Weekend Possibilities | Weston Wine’s Harry Potter Weekend, 816 Day and Other Outdoor Options

Plenty of outdoor activities await anyone who is eager to get out and about despite mid-August temperatures in Kansas City.

Just keep that mask on.

Friday, Aug. 14

6 p.m. Sign up to see the historic 18th & Vine District up close and personal with the Be Bop and Beyond Walking Tour by the Kansas City Tour Company. Stroll the streets where Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Negro Leagues stars once did and learn about the boom of Black enterprise in Kansas City. Tickets are $21.99. Children under the age of 17 are free with a ticketed adult.

Noon – 6 p.m. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, make the trip to Weston, Missouri, Friday evening for Weston Wine Company’s Horcrux Hunt, 540 Main St. Part of the winery’s Harry Potter Weekend, a ticket to the Horcrux Hunt will get you a souvenir “Always” wine glass, three free wine samples and the chance to wander around downtown Weston in search of the seven Horcruxes, just like Potter and the gang. Tickets for the hunt are $12. You can pick up a cool Horcrux t-shirt for $19.

7 p.m. The socially distanced concert series at Lemonad(e) Park rolls on this weekend with Black Light Animals, The Freedom Affair and The Fey onstage behind Voltaire in the West Bottoms, 1628 Wyoming St. Lawn chairs are allowed and encouraged for general admission ticket holders. VIP tables seating for up to six people are also available. Tickets start at $15. Capacity is limited to 100 people per show.

Saturday, Aug. 15

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. North Kansas City Yoga is calling all yogis for an Outdoor Yoga Session and Nature Walk Saturday morning at the Kansas City Museum and nearby Cliff Drive, 3218 Gladstone Blvd. Bring a yoga mat, mask, comfortable shoes, water and sunscreen to get in on the tranquility in one of Kansas City’s outdoor oases. An RSVP is required. The non-member fee is $5.

6 – 10 p.m. Evening in the Park at Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park, 7710 Renner Road, should provide plenty of space for a fine family friendly evening outside of the house. RSVP online, then bring blankets, lawn chairs, snacks and friends for a night of live music and screening of the iconic 1980s baseball flick “Field of Dreams.” Concessions offering beer and wine will be available for those aged 21 and up. Evening in the Park is free, though attendance will be capped at 350.

Whether you are a foodie ready for a night off from kitchen duty or fancy a date night indoors, consider take out from The Belfry, 1532 Grand Blvd. In addition to wine bottles and spirits to-go, the Crossroads batch kitchen is rolling out homemade pies, a range of meal and cocktail kits, plus baked-to-order items like brunch time Madeleines. 

Sunday, Aug. 16

9 a.m. – 11 p.m. There’s a full day of activities planned for 816 Day (8/16 get it?) in the 18th & Vine District, 1516 E. 18th St. “The Homecoming” Sunday celebration will feature local vendors, dance, live music, fashion and food fit for the only day of the year that unofficially honors the 816 area code. The event is free.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. It’s that time of the year — the Kansas state flower is in full bloom. Take an afternoon to check out KC Pumpkin Patch’s Sunflower Festival in Olathe, 13875 South Gardner Road. Fields of yellow await sunflower lovers and selfie takers, who can also get in on KC Pumpkins Patch’s 50 outdoor activities, including human foosball, duck races, pumpkin bowling and more.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. If you’re a sucker for Sunday brunch, Parlor in the Crossroads, 1707 Locust St., has you covered. A ticket to Turn Down for Brunch at the food hall includes a brunch item from the restaurant of your choice plus a brunch cocktail. There’ll be live music and games to keep the party going — pretty much until dinner time. Tickets are $25.