200 Kansas City Rd, Olathe, KS 66061 913-971-5111 • mahaffie.org
MAIN EVENT ENTERTAINMENT
8081 NW Roanridge Rd, Kansas City, MO 64151 816-281-2020 • mainevent.com
THE MIDLAND THEATRE
1228 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64105 816-283-9900 • midlandkc.com
GKCAA MEMBERS
MIDWEST TRUST CENTER AT JOHNSON
COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210 913-469-4445 • jccc.edu/mtc
THE MIDWEST GENEALOGY CENTER
3440 S Lee’s Summit Rd, Independence, MO 64055 816-252-7228 • mymcpl.org/genealogy
THE MUSEUM OF KANSAS CITY
3218 Gladstone Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64123 816-702-7700 • museumofkansascity.org
MUSIC THEATER HERITAGE
Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd, #301, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-221-6987 • mthkc.com
NATIONAL FRONTIER TRAILS MUSEUM
Truman Memorial Building, 416 W Maple Ave, Independence, MO 64050 816-325-7575 • ci.independence.mo.us/ParksAndRec
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TOYS / MINIATURES
5235 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64112 816-235-8000 • toyandminiaturemuseum.org
NATIONAL WWI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL
2 Memorial Dr, Kansas City, MO 64108
816-888-8100 • theworldwar.org
NEGRO LEAGUES BASEBALL MUSEUM
1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
816-221-1920 • nlbm.com
THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
4525 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64111
816-751-1278 • nelson-atkins.org
PARADE OF HEARTS
Kansas City Region • theparadeofhearts.com
PLANET COMICON KC AND PLANET ANIME KC
Bartle Hall, 301 W 13th St, Kansas City, MO 64105 planetcomicon.com and planetanimekc.com
RAYTOWN CHAMBER & TOURISM
5909 Raytown Trafficway, Raytown, MO 64133
816-353-8500 • visitraytown.com
ROCK ISLAND BRIDGE
1799 American Royal Dr, Kansas City, KS 64102
913-895-1106 • rockislandkc.com
SEA LIFE AQUARIUM KANSAS CITY
2475 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-471-4386 • visitsealife.com/kansas-city
SINKERS LOUNGE
53 W 13th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105 913-374-0105 • sinkerslounge.com
STARLIGHT THEATRE
4600 Starlight Rd, Kansas City, MO 64132
816-363-7827 • kcstarlight.com
TANGER KANSAS CITY AT LEGENDS
1843 Village West Pkwy, Kansas City, KS 66111
913-788-3700 • tanger.com/kansascity
T-SHOTZ
660 NW Metro North Dr, Kansas City, MO 64155 816-702-1320 • tshotz.com
UNION STATION AND SCIENCE CITY
30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108 816-460-2000 • unionstation.org
VISIT KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
727 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101 913-321-5800 • visitkck.com
WATKINS WOOLEN MILL STATE HISTORIC SITE
26600 Park Road North, Lawson, MO 64062 816-580-3387 • mostateparks.com/park/watkinswoolen-mill-state-historic-site
WESTPORT KANSAS CITY
4050 Pennsylvania Ave Suite M100, Kansas City, MO 64111 816-531-4370 • westportkcmo.com
ZONA ROSA
8640 N. Dixson Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64153 816-587-8180 • zonarosa.com
MAKE MUSIC KANSAS CITY VENUE S
GKCAA ALLIED MEMBERS
AGENDA KC | agendausa.com
CITY OF BONNER SPRINGS | bonnersprings.org
CTM MEDIA GROUP | ctmmedia.com and visitorfun.com
FASONE & PARTNERS | fasonepartners.com
IN KANSAS CITY MAGAZINE | inkansascity.com
KC GOING PLACES | kcparent.com
LEAVENWORTH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU | visitleavenworthks.com
MADDEN MEDIA | vacationistusa.com and maddenmedia.com
MOD OP | KANSAS CITY | modop.com
PAGE COMMUNICATIONS | pagecomms.com
VICTORY PYROTECHNICS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS | victorypyro.com
VISIT INDEPENDENCE | VisitIndependence.com
VISIT KC | visitkc.com
VISIT MO | visitmo.com
facebook.com/attractionskc
@GKAAAttractions
Greater Kansas City Attractions Association members include local attractions from throughout the metropolitan Kansas City area.
GKCAA gives away tickets and items from the most exciting venues in the Kansas City area! Simply follow the Association on Facebook or Instagram and you’ll have the opportunity to experience the finest attractions in the region!
BLUEPRINT OF EXCELLENCE
IN KANSAS CITY REAL ES TAT E
“This Won’t Happen Again”
After a bad real estate deal left her family homeless, Naharai vowed to protect others from the same fate. Her mission: empower the Hispanic community with knowledge, guidance, and trust so nobody faces what she endured.
“Esto No Volverá a Suceder”
Después de que una mala transacción inmobiliaria dejó a su familia sin hogar, Naharaí hizo una promesa: proteger a su gente. Hoy, su misión es clara: empoderar a la comunidad hispana con conocimiento, guía y confianza, para que nadie más tenga que pasar por lo que ella vivió.
Opening Doors for Latino Families
Equipped with Spanish contracts, marketing materials, and the support of agents who represent her community, she offers a welcoming space where Latino families can confidently achieve their dreams of homeownership.
Abriendo Camino para Familias Latinas
Con contratos en español, materiales pensados especialmente para su comunidad y el apoyo de agentes que entienden sus raíces, Naharaí ha creado un espacio donde las familias latinas pueden lograr el sueño de tener su propia casa, con la seguridad de que están en buenas manos.
Follow the Leaders
Mentorship from the best agents in the city transformed her career, helping her grow from a hesitant beginner to doing ten times her year one business this past year.
Behind the Scenes Inspirándose en los Mejores
El apoyo y asesoramiento de los mejores agentes de la ciudad transformaron su vida y su carrera. De ser una agente insegura y con dudas en sus inicios, pasó a lograr resultados impresionantes, multiplicando por diez sus ventas en 2024 en comparación con su primer año.
Selling a home takes countless moving parts, but with Naharai’s ReeceNichols office team, it feels effortless. Their support is “beyond what we need; it’s what helps us excel. We are a family.”
Un Equipo que Hace la Diferencia
Detrás de cada venta hay un sinfín de detalles, pero con el equipo de la oficina de ReeceNichols de Naharaí, todo parece sencillo. “Su apoyo no es solo lo que necesitamos, es lo que nos impulsa a dar lo mejor y sobresalir. Más que un equipo, somos una familia.”
Naharai Bello-Echandy
Trusted Real Estate Agent
by Judith Fertig
New Treatments in Neuro-Oncology
A CONVERSATION WITH AMANDEEP KALRA, A BOARD-CERTIFIED NEURO-ONCOLOGIST AND DIRECTOR OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY AT THE ADVENTHEALTH CANCER INSTITUTE
‘‘Tumor” and “cancer” are words that no one wants to hear. But when you’ve been experiencing severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, seizures, seizure-like activity, focal weakness in your arms or legs, numbness, vision problems, speech problems, or have had trouble with balance or persistent back pain radiating toward arms or legs, a tumor in the central nervous system may be the cause. Brain and spinal-cord tumors are abnormal cell growths. While rare, they can be benign or malignant, and potentially life-threatening due to the pressure that can build up in delicate nervous tissue, which is surrounded by hard bony skull or vertebrae. Timely imaging and evaluation could be lifesaving. The good news is that evolving cutting-edge treatments continue to expand the possibilities of longterm survival and healing.
Amandeep Kalra, MD, FACP, a board-certified neuro-oncologist and Director of Neuro-oncology at the AdventHealth Cancer Institute, shares new information.
What types of cancers can affect the brain and spine? There are multiple types of cancers that can affect the brain and spine— both primary and metastatic. Primary tumors start in the brain and spine and mostly stay in those spots (with exceptions), while metastatic
tumors originate in other areas of the body—like the lung or breast— and travel to the brain and spine (as well as other parts of the body). In the primary tumor category, there could be gliomas—glioblastomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas; tumors of the brain and spinal cord coverings, which are called meningiomas; and thirdly, tumors that appear on the nerve sheath, such as schwannomas and others, like pituitary tumors.
