Weekend Possibilities | Film Fests, Bloom Fest and Garden Tips

Did you know that one of the nation’s largest horror film festivals is underway right here in our own back yard?

Speaking of back yards, this weekend also offers plenty of options for anyone interested in upping their gardening game this spring.

Friday, April 16

It’s the final weekend of two area film festivals.

This year’s hybrid Panic Fest features more than 60 horror, sci-fi and thriller films available online and in-person at Screenland Armour, 408 Armour Road in North Kansas City. In addition to both feature-length and short films from around the world, fans of the freaky can get in on live podcasts, Q&As with filmmakers and more. Be sure to check the full film schedule online. Prices differ for hybrid and virtual passes. Single film tickets are $13.

Don’t really do scary movies? Kansas City FilmFest International is bringing feature narratives, narrative shorts, documentaries and more to your living room. Completely online, this year’s festival has flicks available for streaming. Live and recorded Q&As are also on the schedule. Check online for a full list of films and their descriptions. Unlimited film passes start at $15.

Noon. Getting the garden going but don’t know where to start? Register for Tomatoes, Peppers and Sweet Potatoes, an online workshop from Kansas City Community Gardens. The session will cover how to select, plant and care for different types of tomatoes, peppers and sweet potatoes. Participants will receive a Zoom link via email the day of the workshop. Registration is free.

Saturday, April 17

7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Don’t have a green thumb? The Overland Park Farmers’ Market is back for a 39th season. Hop out of bed and head to downtown Overland Park, where more than 90 vendors from within 175 miles of the market will make fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, baked goods, flowers, garden plants and more available in the Matt Ross Community Center parking lot, 8101 Marty St.

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Bloom Fest: Play Outside is underway at Powell Gardens, 1609 N.W. U.S. 50. The new spring festival from Powell Gardens and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art designed to celebrate the joy, color, beauty and creativity of nature will feature botanical displays, floral design and activities for all ages. This Saturday, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City plans to get in on the fun with a set starting at 1 p.m. in the Heartland Harvest Garden. Single-day passes are $12 for adults and $5 for children under the age of 12. Bloom Fest runs through May 9.

11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. When beautifying your back yard this spring, the Missouri Prairie Foundation is encouraging gardeners to plant native greenery in order to support local wildlife and insects. Wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, trees and more plants native to the region will be available for preorder/pickup Saturday from the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave. Just be sure to order your plants online ahead of time.

8 p.m. If live music to sing along to is just what you needed this weekend, there’s a Police and The Cars Tribute set for Saturday night at Knuckleheads Saloon, 2715 Rochester Ave. The area tribute bands will play all the hits from the pair of 1980s pop giants. Tickets are $15. Doors open at 7 p.m. Those under 21 must be accompanied by a guardian.

Sunday, April 18

Noon – 1:30 p.m. What’s better than enjoying a beer and a laugh? Sign up for BEER-Provisation at Transport Brewery in Shawnee, 11113 Johnson Drive, for one silly Sunday afternoon. Attendees will learn the basics of improv acting and scene setting, while enjoying a pint or two. Tickets include a complimentary beverage. Registration is $20.

6 – 8 p.m. Make reservations for the Blue River Forest Experience’s Fungus Among Us Mushroom BBQ, 17315 Antioch Road in Overland Park. The dinner experience with C4 Exotic Mushrooms will feature multiple courses with three types of fungi. Foodies can look forward to a kombucha cocktail, spicy Thai slaw made with shiitake mushrooms and a main course of BBQ king oyster mushrooms pulled-pork style. Lion’s mane mushrooms with raw cacao chocolate truffles are for dessert. Registration is $55.