KC events May 31-June 6: Big Slick weekend, ‘Dirty Dancing’ on stage, Royals, #Imomsohard
#Imomsohard
8 p.m. Thursday, May 31, at Starlight
Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley had been mothers and comedians for many years, so it made sense they would combine their passions with the 2016 launch of their web series #Imomsohard, which quickly went viral. Now the Nebraska natives are on the road with their second tour, “Mom’s Night Out: Round 2,” during which they will discuss the good, the bad and the funny of motherhood — with the help of some red wine. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $35-$69 through kcstarlight.com.
Old Shawnee Days
Thursday-Sunday, May 31-June 3, at Shawnee Town 1929
This will be the 52nd annual celebration in Shawnee, and the parade (10 a.m. June 2) has grown into one of the largest in Kansas. Other Old Shawnee Days activities will be a carnival, vendors, children’s activities, a Bloody Mary party, a pie and baking contest and music on multiple stages featuring national and local acts. 913-631-5200. oldshawneedays.org. Free except for carnival.
Big Slick Celebrity Weekend
Friday-Saturday, June 1-2, at multiple venues
Hosts David Koechner, Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Eric Stonestreet and Jason Sudeikis will bring a slew of their friends to town to raise money for the Cancer Center at Children’s Mercy in an event that began in 2010. The highlights will be the Celebrity Softball Game before the Royals-Athletics game Friday at Kauffman Stadium, the Big Slick Block Party and Celebrity Bowling Tournament all day Saturday at Pinstripes in Prairiefire and the party and auction on Saturday night at the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. bigslickkc.org. Prices vary; Celebrity Bowling Tournament VIP tickets and party and auction tickets sold out.
Downtown Days Festival
Noon-10 p.m. Friday, June 1; 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, June 2; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, June 3; in Downtown Lee’s Summit
If nothing else, Lee’s Summit’s annual early-summer festival might be your last best chance to see The Elders for free. The local Irish band, which is on a farewell tour in 2018, is scheduled to play at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, just after the Nace Brothers. In addition to live entertainment, Downtown Days will provide carnival rides, a sports and autograph booth, robotics demonstrations, handcrafted goods, two beer tents and food. leessummitdowntowndays.com. Free except for carnival.
Festa Italiana
5-11 p.m. Friday, June 1; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, June 2; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, June 3; at Zona Rosa
Food, especially Italian cuisine, is the focus of this Northland festival, but there will be plenty of other attractions, ranging from a beer garden and car show to food-eating contests and a designated children’s area. Novelty booths will line the streets selling “Lots of Italiana” shirts, hats and other memorabilia representing Italian heritage. zonarosa.com. Free.
Kansas City Symphony, Beethoven’s “Emperor” and Wagner’s “Ring”
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 1-2, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at Helzberg Hall
The Symphony will present works by two giants of the composing world. The “Emperor” Piano Concerto, composed when Beethoven was confronting deafness, earned that nickname for its grand and noble qualities. Also on the program will be excerpts from Wagner’s four-part series, “The Ring of the Nibelung.” Johannes Debus, music director of the Canadian Opera Company, will be guest conductor, and German pianist Martin Helmchen will be guest soloist. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-471-0400. Tickets are $25-$90 through kcsymphony.org.
PrideFest
6-11:30 p.m. Friday, June 1; noon-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 2; noon-7 p.m. Sunday, June 3; at Berkley Riverfront Park
The Kansas City Diversity Coalition’s three-day event will include a carnival, kids zone, animal adoption, marketplace and volleyball as well as free HIV testing, immunizations and other health information. Evening musical acts will feature Material Girl and DJ Roland Belmares on Friday, David Hernandez, Frenchie Davis and Billy Gilman on Saturday and Monique Heart and Thelma Houston on Sunday. Tickets are $10 through gaypridekc.org; free admission noon-1 p.m. Sunday.
Royals vs. Oakland
7:15 p.m. Friday, June 1, and 1:15 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 2-3, at Kauffman Stadium
You’ve got to give the 2018 Royals one thing: They’ve been consistent. In their case, that’s not a good thing. But this homestand will have some draws that go beyond bad baseball, with the pre-game Big Slick Celebrity Softball Game and post-game fireworks on Friday, a Whit Merrifield bobblehead giveaway on Saturday and KidsFest on Sunday. 800-676-9257. Tickets are $19-$139 through mlb.com/royals.
Hospital Hill Run
7 a.m. Saturday, June 2, at Crown Center Square
The Hospital Hill Run has been around since the running craze of the 1970s, and to help celebrate the organizers are bringing back the traditional 7.7-mile event to go with the half-marathon and the 5K (which will start at 7 p.m. Friday). In addition to the races, activities will include a Health and Fitness Expo during packet pickup 3-7 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday at Crown Center Exhibit Hall. Entry fees are $45-$140 through hospitalhillrun.com.
