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Weekend Possibilities | American Royal Rodeo, Harry Potter Day at Science City, And A Few Fall Festivals

A rider holds on to a bucking bronco. The American Royal professional rodeo is Friday night at the American Royal Center in the West Bottoms. (Contributed | American Royal)
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3 minute read

There are about 48 hours between leaving work on Friday and the time you start thinking about work once again on Sunday night. Weekend Possibilities is your roadmap for food, drinks and fun for the perfect Kansas City weekend.

Friday, Sept. 27

11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Start the first weekend of fall early at the Liberty Fall Festival, which runs all weekend long at the Liberty Area Chamber of Commerce (1170 W. Kansas St.). Liberty celebrates the season’s change with over 175 arts and crafts vendors, plenty of food and beverage options and carnival rides. Carnival tickets are $1 per ticket or $25 for 32 tickets. Wristbands will be available Sunday from Noon to 4 p.m. for $20. The festival is free. 

5 – 10 p.m. The American Royal continues this weekend in the Stockyards District (1701 American Royal Court) with the Youth and Professional Rodeos. Participants aged 13 to 18 will saddle up on Thursday and Friday to compete for some serious prize money. After a champion is decided, the pros will kick off their own weekend competition Friday evening. The festivities start with a happy hour at the Pendleton Whiskey Tailgate with food trucks and live music. General admission tickets to Friday night’s rodeo are $20, box seats are available for $40.   

6 – 10 p.m. There’s some great grilling going on all day at Blues & Barbeque in Shawnee Town (11501 W. 57th St.). The event opens to the general public not long after you leave the office and will feature a kids fun zone with inflatables, local barbecue food trucks and live music from The Instamatics. Alcoholic drinks will be available for festival goers 21 and up. The event is free.

Saturday, Sept. 28

10 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Downtown Lee’s Summit will do its best Munich impression with its Oktoberfest celebration this weekend. There will be more than 80 local artists and vendors on hand, a bratwurst tent, traditional German meals, plenty of beer, a carnival and more. Those 21 and up can enjoy unlimited homebrew tastings and vote for the best beer from Noon to 3 p.m. Tickets for the tasting are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the event. Carnival tickets are $1 each, 40 for $35 or 80 for $60. Each ride takes 3-4 tickets.

10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak St.) has a full day of events planned for the 2019 Deaf Cultural Festival. The festival will celebrate American Sign Language (ASL) with events featuring interpreters and real-time captioning like ASL poetry, a screenprinting activity, painting, an urban jazz workshop, storytelling sessions and much more. There will be food for purchase at Rozelle Court, along with an ASL Cafe, where guests will learn to sign simple orders. The event is free. Garage parking is $10 for non-members. 

11 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Witches and wizards are headed for Harry Potter Day Saturday afternoon at Science City (30 W. Pershing Road). The schedule of activities includes an owl making station, a lesson in disappearing ink, horcrux scavenger hunts, quidditch matches, a costume competition and much more. Tickets for the day of magic and science are $14.50.

2 p.m. The North Kansas City Music Festival is back at multiple venues in the Northland. Join our friends at 90.9 The Bridge to see bands like Radkey, Flying Balalaika Brothers, Fred Wickham & the Hadacol Caravan and many more. Be sure to check the festival website for a full schedule of shows and locations. NKC Music Fest wristbands are $15 and must be picked up via will call at the Calibration Brewery main gate (119 Armour Road).

Sunday, Sept. 29

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. It’s officially fall and KC Pumpkin Patch (13960 S. Gardner Road, Olathe) is here for it. Spend your Sunday at KC Cider Fest, trying KC Wine Co.’s popular hard ciders. The family-friendly event will feature fun games like giant Tic Tac Toe and farmer ping pong, plus plenty of places for the kids to play. Tickets are $15 and include a cup of cider or sack of cider donuts. 

1 p.m. #ZeroReasonsWhy, a community mobilization and story campaign to prevent teen suicide, is hosting a March + Rally as Suicide Prevention Month comes to an end. #ZeroReasonsWhy invites anyone to make personalized signs, come listen to teen speakers and join the movement. The march and rally will take place near the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain on the Country Club Plaza (W. 47th Street. and J.C. Nichols Parkway).

6:30 p.m. Soccer fans can catch Sporting Kansas City’s final home game of the season Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park (1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, Kansas). Sporting wraps up the season at home against the Portland Timbers, well out of Major League Soccer playoff contention. However, the Timbers are on the bubble of qualifying for the postseason, so fans should look forward to a competitive matchup and atmosphere. Tickets start at $25.

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