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6 Wet And Wild Things To Do In Kansas City This Labor Day Weekend

brent flanders
/
Flickr-CC
Get wild (and wet?) this weekend at the annual Kansas City Irish Fest.

The looming wonders of weekend diversions can lure this enthusiastic messenger away from mere explication to attempt airy and alliterative turns of phrase in pursuit of apprising the public as appealingly as possible.

In other words: I can get carried away with this stuff, especially when it comes to a three-day weekend. But exaggerate? That’s never the plan.

Take this weekend’s arguably provocative promise of “wet and wild” things to do – really? Without a doubt. Pretty much. Mostly. Oh, well, let’s give it a whirl.

1. Kansas City Irish Fest

As the song says: “My wild Irish rose, the sweetest flower that grows.” Ah, to be sure, the 13th annual Kansas City Irish Fest ’twill be blooming with unfettered Irish entertainment and related goings-on. The fest’s bustling weekend roster is set to deliver an enchanting mix of Emerald Isle-inspired music, dance, comedy, food, shopping, children’s activities and cultural workshops. All of this and the event’s ever-popular whiskey tastings, too. Smooth.

Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Crown Center Square, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $5-$12 (tasting events cost extra).

2. Schlitterbahn Waterpark

Opportunities to get all wet in the sunshine are dwindling this year. And this will be the final weekend of 2015 to take the plunge at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, featuring the world’s tallest water slide, Verruckt, which in German means “insane.” The park’s aptly named signature attraction is a heart-thumping, hold-on-tight, what-in-the-hell-was-I-thinking-to-get-on-this-thing experience to die for, uh, revel in – at least for those with the essential grit. If you’re looking for me, check the wading pool.

Thursday and Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Monday, noon-6 p.m.; 9400 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.; tickets: $29.99, $32.99, $42.99 (online discounts available).

3. Oceans of Fun & Worlds of Fun

Kansas City’s oldest and best-known outdoor water park offers lots of varied splish-splash action – plus it’s located smack-dab next to Worlds of Fun, home of renowned rollercoasters and other scream-inducing thrill rides. A single daily admission ticket gets you into both parks. Wet and wild, indeed.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (OOF); Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (WOF); 4545 Worlds of Fun Ave., Kansas City, Mo.; tickets: $34.99, $54.99 (online discounts available).

4. SantaCaliGon Days

However amplified by legend, the challenges and hazards of the Wild West were real, as were the efforts of myriad folks trying to get there by way of the Santa Fe, California and Oregon trails, which all started in Independence, Mo. SantaCaliGon Days honors the starting point of America’s 19th-century westward quest with a 43rd annual street festival offering three stages of live music, a big carnival and hundreds of arts, crafts and food booths. The quaint vibe will be enhanced by a root beer chugging contest on Saturday and ice-cream-eating and watermelon-seed-spitting contests on Sunday. Go for the triple-crown.

Thursday, 6 p.m.-midnight (carnival only); Friday, noon-11 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; historic Independence Square (Osage Street to Memorial Drive, between Truman Road and Walnut Street), Independence, Mo.; admission: free.

5. Kansas City Renaissance Festival

You want rough and tumble? You want men, women and children fending for themselves? You want the 16th century? You can have it at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival – curated, of course, to appeal to 21st-century sensibilities. Instead of open sewage and rampant disease, as one might have easily encountered half a millennium ago in old London Town, festivalgoers will be shown a far friendlier version of European history, replete with colorful royal parades and inevitable demonstrations of exploding cleavage. Huzzah!

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; 633 N. 130th St., Bonner Springs, Mo.; tickets: $11.95-$20.95.

6. Boulevard Brewery Tours

Congratulations to Boulevard Brewery Company for recently being named America’s top craft beer brewery by Time Out New York. If only to see how they did it, you can take a guided tour of the brewery’s local production facility – but, wait, there’s another reason. At the conclusion of every 40-minute walking tour, ages 21 and over get to wet their whistles with samples of different Boulevard beers. Thirsty?

Thursday, 10:15 a.m.-2:45 p.m.; Friday, 10:15-3:45 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m.; Sunday, 10:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m.; Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.; admission: free.

Brian McTavish follows popular culture in the belief that the search for significance can lead anywhere. Brian explains, "I've written articles and reviews ... reviewed hundreds of concerts, films and plays. And the thing is, these high arts all sprang from the pop culture of their day. Don't forget: Shakespeare was once Spielberg."
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