Weekend Possibilities | Day of the Dead, Free Film Fest, and Beers of the Kaw

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, Nov. 1

6:30 p.m. The First Friday Film Festival is a free Friday night option for fans of independent short films. The MTH Theater at Crown Center (2450 Grand Blvd.) will open its bar for those 21 and up an hour before 12 short films with runtimes that range from two to 20 minutes kick off at 7:30 p.m. Be sure to stick around for a Q&A session from a handful of filmmakers. Ticket reservations are available online.

8 p.m. The Uptown Theater (3700 Broadway Blvd.) welcomes Greensky Bluegrass to Kansas City as the calendar flips to November. The group out of Kalamazoo, Michigan, blends traditional bluegrass pickin’ with psychedelic jams, paired with a light show that never disappoints. Tickets are available for $29.50 plus fees. 

Consider dinner at The Clubhouse Experience (1101 Walnut St.). The relatively new upscale-casual downtown spot offers appetizers that range from Korean Fried Chicken to Guacamole Deviled Eggs, plus a variety of sandwich options, flatbreads and six diverse entrees. Topgolf virtual swing bays and shuffleboard courts are available for group rentals. Reservations are recommended. 

Saturday, Nov. 2

2 – 9 p.m. Día de Muertos celebrations will be in full swing on Central Avenue between 12th and 15th streets in Kansas City, Kansas. The Mexican holiday calls on communities to remember friends and family members who have died and provide help to them along the spiritual journey. The celebration will feature calavera face painting, live music from five stages, a parade, food and much more. The event is free.

Linh’s Vietnamese Cuisine is earning high marks early in its existence at 1447 Independence Ave. in Kansas City. Linh’s menu includes traditional rice and noodle dishes, an assortment of Bánh mì sandwiches, boba teas and much more. Linh’s is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Wednesday. 

6:30 – 10:00 p.m. Escapist Skateboarding in the Crossroads (405 Southwest Blvd.) is staying in the spooky spirit with Ritual-of-Wolfbat. The skate shop will roll out an art installation from Dennis McNett and Wolfbat Studios, a future-telling booth and musical performances by The Bad Ideas and Warm Bodies. There will be a procession to honor the dead, free New Belgium VooDoo Ranger and art prints available for purchase. The event is free.

9:30 – 10:30 p.m. Get your laughs in on Saturday night at the KC Improv Comedy Show. The KC Improv Company (4010 Pennsylvania Ave.) cast will improvise it all — scenes, characters and games — based on audience suggestions, while you sit back and relax with the option to enjoy food and drinks from the Green Room Lounge. The show is age 17 and up. Tickets go from $7 to $10.

Sunday, Nov. 3

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak St.) will have its free Day of the Dead Festival all day on Sunday. Expect a celebration of Mexican culture and the holiday through dance, poetry, food and art, including the Kansas City Consulate of Mexico’s “68 Voces 68 Corazones” — an ongoing animated series focused on Mexico’s indigenous languages.

10 a.m – 5 p.m. Genghis Khan has invaded Union Station (30 W. Pershing Road). Step into the 13th-Century Mongolian empire to discover over 200 rare treasures like gold jewelry, silk robes and weaponry, plus authentic Mongolian live music and dance. Plan at least 60 minutes to explore the exhibit. Ticket sales stop 60 minutes prior to the exhibit closing. General admission tickets are $17.95 for adults and $14.95 for youths.

1 – 5 p.m. Considering cutting meat out of your diet? Kansas City vegans, vegetarians, healthy eaters and the veg-curious will flock to the KCI Expo Center (11730 N.W. Ambassador Drive) for the Twisted Fork Festival. Attendees can taste vegan and vegetarian samples made by vendors from across the country and learn about cutting-edge vegan and vegetarian living. The event is free.

3 – 6 p.m. Cap November’s first weekend with Beers of the Kaw in Lawrence. Abe & Jakes Landing (8 E. 6th St. in Lawrence) will open its doors to those 21 and up to taste brews from along the Kansas River, in support of Friends of the Kaw — a grassroots conservation group dedicated to protecting the river. Try beer from 23rd Street Brewery, Blind Tiger Brewery, Blue Skye Brewery, Boulevard Brewing Co., Free State Brewing Company, Happy Basset Brewing Co., Kansas Territory Brewing Co., KC Bier Co., Lawrence Beer Co. and many more. Drasko’s Food Truck, Terrebone Cafe & Lucia Beer Garden + Grill will have food for purchase. Tickets are $25.