A People's History of Kansas City LIVE! America's popsicle, the Bomb Pop
*PLEASE NOTE: Tickets for this event are sold out. Please email events@kcur.org to join the waitlist.
Before summer melts into fall, join Mackenzie Martin and Suzanne Hogan of the award-winning KCUR podcast A People's History of Kansas City as they get into the sticky history of the iconic red, white, and blue Bomb Pop and how it got its launch right here in Kansas City before rocketing to national fame. Then, help settle the debate and stick up for your favorite flavor in our Bomb Pop taste test. This one might get messy!
When: Monday, August 31, 2026
- Doors: from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
- Program: 6:30-8 p.m.
Where: The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, Kansas City, MO
- The kitchen is open. Come early to grab a bite from a special themed menu and snag the best seats!
Tickets: $10 KCUR members | $15 non-members *SOLD OUT*
- Not yet a KCUR member? Your ticket purchase today automatically makes you a member for one year.
- Check out our member FAQs and learn about our sustaining member option.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Parking: Designated free parking for The Ship is located at the corner of Union and Mulberry. The main entrance is located on Union Avenue (1221 Union Ave.)
Accessibility: There is a short flight of steps at the entrance, and a lift located by the front entrance.
Additional questions? Contact events@kcur.org.
About the Episode
Invented in Kansas City in 1955, the Bomb Pop is the ultimate shorthand for nostalgic Americana — a throwback to the simple days of ice cream trucks, July 4th fireworks and humid summer nights. But Mackenzie Martin reports that during the Cold War, some parents revolted over the symbolism of selling a red-white-and-blue frozen weapon of war to children.