This weekend in Kansas City: Greek Festival, PorchFest KC, Dragon Boat Festival, Lily Tomlin and Irish Street Faire

HEAR Now: The Audio Fiction & Arts Festival

Thursday-Sunday at various locations

Organizers of the HEAR Now festival describe the four-day event as “the audio equivalent of a film festival for contemporary audio storytelling in all its forms: live and scripted solo performances, multi-voiced performance, classic radio drama, experimental narrative, and much more.” Participants include David Ossman, a member of the comedy troupe Firesign Theatre for almost 50 years, Yelena Shmulenson, an actress who has appeared on the TV series “Boardwalk Empire,” and several narrators of audiobooks. Venues range from the auditorium of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial to the Cinemark Palace on the Plaza.

Thursday, June 11-Sunday, June 14. hearnowfestival.org. Several events are free and open to the public. Other events require individual tickets or festival passes.

Kansas City Symphony, “Shostakovich and Stravinsky”

Thursday at Helzberg Hall

A concert featuring the compositions of Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich might initially seem like a ponderous proposition. Yet the Kansas City Symphony’s free happy hour concert on Thursday is far from imposing. The final happy hour event of the season features a pair of the Russian composers’ most interesting works. Stravinsky was reportedly inspired by jazz as he developed the World War I-era “The Soldier’s Tale,” even though he had yet to hear a note of the new American music. Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 is shockingly clamorous, but at a mere 20 minutes, even the most impatient members of the audience won’t have to squirm for long.

6 p.m. Thursday, June 11. Helzberg Hall. 816-471-0400. kcsymphony.org. Free.

National Pro Fastpitch: USSSA Florida Pride vs. Dallas Charge

Thursday and Friday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark

Television viewers prone to surfing sports channels encountered exhaustive coverage of the college softball tournament last month. Sports fans who didn’t reflexively change the channels saw that the sport is wildly entertaining. The enthusiasm of the players, the small dimensions of the infield and the impressive athleticism of the pitchers make the sport delightfully engaging. The festive yet highly competitive sensibility should carry over to the two games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark as players on two of the five teams in the professional National Pro Fastpitch league demonstrate their skills in a new market.

7:35 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 7:05 p.m. Friday, June 12. CommunityAmerica Ballpark. 913-328-2255. tbonesbaseball.com. $16.

“It’s Time to Heal”

Friday and Saturday at Penn Valley Community College Education Center

Broken families, domestic violence, sexual abuse and church hurt are among the “healing topics” that will be addressed at the “It’s Time to Heal” empowerment conference this weekend. Kira McConico, the author of “Fixing Broken: You Can Live Past Your Pain” and “Bear Much Fruit: A Godly Approach to Entrepreneurship,” is among the speakers. Dionna Latimer, the founder of Moving 4Ward Ministries, will lead a workshop titled “Overcoming Sexual Abuse.” In addition to praise and worship interludes, Sada K., a locally based Christian-oriented vocalist, will provide uplifting entertainment.

7-10 p.m. Friday, June 12, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Penn Valley Community College Education Center, 3201 Southwest Trafficway. 913-334-5515. itthkc.com. $55.

Festival on the Trails

Friday and Saturday in downtown Gardner

Free concerts by musicians with hit-packed catalogs are the main attraction at the Festival on the Trails in Gardner this weekend. The Atlanta Rhythm Section racked up a series of sultry Southern rock hits in the 1970s. Although replacements outnumber original members in the current version of the band, live renditions of songs like “So Into You” and “Imaginary Lover” should retain their charm on Friday. Mark Chesnutt will revive his 1990s honky-tonk hits like “Brother Jukebox” and “Too Cold at Home” on Saturday. A children’s play area, a car show and a craft show will provide additional entertainment at the festival in southern Johnson County.

Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13. Downtown Gardner. 913-856-7535. festivalonthetrails.com. Free.

Greek Festival

Friday-Sunday at St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Christian Church

Not everyone who loves Greek food loves every Greek restaurant. The manic atmosphere at establishments that aggressively ply diners with the potent Greek alcohol ouzo while shouting “opa” can be unpleasantly overwhelming. The annual Greek Festival at St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Christian Church offers an upbeat but less frenzied environment in which to enjoy delicacies like tyropites pastries, souvlakia pork dishes and dolmathes, a mixture of beef, rice and vegetables wrapped in grape leaves. A dozen dance exhibitions and a Greek boutique will provide additional diversions.

5-10 p.m. Friday, June 12, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, June 13, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, June 14. St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Christian Church, 8100 W. 95th St., Overland Park. 913-341-7373. stdionysios.org/festival. Free.

PorchFest KC

Saturday in the West Plaza neighborhood

Last year’s inaugural PorchFest KC was an unqualified success. Thousands of people roamed the streets of the West Plaza, socializing and enjoying a wide variety of live music. Porches of houses served as terrific stages, and the neighborhood’s mature trees provided welcoming shade. Saturday’s event promises to be even better. Prominent and obscure area musicians will provide five hours of entertainment. Participants include eccentric folk-rock band the Kansas City Bear Fighters, jazz ensemble the Project H, tango group Cucharada and country singer/songwriter Sara Morgan.

