Weekend Possibilities | J. Rieger & Co.’s Brunch Launch, A Pair of Kemper Museum Events, And More

There are about 48 hours between leaving work on Friday and the time you start thinking about work once again on Sunday night. Weekend Possibilities is your roadmap for food, drinks and fun for the perfect Kansas City weekend.

Friday August 23

4 – 8:00 p.m. Ditch work in time for River Market Board Game Night at Opera House Coffee & Food Emporium (500 Walnut St.). Folks from Level One Game Shop will be on hand to help set up games, form groups, and explain the rules. Opera House has full-service food and drink options and a reverse happy hour running 5 p.m. to close. 

7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Kansas City’s Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (4420 Warwick Blvd.) has a special evening planned to start the weekend. Join New York-based artist Angel Otero at Kemper’s second installment of the Artist Dinner Series, which follows a public talk and the debut of his commissioned, site-specific Atrium Project. Expect an artist-inspired menu from Café Sebastienne Executive Chef Rick Mullins. Tickets are $125, which includes dinner, drinks and gratuity.

Friday evening dinner options should also include a night at Fox and Pearl, which is now open at its new location on the Westside (2143 Summit St.). The midwestern bistro serves up a seasonal menu curated alongside local farmers to bring the best ingredients to table. Co-owner and head chef Vaughn Good is in the first month of serving handcrafted meals out of a century-old former Swedish Lodge not far from the Crossroads. Reservations are recommended. 

Saturday August 24

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Correct. Your new-bunch-in-town senses are tingling. J. Rieger & Co.’s (2700 Guinotte Ave. in the East Bottoms) Distilling Brunch is set to make its between breakfast and lunch debut this weekend. Expect a creative menu from culinary director Marita Swift, featuring items like homemade southern biscuits with Rieger’s gin jam, mixed berry waffles with whiskey syrup, and the Rieger’s Club made with locally-sourced meats. Enjoy seasonal cocktails and Thou Mayest coffee as you view the just-opened distillery from the Monogram Lounge.

1 – 4 p.m. McFadden’s Sports Saloon and Pizza Bar (1330 Grand Blvd in the Power & Light District) are teaming up to put on a 1K Beer Run & Block Party smack dab in the middle of Grand Blvd. A ticket to the fun run includes race entry, a participation medal, an all-inclusive party package with domestic and craft beers, select cocktails, and a food voucher. And if you still have energy after the .1K dash, stick around to enjoy lawn games, an inflatable obstacle course, and life-sized Hungry Hippo. Tickets are $40 ($50 day of the event).

6 – 9 p.m. Calling all animal (and wine) lovers! The Kansas City Zoo’s (6800 Zoo Dr.) Wine Walk for Wildlife is this weekend. The one-of-a-kind stroll through the zoo will feature live music, a chat with animal experts, and more than 40 wine varieties to sip. Custom Kansas City Zoo wine bottles supporting conservation projects will be available for purchase. You must be 21 or over to attend. Tickets are $45.

6 – 10 p.m. If booze at the zoo doesn’t fit your Saturday night fancy, then head back to Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art as it continues its busy weekend with the 2019 Block Party. The shindig is set to celebrate the museum’s 25th anniversary with open exhibits, live music from Hi-Lux, lawn games, crafts, a screening of Disney Pixar’s Coco, and much more. The family-friendly event will also roll out food trucks from The Jerusalem Cafe, KC Sweet Treats, Roadkill Cafe, and Polar Oasis. The event is free.

Sunday August 25

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The India Association of Kansas City is celebrating India Fest 2019 at the Overland Park Convention Center (6000 College Blvd.). Stop by for food, art, music, dance, a gala fashion parade and much more in celebration of Indian heritage in and around KC. Admission and parking is free. 

3 – 6 p.m. One of KC’s largest wine events is also on deck for Sunday afternoon. Trezo Mare’s (4105 North Mulberry Drive) ‘Tasting on the Terrace’ will feature more than 40 wines from around the world, appetizers, live music, and a handful of trending hybrid drinks. Standard tickets are $50 and Elite tickets are also available for $75, though space is limited.