Which of these types of cancers are the more treatable? And what are the new treatments available at AdventHealth?
All the tumors are treatable to begin with, but prognosis and outcome vary with each type of tumor. With IDH mutant astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, a patient can live very long after surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Meningiomas sometimes just need a surgical resection or gamma knife radiation and thereafter, patients might do very well for the rest of their lives. Glioblastomas are the most aggressive tumors, but outcomes vary with a patient’s functional status, extent of the surgical resection, and the tumor’s molecular mutation profile.
There are new treatments available at AdventHealth. Recent breakthroughs include IDH (enzymes that promote tumor growth) inhibitors, such as Vorasidenib, used to treat astrocytoma and oligodendrogliomas. Especially in young patients, treatment with IDH inhibitors can significantly delay the need for radiation and chemotherapy, which can cause long-term complications, such as cognitive problems, hormonal problems and vasculopathy. At AdventHealth, we also offer customized molecular directed/targeted treatments for a patient’s tumor based on thorough study of the tumor’s molecular mutation profile.
How do you address the patient’s quality of life, including family and social life?
My approach has always centered on treating the whole person, not just the disease. I try to deeply understand each patient’s quality of life issues, family dynamics and personal goals, so we can make thoughtful, collaborative decisions about their care. I believe in thoroughly educating my patients and their families, discussing all the treatment options available for the tumor types including benefits and risks, so they can make informed decisions based on the patient’s wishes. AdventHealthKC.com
Amandeep Kalra, MD, FACP
Sun-Soaked Laughter
Heartfelt Moments Playful Splashes
Cherish More Memories
Hidden within the intricate folds of your brain are the pathways that lead to your thoughts, memories and dreams — the very essence of your human spirit. At the AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute, our experts are dedicated to protecting those pathways. With state-of-the-art technology and groundbreaking treatments, we care for the most complex neurological conditions, so you can keep moving, keep dreaming and keep being your whole self.
LOOKING AHEAD IN KC
KANSAS CITY WELCOMES THE WORLD
BE PART OF THE MOMENT
As a global soccer spotlight arrives in 2026, bringing an international audience to our doorstep, the June and July issues of IN Kansas City will be the insider’s guide to where to eat, shop, and experience the best of the city— connecting visitors (and locals) to the places that define KC.
ANNUAL WAREHOUSE SALE
Saturday, June 6 thru Friday, June 12 | 10AM–4pm
All furniture and decor are included in the sale with savings up to 70% off MSRP
Shop at our Showroom and our Warehouse locations.
Showroom: 1903 W 135th Street, Leawood KS | Warehouse: 4400 E 142nd Street, Grandview MO
Visit maddenmcfarland.com/SALE for more details.
An Eclectic Garden Room
NATURE IS WILD, SO WHY BE TAME WHEN SPRUCING UP YOUR SUNROOM, LOGGIA, OR PATIO? PLAY WITH DECOR THAT ADDS AN AESTHETIC SURPRISE AND NATURAL APPEAL
COOL WEAVE
HANDMADE & DETAILED
GARDEN ECCENTRIC
Willy Guhl midcentury organic concrete planter, $2,800, at Prize Home & Garden (Country Club Plaza).
Vanguard’s Bliss chaise is durable for indoor and outdoor use. Starting at $5,330 at Seville Home (Leawood).
Terra-cotta garden planter by master potter Peter Wakefield, $78, at Homesong Market (Crestwood Shops).
NEW JAPANESE
Patchwork pillow - Ivory No. 104, downfilled and covered in Japanese cotton/ linen, $395, at Asiatica (Westwood).
VERY ITALIAN PALAZZO Handmade Capriccio tile from Clé. From Christina Celestino’s collections for Fornace Brioni, at cletile.com
ORGANIC FORM
PALM BEACH PROPER
Calistoga outdoor sofa, $1,695, and Sunbrella performance-fabric cushions, $1,450, at williams-sonoma.com.
A custom teak side table suitable for indoor or outdoor use. $1,200, Prize Home & Garden.
ARTISANAL INDIA
Large-scale Naga planters of carved sculpture wood with chalky black finish from northern India. $1,800 and $2,200, at
A ROSY COLLABORATION
JACK’S DAUGHTERS AND NOBLE DESIGNS MAKE OLFACTORY MUSIC TOGETHER
WHEN I FIRST lit this Noble Designs candle on a recent evening, with its perfume notes of oud, rose, and citrus, I swear sounds of an operetta filled the room. It was a funny sensory experience, and perhaps the bubbly I enjoyed with friends had something to do with it. But maybe not, because each time I light this candle, I still feel transported.
I asked Brent Thompson, the senior designer at Noble Designs who facilitated the collaboration, and Jaclyn Joslyn, the talented owner of Jack’s Daughters, to fill me in.
“Jaclyn is a dear friend of Noble Designs, and it was an honor that she was willing to collaborate and develop our signature scent for this candle,” Thompson says. “And as Sara Noble, the principal of Noble Designs, has a refined perfume collection, we wanted to build a candle scent that aligned with her existing style. The goal was to remain true to our brand while also building something different and incredibly sophisticated.’’
Joslyn reaffirms the experience. “Brent has such a sophisticated palette for perfume and home fragrance, so I knew the result needed to live up to his expectations. Brent and Sara compiled a list of scent notes that combined their two personalities—the perfect metaphor for how I see Noble Designs—a blend of feminine and masculine, modern and traditional. Because their vision was succinct, we didn’t need a lot of revisions in creating a new custom scent, and the process went relatively quickly. I am thrilled with how it turned out and honored to have this partnership.’’ nobledesigns.com
Whether you’re serving appetizers for fifty or supper for six, it’s better in a fab new outdoor entertaining space from The Greensman. We do it all: design, install and maintain. Call 816-523-1516, scan the QR code or go to thegreensman.com to view all our work.
Whether you’re serving appetizers for fifty or supper for six, it’s better in a fab new outdoor entertaining space from The We do it all: design, install and maintain. Call
r ee ns man t he YEARS AND
r ee ns man
Noble Designs signature candle, 8 oz. candle, 50-hour burn time, $48, can be shipped or picked up from Noble Designs showroom.
by Susan Cannon
High Vibration Design
THE EXUBERANT VISION OF LA DOUBLEJ LIFESTYLE DESIGNER AND MAMMA MILANO BOOK AUTHOR J.J. MARTIN IS OWED TO SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT AND A LOVE OF VINTAGE STYLE
J.J.
Martin, a California girl turned New Yorker working at Calvin Klein, found herself moving to Milan in 2001 with her Italian (now ex) husband. There, she became a contributing journalist for Wallpaper magazine and a collector of high-end designer vintage clothing and jewelry. By 2015, Martin had created La DoubleJ, which began as an online magazine with e-commerce, selling her collection of vintage wares while editorially shining light on Milan’s female creatives who had become her like-minded community.
But after years of struggling with infertility, Martin embarked on soul-searching travels, finding spiritual enlightenment through energy healing, yoga, and meditation. What resulted was the birth of a differ-
ent kind. She turned La DoubleJ into fashion, homeware, and textile collections of her own design, in the spirit of the ’60s and ’70s she loved so much. The Divine Mother Energy she had embraced became the through-line for how she designs her products, weaving it into the company’s everyday endeavors, including the design of her new headquarters she dubbed the Starquarters. She refers to La DoubleJ as heart-based design and community. And that community has become her sisterhood, sharing in her spiritual practices, wearing her clothing, and adorning culinary spreads with her tabletop décor.
“It is our mission to wrap the world in joy, raise your vibration, and elevate your consciousness with sensational products and spirit-activating experiences,” Martin says.
photos courtesy of la doublej
Above: Designer J.J. Martin, wearing the La DoubleJ Long Camerino dress. Right: An assortment of La DoubleJ’s lively home décor.
tabletop setting. Above and right: A spread from Mamma Milano. The book is available with three different cover designs, sold at Jorgy in Brookside.
As with her clothing line, Martin’s vibrant themed homeware collections—including decorative dishes, glassware, vases, coffee and tea sets, table textiles, pillows, cushions, candles and more—are designed in a joyous riot of color and pattern. Her headquarters, plus shops in Milan, Palm Beach, Dallas, and soon New York City, are all embellished with grand artistic motifs of wild color. Her e-commerce website reveals the same magnetic energy throughout all her product lines. Naturally every piece is made in Italy.
