What do Nelson-Atkins and Chiefs have in common? Both Kansas City favorites returning

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City’s No. 1 attraction according to a recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report — the Arabia Steamboat Museum is No. 2. by the way — will reopen to the public Sept. 12.

The coronavirus pandemic caused the art museum to shut its doors March 14.

The Nelson-Atkins will have revised hours and protocols, including a mask requirement and timed tickets, although admission will remain free. Access will be limited to four entry points into the Bloch Building.

Hours will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Monday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday; the museum will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The time slots of 10-11 a.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays will be reserved for museum members.

Museum members have already had a chance to visit; the museum invited them back as of Sept. 4.

Here are eight more in-person activities to consider for the next week:

▪ If you can’t make it to Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday but insist on watching your Chiefs with a crowd, gather (socially distanced, of course) at the KC Live! Block to view the season opener against the Houston Texans on the big screen while enjoying food, games and other entertainment. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. Sept. 10 (free; premium reserved tables, $100-$680). Local country singer Travis Marvin will perform after the game. powerandlightdistrict.com.

▪ The Br. John Duo (vocalist Br. John and guitarist Rick Cole) will perform as part of Neo Soul on the Vine in the Jay McShann Pavilion at the American Jazz Museum, 11 a.m. Sept. 11 (free). americanjazzmuseum.org.

▪ “The 24th,” the new film about the 1917 Houston Riot by Oscar-winning writer/director and University of Kansas professor Kevin Willmott, will be shown on the Southeast Lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, 8 p.m. Sept. 11 (free with RSVP). theworldwar.org.

▪ The Bach Aria Soloists will launch their 21st season with a free concert at Southmoreland Park featuring the music of Handel, Bach, Telemann and more, 2 p.m. Sept. 12 (registration required; event has reached capacity). bachariasoloists.com.

▪ The 1992 film “Sister Act” will be shown on the north lawn of Starlight Theatre, 8 p.m. Sept. 12 ($10; masks required for entry). kcstarlight.com.

▪ The Plaza 10K Run/Walk, with a course that runs along Brush Creek and through the Country Club Plaza, will feature precautions for COVID-19 (including cancellation of the kids fun run), 7:30 a.m. Sept. 13 ($70; no race-day registration). plaza10k.com.

▪ The CARnival for CASA, sponsored by Jackson County Court Appointed Special Advocates, will feature exotic animals, arts and crafts, boxed lunches and more, all experienced from participants’ vehicles as they drive through the Unity Village campus, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 13 ($60 per carload). jacksoncountycasa-mo.org.

▪ Hot Club KC will play 1920s music for the finale of the Jammin’ on the Green 2020 season at the Shawnee Town Gazebo, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 (free). shawneetown.org.

Virtual entertainment

Here are five online ways you and your family can spend your coronavirus-induced stay-at-home time:

▪ Choose from two opportunities for a sneak preview of the new-look Truman Library with a virtual walk-through via Zoom of the renovation project that began in July 2019, followed by a Q&A session, 3 p.m. Sept. 10 and 9 a.m. Sept. 11. trumanlibraryinstitute.org.

▪ Singer/songwriter Sara Evans, a native of central Missouri and author of three novels, has written a memoir called “Born to Fly,” and she will celebrate its launch with a livestream event presented by Rainy Day Books, 7 p.m. Sept. 11. rainydaybooks.com.

▪ The pandemic wiped out the 49th version of the Walnut Valley Festival, one of the nation’s premier bluegrass and acoustic music gatherings, so the Walnut Valley Association will offer WFF 48.5 instead. The online celebration Sept. 12-20 will include workshops and concerts, highlighted by John McCutcheon and Friends at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16 and streamed performances Sept. 19 and 20 by artists who had been scheduled to appear at the festival in Winfield, Kansas. wvfest.com.

▪ Calvin Arsenia, Laura Noble, We the People and Julia Othmer are among the acts scheduled to perform in the KKFI Crossroads Music Fest, which will be broadcast live on KKFI 90.1 FM as well as through audio and video streams at kkfi.org and cmfkc.com, 4-10 p.m. Sept. 12.

▪ Fans of local product Joyce DiDonato, whose May 29 Harriman-Jewell Series concert at the Kauffman Center was canceled because of COVID-19, can see the mezzo-soprano perform in Bochum, Germany, as part of the Met Stars Live in Concert series, 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12 ($20; available on-demand for 12 days). metstarslive.brightcove-services.com.

This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 9:34 AM.

Dan Kelly

The Kansas City Star

Dan Kelly has been covering entertainment and arts news at The Star since 2009. He previously worked at the Columbia Daily Tribune, The Miami Herald and The Louisville Courier-Journal. He also was on the University of Missouri School of Journalism faculty for six years, and he has written two books, most recently “The Girl with the Agate Eyes: The Untold Story of Mattie Howard, Kansas City’s Queen of the Underworld.”