Weekend Possibilities | Big 12 Hoops, Kansas City Cat Show and Open Season Sportsman’s Expo

College hoops watch parties, an Overland Park Sportsman Expo, the Kansas City Cat Show, plus St. Patrick’s Day fun makes for a full weekend around Kansas City.

Friday, March 11

3 – 7 p.m. College basketball has descended on Kansas City this weekend with the men’s and women’s Big 12 tournaments. If you want in on the hoops action, tickets are still available to multi-game sessions to see both the men at T-Mobile Center and women’s hoops at Municipal Auditorium. For those looking to check out the scenes, there will be interactive activities for the entire family, plus live entertainment, pep rallies, watch parties, food, drinks, a barbecue competition and more across Grand Boulevard between the T-Mobile Center and Power & Light District and at Barney Allis Plaza, 1220 Wyandotte St., for the duration of the Big 12 Tournaments.

2 – 7 p.m. The Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd., will host this weekend’s Open Season Sportsman’s Expo. Whether it’s fishing, hunting or camping, the expo will have industry pros on hand, plenty of exhibits and demonstrations, plus all of the gear necessary to take on the great outdoors. Single day passes are $10 for adults and $4 for children. Weekend passes are $18 and $8, respectively.

Saturday, March 12

9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Kansas City Cat Show is Saturday at the Lenexa Community Center, 14320 Oak St. The show will feature more than 35 breeds of purebred and household cats competing for the top spot across six different judging rings. Cat lovers can watch from the judging table and mosey around to meet the kitties up close. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. Family four-packs are available for $20.

10 a.m. Downtown Overland Park’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take over 79th Street Saturday morning. FOX 4 anchor Abby Eden will kick things off at the clock tower, 7935 Sante Fe Drive, at 10 a.m. sharp. From there, the family-friendly parade will continue through downtown Overland Park before heading south on Sante Fe and wrapping up at Robinson Street. The parade is free to attend. Be sure to check online for the complete route.

1 – 5 p.m. If a “grown-up” St. Patty’s party sounds about right, 3 Trails Brewing’s Zombie-Leprechaun Bar Crawl in Independence, Missouri, 111 N. Main St., should do the trick. Fun for the lucky-living dead starts at 3 Trails and makes six stops including Diamond Bowl & Billiards, Top Hat Winery, Courthouse Exchange and John’s Corner, to name a few. The first 200 people registered will receive event swag, a commemorative glass and neck koozie. Tickets are $20. You can sign up in-person on Saturday.

2 & 8 p.m. Playwright Marco Ramirez’s “The Royale” hits the KC Rep Copaken Stage this weekend near the Power & Light District, 1 H&R Block Way. Inspired by boxer Jack Johnson, the play shares many of the struggles and triumphs Johnson experienced while making history in the ring during the Jim Crow era. Tickets to Saturday’s matinee and evening shows start at $35.

Sunday, March 13

11 – 5 p.m. River Market Antiques will celebrate the grand opening of its new 3rd Floor Vintage Clothing space with two days of shopping in the historic Kansas City neighborhood, 115 W. 5th St. Stop by to check out the “new” vintage selections and meet a few of the vendors with their collections up for sale.

2 p.m. Lyric Opera KC’s “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” explores the life and legacy of the Apple co-founder. Composed by Mason Bates, “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” follows the tech innovator’s personal and professional journey from coding to the unintended consequences that stemmed from his work. Tickets to the Sunday performance on stage at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre, 1601 Broadway, start at $47.50.

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. There’s a $1,500 cash prize waiting for the winner in Sunday’s 34th Annual Shawnee Duck Race at Herman Laird Park in Shawnee, Kansas, 11500 Johnson Drive. You can have a rubber duck in the race for just $5 or increase your chances with a flock of four for $20. All proceeds benefit educational programs and visitor exchanges between Shawnee and its sister cities Pittem, Belgium, Listowel, Ireland, and Erfurt, Germany. Rubber ducks are provided.

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