Weekend Possibilities | Earth Day, Taylor Swift, Berkley Riverfront Fest Don't Forget Record Store Day

Not much beats a nine-cent beer. If celebrating Up-Down’s anniversary in the Crossroads with cheap brew isn’t the move for you this weekend, maybe a Taylor Swift listening party or a Party for the Planet at the Kansas City Zoo will do.

Friday, April 19

5 p.m. – Midnight Happy’s Place, a “Happy Gilmore” pop-up, is open through the end of the month at North Kansas City golf and entertainment venue T-Shotz, 660 N.W. Metro North Drive. Step into the iconic comedy with the pop-up’s themed food and drink menus, decorations, music and more, while enjoying digital golf games on the T-Shotz range. Friday evening rates are $54 an hour per bay.

6 p.m. Crossroads arcade bar Up-Down, 101 Southwest Blvd., is celebrating nine years in Kansas City with a 9 Cent Beer Party. Whether you are fueling up for a night of setting Skee-Ball high scores or just starting the weekend off right and saving a little money, the cheap brews should do the trick – while supplies last. You must be 21 or older. There is no cover fee.

Saturday, April 20

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spring planting season has arrived and if you’re looking to grow wildflowers, grasses or shrubs that easily adapt to local soils and climate, while supporting pollinators, stop by the Native Plant Sale at Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave. A portion of the proceeds will support the Missouri Prairie Foundation’s conservation efforts. You can order seeds to be picked up at the sale in advance here.

READ: ‘Into the Grooves: A (Not So) Brief History of KC Record Stores’

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, 6800 Zoo Drive, will celebrate Earth Day this weekend with its annual Party for the Planet. This year’s party will include an Earth Day explorer’s scavenger hunt, activity tables where you can learn about pollinators, decorate a peat pot and take the “trash test.” On Saturday only, the Heartland Conservation Alliance will be at the zoo talking about how we can protect local watersheds and the upcoming City Nature Challenge. All activities are included in regular zoo admission. General admission tickets are $19-$22, and $9.50-$11 for Jackson and Clay County residents.

11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Swifties assemble. The Tortured Poets Department Listening Party Pop-Up Celebration at FETCH, 1101 Mulberry St., will be spinning the new Taylor Swift album on Record Store Day, offering one-of-a-kind merch and food for the occasion. There’s a Tortured Poets Department-themed Lana Luxx Drag Show at 4 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 at the door. FETCH’s listening party is free.

Happy 4/20 Day

Noon – 6 p.m. Casual Animal Brewing Co., 1725 McGee St., is having an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday afternoon. The Crossroads brewery is welcoming Whaley Sweet Cookies, Oleo Coffee and Bay Boy Sandwiches into its space for the day, in addition to vendor and information booths from groups like KC Compost Collective, Cultivate KC, Upcycle KC and Heartland Conservation Alliance. The celebration is free.

8:30 p.m. The Garcia Project is gearing up for two nights at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St., starting with a 4/20 show on Saturday. The renowned touring tribute band recreates full Jerry Garcia Band sets from the band’s run between 1976 and 1995 and has featured former members of JGB and the Grateful Dead. Single show tickets are $24, plus tax and fees. A two-night pass is $40, plus tax and fees.

Sunday, April 21

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Berkley Riverfront Festival, 1298 River Front Drive, is back for its second year on the banks of the Missouri River. The weekly gathering from Art Garden KC creates a space for more than 60 jewelry, fine art, candles, ceramics and clothing vendors, plus open mic jams, food trucks, yard games, wellness sessions and more. The festival is free and open to the entire community. Pets are welcome.

Noon – 5 p.m.  The Rabbit Hole, 919 E. 14^th Ave., is open in North Kansas City, bringing a century of American children’s literature to life across three floors of immersive and multi-sensory narrative landscapes. The museum exhibit spaces feature books like “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” “Madeline” and “Curious George,” to name just a few. Tickets are $16 for anyone over the age of 2. Final admission is one hour before closing.

Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.