Weekend Possibilities | Distillery Divided, Tina Turner and Streetcar Jams Cheers!
Published December 7th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Above image credit: The KC Streetcar Holiday Jam will bring local musicians on board to perform holiday songs Saturday afternoon. (Courtesy | KC Streetcar)Crafts, a holiday classic and a big-time college basketball clash set the scene for a spirited December weekend.
Friday, Dec. 8
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Black Being, a multimedia exhibition and in-studio performance piece on display at Charlotte Street Gallery, 3333 Wyoming St., through Jan. 6 explores the beauty and normalcy of Black existence. Friday evening, the exhibit will feature a talk with Houston-based, mixed-media artist Brian Ellison. Ellison is the founder of The Black Man Project, a nonprofit dedicated to the exploration of masculinity in young Black boys and creating space for group therapy sessions. The artist’s talk is free to attend.
7:30 p.m. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical will finish its run at Kansas City Music Hall, 301 W. 13th St., this weekend. The Broadway production honoring the trailblazing journey of the “Queen of Rock and Roll” tells Turner’s story on her terms, directed by Tony Award-winning director Phyllida Loyd. Tickets to Friday night’s performance are available starting at $38, plus tax and fees. The show is recommended for folk ages 14 and older.
7:30 p.m. Musical Theater Heritage at Crown Center, 2450 Grand Blvd., is re-imagining a holiday classic. It’s A Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play will tell George Bailey and his angel Clarence’s story as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with an ensemble cast, live sound effects on stage and holiday music. Tickets are available starting at $45, plus tax and fees.
Saturday, Dec. 9
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. & 1 – 3 p.m. Are you willing to get your hands clean? Gieringers Family Orchard & Berry Farm, 39345 W. 183rd St., will host two Soap Making Classes, with help from Heartland Honey, this weekend. Attendees will learn how to make cold-process soap, lip balm and lotion bars, plus information on safe ingredients and where to get them. Everyone will go home with two pounds of homemade soap. The class is $50.
10:30 a.m. Mrs. Wilson’s Knitting Circle at the National WWI Museum and Memorial, 1 Memorial Drive, will hold its annual Holiday Reception Saturday morning. Knitters of any skill level are welcome to bring their own projects or start anew. Warm beverages and light refreshments will be served during a lecture on wartime winter and holiday traditions. Non-crafters are welcome. Bring your own yarn and needles. The knitting circle is free with an RSVP.
Noon – 5 p.m. Adorableness incoming. Bring your pup to Bar K, 501 Berkley Pkwy., Saturday afternoon for some puppy playtime, a pint or bite to eat and Pictures with Santa. Just in time for the holiday card, Santa will be in position all afternoon snapping pics with pooches and raising money for Great Plains SPCA. Bar K admission is free for humans and $10 for your first dog and then $5 for every additional member of the pack.
12:30 – 4 p.m. All aboard. The KC Streetcar Holiday Jam sets off from the Union Station stop, 30 W. Pershing Road, on Saturday afternoon. Local artists Broderick Jones and Kirra Alexis will each play a set while riding the streetcar, featuring holiday classics, covers and original tunes. Riding the streetcar is free. You may join the festivities at any stop, just look for Holiday Streetcar #801.
4:15 p.m. It’s rivalry week for Kansas and Missouri hoops fans and J. Rieger & Co., 2700 Guinotte Ave., is here for it. The East Bottoms staple is throwing a Distillery Divided Watch Party for the big-time basketball game. Jayhawk and Tiger fans can watch the game on the atrium’s big screen and enjoy specialty $8 cocktails made with Six Columns Straight Bourbon and Rock Chalk Rye Whiskey. Seating is first come.
Sunday, Dec. 10
2 – 4 p.m. Get in the holiday spirit and add another handmade ornament to the collection on Sunday afternoon at Pinot’s Palette’s, 11945 S. Strang Line Road, Cheerful Moment class. Those registered will paint a joyful snowman, ready to go up on the tree ASAP. The Olathe paint-and-take spot has a bring-your-own-bottle model for wine drinkers but offers glasses, corkscrews and water. Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot for $38.
3:30 – 5:30 p.m. There’s still time to register for Sunday’s Hanukkah Glow Party at The J Social Hall, 5801 W. 115th St. This year’s family dance party will have a silent disco by DJ Stann, plus games, crafts, food and more. Tickets are $20 per family.
Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.