Weekend Possibilities | Parkville Brewfest, Okoye Celebrity Roast and ‘Friends of Dorothy’ at the Gem Theater

This weekend features lots of live music, Parkville Brewfest and festivals in Waldo and Brookside.

Friday, April 29

5 – 9 p.m. The Brookside Art Annual is back for 2022 at 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard. This weekend’s festival offers all kinds of artist and vendor booths, arts, crafts and games for the kids, plus some of Brookside’s best food and drink. The Brookside Art Annual runs all weekend. There is no admission fee.

6:30 p.m. Break out the lawn chair and picnic blanket, Symphony in the Park is a perfect way to welcome the weekend. Meadowbrook Park, 9101 Nall Ave., is the venue for Friday’s show in Prairie Village, Kansas. The outdoor chamber music performance from KC Symphony is free to attend. All Symphony in the Park events are weather permitting.

7 p.m. Local music will be on display Friday night at Velo Garage and Tap House, 1403 Swift St. Pull or pedal up to the bike shop-beer and pizza stop in North Kansas City for tunes from Kat King, Miki P and MUSICBYSKIPPY. Cover is $10.

Saturday, April 30

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The inaugural Waldo Spring Fling is happening Saturday in the parking lot just off the Trolly Trail, near the intersection of Wornall Road and Gregory Boulevard. The spring-inspired festival in partnership with Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair will have plenty of local business pop-ups, plus local makers, fun for the entire family and more. The Waldo Spring Fling is free to attend.

10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Get the lay of the arts landscape across KC’s Historic Northeast with this weekend’s free, self-guided Northeast Artist Open Studio Tour. The tour starts at The EGG: Art & Business Incubator, 2659 Independence Ave., with works on display from local artists, plus beer from Crane Brewing, snacks and space to create some art of your own. From there, the tour continues to four working studio spaces, all within a 10-minute drive from The EGG.

11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day and Westport’s Wise Blood, 4045 Broadway Blvd., has plans to celebrate. The local bookstore will have exclusive items on sale, plus limited-edition swag, giveaways and a used book drop.

1 – 5 p.m. More than 70 breweries and home brew clubs will be set up and pouring hundreds of beers at English Landing Park, 8701 McAfee St., Saturday afternoon for Parkville Brewfest 2022. Admission will get you all the beer you can possibly taste, plus a commemorative glass and hours of live music. Tickets are $45 in advance and $55 at the gate. Plan ahead, designated drivers get in for free. Be sure to check out the full list of participating breweries online.

Sunday, May 1

2 p.m. Proud and True, a free concert Sunday afternoon at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, 2 Memorial Drive, is designed to provide audience members with an understanding of the Great War through music. Curated by vocal music students from Kansas State University, the music will include original works from soldiers and those affected by the war, plus more modern ties to current world events. The show is 40 minutes and is appropriate for all ages. An RSVP is required.

4 p.m. The Okoye Celebrity Roast is Sunday and tickets are still available. Join former Kansas City Chief Christian “The Nigerian Nightmare” Okoye in the VooDoo Lounge at Harrah’s North Kansas City, 1 Riverboat Drive, for unfiltered jokes aimed directly at fellow former Chiefs legend and NFL Hall of Famer Bobby Bell. The guest list includes other former football players and celebrities. The evening’s proceeds will benefit Okoye Youth Sports Club in Nigeria. Tickets are $200.

4 – 6 p.m. Friends of Dorothy: Judy Garland at 100 is a one-night-only celebration of the iconic actress from Mid America Freedom Band Kansas City. Reserve your spot at the historic Gem Theater, 1615 E. 18th St., where the band will play selections from favorite tunes out of the land of Oz, such as “Variations on Over the Rainbow,” “Defying Gravity” and “Ease on Down the Road.” Tickets are $10.

Flatland contributor Clarence Dennis also is a social media manager for 90.9 The Bridge.