The Future of Art

Together with

30hop Merriam opens its doors Wednesday, April 30th! Get a sneak peek of the space, food, and drinks on Tuesday night (4/29) from 5-7:30pm for a VIP Open House. 30hop Merriam is located at 8715 Shawnee Mission Parkway at Merriam Grand Station.

TGI Friday! Here’s a look at today’s newsletter:

🌷 11 things to do this weekend

🖼️ The Nelson-Atkins reveals winning design of future expansion

📚 Visit Kansas City’s independent bookstores

📲 This week’s most-clicked stories

Events

Weekend Roundup 🌷

Long week? Here’s 11 events around Kansas City to help you recover with a great weekend:

• 🌷 April Flowers: Celebrate Spring while supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in our community! The Farmer's House Flower Sale is this weekend at their Farm Market & Gardens! Choose from a wide variety of flowers and plants.*

• 🍩 Final Weekend Alert: Time is running out! Donutology’s teal mini donut packs are only available in April - get yours before they’re gone!*

• 🍿 At the Movies: The Boulevard Drive-In Theatre opens for the season this Saturday night with a special 75th anniversary celebration with hot rods, live music, and a double showing! (Grease & Raiders of the Lost Ark)

• 🤼 Total Knock Out!: The T-Mobile Center is hosting the first-ever TKO Takeover with UFC Fight Night on Saturday night, and WWE Monday Night Raw on Monday night.

• 🍺 Parkville Pints: The Parkville Microbrew Festival takes over English Landing Park on Saturday from 10-5 with vendors, food, and beer from 70+ breweries and home brewers.

• 🚶‍♀️ Get Lost: Explore the Tower East Neighborhood in Midtown Kansas City at the 6th Annual Wanderfest. The family-friendly event features arts & crafts, food & drink, music, and more!

• 🪴 OP Plants: Shop local and support the Overland Park Arboretum at its Spring Plant Sale! The sale happens from 9-5, Friday-Sunday and features 350+ locally grown planet varieties.

• 🎇 Dingers & Fireworks: The Royals welcome the Houston Astros to Kauffman Stadium for a 3-game series beginning tonight, which is Fireworks Friday!

• 🌺 Spring Has Sprung: On Saturday from 10-5, Science City at Union Station hosts its Spring Fling, a family-friendly, spring-themed event packed with hands-on activities, interactive demos, face painters, and more!

• 🐒 Party Like an Animal: The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is hosting Party for the Planet this Saturday and Sunday. The weekend is filled with Earth Day activities and the first 500 guests each day will receive a free reusable bag thanks to IKEA Merriam.

• 🎶 Have Mercy: Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence hosts MercyMe Live 2025 tonight at 7pm. The concert features special guests Zach Williams and Sam Wesley.

*content is sponsored

Development

The Nelson-Atkins Reveals Winning Design of Future Expansion

​The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has selected WEISS/MANFREDI to lead its transformative expansion project, marking a significant step in the museum's evolution.

• Final Design: Chosen from a pool of 182 international submissions and five finalists, WEISS/MANFREDI's proposal stood out for its commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible museum experience. Their design emphasizes connectivity, integrating the museum's existing structures with new spaces that invite community engagement and interaction.

• Familiar Places: The expansion will feature a new “front door” on the north side, additional galleries, educational spaces, and enhanced outdoor areas, all aimed at fostering a sense of belonging among visitors. The project, funded entirely by private donations, represents the largest investment in the arts in Kansas City in recent years.

View all renderings of the selected design from WEISS/MANFREDI HERE.

Guides

Explore These Six Local Bookstores for Independent Bookstore Day

Tomorrow (April 26th) is Independent Bookstore Day! 1600+ bookstores across all 50 states will be celebrating with various activities to celebrate local literature. Here are six independent bookstores across Kanas City worth visiting tomorrow:

• Rainy Day Books - 2706 W 53rd St, Fairway

• Monstera’s Books - 7930 Floyd St, Overland Park

• Prospero’s Books & Media - 1800 W 39th St, KCMO

• Afterword Tavern & Shelves - 1834 Grand Blvd, KCMO

• Monarch Books & Gifts - 7713 W 151st St, Overland Park

• Wise Blood Books - 4045 Broadway Blvd, KCMO

Check out our full guide to some of our favorite bookstores in Kansas City HERE.

ICYMI

This Week’s Top Stories 📲

1. Local hatmaker Sandlot Goods has teamed up with Made in KC to offer the Local is Good KC Dad Hat, which celebrates supporting 10 years of local business in Kansas City.

2. The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce released its list of the ten finalists for the Small Business of the Year Award. The “Mr. K Award recipient will be named on June 17th.

3. Fern Bar was named a 2025 Spirited Awards® Regional Top 10 Honoree for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar for the U.S. Central region, and this security camera footage caught the moment the team found out.

4. Fairway Creamery has officially opened its doors to its new shop in the Westside Neighborhood.

5. On a recent episode of There’s Just Something About Kansas City, Frank Boal interviewed Madi Lamb, the founder of Quarter Life Club, a social club for twenty-somethings.

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