Martin’s book, Mamma Milano, sold at Jorgy in Brookside, is a summation of the designer’s years in Italy. It is part scrapbook, part memoir, and part New Age bible, serving as a love letter to the city that became her first spiritual teacher. ladoublej.com
E BL KE & SSOCI TES LAKE & ASSOOCCIIATTEES S
David Koechner IN CONVERSATION WITH
words by Cindy Hoedel
He’s created unforgettable characters on the big and small screen: sportscaster Champ Kind in the cult classic Anchorman films and salesman Todd Packer in the Emmy-winning sitcom The Office. Actor and comedian David Koechner has lived in Los Angeles for more than 25 years, but he’s from a small town in central Missouri and identifies as a Kansas City native and passionate Chiefs fan.
Born and raised in Tipton, Missouri, Koechner graduated from Tipton High School and attended Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, for two years before transferring to University of Missouri-Columbia and majoring in political science. At that point, he became passionate about comedy and left college to study at The Second City theater in Chicago. Soon his dream came true, and he was invited to join the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1995 and moved to New York, where he was also a frequent guest on Late Night with Conan O’Brien . In 1998, Koechner moved to Los Angeles, where he still lives. He has five kids and two dogs, Posey and Ranger, who divide time between households since his divorce. Koechner tours extensively and will be at The Comedy Club of Kansas City December 18-20. david-koechner.com .
This month, Koechner returns to Kansas City to cohost the annual Big Slick events, bigslickkc.org. He recently spoke by phone with IN Kansas City from his home in-between tour dates.
This month you are cohosting Big Slick with Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Eric Stonestreet, Jason Sudeikis, and Heidi Gardner, all metro-area natives. But Tipton, Missouri, is a bit farther afield. What is your relationship to Kansas City?
Let’s just say the “greater Kansas City area” expands like a gerrymandered voting district all the way to Tipton. [Laughs]
That’s fair, gerrymandering is a thing in Missouri.
When I’m president it ends. County by county, baby! No more gerrymandered districts.
Was Kansas City part of your life growing up?
Completely. I was living in small-town Missouri, but my cousins were from Stillwell, Kansas. My mother grew up in Plattsburg, Missouri, near St. Joseph. I had an uncle in Cameron, Missouri, and another uncle in Kansas City proper. So Kansas City has been part of my entire life. Tipton is half an hour closer to Kansas City than to St. Louis, and all my relatives are from the Kansas City area.
Your website bio says your family made turkey coops. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turkey coop.
Yeah, people think of a coop you put in your backyard. We manufactured livestock trailers that transported the turkeys from the grow-out farms to the processing plants.
Did you live on a farm or in town?
We lived in town—a town of 2,000. My grade school class was 22 kids and every one of those kids had a farm except us. But both my parents grew up on farms.
How many kids were in your high school graduating class? 68.
When did you meet the rest of the Kansas City “comedy mafia” who do Big Slick?
So obviously I’ve known Paul since the Anchorman days. And Riggle… [pauses to speak to a child] Sorry, one of my kids walked in and was trying to communicate with some kind of sign language I couldn’t interpret. So Riggle went to the same high school, Shawnee Mission South, as my ex-wife. Stonestreet was an Improv Olympics person, so I knew him from there. Sudeikis was a Second City guy, so we had briefly met in Chicago, and I also worked with his uncle, George Wendt, so we had a bond. Then there’s Heidi, who is a Second City alum, so we have that in common.
What do you particularly like about performing in Big Slick every year?
Ahhh, I’m trying not to get emotional. It’s that it makes a difference. Because, you know, our charity is for pediatric cancer research at Children’s Mercy Hospital. We visit the hospital, so people know they are seen. The parents mostly. We are too old, the kids don’t know who we are, but the parents know. I know what it’s like to be a parent. For them to have to go through that—I just want to show up for them, spend time with them and let them know that we are working to raise money that leads to breakthroughs that can make a difference. That’s what really rocks my boat.
There are a lot of dire reports coming out of Hollywood, as
mergers and AI have rocked the industry. How have those changes affected you personally?
Those are two things. AI is here. You aren’t going to change it, so you better figure out how to participate in it. What I tell my kids and everybody is, “Figure out how to ride the tiger or it’s going to eat you.” But there should be a law that anything created with AI should be watermarked so everyone can see that it’s AI.
As far as the mergers go, they have to be stopped because that is oligarchy. We don’t allow monopolies in this country. The current administration is allowing it and as soon as this guy is removed from office—and he will be—we can break up these companies again. [David] Ellison [owner of Paramount Skydance, which also owns CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and other related media brands] is a billionaire. When a billionaire controls access to information, it leads to indoctrination. We are the only country in the world that doesn’t have international news. When you travel to other countries their news is global, it covers what’s going on all around the world. We have entertainment news, salacious news, crime news, sports news. It’s not trustworthy and it’s not news. It’s opinion. Noam Chomsky warned about this in Manufacturing Consent.
There’s a lot of debate today about what is acceptable in comedy. Could Hollywood make a sitcom like The Office today?
Yes. The thing is, you would go up to the line of what people used to call “politically incorrect,” but then you’d have to call it out. You just make the adjustment. It’s still comedy, but the person who is inappropriate must be called to order and that’s part of the fun.
Todd Packer, the obnoxious salesman you played on The Office, is iconic. After so many seasons of playing him, does Todd feel like an alter ego, or more real to you than other characters you’ve portrayed?
No. He’s a buffoon. They fall in line with the seven archetypes of commedia dell’arte, a form of professional comedy from 16th-century Italy. They are broadly drawn characters that represent all the types of humans. Pantalone is a fool, a vulgar character who would grab at his genitals while talking and talking. Todd is a fool who thinks he’s got something going on. He’s also a deviant. He doesn’t know he’s a fool, so that’s the greatest fool.
You’ve been successful at movies, TV, and live stand-up comedy. What do you like about each, and is one your favorite?
It’s a difficult choice. The immediacy of stand-up is so gratifying because in the moment I know I’m doing my job, which is to bring laughter. That is my delight. It’s fun to work in television as well.
Why?
It’s usually closer to town. [Laughs] It pays well. And you reach a larger audience. Movies are more collaborative. It’s a grander scale. The best of them create an emotional, intel-
Three of the cohosts, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle, and David Koechner belt out a tune at Big Slick.
photo
lectual, and spiritual alliance of our humanity. The best films resonate to a greater degree.
Do you have a secret dream project you would love to do at this stage in your career?
Yes. [Long silence]
What is it?
You don’t tell
Please?
[Pause] There are many directors I would just be so thrilled to work with. Directors that have created films that are milestones. That is my dream. If I listed a few, that might insult one that might come across this and think, “Well, **** him.”
Your schedule is quite full, crisscrossing the country doing stand-up. What do you like to do to relax when you have a few days off?
Watch three hours of news every night.
No.
I love it. Even though I hate the news, I need to know. If there’s a storm coming, you better know. We have to all be aware and stop spending time dropping thumbs up emojis on our phones, chasing dopamine highs.
Are you a sports fan? Huge.
As a Missourian living in LA, do you have divided sports loyalties?
No! No, no, no. Chiefs all the way, that’s it. Chiefs one hundred. Chiefs till I die. When I was 10 years old, it was December and my cousins from Stillwell had come to hang out at grandma’s house, and it’s a Sunday. And I’m watching the playoff game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. Jan Stenerud missed a field goal wide right, in what at the time was the longest game in NFL history. Chiefs lost even though in that game Eddie Podalak had 350 all-purpose yards. [Still an NFL playoff single-game record] It was crazy. He ran back punts, he ran back kickoffs, he was a slot back, he was a receiver. Insane! That was the day I became a Chiefs fan. So to everybody who doesn’t like what’s happening to the Chiefs right now, I say, “**** you. Eat it.” I waited 50 years for a Super Bowl win. Chiefs now, Chiefs then. Chiefs forever. I’m a member of the Chiefs Kingdom.
When you come to Kansas City for Big Slick, do you have other must-do, can’t miss priorities on your agenda?
