It’s that time of year, where summer festivals take over the weekends all around the Kansas City area. Enjoy some quality time with your friends and family at one of the many exciting activities going on this weekend, and be sure to make plans for Monday’s eclipse!
August 18 – 20
Ethnic Enrichment Festival
August 18 – 20
Friday: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Adults: $5
Youth 12 & Under: Free
Feel the world beat in the heart of America and spend your weekend at Kansas City’s Ethnic Enrichment Festival. This event is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country and features more than 60 different cultures selling their native foods, crafts and performing ethnic music and dances. The festival is held during the third full weekend of August near the front entrance of historic Swope Park. Spend a day there to learn and engage with other cultures and heritages, while enjoying a wide variety of delicious food and excellent entertainment.
Swope Park,
6600 Swope Pkwy.,
Kansas City, MO 64132
Parkville Days
August 18 – 20
Friday: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
FREE Admission
One of downtown Parkville’s biggest festivals, the annual Parkville Days is back for a beautiful August weekend. The festival offers three full days of great family entertainment and fun in historic downtown Parkville. Admission is free and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to enjoy a relaxing day at English Landing Park. Gather to enjoy a vast array of activities, including a carnival, arts & crafts, family entertainment, food, live music, a beer garden, the Bargains on the Bricks sidewalk sale, a parade, pancake breakfast, 5k and much, much more!
Main St & Hwy 9,
Parkville, MO 64152
Festival of Butterflies
Final Weekend August 18 -20
Open Daily 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Adult: $12
Senior: $10
Child Age 5 – 12: $5
Children 4 and Under: Free
Head to Powell Gardens for the final weekend of their annual Festival of Butterflies. Walk among native butterfly species in the flower-filled Martha Jane Phillips Starr Native Butterfly Tent, touch live caterpillars in the Caterpillar Petting Zoo, or experience the tropics in the lush Martha Jane Phillips Starr Butterfly Conservatory, where a close encounter with the Blue Morpho, Golden Birdwing, or Emerald Swallowtail is almost guaranteed. New this year, encounter wild dragonflies up-close and personal in the new Dragonfly Den. The festival also boasts fun kids’ activities and learning experiences for all ages.
Powell Gardens,
1609 NW Hwy. 50,
Kingsville, MO 64061
Total Solar Eclipse: Where to Watch
Monday, August 21
Eclipse to Begin Around 1 p.m.
It’s finally here, the total solar eclipse of 2017! Visitors from all over the world will gather throughout the Kansas City metro area throughout the weekend and on Monday to view the total solar eclipse, the first of its kind to be visible in the continental United States since 1979. The cosmological event will occur shortly after 1 p.m. on Aug. 21, when the moon will completely block out the sun. And we’re in luck, as downtown KC and the surrounding areas are all near or in the direct path of totality for the eclipse, with some areas going totally dark for up to three minutes! Naturally, with an event as rare as this one, viewing parties are springing up all across the region. Click through to find a fun event going on near you!
