This weekend in Kansas City: Pride Fest, Jimmy Buffett and Old Shawnee Days

Nick Offerman

Thursday at Unity Temple on the Plaza

Like a mustachioed version of Stephen Colbert, Nick Offerman blurs the line between his actual self and the persona of a character he plays on a popular TV show. As libertarian-minded Ron Swanson on “Parks and Recreation,” Offerman portrays the reluctant head of a town’s parks department. Swanson would approve of “Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom With America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers.” The follow-up to “Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living,” Offerman’s latest book pays tribute to Americans ranging from George Washington to Willie Nelson.

7 p.m. Thursday, June 4. Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th. 913-384-3126. rainydaybooks.com. $26.95 plus tax, includes an autographed hardcover copy of “Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom With America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers.”

Old Shawnee Days

Thursday-Sunday at Shawnee Town

The city slogan of Shawnee is “good starts here.” People who attend the annual Old Shawnee Days festival might have trouble deciding where to begin having fun at the bustling four-day event. Concerts, a carnival, baking contests and a parade are among the wide range of concurrent activities taking place at the festival. Lou Gramm, the man who sang Foreigner hits like “Feels Like the First Time” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” headlines the main stage on Saturday. The festival opens Thursday with a carnival. Pies and cakes will be judged on Sunday. Saturday’s parade begins at 10 a.m.

6-10 p.m. Thursday, June 4, and Friday, June 5, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, June 7. Shawnee Town. 913-248-2360. oldshawneedays.org. Admission is free.

Downtown Days … Streets Alive! Festival

Friday-Sunday in downtown Lee’s Summit

Citizens and business owners based in downtown Lee’s Summit have embraced a campaign that uses signage to spread “random words of kindness.” The cordial sentiment should be on display at the Downtown Days … Streets Alive! Festival this weekend. Some components of the festival lend themselves to friendliness more than others. Civil War re-enactments, for instance, may not induce many smiles. A petting zoo and the enticing aroma emanating from a barbecue competition, however, are likely to elicit good cheer. The Elders and the Nace Brothers are among the popular local bands performing at the festival.

Noon-10 p.m. Friday, June 5, 10 a.m -10 p.m. Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, June 7. Downtown Lee’s Summit. 816-246-6598. leessummitdowntowndays.com. Admission is free.

Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers

Friday-Sunday at Kauffman Stadium

Several players for the Kansas City Royals are leading the vote tally of fans for the 2015 All-Star Game. The star power radiated by the roster of the Texas Rangers makes the popularity of Royals players like Salvador Perez all the more remarkable. The Rangers’ roster includes heavyweight slugger Prince Fielder and Josh Hamilton, a former American League MVP. In spite of these big names, the Rangers are off to a sluggish start in 2015. The giveaways of 10,000 scarves on Friday and 15,000 Lorenzo Cain bobblehead figures on Saturday add further luster to this weekend’s games.

7:10 p.m. Friday, June 5, 1:10 p.m. Saturday, June 6, and Sunday June 7. Kauffman Stadium. 816-921-8000. kansascity.royals.mlb.com. $18-$462.

KC PrideFest 2015

Friday-Sunday at Berkley Riverfront Park

A rendition of “It’s Raining Men” on Saturday night is likely to be a highlight on this weekend’s KC PrideFest. As half of the Weather Girls, Martha Wash first sang the hit that has since become a gay anthem in 1982. Wash, Linda Clifford and Evelyn “Champagne” King will perform as the First Ladies of Disco. The women have sung on dance classics including “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Shame” and “Gonna Make You Sweat.” KC PrideFest is about more than great music. The festival grounds will include a “LGBTQIA youth hang out” area, a playground for children and a volleyball court.

6 p.m.-midnight Friday, June 5, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, June 6, noon-6 p.m. Sunday, June 7. Berkley Riverfront Park. 816-960-3400. gaypridekc.org. Advance tickets are $5 per day or $8 for a two-day pass. Admission is free Sunday.

Sugar Creek Slavic Festival

Friday and Saturday at the Mike Onka Memorial Building in Sugar Creek

Alex Meixner, a multi-instrumentalist who was nominated for a Grammy Award for the 2007 album “Polka Freak Out!”, is the headliner of the Sugar Creek Slavic Festival this weekend. Although he’s still in his 30s, Meixner has been spreading the gospel of polka for more than 20 years. He’ll demonstrate his experience in four sets at the two-day festival. The event is designed to honor the contributions people of Slavic descent have made to the Sugar Creek community. In addition to music, the festival includes a kielbasa eating contest, a dance demonstration and a children’s costume parade.

5-11:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, 3-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Mike Onka Memorial Building, 11520 E. Putnam, Sugar Creek. slavicfest.com. $3. Children under 12 are free.