Wornall/Majors Garden Tour
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at multiple locations
Distinctive gardens will be abloom at five private residences in historic Kansas City neighborhoods as well as at the John Wornall House and the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Gardens as part of the largest fundraiser of the year for the Wornall House (1858) and Alexander Majors House (1856). 816-444-1858. Tickets are $25 through wornallmajors.org/gardentour2018; $30 at door; patrons party Friday evening $75.
“Unexpected Encounters”
Opens Saturday, June 2, at Nelson-Atkins Museum
With 250 works spanning the 16th through 21st centuries and featuring painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, furniture and jewelry, “Unexpected Encounters” is an interactive exhibition showcasing the Nelson-Atkins’ significant gifts over the past decade. In addition to providing insight into the museum’s inner workings, it will highlight the museum’s newer collecting initiatives for works by women and artists of color. Runs through Aug. 12. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. 816-751-1278. nelson-atkins.org. Free.
“Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage”
8 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, through June 10 at Starlight
This stage version of the popular 1987 movie premiered in Australia in 2004 and was a smash hit there and in Europe before making its way to North America. With hit songs “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby, Do You Love Me?” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” it tells the story of 17-year-old Baby, who falls for dancing instructor Johnny while on vacation with her family in the Catskills. 816-363-7827. Tickets are $14-$145 through kcstarlight.com.
Also this week
Classical music and dance
Kantorei KC, “French Counter-Reformation,” June 2, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, and June 3, Walnut Gardens Community of Christ. kantoreikc.org
Musica Vocale, “Harmoniemusik,” June 3, Grand Hall at Power & Light. musicavocale.org
Theater
“Torch Song Trilogy,” Barn Players, May 31-June 10, Arts Asylum. thebarnplayers.org
“Hair,” Musical Theatre Kansas City, June 1-2, B&B Live. mtkc.org
“Unnecessary Farce,” June 1-17, Olathe Civic Theatre Association. olathetheatre.org
Comedy
Karlous Miller, May 31-June 3, Kansas City Improv. improvkc.com
Music (rock, pop, jazz)
David Bromberg Quintet, May 31, Knuckleheads. knuckleheadskc.com
Al Stewart, June 1, Polsky Theatre. jccc.edu/theseries
The Reunion Beatles – Fantasy Tribute, June 1, Folly. follytheater.org
Trace Adkins, June 1, Uptown. uptowntheater.com
American Jazz Walk of Fame Induction and Concert featuring David Sanborn, Marilyn Maye and Ruben Studdard, June 2, Gem Theater. eventbrite.com/event/45254576657
Barenaked Ladies with Better Than Ezra and KT Tunstall, June 2, Starlight. kcstarlight.com
Herman’s Hermits, June 2, Ameristar. ameristar.com
Rockfest featuring Five Finger Death Punch, Ghost, Stone Temple Pilots and more, June 2, Kansas Speedway. rockfestkc.com
The Alan Parsons Live Project, June 3, Uptown. uptowntheater.com
Ween, June 3, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. midlandkc.com
Third Day, June 6, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. silversteineyecentersarena.com
Visual arts
First Fridays in the Crossroads, June 1, Crossroads Arts District. kccrossroads.org
Prairie Village Art Show, June 1-3, Prairie Village Shops. prairievillageshops.com/events/2018-prairie-village-art-show
Stems Plein Air Art Fair, June 3, Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. stemspleinair.com/art-fair-info
Events/festivals/etc.
Sprint SummerFest, June 1-2, Belton Memorial Park. beltonparks.org
EcoFest, June 2, Waterfall Park, Independence. ci.independence.mo.us/ecofest
Enchanted Faire, June 2, Overland Park Arboretum. artsandrec-op.org/arboretum
Levee Fest, June 2, Armourdale Levee Trail. downtownkck.org
Party on the Prairie, June 2, Jerry Smith Park. kcparks.org/event/party-on-the-prairie-2
Strawberry Festival, June 2, Vaile Mansion. vailemansion.org
SwaveKC Streetwear Expo, June 2, Overland Park Convention Center. opconventioncenter.com/event/swavekc-sneaker-expo
Rose Day and Show, June 3, Loose Park. kcparks.org/event/rose-day-show-2
Urbana, June 3, Kansas City Power & Light District. powerandlightdistrict.com
A Conversation with Sonia Warshawski, June 5, Kansas City Public Library-Plaza Branch. kclibrary.org
“Between River and Rim: Hiking the Grand Canyon,” Pete McBride and Kevin Fedarko, National Geographic Live Series, June 5, Kauffman Center. kauffmancenter.org
Book talks
Jake Tapper for “The Hellfire Club,” June 2, Rainy Day Books. rainydaybooks.com
Sports/recreation
Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota, June 3. Children’s Mercy Park. sportingkc.com
Kansas City Phantoms (arena football) vs. Sioux City, June 2. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena. kcphantoms.com
Lakeside Speedway: Gary D Super Stock Race, June 1. lakesidespeedway.net
Kansas City T-Bones vs. Wichita, June 1-3. T-Bones Stadium. tbonesbaseball.com
This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 7:57 AM with the headline "KC events May 31-June 6: Big Slick weekend, ‘Dirty Dancing’ on stage, Royals, #Imomsohard."