Noon-5 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Multiple venues. 415-218-0773. porchfestkc.com. Free.

Symphony in the Flint Hills

Saturday at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

While the Celebration at the Station concerts every Memorial Day weekend and a series of free happy hour concerts are impressive, the Kansas City Symphony’s annual concert in the Flint Hills is its most audacious outreach event. The 10th edition of the concert will be at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a scenic spot that’s a two-hour drive from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Singer/songwriter and ranching enthusiast Lyle Lovett will perform with the Symphony. The event is sold out, but ticketless Lovett fans can console themselves by securing seats for his Oct. 23 appearance at the Lied Center in Lawrence.

6:45 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. 620-273-8955. symphonyintheflinthills.org. $90. $50 for children younger than 12.

Dragon Boat Festival and Races

Saturday at Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza

Much of the renowned architecture of the Country Club Plaza is based on structures in Seville, Spain. Even so, one of the district’s most distinctive annual events is rooted in a Chinese tradition. The colorful Dragon Boat Festival is inspired by a tragedy. The politically motivated suicide of poet Qu Yuan in 278 B.C. supposedly compelled his supporters to take to watercraft to prevent fish from consuming his corpse in the Miluo River. Given the torrential downpours that have recently made local waterways including Brush Creek dangerous, Saturday’s boat races could be even more exciting than usual.

8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Brush Creek on Country Club Plaza. chinagardensociety-kc.org. Free.

Lily Tomlin

Saturday at Muriel Kauffman Theatre

Decades before the seemingly limitless content on the Internet and cable TV fractured audiences into thousands of specialized segments, three major television networks dominated the American marketplace. Most of their offerings were relatively safe. NBC’s “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” was an exception. Lily Tomlin was one of several of the variety show’s subversive entertainers. Characters she portrayed, including telephone operator Ernestine and assertive child Edith Ann, ingeniously challenged societal norms. Tomlin has since appeared in hit movies, TV programs and Broadway plays.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Muriel Kauffman Theatre. 816-994-7200. kauffmancenter.org. $49-$79.

Browne’s Irish Street Faire

Saturday at Browne’s Irish Marketplace

The proprietors of Browne’s Irish Marketplace claim that the establishment is “the oldest Irish business in North America.” The staff of the restaurant and shop organize and host an ambitious annual festival. The annual Browne’s Irish Street Faire expands the establishment’s offerings. Some participants in a “best legs in a kilt” competition may elect to fortify themselves in a whiskey sampling tent or find liquid courage in a wide selection of Irish beers. Beloved Irish troubadour Eddie Delahunt and popular Celtic-rock band the Elders are among the entertainers.

3-11 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Browne’s Irish Marketplace, 3300 Pennsylvania. 816-561-0030. www.brownesmarket.com. $12 in advance and $15 at the gate.

Scottish Highland Games

Saturday and Sunday at E.H. Young Park

The prominent Irish community in Kansas City is so industrious that the tireless efforts of its members often overshadow the work of the people who identify with other parts of the British Isles. While it’s forced to compete for attention with Browne’s Irish Street Faire on Saturday, the two-day Scottish Highland Games will give attendees and participants of Scottish heritage a chance to shine. Scottish sports and dancing are among the traditions that will be on display in Riverside. Minnesota-based band the Langer’s Ball, Tennessee’s Tuatha Dea and other Celtic-themed ensembles will provide a festive soundtrack.

9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, June 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, June 14. E.H. Young Park. kcscottishgames.org. $10 per day. Children under 12 are free.

Dog-n-Jog

Sunday on the Country Club Plaza

In spite of the water bowls placed on sidewalks and the presence of Three Dog Bakery, not everyone on the Plaza welcomes canines. Yet dogs will be celebrated on Sunday morning during the Dog-n-Jog fundraiser. Humans and their best friends can participate in a 2-mile run, a 1-mile run or a 1-mile walk. Other canines will demonstrate their agility skills. Accompanied by his dog Stormy, TV meteorologist Gary Lezak will act as the master of ceremonies. Vendors will be on hand to sell dog-related goods and services. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.

7-10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 14. Country Club Plaza. 913-596-1000, ext. 115. hsgkc.org. $30, or at least $50 in fundraising.

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival

Opens Tuesday in Southmoreland Park

“When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.” King Lear’s jaded pronouncement aside, people who appreciate the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival might suggest that the only true fools in Kansas City this summer are those who opt not to attend one or more showings of “King Lear.” The free annual production is one of Kansas City’s signature cultural events. This year’s staging is especially promising. John Rensenhouse, a respected luminary of Kansas City’s theater scene, will star in the title role. A lecture and a parody presentation precede the play each night.

8 p.m. Tuesday, June 16-Sunday, July 5. Southmoreland Park. 816-531-7728. kcshakes.org. Free, donations encouraged.

This story was originally published June 10, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "This weekend in Kansas City: Greek Festival, PorchFest KC, Dragon Boat Festival, Lily Tomlin and Irish Street Faire."