Weekend Possibilities | ‘The Nutcracker,’ Holiday Shopping and Jazz Let's Get Merry
Published November 30th, 2023 at 11:00 AM
Above image credit: Kansas City Ballet dancers performing "The Nutcracker." (Photo: Contributed | Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios)As the calendar flips to December, celebrate the season with the Sugar Plum Fairy, swinging jazz and, of course, holiday shopping.
Friday, Dec. 1
8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. The first weekend in December calls for Holiday Vintage Revival at Bella Patina, 1320 W. 12th St. The West Bottoms shop opens only once a month and makes space for more than 80 vendors selling old-school, antique and repurposed furniture, décor, art and clothing. Keep an eye out for retro holiday decorations or the perfect gift for the antique geek in your life. Breakfast from the Painted Rooster is available for purchase on the third floor. Holiday Vintage Revival is free.
5 –9 p.m. What’s for dinner? Argentina’s favorite dish is the focus for Friday’s Pop-Up Restaurant at Lenexa Public Market, 16995 W. 87th St Pkwy. Una Más Empanadas in The Kitchen is serving up a variety of flavors, including traditional beef, ham and cheese, corn, cheeseburger and pollo and queso empanadas with two salsas to choose from.
7:30 p.m. Get in the spirit with an immersive holiday experience in Jingle from KC Wine Co., 13875 Gardner Rd. The free pop-up bar is decked out with festive lights and will have unlimited photo-ops, holiday tunes, plus specialty snacks and drinks available for purchase. You must be 21 or older to attend.
Saturday, Dec. 2
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Chef-Led Series from Fuego Cantina & Events, 1412 W. 12th St., will bring an elevated dining experience to the West Bottoms, working with THC, CBD and CBG. Attendees can look forward to a three-course interactive cannabis-infused dining experience. You must be a VIP Paladeres Member and be 21 or older to attend. Contact Fuego Cantina for more information and to RSVP.
2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. “The Nutcracker” from KC Ballet is back at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd. The E.T.A Hoffman classic is brought to the stage with choreography by Devon Carney and the score performed live by the Kansas City Symphony. Tickets are available starting at $34, plus tax and fees. “The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 24.
2 – 6 p.m. Kansas City’s board game pub Pawn & Pint, 613 Walnut St., is getting folks ready for gameday – or Taylor Swift’s next tour – with a Friendship Bracelet Make and Take session Saturday afternoon. Red, yellow and white beads, plus Chiefs logos and all-important letters and numbers will be provided. Bracelet-making is included in your $5 play pass. Have a drink or play a game while you’re at it. Pawn & Pint has dozens of strategy, multi-player, adult and neoclassical board games on the shelf.
4:30 p.m. Regional farmers, soil scientists and activists will be a part of a panel discussion Saturday evening ahead of a screening of “Common Ground” at the Glenwood Fine Arts Theatre, 3707 W. 95th St. The documentary, which was the Human/Nature Award-winner at the TriBeca Film Festival, examines the connections between American farming and food systems, policy, business and health. Tickets are going fast. The 7:15 p.m. evening screening is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and children.
Sunday, Dec. 3
Noon – 1 p.m. The second-annual Teen Fashion Show in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s Atkins Auditorium, 4525 Oak St., will roll out the red carpet Sunday afternoon. The show will feature garments created by local teens, inspired by art in the museum’s collection. Swing by the reception to meet the designers and enjoy refreshments. The fashion show is $8.
Noon – 2 p.m. North Kansas City’s Cinder Block Brewery, 110 E. 18th Ave., and Arrangement KC are offering a Winter Wreath Making class on Sunday afternoon. Attendees will be supplied fresh evergreen varieties out of the Pacific Northwest, plus a wire frame, pinecones and ribbon to create some seasonal cheer to take home. A beer is included in the ticket price. Reserve your spot for $70, plus tax and fees.
4 – 5:30 p.m. Spirituality and All That Jazz: Holiday Hits will bring many of Kansas City’s premier musicians together for a night of cheer on the Country Club Plaza at Unity Temple, 707 W. 47th St. Expect many of the Tim Whitmer classics from vocalists Haviluh Bruders and Millie Edwards, along with pianist/vocalist Charles William and a full jazz band. Tickets are available starting at $20.
Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.