Weekend Possibilities | Uncorked: KC Wine Festival, the Gay Softball World Series, And Art Westport
Taste more than 100 wines at Uncorked: KC Wine Festival (Contributed | Uncorked)
Published September 5th, 2019 at 10:00 AM
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 — especially for those who aren’t building the full two-day break around the Chiefs’ season opener.
Friday, Sept. 6
6 – 10:00 p.m. Mediterranean flavors are headed for the metro all weekend long at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s (120th & Wornall) 58th-Annual Greek Festival. Attendees are in for authentic Greek food, music, dance and more through Sunday at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
8:30 p.m. Be sure to wear your Kansas City Chiefs’ “Red Friday” best to Electric Hot Tuna at Knuckleheads Saloon (2715 Rochester Ave.). Originally a psychedelic blues rock side project featuring guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna has celebrated 50 years of music and was honored with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2016. Tickets for the electric show start at $35.
Saturday, Sept. 7
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Midwest Tea Festival kicks off Saturday morning at the Ararat Shrine Temple (5100 Ararat Drive) and will run through Sunday evening at 5 p.m. Tea lovers can expect tastings, lessons in tea preparation, culture, history and more. Be sure to bring some cash for the festival’s popular tea market. A full schedule of events is available online. Tickets are $13.
1 – 5:00 p.m. Across town, Bethany Park (Central Ave & N 12th St.) is hosting the Latino Arts Festival. Enjoy the third-annual celebration of culture in KCK with a lowrider car show, live music, an art exhibition and sale, food trucks and much more. The festival is free.
1 – 9:00 p.m. Make your way to Union Station (30 W. Pershing Road) for Saturday’s Uncorked: KC Wine Festival. Ticket holders can taste over 150 wines and grab a bite from local food trucks. There’s a VIP ticket that will get you an extra hour of tasting before the event’s first session from 2 – 5 p.m. The second general admission session runs 6 – 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $50. VIP tickets are $60.
5 – 9 p.m. If wine won’t do the trick, North Kansas City’s Grain to Glass (1611 Swift Ave.) is set to host the Picnique Belgique Festival — an intimate Belgian beer festival featuring award-winning homebrewers and a Belgian-inspired menu. Boulevard microbiologist Keke Gibb will be on hand to talk through Belgian yeast production. Admission is $45 in advance. Day-of tickets are $50.
6 – 9 p.m. Dinner options should include Kansas City Community Gardens’ (6917 Kensington Ave.) Gardens at Sunset. Food and drink will be courtesy of Brancato’s Catering and Cinderblock Brewery. The event’s proceeds benefit KCCG’s mission to “inspire and empower low-income households, schools and community groups to grow their own fruits and vegetables.” Tickets are $90 and are available both online and at the door.
Sunday Sept. 8
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Crown Center (2450 Grand Blvd.) is the canvas for hundreds of professional, amateur and student artists who will cover concrete with their creations as part of this weekend’s Kansas City Chalk & Walk Festival. The two-day fest will also have street performers, food, fine art and live entertainment. The event is free.
11 a.m. The Gay Softball World Series closes its week of competition with a Bye Bye Brunch at Hamburger Mary’s (3700 Broadway). However, the unlimited mimosas and bloody mary brunch is just icing on the cake for the largest annual, LGBT single-sport, weeklong athletic competition in the world. You can find the complete list GSWS events online, including Saturday’s championship game and afterparty, a talent show, and much more.
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cap the weekend off with more than 150 of Kansas City’s top artists, who are taking to the streets for Art Westport (540 Westport Road). The three-day fest kicks off Friday, runs through Sunday and will showcase one-of-a-kind art, jewelry, crafts and more from all local artists. There should also be no shortage of televisions around the historic Kansas City bar and restaurant scene showing the Chiefs’ season opener against Jaguars. Kickoff is at noon.