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Summer “officially” began on the Summer Solstice on June 20. If you are willing to brave the heat (and humidity) there are plenty of summer festivals and events where you can celebrate the best that the metro area has to offer in terms of food, art, music, and the outdoors.
Your options range from free, to low-cost, to a bit of a splurge, depending on what kind of vibe you’re feeling.
Whether you want to eat a hot dog, dance to ‘80s music, or see some butterflies, we put together this list of the best summer events around Kansas City.
Focus on food (and drink)
The City of Shawnee is hosting its seventh annual PARKED festival on June 27 to ring in National Parks and Recreation Month, which begins in July. While not officially a food festival, the event will feature over 20 food trucks.
You can get a handcrafted specialty soda at the mobile soda shop KC Pops, fried huli huli chicken at Iruzilla's Hawaiian Grill, or a PB & JJ burger from Tina's Trucks. The event will have live music from the Teresa Deaton Band, a bounce house and sprinklers for kids, and a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. The event is free to attend, and festivities start at 5:30 p.m. at Shawnee’s Stump Park.
On June 28, Strang Hall in Overland Park is hosting its fifth annual Beer Fest from 3–6 p.m. For $54 (plus tax and fees) you can get a wristband that gets you unlimited samples of craft beer from over 20 area breweries. The fest is serving up hometown favorite Boulevard in addition to beer from smaller breweries like Fields and Ivy from Lawrence, Limitless Brewing from Lenexa, and Rockcreek Brewing Co. from Mission. If you aren’t drinking, they also have a $14 designated driver ticket.
While the festival will happen outdoors, your wristband also gets you 15% off food indoors at any of Strang Hall’s food concepts.
The Heart of America Hot Dog Festival on August 9 is so much more than a food festival. Hosted by the Negro Baseball League Museum, the event will feature live music, mascots, games and trivia. For food—you guessed it, there will be hot dogs, and there are also alcoholic drinks and nonalcoholic drinks available. The festival starts at 3 p.m. in the 18th and Vine District between 18th Street and Truman Road.
The Ethnic Enrichment Festival is a staple of the Kansas City summer, and it is returning to Swope Park for its 46th year on August 15–17. Hosted by the Ethnic Enrichment Commission of Kansas City, the festival typically features a sprawling array of food vendors who represent over 40 countries.
Past festivals featured a booth from Colombia that served arepas rellena with beef and potatoes, a booth from Iraq with burek (crispy egg rolls) and a booth from Norway with aebleskiver (small spherical pancakes). Each day also has a jam-packed schedule of music and dancing from different countries, as well as a parade of flags. Entrance is $5, and kids 12 and under are free. The festival is 6–10 on Friday, 12–10 on Saturday, and 12–6 on Sunday.
At the end of summer, Food Fest Friday will be in Raymore on July 25 with food trucks and live music at Recreation Park. The Taste of Kansas City Festival will also return for its third year on September 1 at Harris Park. Keep an eye out for more information about these events.
Pride and Juneteenth celebrations in Kansas City
Kansas City has been celebrating Juneteenth all June long, with parades, jubilees and fairs marking the country’s emancipation from slavery.
Although the holiday technically falls on Thursday, June 19, you can find the Historic 18th & Vine District throwing a heritage festival all afternoon and evening on Saturday, June 21. That event features hip-hop, gospel and jazz music, plus dancing and vendors from across the region.
The same day, Kansas City, Kansas, is throwing a parade for Juneteenth in the Dotte, beginning near the Quindaro Ruins, with live music, drill and dance teams, and a car showcase.”
While Kansas City celebrated its 50th anniversary of PrideFest with a parade and festival earlier this month, that's not the only Pride Month festivity in June.
People's Pride, an alternative celebration "without the presence of cops or corporations co-oping our movement," is back in the West Bottoms on Sunday, June 29. It kicks off with a vendor fair at West Bottoms Plant Co. from 12-4 p.m., a parade to commence at 4 p.m., and then live music and more at the Black Box Theatre until 10 p.m.
Shakespeare, concerts and more outdoor arts
One summer festival that's always sure to entertain is the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, returning to Southmoreland Park June 17-July 6, 2025. This year, theater fans can enjoy "Love's Labour's Lost," an early comedy of Shakespeare's, with performances beginning at 8 p.m. each evening. The event is free to attend with a large open seating area, and attendees can bring their own blankets or folding chairs. You can pack a picnic, bring your own beverages, or purchase food and drinks onsite. Reserved seating is also available for $25 on weeknights and $35 on weekends.
This summer, the Downtown Community Improvement District is once again hosting its art, music, and performance series Summer in the City once a month from May through September. For a lively lunch break, visit Oppenstein Park at 12th and Walnut on the second Thursday of every month from 12-1 p.m. for the Activation Series. This monthly event features music and dance performances along with yard games and food trucks.
The next one is on July 10. If you can’t make a lunch event, they also host community activities, an art market and performances with food trucks and more on the second Thursday of every month from 2:30-7 p.m. at the same location.
Bring your blanket or lawn chair to the Kansas City Museum for their monthly outdoor Summer Concerts on the Lawn series. Held on the second Friday of each month from June through September, these concerts are only $7 if you buy a ticket in advance, or $10 at the gate. Entrance is free for kids 12 and under. Knobtown Skiffle Band will perform at the next concert on July 11, and they describe themselves as “old-timey” with blues and jazz influences. You can bring in a picnic and nonalcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks are not allowed in, but wine, beer, and cocktails are available for purchase. The show is on the museum’s East Lawn and gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Crown Center's WeekEnder series is also back for the 2025 summer season. This free family-friendly event features live music performances, food trucks and an outdoor movie in Crown Center Square each Friday from July 11-August 1. Guests can bring blankets and lawn chairs with festivities beginning at 6 p.m. and movie starting at 9 p.m. The first event in the series on July 11 features music from the Damien Gunn Band and the movie "Twisters."
