The final days of summer can feel bittersweet. Like a child dreading their return to a regimented school schedule, the start of August can feel like the ultimate Sunday Scaries.
Did I squeeze the most out of this summer? Have I spent enough time at the pool, camping, traveling, kayaking, etc.? Did I do all the activities I set out to do in June?
Well, friends, we won’t let the End-of-Summer Scaries get us down — because there’s still so many fun things to do in Kansas City, now is the time to get out and about!
Here are some of the ways we’ll be spending our final weeks of summer around Kansas City.
Make a splash
Summer heat knows no bounds in Kansas City, and the past month has been steamy. Scorching. The hottest one yet, as my dad says.
So the only way to really enjoy the outdoors right now is in the water.
Thankfully, the Kansas City metro has plenty of public pools and aquatic centers to enjoy. Most of them will remain open through this weekend, and some are open through Labor Day.
Is lake life more your style? KC might not be known for its lakes, but you can find plenty of waterfront access within a short drive of the Kansas City metro.
There’s Smithville Lake to the north, Perry Lake to the west, and Truman Lake — Missouri’s largest — to the east, situated between Kansas City and Springfield.
Here are the Missouri and Kansas towns where you can enjoy the lake life.
There’s still time to enjoy Kansas City’s waterways via kayak, canoe, boat or paddleboard. Whether you have your craft or need to rent one, Kansas City has plenty of options for you.
Shawnee Mission Park Marina rents out pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards through Labor Day weekend.
Lake Jocomo in Lee’s Summit is ideal for day-long excursions. Kayak, paddleboard and fishing boat rentals are available daily through Labor Day, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Paddle your way around Kansas City at these spots for kayaking, canoeing and other water sports.
Find some chill
One of the best ways to cool off after a day of swimming, paddling, or lazing at the lake? An ice-cold sweet treat.
Kansas City excels at the milkshake, and you can find them all over town. There’s the skyscraper at Winstead’s, a 64-ounce behemoth topped with whipped cream and cherries. Or the simple Hi-Boy Drive-In milkshake, so thick you could eat it with a spoon.
KCUR contributor Shannon Carpenter found the best milkshakes around town.
Get a side of nostalgia with your root beer float by visiting one of our region’s old-school soda fountains. Once a staple of downtown excursions, these stores were the place to meet friends, mingle, and enjoy a tangy, fizzy treat. And they’re still making fresh memories in Kansas City.
KCUR contributor Libby Hanssen on where to find old-school soda fountains around the metro.
Ice cream isn’t the only summer sweet around Kansas City. Paletas are another favorite: a traditional Mexican frozen dessert-on-a-stick that’s similar to popsicles, with a variety of tropical flavors.
Thanks to our region’s vibrant Hispanic community, paleterías dot the metro, with a high concentration in Kansas City, Kansas, and Independence, Missouri.
I promise you, paletas beat your basic run-of-the-mill popsicles by a mile, so don’t miss out — if you haven’t tried them yet, add this to your end-of-summer agenda.
Libby Hanssen helps you find Mexican paletas around the metro.
One last party
Kicking off this summer with the World Cup in Kansas City felt like one month-long, city-wide party. But if you’re still yearning for one last summer celebration, you’ve got options!
There’s the Ethnic Enrichment Festival and Parkville Days, both held Aug. 21-23. SantiCaliGon and Irish Fest both return over Labor Day weekend.
Wrap up an eventful summer at these final festivals and fairs in Kansas City.
Stepping into a dimly lit, cool space sounds pretty nice right now, doesn’t it? Even better if it includes a cold drink and good vibes.
If you’ve been wanting to try one of Kansas City’s speakeasy-style bars, consider this your sign. Forward this to a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with all summer.
Here’s the scoop on Kansas City’s best speakeasies.
Beat the heat indoors
From summer storms to the unbearable heat, some days are best spent inside.
Got three hours to kill? Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster “The Odyssey” is still playing in theaters around the metro. See it on IMAX at local AMC theaters, or at Screenland Armour in North Kansas City, where it’s still playing on 70mm film.
And read about how Screenland brought the “magic” of 70mm back to the Kansas City metro from KCUR’s Celisa Calacal. Coming up in August are special runs of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and “Interstellar,” plus Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Or you can step into a sci-fi fever dream dressed as a 1990’s movie theater at Atlas 9. The interactive storytelling experience is on my end-of-summer to-do list, out of curiosity and appreciation for set design.
See what other offbeat attractions and museums in the metro made our list.
Still riding that World Cup high? You can still catch some of the limited-time art exhibits celebrating soccer and sportsmanship — including KCUR’s own exhibit at the Kansas City Library’s Central Branch about Kansas City’s soccer history, featuring reporting from our podcast A People’s History of Kansas City. Don’t miss it!
Many of these World Cup-inspired exhibits are still available for viewing.
