FLOAT & other weekend possibilities

FLOAT is from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday in KC Bier Co.’s biergarten (310 W. 79th St.). The summer festival, put on by Flatland and Recommended Daily, is an ode to the classic ice cream creation with a fun twist. We’ll be pairing The Sundry’s homemade sodas, Second Best Coffee’s nitro cold brew coffee and KC Bier Co.’s brews with Betty Rae’s ice cream. Enjoy basil mint ginger ale with honey lavender ice cream, cold brew coffee with blueberry ice cream or Hefeweizen and peanut butter ice cream. Those are just three of the 10 pairings we’ll be offering. Tickets are $15 (or $50 for a four-pack) and include a commemorative mug and three pairings.

Kansas City is losing one of its antidotes for summer. Little Freshie (811 W. 17th St.) is closing July 1. But before then, the Westside coffee, soda and snow cone shop is hosting a goodbye party this Saturday until 8 p.m.

1889 Pizza Napoletana opened this past Wednesday. The Neapolitan-style pie shop — thin crust, quick-fired — is at 2876 W. 47th St. in Kansas City, Kansas. Look out for the Honey Bee, a pizza with pear, gorgonzola, honey, arugula and olive oil.

Volkerfest is a mashup of a block party, music festival and a celebration of Kansas City. The festival in Roanoke Park is from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday. There will be tunes, including the KC Bear Fighters and Amanda Fish, local vendors of all kinds, from face painting to massage to jewelry, and, for the first time, alcohol.

Dive into Filipino cuisine at the Fiesta Filipina this Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The festival, put on by the Filipino Association of Kansas City, is at the Filipino Cultural Center (9810 W. 79th St., Overland Park, Kansas). In addition to live music and dance performances, there will be a smorgasbord of Filipino dishes like chicken adobo, pancit (a noodle dish with ground pork, thinly sliced vegetables and soy sauce) and Halo Halo (a sweet shaved ice dessert).

Maker Faire returns this weekend to Union Station. The sixth annual celebration of DIY culture and crafters, inventors and makers is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There will be local films, lowriders, Tesla coils and robots. Hit up the lineup of food trucks outside when you get hungry. Tickets are $14 for adults, $11 for kids or $50 for a family four-pack.

Creating great barbecue is like fine art — everyone needs a little inspiration now and again. Find your muse at the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle. The barbecue contest is tonight and tomorrow at the Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park (87th St. and Lackman Road, Lenexa, Kansas). Admission is $5 for adults tonight, but free on Saturday. Kids under 12 years old get in free.

It’s barbecue weather, so you can go ahead and lean in. The 26th annual Blues and BBQ is Saturday and Sunday at the Sherwood Center (8030 Ward Parkway Plaza). Check out Lauren Anderson, Atlantic Express and the Big Time Grain Company while eating barbecue from B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ. Tickets are $10 ($15 for both days).

— Jonathan Bender writes about food trends and is the author of “Cookies & Beer” and “Stock, Broth & Bowl.” Follow him on Twitter @jonathanbender.