The best events in Kansas City in 2021

When is it: August 14-15, 2021

Taco lovers take note. This celebratory weekend will have more than 75 varieties of tacos up for grabs in one high energy entertainment district. Get dizzy on a bull ride, dance off your margaritas with live music, and sample as many $3 tacos as your heart can handle. There are great deals for families (kids 10 and under eat free!), plus a hot chili pepper eating contest if you’re bold enough to tempt your taste buds.  

When is it: August 21-22, 2021

KC celebrates diversity and its thriving LGBTQIA community with live entertainment, games, a marketplace, local food fair, and more. The KC Pridefest has a new location this year centralizing all festivities downtown on the streets around Ilus W. Davis Park and City Hall.

When is it: September 3-5, 2021

Irish roots run deep in Kansas City. Every Labor Day weekend, the Kansas City Irish Fest celebrates Cow City’s Celtic heritage with live music, comedy, tastings, displays, genealogy events and children’s activities. The likes of Gaelic Storm, Red Hot Chili Peppers and We Banjo 3 have previously performed at the event, during which you’ll want to grab a Guinness, fill up on corned beef and embrace the festive Irishness around you at Crown Center.

When is it: September 4, 2021

Uncorked hosts a high-end wine fest in a dozen cities across the country, but KC's is always an event heightened by the venue: historic Union Station's gorgeous hall. Throw on your fanciest cocktail attire and enjoy over 100 wines and champagnes from across the globe as well as live entertainment, gourmet food vendors, a DJ, dancing and more. For an extra $20 you can extend your experience a full hour longer than general admission and skip the lines. If you're going to make the most of your fancypants time, the upgrade is highly recommended.

When is it: September 5-12, 2021

An EDM festival in the middle of Kansas? Yes, please. Head just south of KC for three nights of non-stop music set on four unique stages. Once you’re done partying, there’s no need to find a ride home: just camp in the forest, old-school style, or in your car or RV. (Worry not, there are showers!) And that's not all: Attendees will be treated to pool parties, art installations, zip lines and hot air balloon rides.

When is it: September 16-19, 2021

No list about Kansas City in general is complete without a BBQ mention. This two-day festival and BBQ competition features live local music, all the barbecue you can eat, beer and cocktails, a BBQ marketplace with local vendors, a car show and plenty of interactive activities for the kids. Yum. 

When is it: September 24-26, 2021

Kansas City’s unofficial kickoff to the fall season is a weekend full of food, live music and art. Featuring hundreds of artists, three live music stages and dozens of restaurant booths, the Plaza Art Fair is a top-ranked, national art event that takes over nine city blocks and draws crowds of 300,000 people each year.

When is it: October 1-2, 2021

Kansas City’s largest celebration of Bavarian-style bier, food and music takes place in the heart of downtown at Crown Center. Modeled after Munich Oktoberfest, the KC version features authentic German-style bier from KC Bier Co., local food vendors, games and competitions, arts, carnival rides and live entertainment on two stages. You won’t want to miss the traditional Masskrugstemmen (stein-hoisting competition). Celebrate this much adored “Munich of the Midwest” with a frosty stein of your own and a lively round of polka. 

When is it: November 26-December 31, 2021

A visit to Plaza Lights is on every Kansas Citian’s list of holiday traditions and for good reason. The Christmastime tradition started nearly a century ago, in 1930, in the 15-block shopping and dining district Country Club Plaza, known as just "the plaza." Starting on Thanksgiving Day, head to the plaza for window shopping, carolers and horse-drawn carriage rides while you take in thousands of lights and all the Christmas cheer you can imagine. A child is picked at random to flip the big switch on stage and turn all the lights on—how fun does that sound?

When is it: March 17, 2022

Join thousands of regulars who return for one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the country. The parade lasts nearly three hours, and there’s plenty of food and drink to be found along the route to keep you fueled up for fun. The events kick off with elaborate floats, leprechauns and marching bands at Linwood and Broadway and proceeds south along Broadway to 43rd Street, at which point everyone is dismissed to drown themselves in green beer at O’Wherever.

Dates: April 2022

Backed by Ink Magazine cultural curators, this multi-arts festival celebrates the creative culture of the Midwest with a major celebration in downtown Kansas City. Regional and national artists culminate here for a packed itinerary of music, film, and discussion held across a handful of inviting venues. Catch a rockumentary or series of indie short before dancing the night away to live artists.  

When is it: May 2022

On Memorial Day weekend, pack up a picnic and head to the North Lawn of the National WWI Memorial for a spectacular patriotic concert by the Kansas City Symphony followed by the city’s biggest fireworks display. Now in its 18th year, Celebration at the Station is the largest free Memorial Day weekend event in the Midwest.

When is it: June 17-18, 2022

Celebrate Father's Day weekend with all of dad’s favorite things: beer, food, music ... and more beer. Dubbed “the world’s finest pop-up party nation,” Boulevardia is a carnival, a silent disco, a charity bike ride, a dinner destination and a live music experience all in one. With or without dad, it’s one heck of a good time.