Nick’s Picks: Halloween, Buc-ee’s, Red-Light Cameras, BBQ Sauce Wrestling, and More Preparing you for the week ahead, before it happens…

Scariest Day of the Year?

This week we mark the scariest day of the year, Halloween. Though some Americans may argue that title better fits Tax Day, or increasingly, Election Day.

With that in mind, beware of political candidates ringing your doorbell along with trick-or-treaters on Thursday night. After all, it may be the only time they can guarantee you’ll come to the door!

According to Google trends, political masks and costumes have fallen out of favor this Halloween. Topping the list of “most searched” costumes are characters from the new “Beetlejuice” movie and the R-rated blockbuster, “Deadpool and Wolverine.”

Kansas City is stepping up its game for Halloween. The KC Streetcar is partnering with hometown Russell Stover Chocolates to provide upscale chocolate treats to riders on Thursday.

Epic Voting Lines

Early voting continues this week on both sides of the state line.

But depending on where you live, you may want to pack your patience and a folding lawn chair.
At least one Jackson County polling site saw waits as long as four hours over the weekend.

Some voting locations are struggling to recruit volunteers and temporary workers in what is set to be a record-turnout election.

Breaking Ground on New Concert Venue

Kansas City is about to get another large outdoor concert venue.

Live Nation breaks ground Tuesday on the new Riverside Amphitheater, which will sit across the street from the KC Current’s new soccer training complex. The amphitheater will seat 15,000 people.

It is expected to open in 2026, just in time to host overflow watch parties for Kansas City’s six World Cup games.

The outdoor venue will be covered by a 70-foot-tall roof, which means concerts can still go on, regardless of the weather.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is scheduled to be in town for Tuesday’s groundbreaking.

Final Vote to Bring Buc-ee’s to Town

Six-months after Buc-ee’s signaled plans to open its first store in Kansas City, it’s finally decision day.

The unified government in Wyandotte County is expected to give its final sign-off on the project at Wednesday night’s commission meeting.

The Texas-based gas station chain, with a cult-like following, wants to open near Interstate 70, adjacent to the Kansas Speedway and The Legends outlet center.

If approved, Buc-ee’s could start moving dirt by the end of the year. It likely wouldn’t open until early 2026.

Future of Plaza Tennis Courts

There is another big “decision” on the way this week. This time, to decide the future of the tennis courts on the Country Club Plaza.

Friday is the deadline to propose new uses for the nearly 100-year-old tennis facility.

The city wants a “higher use” for the land and has proposed moving the 14 courts to city-owned property along Brush Creek.

The city manager and the Plaza’s new ownership group say a hotel, apartment and office-type concept would better fit the area.

The Plaza tennis courts are currently home-base for the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Rockhurst University tennis teams.

Prairie Village Bans Airbnb

This week, Prairie Village becomes the latest Kansas City area city to ban Airbnbs.

Starting Friday, no short-term rentals of less than 30 days will be permitted in the Johnson County suburb.
Some residents complained that the rental properties were a nuisance and a threat to community safety.

Anyone violating the new ordinance faces a fine of $500.

But sometimes it’s hard to catch violators. One year after Wichita required all Airbnb and VRBO rentals to be licensed, one in four properties have yet to comply.

Greenlighting Red-Light Cameras?

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has been pushing to bring back red-light cameras to reduce reckless driving at busy intersections.

He wants to resume a program the city suspended more than a decade ago due to legal challenges.
But before they can be installed, the proposal has to overcome one last hurdle this week.

The automated cameras must be approved by the Board of Police Commissioners. The five-member panel meets Tuesday.

Lucas claims this latest plan fixes constitutional questions with the old system that sent a ticket to a vehicle owner, even if there was no proof they were driving.

New camera technology takes images of both the license plate and the driver, leaving no doubt about who is responsible.

At one time, Kansas City was netting more than $2 million a year from its 29 automated cameras. The city was issuing 11,000 tickets a month.

The Nelson Dreams Big

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has big expansion plans.

Earlier this fall, the art gallery announced an international design competition to dream up a new building that could house 61,000 square feet of new gallery space.

It will be the museum’s largest addition since the opening of the Bloch building nearly 20 years ago.

What will it look like? We’ll have a better idea this week.

This Tuesday is the deadline for architects to reveal their designs for the $170 million project.
The winning design will be picked next year. The project will be funded entirely by private donations.

Crowning a World Series Champion

The World Series could be decided as early as Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a two-game lead over the New York Yankees in the best-of-seven series.

In other sports news…

No Chiefs game this week. You’re going to have keep the beer and snacks on hold until next Monday night. That’s when the Chiefs host the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

And the Big 12 Women’s Soccer Championship heads to Kansas City this week. CPKC Stadium plays host. The tournament starts Wednesday with KU in action against Arizona State.

World’s Largest BBQ Contest

If you’re driving through Kansas on I-70 this week, you may be overpowered by the smell of smoky ribs and burnt ends.

The world’s largest barbecue competition starts Thursday at the Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County.
The American Royal World Series of Barbecue is slow-cooking thousands of pounds of meat.

But if that wasn’t enough to lure you in, this year’s event also features Barbecue Sauce Wrestling, in which competitors duel in a massive pool of tangy sauce.

The four-day World Series of Barbecue ends Sunday.

Day of the Dead

Kansas City marks the Mexican Day of the Dead this week with nearly a dozen different music, food, cultural and artistic events.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Mattie Rhodes and Guadalupe Centers are teaming up with the Nelson Atkins Museum and the Central Avenue business district in KCK to present the “Day of the Dead Weekend.”

Learn more at https://www.dayofthedeadweekend.com

Debate Special

Heat Wave Delays Opening of Crown Center Ice Terrace

This late October heat wave is crippling the Crown Center Ice Terrace.

With temperatures in the 80’s today and tomorrow, Crown Center has announced it is postponing the opening of the popular outdoor rink. It was scheduled for Friday.

The ice terrace will now open for the season on November 8.

The attraction is now in its 52nd year.

Clocks Are Going Back an Hour This Weekend

You’re going to get an extra hour of sleep this weekend as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour, including the one on the microwave, before heading to bed on Saturday night.

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