Yes! My three sisters live in Kansas City, so it’s seeing them and their husbands and their children. Yes!
Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.
David Koechner interviews Patrick Mahomes at the Big Slick show.
words by Jenny Vergara
WHAT A WAY TO START YOUR DAY
Kansas City mornings are having a moment, and not the quiet, coffee-and-a-newspaper kind. Across the metro, chefs are leaning into breakfast and brunch, opening daytime concepts that feel just as thoughtful, ambitious, and ingredient driven as their dinner counterparts. It’s a shift that reflects how the city is eating now: earlier, brighter, and with a renewed focus on how we gather.
Part of that momentum is generational. The younger crowd is trading late nights for early ones, showing up for coffee raves, daylight dance parties, and sunrise meetups that feel equal parts social and restorative. The new flex? Being home and in bed at a decent hour. That energy carries straight to the table.
During the week, breakfast out is purposeful, something quick but satisfying enough to power a full day of meetings. On weekends, brunch slows down, becoming a space for connection, whether that means lingering over pancakes with family or catching up with friends over something sparkling, alcoholic or not.
And increasingly, the “or not” matters. Thoughtful zero-proof cocktails, house-made sodas, and elevated coffee and tea programs are now standard. The result is a brunch culture that feels more inclusive, more flexible, and more in step with how Kansas City wants to live right now—good food, good company, and just enough indulgence to make the mornings worth celebrating.
Here are some breakfast and brunch suggestions to get your mornings started.
Eggs Benedict from Rye.
AVOCADO TOAST from HEIRLOOM BAKERY & HEARTH
Scott and Kate Meinke have created a darling Brookside café that feels essential to the neighborhood’s morning rhythm. The avocado toast starts with house-made sourdough bread topped with creamy avocado, pickled onion, shaved radish, and toasted pepitas. A sunny-side-up egg adds richness, while a side of bacon rounds it out. It’s simple, balanced, and done exceptionally well. heirloomkc.com
EGGS BENEDICT from RYE
At Rye, Colby and Megan Garrelts and their culinary teams give us brunch rooted in comfort and executed with precision. Here the eggs Benedict features house-smoked ham or smoked salmon, perfectly poached eggs, and a velvety hollandaise, served alongside crispy hash browns and greens. It’s a classic done right. Before you leave, a cinnamon roll from Megan Garrelts’s pastry team is a must for something sweet. ryekc.com
CHILAQUILES from LOS ALAMOS COCINA
On the Westside, Agustín Juarez and his family serve breakfast rooted in Mexican tradition. The chilaquiles layer crisp tortillas with salsa, eggs, crema, and queso for a dish that is both comforting and satisfying. The broader menu spans huevos rancheros, burritos, migas, and weekend soups like menudo and posole. Pair it with a paloma for a bright, citrusy finish.
CROQUE MONSIEUR from FRENCH MARKET
At French Market in Prairie Village, Joanne and Patrick Quillec and family offer a classic croque monsieur with jambon de Paris, béchamel, and melted Emmental on toasted country bread. Add an egg for extra richness or stop by the pastry case to scratch that itch for something decadent. frenchmarketkc.com
BREAKFAST BURRITOS from RED KITCHEN
Alejandra de la Fuente’s Red Kitchen in downtown Overland Park is well known for its delicious scratch-made breakfast burritos. Wrapped in Caramelo tortillas made with pork or duck fat, they’re filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, and salsa verde, with optional chorizo, bacon, or sausage. Griddled to a golden finish, they’re hearty, flavorful, and worth an early start. @redkitchenkc
Left: Breakfast burritos from Red Kitchen. Below: Breakfast pizza from Caffetteria Modern Cafe & Marketplace.
#2 BACON BAGEL SANDWICH from LUCA BAGEL
Brothers Luke and Aaron Salvatore’s newish Luca Bagel in East Brookside delivers chewy, blistered bagels with a loyal following. The #2 sandwich layers bacon, egg, cheddar, and a scallion schmear for a balanced, satisfying bite. It’s a simple formula executed well and built for mornings on the go. lucabagel.com
BREAKFAST PIZZA from CAFFETTERIA MODERN CAFE & MARKETPLACE
Jo Marie Scaglia’s Caffetteria brings an Italian sensibility to brunch in Prairie Village. The breakfast pizza is a standout. It’s topped with red sauce, eggs, bacon, scallions, and a blend of three cheeses over a thin crust. On weekends, enjoy a jalapeño hibiscus margarita or a bloody mary. caffetteriamoderncafe.com
CHORIZO & EGG TACOS from TACO NACO
With multiple locations across the metro, Fernanda Reyes and Brian Goldman have made Taco Naco a reliable stop for bold, approachable Mexican flavors. In the morning, get the chorizo and egg tacos that combine spiced sausage, fluffy eggs, cheese, avocado mousse, and pico de gallo on a corn tortilla. Pair it with one of their signature margaritas for a brunch that feels both lively and full of flavor. taconacokc.com
BOWL AND A ROLL from THE BRICK
A longtime Crossroads favorite, Sheri Parr’s spot, The Brick, leans into “brickfast” with nostalgia. The Bowl & Roll pairs chili topped with cheese and onions with a cinnamon roll alongside. It’s a playful nod to a familiar Midwestern lunch-lady comfort combo, reimagined in a casual bar setting. Pair it with an Irish coffee or beermosa and settle into a laidback weekend brunch. thebrickkc.com
CORNED BEEF HASH from JIM’S ALLEY BAR
Jim’s Alley Bar is the kind of place that feels like home—comfortable and casual with cold drinks and great food. The corned beef hash, made
with Boyle’s wagyu, combines crisped potatoes, peppers, and onions, all topped with a sunny-side egg. It’s hearty without being heavy, and exactly what you want from a classic brunch plate. jimsalleybar.com
THE MILE HIGH OMELET from BEER KITCHEN
Beer Kitchen’s brunch menu has always been as bold as its beer list. The Mile High Omelet is packed with Black Forest ham, Tillamook cheddar, caramelized onions, and peppers, then finished with hollandaise. It’s rich, satisfying, and a natural fit for a Westport weekend. beerkitchenkc.com
GOODFELLAS from SEVEN SWANS CREPERIE
Seven Swans offers a thoughtful take on Frenchstyle crepes. The Goodfellas combines bacon, sharp white cheddar, and strawberry preserves, topped with a fried egg. It’s a balance of sweet and savory that makes it a standout for brunch on the Westside. sevenswanscreperie.com
OG BREAKFAST SANDWICH from HOUSEWIFE
At Housewife in Grandview, the focus is on scratchmade comfort. The OG Breakfast Sandwich features a sausage patty, egg frittata, cheddar, and chipotle mayo all on an English muffin. That and a hot cup of coffee, and you’ll be ready to face the day ahead. housewifekc.com
STRAWBERRIES & CREAM FRENCH TOAST from CHAZ RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
With Kansas City’s own Charles d’Ablaing returning to Chaz at The Raphael Hotel as the executive chef, the time is now to slide in and see what he is cooking up for brunch. The strawberries and cream
French toast is made with locally baked brioche slices dipped in a heady cinnamon and nutmeg batter and griddled golden brown. It’s drizzled with creamcheese icing, fresh strawberries, and whipped butter. raphaelkc.com/chaz
CARBONARA from VOLTAIRE
Wes Gartner and Jill Myers’s brunch menu at Voltaire leans globally inspired, with its carbonara offering a rich, satisfying option. Bucatini is tossed with egg, Grana Padano, house-made bacon, and chicken confit, brightened with lemon and English peas with plenty of cracked black pepper. It’s a thoughtful, layered dish that proves pasta has a place at brunch. voltairekc.com
Above: Chorizo and egg tacos from Taco Naco. Below, left to right: Lox and everything bagel from Le Champion. Lemon ricotta pancakes from Westport Cafe. Croque monsieur from French Market.
MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH from SUCCOTASH
Beth Barden’s Monte Cristo is a standout, made with ham and sage Derby melted between slices of rye French toast, crisped until golden, or try the Maggie Cristo, where you’ll get ham, goat cheese, and delicious lingonberry jam on sourdough French toast. It’s one of those dishes that feels both nostalgic and just indulgent enough for a weekend treat. Succotash is that spot we all wish we had in our hood. succotashkcmo.com
DIM SUM from BO LINGS
Weekend dim sum at Bo Lings is a tradition worth keeping. The full menu is served weekends only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their Overland Park north location at 89th Street and Metcalf Avenue. Here, steamed buns, dumplings, and custard tarts arrive in steady succession by steam cart, offering a heady mix of textures and flavors. It’s a leisurely, shareable way to approach brunch, best enjoyed with others and a pot of hot tea. bolings.com
BASIC BODEGA BREAKFAST SAMMY from WEST PLAZA BODEGA
Jason Provo’s West Plaza Bodega keeps the menu simple but satisfying. Choose from pastries from Blackhole Bakery or order the breakfast sandwich, which includes a soft milk-bread bun, thick-
cut bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs, American cheese, bodega sauce, and crispy potato straws. @westplazabodega
MASA PANCAKES from HEMMA HEMMA
With locations in Waldo and downtown, Ashley Bare’s Hemma Hemma and Hemma Hemma Dinette offer a fun and flavorful approach to breakfast or brunch. In Waldo, the brunch menu is served weekends only. Try the masa pancakes made with Yoli yellow-corn masa and topped with churro syrup, cinnamon-sugar, and whipped butter. hemmahemma.com
LOX & EVERYTHING BAGEL from LE CHAMPION
Amante Domingo’s Le Champion brings a polished touch to morning classics. The lox and everything bagel pairs smoked salmon with caper whipped cream and pickled vegetables, creating a bright, balanced bite that really only needs a cup of coffee to pair with it. lechampionkc.com
LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES from WESTPORT CAFE
Kevin Mouhot, general manager and co-owner of Westport Cafe along with Romain Monnoyeur and Nico Mermet, blends French bistro charm with approachable brunch favorites in the heart of Westport. The lemon ricotta pancakes are served Japanese-style—light, jiggly, and stacked tall. The brunch menu has something for everyone, from steak frites to an omelette with fine herbs. westportcafeandbar.com
#1 BREAKFAST SANDWICH AND APPLE FRITTE from M&M BAKERY & DELI
A Kansas City staple, M&M Bakery & Deli, run by Pat and Dorothy Williams, keeps things simple and consistent. The #1 breakfast sandwich with turkey ham, egg, and cheese is straightforward and satisfying, especially when paired with one of their apple fritters, crisp at the edges and soft inside. If you know, you know. mmbakerydeli.com
GRILLED BANANA FRENCH TOAST from MUNI
At Muni, Teddy and Pam Liberda and Eric Schmidt show off a brunch menu that is globally indulgent in the best way. The grilled banana French toast, soaked in coconut milk, is topped with candied bacon, peanut butter, and honey. It is sweet and balanced by just enough savory to keep you coming back for more. munikc.com
Above: Corned beef hash from Jim’s Alley Bar. Below: Dim sum from Bo Lings.
words by Katie Van Luchene
Refresh. Renew. Road Trip
GET OUT OF TOWN!
Some vacations fade away before you unlock the front door. Others become indelible memories when, years later, your teenager says, “Remember when we swam with the otters?” or while admiring the painting you bought at a gallery several counties away, a night of pointing out constellations in a cloudless sky, or when social media photos pop up annually from that Red Carpet moment with your glammed-up girlfriends.
The goal is to interrupt routine, shut out the noise, and stop scrolling for a day, a night, or a weekend—with a partner, family, close friends, or even solo. Consider us your sherpa for eight getaways on the road to Happy Town.
Right: Somerset Schoolhouse features a home décor boutique and a basement bar with expertly crafted cocktails. Below: At Somerset Ridge Winery, an expansive outdoor patio provides panoramic views of the vineyard.
Somerset, Kansas
RESERVE YOUR SPOT under a red patio umbrella at Somerset Ridge Winery near Paola, Kansas, where there’s live music and sometimes a friendly dog eyeing the salami on your charcuterie plate. Check the weekly schedule online; there’s often a food truck offering tacos and such to go with a bottle of wine or frozen sangria. While sipping, check out the wine-centric gifts and pantry items from local producers. somersetridge.com
And if you think, “I wish we could stay here forever,” well, you can. Reserve the Vineyard House overlooking rows of vines; the extra time away from home can earn you Detention (one of the clever libation names) at nearby Somerset Schoolhouse bar and eatery. The menu includes dolled-up tater tots and flatbreads; return for brunch the next day for mini pancakes and a bloody mary bar. The retail shop earns an A+ for its well-curated array of home décor and gifts. somersetschoolhouse.com
DAYCATIONS
Powell Gardens
EVEN IF YOU’VE BEEN to this botanical garden just 30 miles east of Kansas City in the past, we guarantee there’s a new exhibit or event worth a return trip. A barn quilt display and 13 new sculptures enliven the Painted Garden festival from May 2 through June 21.
Return for the Festival of Butterflies from July 16 to August 2, when the glorious winged creatures land on every flower inside the Conservatory. Check the calendar for other activities like brunch, classes, and special farm-to-table dinners.
And you heard it here first: later this year you can stay overnight at the Meadow Cottage set among the blooms. We’re calling dibs. powellgardens.org
Powell Gardens pairs sweeping display gardens with striking architecture, winding nature trails, and a year-round lineup of events and classes designed for all ages.
Right: At the Route 66 Car Museum, a vast collection of vintage and rare automobiles brings the spirit of America’s most iconic highway to life.
Below: Part of Two Voices, One Road, this image by Randy Bacon captures a longabandoned service station, frozen in time.
Springfield, Missouri
YOU CAN THANK the 100-year anniversary of Route 66 for new interest in what’s become a vibrant destination three hours from Kansas City. Check out the town’s role on the “Mother Road” at the History Museum on the Square and ogle the classic roadsters at the Route 66 Car Museum. More than a dozen hand-painted Route 66 shields were installed throughout town in time for the anniversary kickoff this spring.
Commercial Street (locals call it C-Street) offers a mix of retail, restaurants, and art galleries, including the C-Art Gallery, with Two Voices, One Road , a photography and mixed-media exhibition. Enjoy a true vintage diner experience at College Street café, and if you need another day of exploring, the Route 66 Rail Haven Motel and Rockwood Motor Court honor the golden age of road travel. The beloved Jefferson Avenue Footbridge is expected to reopen soon with a lighting ceremony. springfieldmo.org
OVERNIGHT GETAWAYS
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
AT THE MIDWEST’S most interactive zoo, just west of Wichita, you can swim with otters, feed giraffes, penguins, and lorikeets, or careen down the waterslides at Tanganyika Falls, the splash park opening for the season on May 23.
The all-inclusive admission price includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, and even beer and mocktails. Don’t miss seeing Mars, the adorable pygmy hippo with his own fan base.
Want to stay longer? Lodging options include Uncle Dave’s House that sleeps 14, Grandma Sherri’s Casita for five, or Hawkins Estate with room for 12 where guests can observe cheetahs from the back deck. twpark.com
Right: At Tanganyika Wildlife Park, up-close encounters with giraffes and tigers offer a wild, unforgettable experience
Below: A stay at Hidden Valley Wilderness Retreat means cozying up in the treetops for a truly elevated getaway.
Below: The Elms Hotel & Spa pairs its famed spa experience with the simple pleasure of discovering Excelsior Springs just beyond its doors.
Hidden Valley Wilderness Retreat
UNWIND AT THIS 32-acre woodland resort just ten miles north of Leavenworth, Kansas, where roughing it means sleeping in one of three rustic treehouses complete with outdoor showers, fire pits, mini-kitchens, and access to a semi-private hot tub. Or opt for a guest suite in the retreat house with a full kitchen and screened-in porch overlooking the koi pond.
Meander miles of hiking trails or spend the day in downtown Leavenworth with 28 blocks of shops, spas, breweries, and a three-story antique mall. Locals love The Depot for brunch, breakfast, and lunch (don’t miss the sweet and spicy bacon) for dining in or taking back to the retreat.
