Let me just say it: Nothing lasts forever.
And yet…the human heart yearns for permanence, an assurance from somewhere that somehow our hopeful expectations that the things that matter most to us just might endure.
Leave it the ironically fleeting weekend to potentially deliver on that longstanding front, from holiday traditions and dreams of worldwide freedom to an unforgettable tale of miraculously durable love and purpose. Will it stick with you? Cross your fingers.
The 24th annual holiday festival by the Missouri River in downtown Parkville features a 1000-voice children’s choir assembled from students in the Park Hill School District. Thanks in advance, kids! There will also be a visit from Santa Claus, downtown storefront open houses, arts and crafts vendors, hayrides and an evening-ending display of ooh-and-ahh-worthy fireworks. Plus: This year’s event will occur under a nearly full “supermoon,” the first and only one this year. As my favorite ex-Beatle once sang rather convincingly, “We all shine on.”
Friday, 6-10 p.m., Main Street, Parkville, Mo.; admission: free.
2. Ubuntu Conscious Music Festival
Diverse bands will honor “human sovereignty and the rights of indigenous and native people everywhere” over two days of mindful music-making for global political crusaders who like to dance while promoting positive change. Headliners include Wookiefoot, Dustin Thomas and Chris Berry. People want to be free, right? Wake up and smell the progress that you can perhaps help to permanently shape – if you’re so inclined.
Sunday, noon; Monday, 3 p.m.; Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $40 Sunday, $25 Monday, $55 two-day.
Based on the enduring film classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” this holiday stage show is performed as if it were a live radio play from the 1940s. Audiences will be treated to old-school sound-effects production techniques and ensemble cast members will portray dozens of multiple roles just like during radio’s golden age. You know the “Wonderful” story: A once buoyant family man is rescued from committing suicide by his guardian angel, who gives him the magical chance to see how his hometown would have turned out if he’d never lived. Yes, we all matter. Maybe even more than we know.
Thursday through Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, 3614 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $15-$49.
4. Heartland Men’s Chorus: ‘Packages with Beaus’
Kansas City’s volunteer chorus of gay and gay-sensitive people founded in 1986 returns with its alternately sublime and oh-so-silly holiday extravaganza. The concert’s first half is devoted to traditional and sacred holiday music. For the second-half, you might think someone spiked the backstage eggnog. Men in drag! A line-dance-happy Hanukkah cowboy song! A 12-minute version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” with insane props! But all kidding is put aside by the time the guys wrap it all up with “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” More than a little would be swell, too.
Saturday, 8 p.m. p.m.; Sunday, 4 p.m.; Folly Theater, 301 W. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.; $15-$40.
5. Mecum Collector Cars Auction
Driverless cars? Give me a brake! And while you’re at it, I’ll take a gas pedal and a steering wheel, please. Whatever amazing technological innovations may be down the road for automobiles, the persistent appeal of hitting the highway DYI-style is a driving force behind this weekend’s Mecum Auction in Kansas City. Bring cash or just bring that longing look in your eyes when a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster Pick-up, 1966 Ford Thunderbird or 1979 Pontiac Trans Am 10th Anniversary model goes up for bid. The three-day auction will also include such desirable oddities as a 1950 Crazy Cruiser Food Cart with grill, sinks and awning included. Hey, if you’re going to drool, use a tissue!
Thursday, 1 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m.; Bartle Hall, 301 W. 13th St., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $20 daily.
Where do lucky dolls live? In colossal dollhouses built to last. One that’s endured for generations is the 9-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide Coleman Dollhouse that was once owned by the well-to-do Coleman family of Lebanon, Pa. The Coleman Dollhouse will be unveiled in all its holiday glory on Saturday at the National Museum of Toys/Miniatures. Get an up-close gander and learn about the house’s fascinating history at a museum talk that you might remember forever. Well, you might.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; talks at 10:30 a.m. and 1 and 2:30 p.m.; the National Museum of Toys/Minatures, 5235 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: $5 for ages 5 and older.
