Nick’s Picks | Juneteenth, Sharks, Dragons and More …

World Cup Countdown Party

Last week, we marked the one-year countdown to the World Cup. Now, get ready for the big party.

Kansas City’s host committee is planning a “Countdown to the World Cup Kick-Off Event” on Sunday at the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park. That’s the former Sprint headquarters site near 119^th and Metcalf.

They’re not going to be throwing free World Cup game tickets at you, but organizers are promising food, drink, live entertainment, appearances from Kansas City’s top soccer stars, “human foosball,” photo opps, and lots of “speechifying” from our top elected leaders. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly are both scheduled to be there.

The event runs from noon to 5 p.m.

Juneteenth Holiday is Thursday

Here’s a heads up that government buildings, banks, and post offices will be closed on Thursday as America marks Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery.  The holiday marks the time when word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached slaves in Galveston, Texas, 2.5 years after President Abraham Lincoln issued it.

As many workers don’t get Thursday off, Kansas City will publicly celebrate the holiday on Saturday with the Juneteenth Heritage Festival at 18^th & Vine. The family-friendly event starts at noon, the latest of many celebrations from recent years.

Last Week, Reviewed

Can the Royals Turn Things Around?

This is not a good look when you’re trying to win public support for a new stadium … but what once looked like a promising season is now falling apart for the Kansas City Royals.

If you haven’t been paying attention, the Royals have lost six games straight. 

They have lost eight of their last nine and scored the fewest runs in the American League.

They’re off today before traveling to Texas to start a six-game road swing against the Rangers on Tuesday.

In other sports news…

The NBA and NHL will crown their champions sometime this week.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are 2–2 heading into Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight.

The Florida Panthers are one win away from back-to-back Stanley Cups. They play the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 on Tuesday.

Kehoe in Paris

Now that he has inked a new stadium deal with the Chiefs and Royals, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is Paris bound.

He flies to Europe today on a five-day trade mission.

While the trip is raising some eyebrows from statehouse watchers concerned about frivolous political travel, the Republican governor insists more than 40 French companies have operations in the state and Missouri exported $266 million in products to France last year.

What are the chances Kehoe might run into Lucas while he’s there?  The Kansas City mayor is wrapping up his own weeklong trade trip to France, Germany and Luxembourg. He returns Wednesday.

You’ll Never Go in the Water Again

In pop culture news …

Friday marks the 50^th anniversary of “Jaws.” The 25-foot-long great white shark terrorized movie-goers when it debuted in theaters on June 20, 1975.

Reviews at the time claimed “Jaws” did what no movie had ever done: “it made the entire world terrified of the water.”

I remember my brother going to see the film and having nightmares for days. In the UK, the Stephen Spielberg flick was considered so scary it was slapped with an “X” rating.  

How times have changed.

A screening of the film at Shawnee Mission Park on Saturday night comes with a PG rating and playful caution that there’s “a couple of jump scares guaranteed to make your popcorn fly.”

The Dragons Arrive

The #1 movie in America right now is the live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon.”

But if you live in Kansas City, you don’t have to buy a movie ticket to see the mythical creatures up close.

Head over to Brush Creek and watch the dragons race at the International Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, next to the Country Club Plaza.

The boats enter the water for practice at 8 a.m. and the first race begins at 9:45 a.m.

This is the event’s 20^th anniversary.

Shakespeare Returns

As the weather heats up, so does Kansas City’s outdoor festival season.

Tuesday sees the return of Shakespeare in the Park.

Enjoy a summer evening of free live theater under the stars at Southmoreland Park, next to the Nelson Museum.

This year’s production is Love’s Labour’s Lost, one of Shakespeare’s early comedies about romance and courtship.

It runs through July 6.

Longest Day of the Year

While you may have already made multiple trips to your neighborhood swimming pool, Friday is technically the first official day of summer. It’s also the longest day of the year.

Also known as the Summer Solstice, it’s when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

It all goes downhill from here.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 pm on Kansas City PBS.