Note that cell reception can be spotty. That’s your cue to say, “Hold my calls” and embrace the serenity. hiddenvalleywilderness.com
Excelsior Springs
FOR SOME, it’s just not a vacation without a massage and facial. If that’s you, The Elms Hotel & Spa is perfect for a solo visit or getaway for couples or girlfriends. The expansive spa incorporates the mineral-rich waters that made this resort town famous more than a century ago.
Indulge in an immersion float, dry sauna, deep-tissue massage, or wellness classes such as yoga and acupuncture.
The hotel offers luxurious rooms and suites and three choices for fine dining, breakfast, or cocktails overlooking the pool and gazebo.
If you can pull yourself away from the languid pace at the Elms, explore downtown antique shops, fashion boutiques, and dining spots. The Other Trails coffee shop offers more than just java; you can stay at the Overlook Apartment upstairs and wake up to the aroma of blueberry muffins.
The annual Wine Festival on June 10 showcases 20 Missouri wineries. Or catch the Wine Trolley, May through November, to tour several nearby vineyards, including Van Till Family Farm, where the woodfired pizza is nearly as famous as its wines. visitexcelsior.com
St. Louis
ST. LOUIS FASHION WEEK is planning its dazzling return after a decade.
The runway shows, June 10–13, encourage guests to dress up to emulate The Devil Wears Prada vibe. Front-row seats are the best way to witness the designs that range from casual streetwear and sleek separates to evening attire. Several designers from the Kansas City group will appear, including Gracie Key, Joshua J. Chris, Peach Carr, Madison Stitch, and the eye-popping Goldbar Limited jackets favored by sports stars and celebrities.
The shows will take place at 18 Rails at the City Foundry, a Midtown complex with food halls and retail shops.
The week’s activities start with the Overture in Style Cocktail Party at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on June 8. This limited-ticket evening includes a designer preview, live music, and a chance to show off your most fashion-forward style. stlouisfashionweek.com
Whether you’re attending one or two nights or staying the week, the Midtown area has several hotels within a few blocks from the runway venue, including Aloft St. Louis, which has a sushi restaurant and terrace bar, and Element Midtown just across the street.
You’ll have plenty of time to explore St. Louis’s hotspots during the day, including Forest Park, a 1,300-acre urban oasis with a planetarium, zoo, art museum, and 30 miles of trails along flower gardens and streams.
Leave your high heels at the hotel to climb and crawl through the playground known as the City Museum with dozens of art installations and activities. Double-dare your pals to go first down the five-story slide.
While City Museum has several dining options, your entourage may crave more upscale fare. Bistro La Floraison is a chic French restaurant, and Basso is the Cheshire hotel’s Italian gastro pub.
Enjoy a scoop at Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery or hand-made chocolates at Crown Candy Kitchen. Now, can you still fit into your cocktail dress for the Friday runway show? explorestlouis.com
Above: St. Louis Fashion Week will deliver a week of runway shows and standout fashion. Right: At Bistro La Floraison, roasted chicken breast and thigh confit are paired with peas à la française, bacon lardons, and a foie gras vinaigrette.
Big Cedar Lodge
FEW RESORTS CAN MATCH this 4,600-acre resort set within Missouri’s majestic Ozarks. Plan for at least a day at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, where the breathtaking scenery can be admired on foot, bike, horseback, or on a tram. Within the park, Camp Long Creek offers cabins and bungalows; here, even the tents have chandeliers!
The main resort’s accommodations include rooms and suites in three lodges, lakeside retreats, and private log cabins. Or stay at the cottage for two just steps away from Cedar Creek Spa, where a glass floor overlooks a stream. Speaking of the spa, this world-class sanctuary offers dozens of facial and body treatments as well as fitness classes from yoga to dance exercises.
You’ll want to burn off a few calories; Big Cedar’s dining options cover everything from breakfast fare to burgers and drinks. Two favorites are found at Top of the Rock: the Buffalo Bar (a popular stop after a game of golf) and Osage Restaurant, where menu choices range from lobster bisque to bison rib eye. Raise your glass for a toast during the Sunset Ceremony when a Civil War cannon signals the end of the day. bigcedar.com
In the living room, Beuke boxed in the former all-brick fireplace so she had a place to hang the large David Salle diptych. Opposite, upper left: An Andy Warhol screenprint from his Electric Chair series hangs over the antique Chinese sideboard. Opposite, upper right: The staircase curves to the upper floor lighted by a brass pendant from Visual Comfort. Opposite, lower left: Facing the library, the Lee Industries sofa is topped by a David Salle lithograph and fronted by a velvet-upholstered ottoman.
Style Recipe
KEY INGREDIENTS CREATE A SOPHISTICATED RENO IN A MISSION CONDO
When we last visited interior designer Briana Beuke, it was right before the pandemic lockdown in 2020. Her beloved husband had passed away. She threw herself into a design project, turning a tired and chopped-up house into a cozy, light-filled home in Waldo.
Flash forward to 2026. Beuke has bought, revamped, and sold three more houses. “I always intend to stay, until something catches my eye,” she says.
What—make that who—caught her eye recently is fiancé Ed Long,
words by Judith Fertig photos by Aaron Leimkuehler
formerly in agricultural sales, an avid collector of guitars in every shape and form. They are combining families—four grown children and four grandchildren between them—as well as household furnishings.
Don, a mixed breed dog, and Dave, a miniature Aussie, will also make the move.
The Mission condo in which they live now is sort of a testing ground for what works and what might not for their future life together. Beuke has reworked interiors enough times that she has a sort of checklist of key ingredients.
First, a neutral base—the warm white from Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace is her current favorite—contrasted with graphic black or pops of vivid color.
A bookcase to hold what she calls “tchotchkes” or family mementos. “I’m not a big fan of antiques, but I do like a mix of old and new,” she says.
Lighting fixtures by Visual Comfort.
Good quality cabinetry made to look custom with substantial, chunky hardware—her go-to source is Lock and Pulls. Honed marble
Above: In the kitchen, black-painted lower cabinets are topped with honed marble countertops. A Frank Stella tempera painting is paired with a whimsical lamp and a vase filled with live branches. Left: Tucked into a corner, a pair of rattan armchairs front a David Salle lithograph.
countertops with a matte finish—the natural stone offers clean lines without the spot-touchups that white counters can require, and “it’s very well priced,” Beuke says.
All-one-color glossy tile with texture. Beuke used Spanish subway tile in the kitchen, blue-green routed tile laid vertically on the walls of the primary bath.
Tribal-patterned area rugs and runners, which she finds online at Etsy and Lulu and Georgia.
Art from her brother-in-law David Salle and other artists she loves.
Spaces that make sense for the way she likes to live. When Beuke moved into the two-story condo two years ago, she set about changing the floor plan, creating all main living on one floor.
Today, as soon as you walk in the front door, the space opens up as you walk through it. To the left is the reconfigured “dining kitchen,” as she calls it, “casual but chic.” Beuke wanted the sink with a window view, and she swapped a large island for a simple black table and chairs. Cabinetry and appliances wrap around two walls with countertops in a waterfall marble. Floating shelves hold a collection of Navajo pots.
Above: When renovating the kitchen, Beuke removed the upper cabinets to enlarge and modernize the space. The floating shelves display her pottery collection, including Navajo pots. Bosch range. Right: A pair of wishbone chairs and a pair of upholstered chairs circle the round table. The run underneath is vintage Moroccan.
A tempera painting by Frank Stella, a gift from her brother-in-law, and an oil on wood by Tom Grimaldi, keep the kitchen visually interesting but uncluttered.
Beuke divided the living room into two zones—socializing and watching movies or television.
Pearson barrel side chairs upholstered in a boucle fabric provide one half of the conversation area. She found the unique coffee table at local designer Mark Suderman’s shop, Sid & Co. The Chinese sideboard and a vintage millefiori lamp from her grandparents are two more pieces she loves. A pair of Chinese-inspired rattan Baker chairs add sculptural interest near the built-in bar area.
The former TV room is now the primary bedroom, with French doors that go out to a patio. Beuke created a custom bed frame upholstered in black-and-white ticking. She carved out space for both a primary bathroom and a laundry room with a stackable washer and dryer. A playful, freeform contemporary wall light looks like an overscale pearl necklace. The blue-green tile is to-thetrade, but the circular black floor tile is from International Materials of Design.
