South KC’s Summer Fun Guide

By Kristina Light

It’s summertime, and that means pools, live music, theater, festivals, farmers’ markets, and u-pick farms. For World Cup match and fan festival details, and America’s 250th birthday and Fourth of July celebrations, you’ll find guides in upcoming issues. Here is what the rest of the summer has in store for the south metro.

Bay Water Park is south Kansas City’s primary public swimming center, with splash park and pools. 

Beat the Heat: Pools, Beaches, and Splash Parks

Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer season for outdoor pools, waterparks, beaches, and spray grounds.

In the Hickman Mills area, The Bay Water Park is Kansas City Parks and Recreation’s southside outdoor aquatic facility, featuring a lazy river and waterslides. 

Leawood Aquatic Center features a 50-meter pool, a youth pool with zero-depth entry and slides, and a separate infant pool. Details at leawood.org/aquaticcenter. 

Belton’s Outdoor Waterpark, at Memorial Park, is surrounded by playgrounds and ball fields. Attractions include the water slides, a crossing challenge with floating lily pads, and an action river. Admission is charged; the season schedule is at beltonparks.org.

South Kansas City’s free spray parks are popular spots for families to cool off on a hot day. Grandview’s John Anderson Splash Park and Kansas City Parks and Recreation’s free spray ground at Sunnyside Park are open daily, weather permitting Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Longview Lake is home to a swimming beach and a marina offering pontoon boat rentals. Fish food is available at the bait shop, and the dock is a favorite spot for families to hand-feed the carp.

Live Music and Outdoor Theater

At Ward Parkway Center, the summer music series kicks off in June. Live music is performed every Saturday at the south pavilion.  Should it get too hot in August, the Center now has an indoor cultural center where the music will be hosted. Free outdoor movies on a 20’ x 30’ big screen are also planned for Friday evenings. 

Raymore hosts a free outdoor concert series at Hawk Ridge Park Amphitheater on the second Friday of each month from June through October. Visitors are encouraged to bring snacks, drinks, and a chair. The lineup: Elton Dan & The Rocket Band (June 12), Raymore Reggae Night (July 10), The Pork Tornadoes (Aug. 14), Kansas City St. Andrew Pipes and Drums and The Biscuit Boys in a 9/11 First Responders Tribute (Sept. 11), and Bradley Harris with Emily Hernandez and The Bluebird Ramblers (Oct. 9). Full calendar at raymore.com.

Starlight Theatre in Swope Park with its nearly 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheater celebrates its 75th Broadway season this summer. The season opens with Hadestown (June 9–14), followed by A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (July 7–12), Monty Python’s Spamalot (Aug. 4–9), and Disney’s Newsies (Sept. 8–13). The concert roster runs all summer: Claypool Gold (May 28), Paul Simon (June 16), Bob Dylan (July 4), The Fray (July 14), Jon Batiste Live (July 17), Sarah McLachlan (July 24), Rainbow Kitten Surprise (July 27), Darius Rucker (July 31), Turnpike Troubadours (Aug. 1), Young the Giant (Aug. 2), Lindsey Stirling (Aug. 10), John Mulaney with Mike Birbiglia (Aug. 16), Flatland Cavalry (Aug. 21), CAAMP (Aug. 24), O.A.R. (Aug. 30), Josh Groban (Sept. 1), Blues Traveler & Gin Blossoms (Sept. 15), Charley Crockett Age of the Ram Tour (Sept. 17), Jerry Seinfeld (Sept. 18), Foster the People (Sept. 24), and TLC & Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue: It’s Iconic (Sept. 30). Tickets at kcstarlight.com.

BB’s Lawnside Blues and BBQ presents live music every Friday and Saturday night from 7 to 10 pm, plus a Saturday afternoon jam session from 2 to 5 pm. Details at bbslawnsidebbq.com.

Rosehill Winery in Martin City hosts musicians every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening in its outdoor gardens, live music pavilion, stone patios, and koi pond. Details at rosehillwinebar.com.

