Weekend Possibilities | Planet Comicon, Basketball and Beer

March already? It’s sheer madness. Plan your weekend around cosplay at Planet Comicon, an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration, West Bottoms Beer Fest and Big 12 basketball.

Friday, March 8

11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. The Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off at T-Mobile Center, 1407 Grand Blvd. In the first year of a 14-team conference, fans will get four games on Friday across two sessions. The back-to-back games start with No. 5 seed Baylor taking on the winner of No. 13 seed Houston and No. 12 seed Texas Tech. Local Jayhawk fans can catch Kansas taking on BYU at 5:30 p.m. With a double bye, Kansas State won’t play until Friday evening. Session tickets to see two games start at $10, plus tax and fees.

7 p.m. Credit the luck of the Irish, Flogging Molly plays at the Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., Friday night, just a little over a week before St. Patrick’s Day. The Celtic punk rockers come to Kansas City with nearly 30 years of experience on stage and seven recorded studio albums in the repertoire. Amigo the Devil and Gen and the Degenerates will open. Tickets are available starting at $49, plus tax and fees.

7:30 p.m. Mamma Mia! returns to Music Hall Kansas City, 301 W. 13^th St. this week. The classic tale of love, friendship and identity set to timeless ABBA tunes is showing through the end of the weekend. Tickets are available starting at $38, plus tax and fees.

Saturday, March 9

10 a.m. – 7 p.m. If you see your favorite superhero walking around downtown, just know it’s Planet Comicon Kansas City weekend at Bartle Hall, 301 W. 13^th St. This year’s convention offers a schedule packed with photo and autograph sessions with celebrities and creators, tabletop gaming, cosplay competitions, speaker panels, exhibitors and so much more. Be sure to check out each day’s schedule online in advance. Saturday-only passes are $56.99 for adults and $19.99 for youth (8-12). Three-day passes are $91.99 for adults and $23.99 for youth.

11 a.m. – 11 p.m. There’s a second Anniversary Party on the books all weekend at River Bluff Brewing, 201 Main St. The Pitch KC’s “Best New Brewery of 2022” is serving new beers for the occasion. Swing by the River Market to enjoy live music, pinball, watching the game or just catching up with friends.

2 – 6 p.m. Speaking of a cold one, breweries local and national will be represented at West Bottoms Beer Fest, happening at Hy-Vee Arena, 1800 Genessee St. A ticket will give you access to tasting more than 100 craft beers and ciders throughout the afternoon, plus live entertainment and local food vendors. KC Crew will run a corn hole tournament during the festival. General admission is $50. If you want in on the corn hole, the tasting plus buy-in is $150.

Sunday, March 10

2 p.m. Wear green, the Martin City St. Patrick’s Parade is Sunday. Former Kansas City Chief Bobby Bell will lead the festivities west to east along 135^th Street through downtown Martin City, between Washington Street and Holmes Road. Sixty-plus businesses, dance teams, schools, car clubs, dignitaries and other community groups will take part in the parade. Plan to swing by the family-friendly parade party at The Martin Event Space.

2 – 4 p.m. Kansas City singer-songwriter Fritz Hutchison is next up for Boulevard Brewing Co.’s BLVD Sessions in the brewery’s Tours & Recreation Center, 2534 Madison Ave. Boulevard will offer $3 session beers during the music and Manor Records will have a vinyl pop-up to thumb through in the space. The session is free and open to all ages.

5:30 p.m. The 96^th Academy Awards happens Sunday and North Kansas City’s Screenland Armour, 408 Armour Road, once again plans to host its annual Oscars Watch Party. Make your predictions, dress for the red carpet – or don’t – and settle in alongside fellow cinephiles to see who brings home the hardware. No outside food or drink allowed. Screenland has plenty of craft brews on tap, themed cocktails, plus a full kitchen. The watch party is free.

Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.