The 'last waltz' of a Kansas City blues festival

By Luke X. Martin,

Published November 23, 2022 at 4:00 AM CST

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Kansas City has long held a reputation as a center of blues music and culture. But as elder musicians pass away, one Kansas blues festival appears to have reached its conclusion. Plus, Kansas City's first bicycle collective has transformed junk into reliable rides for 15 years.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Street Blues Festival was created as a place for a small group of influential blues artists from northeast Kansas City, Kansas, to share their music with their community. Now, however, so many of these artists have died that the event organizer doesn’t believe he’ll be able to continue the festival. KCUR's Zach Perez visited with blues enthusiasts ahead of this year's festival — which could be the last.

A few steps away from Martini Corner and historic Union Hill, the 816 Bike Collective is building a community one refurbished bike at a time. As KCUR’s Lawrence Brooks IV reports, Kansas City’s first community-based bicycle shop is celebrating their 15 year anniversary.

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