For the full festival experience, Country Stampede is a three-day camping and country music festival happening June 26-28. Hosted at Azura Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, the festival is bringing in big-name acts in contemporary country: headliners include Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Cole Swindell. The price for a campsite ranges from $319–$729, but camping is not required to attend the festival. For the festival itself, there are ticket packages that range from $169 to $399 for all three days, or you can purchase a single-day ticket for $99-$129.
If country music isn't your vibe, how about a week-long dance fest and camping trip? Dancefestopia is returning to the Kansas City region September 1-7, 2025. Hosted at the Wildwood Outdoor Education Center in Lacygne, Kansas, this event features performances from DJs including Subtronics, Excision, Slander and more. In addition to music, the campground features a rock wall and zipline, canoeing, fishing and swimming at the onsite pool. Tickets start at $299 for general admission and a camping pass costs $99-289, depending on the length of your trip.
There are two family-friendly festivals to cap off the 2025 summer season, each with its own unique culture and slate of musical guests and entertainment.
SantaCaliGon in Independence, Missouri, celebrates the unique heritage of the city of Independence as the starting point of the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails. The festival has a long history and has since evolved into one of the region's largest festivals, drawing more than 300,000 visitors annually. Hosted in the Historic Independence Square, this free festival features vendors, carnival rides and live music, and runs August 29-September 1, 2025.
Another long-running Labor Day weekend festival is the Kansas City Irish Fest. This well-established festival features Irish food, music, dance, art, whiskey tastings and plenty of activities to keep kiddos entertained. Single day tickets start at $23 for adults and $9.80 for kids. Weekend passes start at $60, with additional ticket packages available, including the Emerald Club — a VIP experience that gives you access to a private shaded area, two drink tickets, private restrooms and a better view of the stage.
The great outdoors
Or perhaps you just want to find an excuse to spend some time outside (despite the heat). There are plenty of opportunities this summer to do fun, and perhaps even unusual activities outside.
For a fun, kid-friendly morning, bring a blanket and your favorite teddy bear to Swope Park on July 11 for the Teddy Bear Picnic. To celebrate National Teddy Bear Picnic Day, the event will enjoy story time courtesy of the Kansas City Public Library, music from children’s performer Janie Next Door, and even a teddy bear health clinic where you can bring stuffed animals for repair (how cute is that?). There will also be face painting, a photo booth, and an ice cream vendor. It goes from 11-12:30 at the Swope Park Bandstand. Tickets are free, but you have to reserve them ahead of time, which you can do here.
Zona Rosa Summer Fest on July 19 is another family-friendly event with yard games, a kids’ dance party, and foam party (for the children). There is also entertainment for adults: The Strawberry Swing craft fair will bring an array of vendors selling jewelry, clothing, home goods, and art. There will also be food trucks and summer cocktails and brews. It is at North Park and The Bridge in Zona Rosa, and it runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Festival of Butterflies is an annual celebration of summer’s natural beauty that runs from July 17 through August 3 at Powell Gardens. The event showcases pollinator plants alongside both native and non-native butterflies from different locales. This year's theme is Jurassic Gardens, featuring life-sized dinosaurs and educational programs focused on prehistoric plants.
While the festival occurs in the dog days of summer, Powell Gardens has a cooling station available if you need to take a break from the heat. The park is open from 9-5 and entrance costs $20 for adults, $18 for seniors ages 60 and up, and $12 for kids 5–12. Children 4 and under are free. Visitors can upgrade their experience with a Dino +Pack, which includes a beverage, sweet treat and festival souvenir, with options for kids and adults.
To further celebrate the Jurassic theme, visitors 21 and older can enjoy Bones & Brews on June 27, July 31 and August 23. This adults-only event includes a craft beer tasting, live music and grilled dinner while you enjoy exploring the Jurassic Garden world. These events run from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $30 for admission and two drinks, and for $65 you can get dinner. You can also enjoy a golf cart tour of the gardens for an additional $50.
Summer is a time for yard parties, and Kansas City’s Lawn Party on July 20 might be the biggest one of the year. The city is shutting down Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. between Oak Street and Rockhill, and the party will flow across both sides of the street in honor of National Parks and Recreation Month. There will be food trucks and live music at Theis Park, and the country band Cowtown Country Club is kicking things off 4 p.m.
There will also be a plein air quick paint contest where artists will come paint the party’s scenery, with the winner taking home a $500 prize. Of course there will be yard games, in addition to giant bubbles, a stilt walker, an interactive “musication station” hosted by Make Music KC, and so much more. The event goes from 4-8 p.m.
If you can’t make it to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia on August 7–17, you can find carnival rides closer to home at Parkville Days on August 22–24. Unlike the State Fair, admission is free. If you don’t want to ride carnival rides, there will also be live music, guided walking tours of the town, and sidewalk sales at some of Parkville’s locally-owned shops. If you are there on Friday night from 6–8, you can even take a helicopter ride. Parkville Days hours are 6–10 p.m. on August 22, 10–10 on August 23, and 12–5 on August 24.
Don’t think we’ve forgotten about the quintessential summer celebration: Independence Day!
There are plenty of places where you can see a fireworks show around Kansas City. Your options for a free pyrotechnics display on July 4 include the Stars and Stripes Picnic at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the Overland Park Star Spangled Spectacular at Corporate Woods Founders’ Park, and Smithville Fireworks Show at Smith’s Fork Park.
