The Biggest Picnic in KC, the Amelia Earhart Festival, & Other Weekend Possibilities

Kansas City’s Big Picnic will take over The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s (4525 Oak St) front lawn this Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. The Kansas City Parks & Rec event is the region’s largest picnic and will feature more than 20 food trucks, live music, games and more. Museum garage parking is $10. No grills, stakes, or tenting are allowed and pets must be on leashes. 

There’s a brand-new brunch in town, as Houlihan’s in Fairway (2820 W. 53rd St.) debuts its new brunch menu Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get up earlyish for shareable lemon blueberry muffins, a range of brunch entrees & scramble bowls, and Houlihan’s lunchtime classics. Start your weekend off right with $2 mimosas, brunch cocktails, and the bloody mary bar.

Peaches and Porches, a celebration of Lafayette County’s peach harvest, is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Lex Auditorium in Lexington, Missouri. (111 S. 11th St.). Celebrate the midsummer harvest with live music, storytelling, a porch tour of five historic Lexington homes, and of course, peaches. Tickets for the tour are $10 and can be purchased both online with applicable fees and on the day of the tour. 

This Friday, Union Cemetery (227 E. 28th Terrace) will play host to a collaborative event between Original PorchFestKC and KC Parks’ Food Truck Friday to preview the fifth annual PorchFestKC celebration scheduled for mid October. The summertime kickoff event will run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and feature live tunes from The Julie Major Trio and, as always, a range of grab-and-go options from KC’s top food trucks.

Want to get away? Head west for Atchison and the annual Amelia Earhart Festival, running this weekend across the aviation pioneer’s hometown. The event kicks off Thursday evening with an ice cream social that honors Amelia’s grandfather, and then continues Friday and Saturday with a breakfast alongside authors Keith O’Brien (“Fly Girls”) and Aimee Bissonette (“Aim for the Skies”), a speakers symposium, the Pioneering Achievement Award luncheon, live music, fireworks and much more. Food, crafts, and music can be uncovered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday in downtown Atchison. Carnival bracelets are available for $25 at the festival. Cost of admission for each of the weekend’s events varies, so check online for prices. 

Women Empowering Women (WEW) is hosting a Kansas City Empowerment Lunch Saturday from 12 to 3 p.m. at Jack Stack Barbecue – Freight House (101 W. 22nd St. #300). The lunch is open to anyone interested in learning more about WEW, a nonprofit organization that increases confidence, gives support, and promotes personal and professional development in all women. Tickets are $26.50.

The Lenexa Public Market’s Progressive Dinner, scheduled for Sunday evening from 4 to 8 p.m., should delight guests with a one-night-only menu prepared by the market’s top merchants, made with the market’s fresh ingredients. Tickets for the exclusive foodie experience are $49 for both meat eaters and vegetarians.

Grab your four-legged friend and head to East Brookside and the Flying Horse Tap Room (600 E 63rd St.) for Sunday’s Beer Paws East Brookside Patio Pawty. The ‘pawty’ and mini crawl will run from 1 – 5 p.m and will happen rain or shine. Tickets are $10 in advance, with a portion of proceeds to be donated to a local animal rescue organization. Well-mannered dogs on leashes requested — limit one good pupper per person.