First-ever Margarita Fest sold out in KCK. What happened inside?
Wasting away in Margaritaville? Counter to the lyrics from the classic Jimmy Buffett song, the over-200 patrons inside the Kansas City, Kansas hotel based on the yacht rock icon Saturday, March 7, weren’t wasting anything — especially tequila.
A sold-out crowd packed the upstairs concourse of Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City’s on-site restaurant, LandShark Bar & Grill, for the first-ever Margarita Fest, an afternoon-long celebration of all things related to the distilled alcoholic beverage made in Mexico.
Patrons got to get their hands on Patrón and 10 other brands of tequila, such as Espolòn, Teremana, backed by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, or Código 1530, founded by country icon George Strait.
Local brands Mean Mule distillery and Una Familia Tequila also were in the mix, providing some Kansas City flavor to the guests in attendance.
The afternoon made for an excellent date night for many of the visitors. They were spotted playing yard games, taking photos in one of the booths on-site and getting their profiles painted by a caricature artist.
Wasting away at Margarita Fest
Peyton Peters and Brady Hughes were one of the first to get their pictures painted when the event officially began at 2 p.m. They met three months ago on a holiday lights trolley tour hosted by Union Station.
The Kansas City natives have driven past the area many times, but saw Margarita Fest online and decided to give it a shot (or 12). Peters attributed the crowd to people who were looking for something to do that was all-inclusive and didn’t have to travel far.
“It’s a good excuse to get the community together, especially with the times we have right now,” Peters said.
The small-but-talkative community inside Margaritaville enjoyed everything the $75 ticket had to offer: swag bags with leis and cups, finger foods brought around on trays by LandShark staff, a make-your-own margarita salt station to pair with the one full-sized margarita they could acquire with one of the free tokens that came with the ticket.
The other tokens could be used to try small samples of tequila available or special cocktails made by the bartenders. Peters and Hughes cashed in their free token the raspberry lemonade tequila cocktail made with Código.
The frozen concoction that helps them hang on
The cotton candy margarita offered by Una Familiar was a favorite of Cassidy and Edward Vincent, two Kansas City natives who were invited by Margaritaville to join for the day’s festivities. They met at a fratenity party at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and have been together for the last 13 years.
Tequila is Cassidy Vincent’s vibe, and is hoping to see Margarita Fest to return in the future. Edward Vincent gave it a 10/10.
“It’s nice to go in and sample all different kinds of tequila and see what every table has to offer,” Edward Vincent said.
As the drinks kept flowing, the live band kept playing. Margarita Fest visitors were treated to the sounds of local band Wonder Breeze, playing covers from legendary artists like Nirvana, Cher, Goo Goo Dolls and Garth Brooks.
A woman on stilts would walk by and entertain guests, reaching down to their level to take photos and dance with them on the floor. The smells of chlorine from the indoor pool that sat below the upper level were washed away by the good times being had.
It was an especially good time for Leavenworth natives Kier and Steven Long. They’ve been married for two years and together for seven years, and Saturday was a special occasion: It was Kier Long’s birthday, and their anniversary is the following week.
They also saw it online and were looking for something to do to celebrate, and Margarita Fest lined up perfectly. A strawberry margarita made by one of the bartenders was their favorite concoction.
As good as the drinks were, they were bigger fans of the friendly and vibrant atmosphere. It was rare to not see someone smiling or laughing during the 4-hour festival.
“Everybody has a great energy,” Steven Long said. “I haven’t came across anybody that has a mean mug on their face or anything like that.
“Everybody’s smiling. It’s crazy. It’s a good vibe here, honestly.”
What’s next for Margarita Fest?
While each couple gave a shout out to the vibes during the event, they also were looking ahead to the next Margarita Fest. There’s only one problem: The next Margarita Fest hasn’t been announced yet.
It’s something Katie Roberts, the director of marketing with Margaritaville Kansas City, noted as she was walking through the concourse and checking in with the visitors. She’s hoping to bring it back in 2027, but will also discuss the possibility of hosting another one later this year.
“My favorite part has been seeing the community come together and really enjoy the love for margaritas and the bold flavors,” Roberts said.
Roberts is also in discussion for what to do when the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to town. With defending champions Lionel Messi and Argentina practicing three minutes away from Margaritaville at Compass Mineral Sporting Fields, she recognized the opportunity to do something big for visitors locally, national and internationally.
“We’re definitely going to have some fun features,” Roberts said.