“I like interior design projects,” Beuke says. And that’s a good thing, since another one—perhaps the most challenging so far— might be coming up.
THE IT LIST
Contractor
Benjamin Home Improvement LLC 913-205-0471
Interior Design B. Home Designs 816-550-8414
Hardware Locks and Pulls lockandpullskc.com
Above: Vibrant-hued glazed tiles make a statement in the primary bath. Floor tiles are from International Materials of Design. Opposite: In the primary bedroom, a contemporary chest serving as a bedside table is topped by a John Boyd painting. Bed linens are from Annie Selke. The rug is from Lulu and Georgia.
by Jenny Vergara
Reservation for One DEAR DONNA
photos by Aaron Leimkuehler
The door at 549 Gillis Street in Columbus Park is open again, and this time, it belongs to one of Kansas City’s most quietly ambitious chef couples. At Dear Donna, Johnny and Helen Jo Leach, James Beard semifinalists for their work at The Town Company, have traded tasting menus for something more personal. Dear Donna is a daytime restaurant built on care, craft, and the food you crave every day.
The couple, along with business partner Sondy Bojanic, weren’t necessarily looking to take over the former Happy Gillis space. But when it
unexpectedly closed, they saw an opportunity to carry forward its spirit while reshaping it in their own voice. The result is Dear Donna, named for Johnny’s mother and grounded in warmth, intention, and a deep respect for everyday dining made by expert chefs.
While there are few changes to the exterior of the beloved Happy Gillis space, the inside has been streamlined. With the kitchen equipment moved to the back, a true coffee counter has emerged, providing additional seating and an order counter before you take a seat in the dining room. Maroon tables, light wood, white walls—it all feels clean and
The laid-back, refreshed interior of Dear Donna.
refreshed. Booths line the walls, and two-tops are sprinkled throughout.
Here, the cooking is deceptively simple. There’s no fine-dining posturing or language, no tweezered plates, and yet the dishes reveal a precision the moment they hit the table. Take snacks like the pimento “kimcheese,” a cheese spread spiced with Korean kimchi, dusted with sesame seeds, and surrounded by Ritz crackers. It looks familiar, but the flavor is just different enough to make you sit up and take notice in the best possible way. It tastes like their food.
The charred and chopped cabbage salad makes the most of the 2026 vegetable of the year. Cabbage is being introduced on menus across the metro. For Dear Donna’s take, raw green cabbage is chopped into squares and charred until slightly softened and sweet, with just a hint of charring on the edge of each leaf. It’s then dressed with, according to Johnny, a “proprietary” lemon-pepper ranch dressing, then sprinkled with a scattering of Italian parsley leaves and crispy fried shallots, which give the dish a lovely, caramelized depth of flavor, especially when paired with the creamy lemon ranch.
The Dutch baby comes to the table resembling a golden yellow bowl. It tastes more savory egg than puffy pancake, topped with a dollop of crème fraiche, chives, and a crispy fried chicken breast that’s sticky from sweet, buttery maple syrup. The syrup caramelizes the chicken crust, locking in the juices, and it’s accompanied with a lemon wedge for just a hint of citrus to brighten every bite. The egg and cheddar sandwich, served on a soft bun with hash browns and a tangy secret sauce, is the kind of breakfast-lunch hybrid that’s their take on a New York City
Classic, Historic ... Fresh and Creative
bodega breakfast sandwich.
The fried fish sandwich is a meal all on its own. Served on a long, soft hoagie bun, it’s slathered with a salty, spicy, punchy black olive and Italian hot pepper-studded “tartar” sauce that gives this sandwich its personality. A thick slab of flaky white fish that has been battered and fried to a perfect golden brown is perched atop the sauce, which is all then smothered in ice-cold shredded lettuce.
Helen Jo’s influence, which extends beyond pastry into the overall feel of the food, is comforting but clever. More of her baked goods are expected to roll out as the restaurant settles into its rhythm, adding another layer to a menu that already feels cohesive. Her gachi (a Korean word that means togetherness) cookies, made with miso, butterscotch, chocolate pieces, and puffed rice, are sinfully chewy with thin, lightly crisp edges, and are highly addictive. The almond cake with passionfruit and kumquat curd is an explosion of bright, sunny flavor and perfect with a hot cup of coffee.
What makes Dear Donna compelling isn’t just what’s on the plate, it’s how intentionally it’s executed. Here, the focus is tight, with only 12 items on the menu, but the chefs' time is spent expertly executing each dish. We would expect nothing less from this delicious duo.
The drink program follows suit. It’s a concise, well-considered mix of cocktails, wine, and beer, along with a specialty coffee blend that anchors the daytime experience. Everything just feels like it belongs.
Dear Donna is currently open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; a format that leans into lunch while keeping a few breakfast items always on the menu. The Leaches are clear that this is just the beginning. They’re watching, listening, and adjusting, building the restaurant in conversation with the people who walk through the door.
For Johnny and Helen Jo, that’s the goal. Not a destination restaurant, but a daily one. A place where the food is thoughtful, the welcome is genuine, and the experience lingers just long enough to bring you back tomorrow. deardonnakc.com
Top left: Everyone's favorite almond cake with passion fruit and kumquat is gluten-free. Top right: The charred cabbage salad is tossed with ranch dressing and sprinkled with crispy fried shallots. Center left: Ritz crackers surround the sesame studded pimento kimcheese. Bottom left: Griddled onions and plenty of melted provolone adorn the Meatloaf Melt. Center: French fries with ketchup and sour cream and onion dip. Bottom right: The gachi cookie is dotted with butterscotch and chocolate pieces.
The Festival thanks our 2026 MAJOR SPONSORS: Plan your visit at KCSHAKES.ORG FREE Live Outdoor Theatre in Kansas City’s Southmoreland Park 3 Weeks | Tuesday-Sunday 8 p.m.
Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation | Mark Edelman Theater Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City | Edward P. Milbank | Shirley and Barnett Helzberg Foundation | Dr. Marc and the Honorable Stephanie Taormina | Francis Family Foundation | Sarah Ye | Theater League | Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts | William T. Kemper Foundation | Tiffany Patterson | Robb & Robb LLC Charitable Foundation/Gary C. Robb & Anita Porte Robb | Sosland Foundation McMeel Family Foundation | Jim and Diana Cusser | Peter G. and Elizabeth Torosian Foundation | Dr. Scott and Bernadette Ashcraft | Hallmark Corporate Foundation
by Jenny Vergara photo by Bridget Chang
In Your Cocktail CLEO CLUB
In the Crossroads Arts District, Cleo Club opened not with a whimper, but with a roar. Located upstairs from The Rockhill Grille on Grand Boulevard, you enter through the dark wooden door with a golden jungle-cat handle under a red awning. Climb the stairs up and away from the hum of dinner service and into something slightly moodier and more magical. A leopard painting at the top of the stairs signals you’ve arrived at the newest Crossroads cocktail bar.
This is the latest concept from the team behind The Wise Guy, Rockhill Grille, and Crossroads Cantina, but it feels intentionally removed from the bustle of those dining rooms. Cleo Club is less about show and spectacle and more about serving well-made classic cocktails. With no food menu, Cleo Club is a place designed for the in-between moments, like waiting for a table for dinner downstairs, catching up with a friend over happy hour, or extending the night by settling into a final drink with someone special.
Inside, the room leans into a low-lit glamour. It feels like a cocktail bar built for grown-ups. The palette is forest green, ruby red, gold, and
dark chocolate brown, with velvet drapes and plush velvet booths that wrap the space like a blanket. The effect is intimate, punctuated by subtle spotted-cat touches that nod to the club’s namesake, a few famous big cats named after Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen. It’s stylish without trying too hard, which, in Kansas City, suits our vibe just fine.
The concept itself is deceptively simple. Cleo Club serves classic cocktails done well, at a price point that feels approachable. Owners Zach Marten and Bret Springs and the food and beverage director, Clark Grant, weren’t interested in reinventing the wheel as much as refining it. The menu reads like a list of greatest hits grouped in order of the dominant spirit, in addition to short list of beer and wine and nonalcoholic cocktails. There are approximately 30 classic cocktails on the menu, including the usual suspects—a dirty martini, Tom Collins, paloma, mai tai, Manhattan, and French 75, yet each arrives with just enough of a house touch to keep things interesting.
