Troostapalooza Street Fair Celebrates Unity and Creativity on Troost

By Kevin Collison

The second annual Troostapalooza, a street festival celebrating “makers” of all kinds and encouraging community spirit along Kansas City’s historic racial divide, is happening tomorrow (Saturday) at 30th and Troost from noon until 7 p.m.

The event is a benefit for the Troost Market Collective, an organization aimed at promoting artists, crafts people and other makers along the Troost corridor from roughly the East Crossroads to Brush Creek.

The free event will be held on a closed section of Troost roughly from 30th to 31st streets, and will include live music, local vendors, basketball activities and a pickle ball tournament with in Mayor Quinton Lucas and Councilman Eric Bunch taking on the champions.

“We want to empower the community to claim Troost as a place of pride that benefits them and get rid of the old stigma of Troost,” said Crissy Dastrup, co-founder of the Troost Market Collective.

The free Troostapalooza event closes Troost Avenue from 30th to 31st streets. (Photo from Troostapalooza)

She said the Collective was founded in 2017 to provide resources for local makers and vendors to help build their businesses and engage in the Troost community. The other co-founder is Katie Mabry van Dieren.

Troostapalooza is not to be confused with the older Troost Festival event which occurs in the spring.

About 60 artists, crafts people and other makers are expected to have booths at the event. Items for sale will include clothing, jewelry, artwork, bath and body goods, and homegrown produce.

Part of the event will spill over to the section of Troost fronting the newly-redeveloped Wonder Shops + Flats building, an example of the reinvestment occurring in the area after decades of neglect.

There also will be a live music stage, an interactive basketball activity organized by UMKC and the College Basketball Experience, kids’ bounce rooms, a mural being painted by J.T. Daniels, and pickle ball courts sponsored by Hy-Vee.

Dastrup said 200 people have offered to volunteer or be involved in Troostapalooza.

“Troostapalooza was born out of the idea that what counts is coming together to build relationships and caring for one another,” Dastrup said.