⛲️ The Beautiful Game

It’s Thursday, and we’re still processing the magic from Tuesday night. The best news? The World Cup is just getting started.

⚽️ Five reasons Tuesday night’s World Cup was pure magic

🧨 Where to get fireworks before the Fourth of July

📚 Afterword Tavern & Shelves opens at a new location

🎯 Free darts at next week’s Dinner Club

Sports

Five Reasons Tuesday Night’s World Cup Match in Kansas City was Pure Magic

S/O to our friend Calvin B. for snapping this photo!

The first 2026 FIFA World Cup™ match in Kansas City took place on Tuesday night, as defending champions Argentina beat Algeria 3-0. You could almost literally feel the energy throughout the city, with some fans in attendance describing the match as “one of the greatest moments in Kansas City of all time.”

If you weren’t able to attend the game or any festivities around Kansas City, here are five reasons why Tuesday night was unforgettable:

It was Kansas City’s first-ever World Cup match - The world’s biggest sporting event descended on our humble “flyover” city, and brought along arguably the greatest soccer player in the history of the game.
Lionel Messi had a hat trick - Messi has played in SIX World Cups (crazy in itself), and this was his first-ever hat trick during a World Cup. He also tied the all-time World Cup scoring record with 16 goals.
The atmosphere was electric - ~70,000 screaming fans (most of whom were wearing Argentina jerseys) flooded Kansas City Stadium. Thousands more poured into the FIFA Fan Festival™, Power & Light, and other watch parties throughout the metro.
Patrick Mahomes was in attendance - KC’s GOAT was watching soccer’s GOAT. Pat’s also got some good footwork.
This was only the first of six KC matches - Next up: Ecuador vs. Curaçao on Saturday, June 20th. If the excitement from Tuesday’s match is any indication of what’s to come, we can’t wait to see what the quarterfinal match looks like on July 11th. 👀

The cherry on top? The Western Auto sign lit up the night sky. A nice surprise after we were told repairs wouldn’t be completed by the start of the World Cup!

Crazy Joe’s, KC’s Biggest Fireworks Stand, Opens June 21st

Crazy Joe’s Fireworks

Get ready to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with the help of Crazy Joe's Fireworks, which opens for the season June 21st through July 4th.

Go To Joe’s: Crazy Joe’s has been family-owned and operated since 1967, and offers Kansas City’s largest selection of fireworks at the best prices. The 200-foot stand stocks more than 1,000 different products from 30+ brands. Expect everything from massive 500g+ finale cakes, bottle rockets, and reloadable mortar kits, canisters, fountains of every size, and hundreds of kid-friendly novelties like sparklers, snap pops, and parachutes.
Lighting KC: Crazy Joe’s is the fireworks destination for families from across the entire metro. We know dads love fireworks, so stop by on Father’s Day (June 21st) and stock up! Open daily from 9:30am to 9pm during the season, and digital coupons are available by signing up online.

Crazy Joe’s Fireworks is located at 171st and Holmes, near Snead’s BBQ. Look for the giant white tent and the big gorilla!

Opening

Afterword Tavern & Shelves Reopens in a New Location

Afterword Tavern & Shelves

After a brief hiatus, community-favorite bookstore and cocktail bar Afterword Tavern & Shelves has reopened at a new location in Midtown.

Just Down the Street: The shop reopened its doors on June 13th at the new location at 3105 Gillham Road, Suite 100. In their own words, Afterword is a “bookshop that sells booze. And, a bar that sells books.”
Books are Back: Afterword had called the Crossroads home since opening in 2018, but closed its doors at 19th and Grand at the end of January. In addition to bringing its book collection and craft cocktails a few miles south, Afterword is also bringing back book clubs, meetings, and private events.

Afterword Tavern & Shelves is open Tuesday through Saturday, with Sundays coming at the end of June.

KC Daily Picks

In Other News…

💜 Immersive Experience: The Violet Vault is now open at Purple Meadows Lavender Farm in Spring Hill — a 21+ immersive experience inside a 360-degree dome next to the lavender field. Custom light, color, and sound, plus drinks and snacks!*
🧺 Free Laundry: Waldo Wash & Tumble is open daily at 7964 Wornall Road with free wash + dry for a limited time! Locally owned, with self-service, wash & fold, and at-home pickup via Clean Cloud.*
🎡 Spinnin’ Our Wheels: A New Jersey-based investment trust bought the Westside property housing the 150-foot KC Wheel on June 8. The Pennway Point entertainment district around it remains unfinished, after the previous developer ran short on money.
🍦 World Cone: Betty Rae's now has all eight World Cup-inspired flavors at every location across KC, Omaha, and Lawrence. Standouts include Argentina's dulce de leche Alforjes, England's Earl Grey London Fog, and the Netherlands' Stroopwaffel.
📺 KC Loves USA: According to Fox Sports PR, the USMNT World Cup opener was the most-watched FIFA Men’s World Cup™ telecast in English-language U.S. history, and Kansas City was the top local market.
🎯 Dinner & Darts: Our KC Daily Dinner Club afterparties are usually kept a secret, but we’re spilling the beans. Our friends at Arrow Dart & Sports Club are offering FREE dart lanes for 90 minutes to all dinner guests! New friends, great food, great drinks, and free darts? Count me in! Sign up here.