There is an old fashioned made with candied pecan syrup. The server will request you take a first sip before dropping two shakes of tamari, a sauce similar to soy sauce, into the cocktail to alter the taste, using the
The Brown Derby
umami to pull out different flavors. The Bee’s Knees is punched up with the addition of warming chai spices added to the honey, and the margarita is crowned with a cloud of shaved ice that slowly melts into something closer to a slushy without ever losing its balance.
That balance extends to the experience itself. Drinks are priced at $13, dropping to $9 during a tight, early happy hour, making it as appealing for a quick stop as it is for a full evening. And while a handful of reservations are held, most of the room remains walk-in only, reinforcing its role as a flexible, come-as-you-are kind of space.
Part of Cleo Club’s appeal is practical. In a part of the Crossroads where waits can stretch and options for a casual pre-dinner drink are surprisingly limited, it fills a gap. Staff from the group’s neighboring restaurants have already begun sending guests upstairs, turning what might have been idle time into part of the night’s rhythm.
But there’s also something more subtle happening here. Cleo Club taps into Kansas City’s long-standing affection for cocktail culture while sidestepping the exclusivity that can sometimes come with it. There’s no speech about what’s in your glass, no barrier to entry, no dress code, just familiar drinks, thoughtfully made, in a room that encourages you to stay awhile.
Even the more obscure selections have found an audience. Grant notes that one of the surprises has been the popularity of the Brown Derby, a Prohibition-era cocktail that’s far from a household name today. At Cleo Club, it’s been gently adjusted to better reflect how ingredients have evolved over time.
“This cocktail was created in 1930 and named after the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles. We went back and found the original recipe, made it, and found it was just a little flat. I started thinking about grapefruit, and how selective breeding has turned them into a sweeter, less sour, and less bitter fruit over the last hundred years. So we decided to stray from the original recipe a bit in our version with the addition of lime juice, which added an extra hit of acid, and it has been a really popular drink for us since we opened,” says Grant. cleoclubkc.com
The Brown Derby
1.5 ounces 1792 Bourbon
.5 ounce fresh lime juice
.75 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
1 ounce honey syrup*
1 grapefruit peel
Add all ingredients to shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain it through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer into a rocks glass. Garnish with an expressed grapefruit peel.
*HONEY SYRUP RECIPE
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup warm water
Mix well to combine.
Create Where You Belong
by Jenny Vergara
DISTRICT 800
A NEW CHAPTER is coming to a familiar stretch of Southwest Boulevard. This June, District 800 will open in the former La Fonda El Taquito space with a completely reimagined, high-end concept. The chef, Steve Pemberton, a Houston’s alum, will anchor the menu with polished, crowd-pleasing dishes like Wagyu carpaccio, pappardelle and short rib ragu, and crispy Atlantic salmon. The standout? A tableside cacio e pepe tossed inside a 24-month-aged Parmesan wheel. Owner Shannon Moore, president of sales at Shaman Botanicals, the manufacturer for CBD American Shaman, is aiming for Miami-style energy—elegant but lively, with DJs, tableside cocktails, and a vibrant dining room. An intimate, reservation-only cocktail bar is slated to open upstairs later this year, adding another layer to this new Westside destination.
by Jenny Vergara
LORETTA JEAN’S RESTAURANT & BAR
A HISTORIC BUILDING on the corner of 10th and Broadway is getting a second life. This fall, the chef Rick Mullins and bartending veteran Candice Moore will open Loretta Jean’s inside the historic Seiden’s Furs building, transforming one of downtown’s oldest structures into a warm, story-driven restaurant and bar. The menu leans into “New Midwestern” cooking, built around seasonal, farm-driven ingredients and a thoughtful preservation program that extends flavors beyond their peak. Expect dishes rooted in regional tradition, with playful nods to Kansas City classics and drawing on Mullins’s long history of nostalgic pop-ups. On the main level, a 24-seat bar, open kitchen, and wood-fired grill anchor the dining room, while a basement speakeasy, Josephine’s, will host private dinners and events. Moore’s beverage program balances spirited and nonalcoholic cocktails with equal care, reinforcing the restaurant’s inclusive, community-first ethos.
by Jenny Vergara
JOE’S NEXT DOOR
A NEW CHAPTER is unfolding just steps from one of Kansas City’s most iconic barbecue counters. This May, Jeff and Joy Stehney of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, along with partner Ryan Barrows, will open Joe’s Next Door in the former Taco Republic space on Mission Road, across from Joe’s gas station location, marking the brand’s first new concept in nearly a decade. Designed as a faster, more casual neighborhood hangout, the restaurant will still deliver the hits—think Z-Man sandwiches piled with brisket, provolone, and crispy onion rings; and seasoned fries—and bring new additions, including a fried chicken Z-Man, loaded fries, and smoked salmon dishes. A full drink program will include shakes, boozy shakes, frozen cocktails, and espresso martinis. And unlike the original, Joe’s Next Door will be open daily, with a patio built for lingering.
My Essentials IN KC
Karen’s essentials...
SWEET TREAT:
Our family loves the ice cream flights at Alice Scooper’s. Such fun flavors. The flight is huge, so bring an appetite! I’m also a cake girlie, so we love ordering custom cakes at McLain’s Cakery
COFFEE CHAMP: I go to Messenger Coffee for the vibe, rooftop patio, and crispy croissants. Café Ollama for new flavors, coffee flights, and some strong coffee that will wake you up! For a nightcap, I enjoy the Spanish coffee cocktail at La Bodega
KAREN
by Evan Pagano
MIAZGA BLACKWOOD
INFLUENCER. EXPLORER. GUIDE.
When Karen Miazga Blackwood came back to Kansas City, she saw it with new eyes.
She’d grown up near Parkville and attended the University of Missouri–Kansas City. In 2009, she moved to Raleigh, North Carolina—a city experiencing explosive growth—to study and work in education. She returned to KC in 2014 and eventually took on a role with Teach for American introducing new teachers to the city.
“When I moved back, Kansas City had grown so much, and I was experiencing everything with a new lens as a professional,” she says. She saw the traditions, the history, the food, and the fun. “From there, it was a natural transition to start sharing my passion and love to social media pages.”
In spring of 2023, her role at the nonprofit was eliminated. “I had a choice,” she says. “Did I want to continue doing education consulting, or what if I gave social media 90 days?”
Soon, Miazga Blackwood landed a deal promoting Overland Park. In the three years since, she’s explored the KC metro under the moniker Kansas City Karen and built a following of 150,000-plus on social media. Her adventures take her to KC’s stadiums and burger joints; the speedway and sweets shops; and gems even longtime locals may not have heard of.
This June and July, Kansas City’s population will nearly double during the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. Kansas City Karen is ready.
“I am so excited and grateful for all the hard work our city did to get chosen to host the World Cup,” she says. “My focus is to create full, nutritious content for my audience and what their interests and needs will be for the World Cup, as well as to help any traveling visitors look ing for a good time in KC.” @kansascitykaren
BEST BITE: I’ll give you my current top three. I went to Hayes Hamburger and Chili in the Northland this past winter and was blown away by their burgers. They are smaller sliders that are so juicy! Make sure to bring cash. I also have to shout out to The Town Company and Lulu’s Thai Noodles
CAN’T-MISS EVENT:
Last year was my first time enjoying the Signature Tea at Tailleur, and I fell in love with both the food and the experience. They host teatime once a month, and it’s so fun seeing all the ladies dressed up, enjoying a tower of sandwiches, pastries, and sweets.
PERFECT PARK:
Hands down, the sculpture park at the NelsonAtkins Museum of Art. It is so big with so many pieces to admire. I spent a lot of time here in college, with my family during the pandemic, and now visiting. I really love how large it is and how many beautiful pieces there are on display.
HIDDEN GEM: I’ve been a loyal shopper at Made Mobb for years. I love their designs, their staff, and the ways they are really integrated into supporting the KC community. If you haven’t been to their flagship store in the Crossroads, consider this your sign to visit!
A Ceremony of Remembrance
8 pm | Tuesday, May 19
Mill Creek Park at the Country Club Plaza 47th Street & Mill Creek Parkway, KCMO
