Weekend Possibilities | First Friday Fun, Jurassic Quest and Trevor Wallace

Pick one or pack them all in, first Friday (plus Sunday) events across the Crossroads are joined on the calendar by dinosaurs in the West Bottoms, Wine Fest at Union Station and the Polar Plunge at Lake Olathe.

Friday, March 4

6 – 9 p.m. Monarch Finwater Fine Art Gallery has plans to celebrate its grand opening in Riverside, 4825 N.W. Northwood Road. The evening will provide the first look at the new gallery space featuring a wide collection of international works, plus drinks, live music and a raffle. The grand opening is free to attend.

7 p.m. Music, arts and events collective Deep Space will host a Year of The Tiger Party Friday night in the Crossroads, 1664 Broadway. Completely vegan eats are on the menu, courtesy of local quick cuisine from The C Word Bakery and Spicy Mama Salsa. The live music lineup includes Keeno Reeno, Zee Underscore and The Black Creatures. Tickets are $10.

7 p.m. The Are You That Guy? Tour with Trevor Wallace stops at The Truman, 601 E. Truman Road, Friday. The California actor, writer and comedian who gained popularity in the days of social media app Vine and later YouTube will take the stage at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for the comedy set start at $29, plus tax and fees. You must be 18 or older to attend.

Saturday, March 5

9 – 11:30 a.m. The Kansas City Polar Plunge & 5K Strut might officially mark the end of a warm week for the tough folks out there looking to give back with a chilly dip in Lake Olathe. Benefiting Special Olympics of Kansas athletes, this year’s fundraising event will take place at Swim Beach, 445 S. Wardcliffe Drive. Sign ups are at 9 a.m., followed by the Polar Strut 5K, opening ceremony featuring former Kansas City Chief Tamba Hali, a costume contest and finally the plunge. Registration for the 5K is $30. The Polar Plunge entry fee is $75.

10 a.m. How about a round of golf at the historic Pebble Beach? There’s a Winter Golf Tournament Saturday morning at T-Shotz, 660 Northwest Metro North Drive, that gets as close as possible to the California coastal course. KC Crew is inviting teams of four to join the virtual scramble across all 18 “holes” with real Pebble Beach yardage and pin locations accurately measured and digitally displayed from each team’s individual bay. There are prizes for first place. Teams can enter for $200.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Olathe Public Library’s LEGO Showcase is a must see for area kids and the inner child of parents alike. Members of the KC Brick Lab will put their creations on display at the Indian Creek Library, 16100 W. 135th St., for free and will be on hand to answer any questions about the impressive builds.

1 – 9 p.m. Spending Saturday at Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road, may not be a bad idea with Uncorked: KC Wine Festival set up in the building’s Grand Plaza. Area wine lovers, you know the drill. For KC Wine Fest rookies, look forward to more than 100 wines from all over the world, food trucks and live music. Tell your friends to dress fancy. Tickets start at $55 and go up depending on how long you plan to hang out. Be sure to check online for available sessions. You must be 21 or older to attend.

Sunday, March 6

9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Lifesize dinosaurs have made their way to Kansas City. If the ancient giants are all the rage at home, bring the kiddos to Jurassic Quest, wrapping up Sunday at American Royal Center, 1701 American Royal Court. Jurassic Quest is the largest exhibition of lifesize, realistic and animatronic dinosaurs of its kind. Along with strolling back in time millions of years, the walk-through experience has interactive exhibits and scavenger hunts for kids. Tickets start at $25.

Noon – 5 p.m. Sunday’s Crossroads Makers Market & Bar Hop provides the chance to stretch the legs and shop for goodies from 45 makers across a few of the district’s favorite drinking spots. The hybrid bar hop is completely free to check out and family-friendly. Planned stops include Nimble Brewing, Border Brewing Co. and Lifted Spirits Distillery.

6 – 8 p.m. Bessie, Billie & Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz, Sunday evening at the Polsky Theatre on campus at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd., will honor the legacies of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone with an impressive lineup of music. From Grammy-winning producer Eli Wolf, the production shares highlights of the artists’ incredible life journeys and accomplishments through music performed by vocalists Charenée Wade, Vanisha Gould, Tahira Clayton and an all-female jazz ensemble. Tickets are starting at $25.

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