Weekend Possibilities | ¡Oktoberfiesta!, Virtual Reality Haunts and PorchFestKC A Lot of Live Music

Make room for fall festivals, fiestas and frights scheduled for this fine October weekend – along with a variety of live music options.

Friday, Oct. 13

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. LEGOLAND Discovery Center’s, 2475 Grand Blvd., Brick or Treat Monster Party is a not-so-scary option this spooky season. Kids can build a pumpkin from the LEGO pumpkin patch, watch a 4D movie in virtual reality and hunt for creepy scenes throughout MINILAND Kansas City. Admission starts at $19.99, plus tax and fees. A ticket including the virtual reality experience, plus digital photos is $27.99.

5 – 10 p.m. Blurring the line between physical and virtual worlds is what Disciples of Gaming, 304 Armour Road, does best and the North Kansas City immersive virtual reality gaming space has special plans ahead of Halloween. VR Haunts will take participants into the horror, where you will have to run, fight and use your wits to escape the hunted realm before it’s too late. Sessions are $35 per hour. Check out full pricing options online in advance.

7 p.m. Local music lovers will get a second shot at the big dance with Friday night’s Kat King Zombie Prom at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave. The night to “dismember” is headlined by Kansas City singer-songwriter Kat King and will feature an opening set from Stephonne and tunes into the late night from DJ KB. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Wear your spooky prom best and don’t forget to nominate fellow zombies for the prom court.

8:30 & 11 p.m. Can you and your friends survive a night at Drinkaway Camp? Tickets are still available for the slasher-themed pop-up experience at The Big Rip Brewing Co., 216 E. 9^th Ave., where a night at the North Kansas City brewery makes you the star of a horror movie. Participants will play a role in the immersive game experience while sipping on themed cocktails and Big Rip microbrews. You must be 21 or older. Reservations are $20 per person.

Saturday, Oct. 14

11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Pumpkin carving, spiked ciders, carnival rides, pie – it’s Cornucopia weekend in the Power & Light District, 13 Grand Blvd. The free three-day fall festival downtown has a little bit of everything for the entire family. Eats and drinks include barbecue options, fall margaritas, cider donuts, funnel cakes and more festival food. Kids can get into pony rides and a petting zoo, yard games, sidewalk art and snap a photo with special guest Elmo. Check out the full list of activities online in advance.

Noon – 6 p.m. There will be music in Midtown with the return of PorchFestKC on Saturday afternoon. The community music festival is made up of more than 100 musicians playing tunes from the front porches of Roanoke and Valentine neighborhood homes. Check the map, make your own schedule and follow the music from porch to porch. Be sure to hit a few food trucks in between. PorchFestKC is free.

6:45 & 8:50 p.m. An absolute classic is coming to the big screen under the stars at Screenland Armour, 408 Armour Road. The North Kansas City theater’s Backyard Movie Series will show Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in back-to-back screenings Saturday night. Be sure to bring chairs and a blanket. Concessions are available inside. Tickets are $5.

7 p.m. Two nights of Grammy Award-winning bluegrass is coming to Cable Dahmer Arena, 19100 E. Valley View Pkwy., this weekend. With a different setlist every night, Billy Strings draws on his traditional bluegrass roots, plus jam-band and heavy metal influence to produce psychedelic, genre-bending performances in a classic bluegrass arrangement. Tickets to see Billy Strings start at $39.50, plus tax and fees.

Sunday, Oct. 15

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The 10^th annual ¡Oktoberfiesta! at Boulevard Tours & Rec Center, 2534 Madison Ave., will be a mash-up party celebrating both Oktoberfest and Día de Los Muertos traditions. Look forward to plenty of food, live music and beer, including Bob’s ’47 and a limited-release Cold Black IPA. There will be a stein-holding competition, an ofrenda, face painting, family bingo and more. Proceeds benefit Mattie Rhodes Center.

6 p.m. Songs classic and contemporary will fill the air at English Landing Park, 8701 McAfee St., on Sunday evening. Pack a picnic and finish the weekend with a Kansas City Symphony in the Park performance where the Missouri River bends in Parkville. The symphony’s string quartet will provide the tunes, all you need to bring is a blanket or chair. The concert is free.

Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.