18th and Vine

The holiday season is a busy time of year for the Soul of Santa “Do Good” Foundation, an 18th & Vine based non-profit that works to provide support for low-income, disabled Kansas Citians and their families. The organization is preparing for its biggest fundraisers of the year, which includes a new ice-skating rink.

As the first Black-owned brewery in Missouri, Vine Street Brewing is hosting Hip-Hops Hooray in the 18th and Vine District. Starting Friday, the festival will combine hip-hop with jazz, and feature over 30 different brewers.

Expected to open in the historic Boone Theater in February 2026, the attraction will celebrate Black Americans' contributions to the film industry. The first class of inductees — including Oscar Micheaux, Harry Belafonte and Janelle Monáe — all have Kansas City ties.

Two Kansas City musicians reflect on the significance of the 18th and Vine District, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend with the induction of Roberta Flack, Patti Austin and Bob James, plus live performances by Austin and Jose Feliciano.

Now open in the old Crispus Attucks School, the Zhou B Art Center brings free exhibitions to the public, beginning with a show that combines local and international artists.

The first ever Black Comedy Festival KC will take place from April 25-28, mainly in Kansas City’s historic 18th & Vine district. Festival organizers say it’s the first festival to highlight black comics in the region, as well as the first to feature several different forms of comedy.

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum accepted on Thursday the remnants of the vandalized statue. The cleats will be added to an existing exhibit about the first Black American to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

Businesses were split on their reaction to the vote on April 2 that rejected the extension of a 3/8th-cent sales tax for a ballpark in the Crossroads. Some said the loss of a downtown stadium just blocks away would hinder progress in the district. Others said the campaign was doomed from the start.

Armon Lasker built a strong base with his first barbershop, in Kansas City's historic African American neighborhood. At his second location, Lasker wants to give clients a 'pre-flight pampering experience.'

Prairie landscape used to occupy broad swaths of Kansas, but only a fraction of the original ecosystems remain. A central Kansas photographer hopes his new exhibition will sound the alarm for this ecological emergency. Plus: The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra celebrates 20 years of fostering cross-cultural appreciation.

After arriving from Chile, Pablo Sanhueza made it his mission to spread the sounds of Latin America, and create an inclusive and radical space for cross-cultural appreciation.

After Rashida Phillips announced she was leaving her post to pursue other interests, museum leadership announced the appointment of Dina Bennett as interim executive director.