A Destination Gas Station

Weekend Roundup

Happy Friday, Kansas City! Here is a summary of some of the events going on around the metro this weekend:

• ChiliFest: Lee’s Summit is hosting its annual Chilifest this Saturday. Whether you compete or eat, come enjoy Fall’s favorite food.

• Ringling Bros Circus: The circus will be in town all weekend at the T-Mobile Center presented by Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey.

• Jason Sudeikis: One of KC’s most beloved sons returns as part of his comedy tour, Thundergong!, at the Uptown Theater.

• Nelson-Atkins at 90: The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum is celebrating its 90th birthday with a lively progressive party.

• The Sound Of Music: The Lyric Opera of Kansas City presents

  The Sound of Music at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center this weekend.

• Carnival of Ink: Kansas City’s largest tattoo convention is this weekend at the KC Expo Center.

• Veterans Day Celebration: Come to the World War I Memorial and Museum Veteran’s Day celebrations all weekend.

Opening

A Destination Gas Station

Wally’s, a mega-sized gas station and travel center from Illinois, is planning for a new location in Independence.

• Bears > Beavers: Similar in concept to Buc-ee’s travel centers, Wally’s is a destination instead of a stop. With more than 80 gas pumps, an in-house kitchen, and even its own wifi, it’s easy to see why Wally’s is expanding quickly.

• Room To Stretch Out: The new Independence location off I-70 and Noland Road will be the company’s fourth. The new location will be the largest to date at 50,000 square feet. Yes, you read that right.

• Food Experience: Beyond the high standard for cleanliness and friendly staff, Wally’s kitchen produces elevated road trip snacks like homemade beef jerky, sandwiches with meat cut at their carving station, and a full popcorn station.

While some lingering details remain to be hammered out between Wally’s and Independence, the hope is for construction to begin by next summer.

Sports

KC Set To Add Another Pro Sports Team

The Kansas City Sports Commission announced this week that a new professional volleyball team is coming to Kansas City.

• Bump: Missy and Kent McCarthy, part owners of the Kansas City Royals and Sacramento Kings, have recently purchased a volleyball team they plan to put in Kansas City.

• Set: The Pro Volleyball Federation is a professional women’s league that was initially formed in 2022. This upcoming 2024 season will be the inaugural season for each of the 7 teams competing.

• Spike: Kansas City’s team will not compete until 2025 to give ownership time to build the necessary pieces for running a franchise. The PVF has brought in the top female players from the NCAA as well as abroad.

Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 where each team will compete in 24 matches. In 2025, Dallas and Kansas City are expected to be ready to compete.

Opening

Story Time with Dolly

This week, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library became available to students in both Kansas and Missouri.

• Reading 9-5: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a non-profit foundation that will send children signed up for the program one free book a month until they turn 5.

• Quite The Page Turner: Technically, Kansas already had access to the program in August, while Missouri gained access on Wednesday. School districts were told to expect around 1,000 kids to enroll in year 1 of the program. That number was eclipsed in 7 hours.

• Readers Are Leaders: As the non-profit continues to work with states and local affiliates like school districts to provide more books to children, the program already has almost 2.7 million children enrolled and 221 million books gifted.

To enroll your child, all you have to do is sign up here. Once enrolled, parents and children can begin receiving books curated by theme, age appropriateness, and more.

KC Daily Picks

In Other News

• 🍹 Sun Is Going Down: Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band are coming to KC next summer as part of the Sun Goes Down Tour.

• 🕴️ That’s My Boss: Designer brand, Hugo Boss, is adding a new outlet location to the Legends Outlets.

• ⛲ It’s Complicated: Nichols’ Folly: A Century of the Country Club Plaza is a new 30-minute piece from PBS exploring the wonder and missteps that defined the first 100 years of the Plaza.

• 💡 Call a Technician: Local rapper and performer of Red Kingdom and Caribou Lou, Tech N9ne, will flip the switch at the Plaza lighting.

• 🚉 KU Med to Arrowhead: the KC Area Transit Authority is holding a public meeting to gauge interest in a streetcar going from KU Med to the Truman Sports Complex.

• 🎁 Advertise for the Holidays: It’s almost that time of year! Share your product or service with thousands of Kansas Citians by checking out our advertising opportunities.

• 🎉 Become a Fan: Our KC Daily Fan Club keeps our newsletter going. In return for helping us keep the lights on, members receive access to exclusive giveaways. Join Today!