Also in Martin City, Martin City Brewing Company hosts live music events and community gatherings at its taproom and outdoor space throughout the season. The flagship brewpub recognized has been a neighborhood anchor since 2013. Events and details at martincitybrewingcompany.com.

In Grandview, Transparent Brewing Company has become a go-to destination for live music, trivia, and community events. The taproom hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights through the season, with weekly Thursday Bingo Night hosted by owner Nolan Brown starting at 7 pm. The full events calendar is at transparentbrewing.com.

Kansas City Bier Company brings an authentic German bier hall experience to the south metro with weekly live polka by Bram Wijnands every Saturday from 3 to 5 pm, Sunday general knowledge trivia from 1 to 3pm, and a First Friday Musikshow on the first Friday of each month featuring two sets of live music from 5 to 9pm. Details at kcbier.com.

Near Belton, south of Loch Lloyd, Jaudon Public House is a historic building with roots going back to the 1800s and offers live music on its covered outdoor patio through the season. The schedule is at jaudon-publichouse.com.

Readers will find complete details for concerts and special events on the calendar on MartinCityTelegraph.com. 

Lost Wax will perform at Bash on Byars in Grandview this June. 

Festivals and Community Celebrations

Summer means outdoor festivals, carnivals, and craft shows. 

Carry Nation Days on May 29 and 30 brings Belton’s community heritage festival to downtown Belton’s Main Street. Named for Carry Nation, the temperance movement activist who grew up near Belton and is buried in Belton City Cemetery, the event is free to attend and features more than 80 vendors, live music, a beer garden, drone show, and food trucks. Details at beltonparks.org.

On June 6, National Prairie Day is celebrated at Party on the Prairie at Jerry Smith Park, Jackson County’s only historic remnant prairie. Hosted by Bridging the Gap’s Kansas City WildLands team and KC Parks and Recreation, the free festival runs from 4 to 7 pm and features live music, a food truck, guided plant, and bird walks, a plein air painting competition with cash prizes, and a scavenger hunt. Details at kcparks.org.

Make Music Day in Kansas City hits June 21 across the metro area. Find music performances on front lawns, parking lots, outdoor patios, and park. The list has been growing since started during the pandemic. Cheick it out at makemusicday.org/kcmo

The Grandview Amphitheater in Meadowmere Park seats 5,000 with free parking and a relaxed atmosphere. On June 12, Bash on Byars returns to early summer, with a free community event hosted by the Grandview Chamber of Commerce featuring a Disney karaoke-style sing-along on the giant LED screen, live music from Lost Wax, and a Winco Fireworks show to close the evening. The summer lineup also includes a Latino Night World Cup Watch Party (June 18, free), a USA 250 Birthday Party and World Cup Watch Party (July 2, 6–10 p.m.), and a Kids Night Foam Party and World Cup Watch Party (July 10, 6–8 p.m., free). Details at grandviewmochamber.com and the full calendar at grandviewamp.com.

Over at Belton Memorial Station, Red, White & The Blues on June 26 celebrates America’s 250th birthday with a BBQ dinner by Ate1Six BBQ, a cash bar by Dizzy Blender, and a live concert by Elwood and The Blues Masters. Doors open at 6 p.m., with music from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and a Blues Brothers Look-Alike Contest at 8:15 p.m. Tickets start at $24 (children) and $38 (adults) and include food, a drink, and holiday swag. Tickets at beltonmochamber.org.

Take a Ride

The Belton Railroad A short drive south of Kansas City, the Belton Railroad offers a step back into the golden age of rail travel on weekends from May through October. Passengers board vintage cars, including a 1920s era passenger coach, an open-air excursion car, and a 1950s diesel locomotive, and roll through Old Towne Belton on a classic excursion ride on weekends. Tickets and schedules at beltonrailroad.org.