Jazzoo

Friday at the Kansas City Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo is on a roll. The popularity of the polar bear and penguin exhibits, the new orangutan habitat and the recent birth of a gorilla attest to the zoo’s ongoing renaissance. The exciting developments are partly attributable to the funds raised at the annual Jazzoo celebration. The price tag of the black-tie event is formidable, but attendees get a lot for their money. In addition to unlimited drinks and food provided by 65 restaurants, food trucks and catering services, guests will be entertained by musicians including Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band and the Barclay Martin Ensemble.

7:30 p.m.-midnight Friday, June 5. Kansas City Zoo. 816-513-5800. jazzookc.org. $175.

Gladstone Bluesfest

Friday and Saturday at Oak Grove Park in Gladstone

Just as food tends to taste better when consumed outside, blues often sound sweeter when heard in the open air. The ongoing success of the Gladstone Bluesfest attests to the truth of the adage. The serene setting in Oak Grove Park accentuates the carefree tone of the two-day festival. Friday’s headliner is Junior Watson. The jump blues bandleader from California plays in a style associated with Kansas City’s Big Joe Turner. The Midwestern blues institution the Bel-Airs and the Coyote Bill Boogie Band open the show. Chicago guitarist Jimmy D. Lane and eclectic Lawrence-based entertainer Kelley Hunt are the main attractions on Saturday.

6 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Oak Grove Park. 816-436-4523. gladstonechamber.com. Admission is free, parking is $5.

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band

Concert: Saturday at the Sprint Center

Parrot Fest: Saturday in the Power & Light District

Jimmy Buffett fans are among the world’s most mirthful music devotees. Known for their bacchanal exploits, Parrotheads favor beach-themed attire. A full day of revelry awaits hardy ticket-holders to Buffett’s concert Saturday at the Sprint Center. The Buffett-related festivities at Parrot Fest begin at 11 a.m. in the Power & Light District. Performances by compatible bands and a hula-hoop contest will set the mood for the concert. It’s likely that some fans will have so much fun in the entertainment district that they’ll forgo walking across the street to the Sprint Center to catch a set by Buffett’s opening act, Huey Lewis and the News.

Concert: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Sprint Center. 816-949-7100. sprintcenter.com. $37.50-$137.50

Parrot Fest: 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6. Kansas City Live! 816-842-1045. powerandlightdistrict.com. Free.

Hospital Hill Run

Friday and Saturday at Hospital Hill in the Crown Center area

Committed runners coming from out of town to participate in one or more of the Hospital Hill races this weekend might be in for a surprise. Geographically challenged people might assume that the topography of Kansas City is flat. While it won’t be mistaken for San Francisco, Kansas City has rolling hills that can pose a challenge to people on foot. Saturday’s half-marathon takes runners from Truman Road to Meyer Boulevard. The morning’s 10K course is limited to downtown and midtown. The UMKC School of Medicine 5K on Friday evening covers the slopes from the Paseo to the east to Grand Boulevard on the west.

5K: 7 p.m. Friday, June 5, 10K and half marathon: 7 a.m. Saturday, June 6. Crown Center area. 312-925-6067. hospitalhillrun.com. $40-$125.

Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle

Saturday at Sporting Park

More than 40,000 people attended the May 23 match between Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting Kansas City at CenturyLink Field in Washington. The massive crowd saw the clubs play to a draw. While the fervor of Sporting fans is recognized throughout the Major League Soccer community, the state-of-the-art Sporting Park holds fewer than 20,000 people for soccer matches. Knowing that Sounders FC draws double that number may elicit even more vociferous support from Sporting fans on Saturday. The team might need their help. Led by the exceptional play of star Clint Dempsey, Seattle is one of the league’s strongest teams.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Sporting Park. 913-912-7600. sportingkc.com. $27-$275.

Norm Macdonald

Sunday at the VooDoo

Norm Macdonald’s appearance on one of the final episodes of “Late Show With David Letterman” became a viral sensation. The comedian’s emotional routine demonstrated his range. Macdonald joked about hallucinogenic drugs, the societal impact of digital photography and the last century’s two world wars. His dry comedy often relies on an amusing conceit in which he feigns ignorance of common knowledge. Macdonald choked up as he spoke of the influence Letterman had on forming his aesthetic. During his five-season stint as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” Macdonald regularly mocked Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas.

8 p.m. Sunday, June 7. VooDoo in Harrah’s North Kansas City. 816-472-7777. voodookc.com. $28-$58.

Randy Newman with the Kansas City Symphony

Wednesday at Helzberg Hall

Unlike most singer/songwriters who collaborate with orchestras, Randy Newman has an impressive classical pedigree. His uncles Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman were accomplished film and television composers. Newman has maintained the family tradition with musical contributions to movies such as “Toy Story.” The original versions of several of Newman’s classic songs, including “Sail Away,” “Marie” and “Real Emotional Girl,” were enhanced by strings. “Live in London,” a 2011 recording featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, demonstrates that orchestras continue to flatter Newman’s material.

7 p.m. Wednesday, June 10. Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 816-994-7200. kauffmancenter.org. $49-$89.