Summer Reading

Three area library systems have tied their summer reading programs to themes of discovery, adventure, and global culture, with special programming for all ages and prizes for reaching reading goals. Mid-Continent Public Library’s program runs June 1 through Aug. 24 and is open to all ages; the Red Bridge, Grandview, and Blue Ridge branches serve south Kansas City (mymcpl.org). Johnson County Library’s program runs June 1 through July 31, with events celebrating international food, music, and language, and a free book and reading log available at any branch beginning June 1 (jocolibrary.org). Cass County Public Library’s program serves branches, including Belton and Pleasant Hill (casscolibrary.org).

Farmers Markets

South Kansas City’s farmers market circuit offers fresh options nearly every day of the week through the growing season.

117th St. Farmers Market at Red Bridge United Methodist Church runs Saturday mornings from 9:30 am to noon, known for local honey, farm produce, and artisan goods. In Martin City, Benedict Builders sell artisan breads, pastries, jelly, bacon, eggs and more, straight from family owned fields in Missouri. They are located next to Sidelines Florals and Jess & Jim’s from 9 – 11 am every Saturday. 

One of the city’s oldest markets, Brookside Farmers’ Market at HJ’s Community Center runs every Saturday from 9 am to noon through October. All vendors are sourced within 100 miles of Kansas City, free hot coffee is offered, and dogs are welcome.

Twice a month on Saturdays, the Waldo Market sets up at South Broadland Presbyterian Church from 8 am to noon, featuring produce, flowers, pantry provisions, crafts, and baked goods. Dates this season: May 9 & 23, June 6 & 20, July 11 & 25, and Aug. 8 & 22. The Waldo Farmers Market runs every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm at Three Trails Community Church, offering a rotating selection of local produce, baked goods, and artisan vendors throughout the season.

Every Thursday from 4 to 7 pm through September, the Belton Farmers Market is held at the Belton Assembly of God Church parking lot with fresh produce, home-baked goods, local honey, eggs, meat, flowers, handmade crafts, and more. One of the few evening markets in the circuit is a convenient stop for working families on the way home.

Grandview Farmers Market moves to a new indoor and covered location on Main Street, opening July 8, on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 pm and Saturdays from 8am to noon through Oct. 31. All goods are grown, raised, made, or created by the vendors selling them. Details at grandview.org.

At T.B. Hanna Station, a historic former train depot that now houses shelters, the Variety KC Inclusive Sprayground, and the Variety KC Inclusive Playground, the Raymore Farmers Market runs Tuesdays from 4 to 7 pm, June through September, with Party in the Park nights featuring live music and food trucks on June 9, July 7, Aug. 25, and Sept. 29. Details at raymore.com.

Pick Your Own: Berry Farms and Flower Fields

Cass County’s u-pick farms have been drawing families from across the metro for generations. The Berry Patch in Cleveland opens its fields early to mid-June and typically stays open through early August, offering blueberry picking, a Berry Train ride, and fresh-baked goods and blueberry lemonade at the country store. Tubby Fruits, also in Cleveland, is a small family-owned orchard whose more than 650 peach trees across 50-plus varieties ripen from July through September; tart cherries arrive in June, and blackberries follow in July and August.

Where the Wildflowers Bloom in Harrisonville opens for u-pick sunflowers and wildflowers on select days throughout the summer, Raymore’s Slow Grown Acres offers hand-wrapped bouquets of dahlias, zinnias, and specialty blooms through a weekly farm stand, and in Peculiar, Triple S Homestead runs u-pick events, photography sessions, and bouquet subscriptions from mid-June through September. Just across the state line in Stilwell, Kansas, Coffey Grounds Farm opens its Come & Pick Garden daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through summer and fall, where visitors can cut their own fresh flowers and harvest vegetables straight from the field; the farm also hosts events and classes year-round, including seasonal farm-to-table dinners. 

Visitors should follow each farm on Facebook for field updates, as weather determines exact open dates and hours.

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