Kansas City progress: Food, fashion, books & civic change

The articles share how Kansas City moves forward in different spheres, from food and fashion to books and civic leadership.

A Spanish-style bar opened, serving snacks, sangria, and tinned fish. Diners can watch cooks prepare pinchos in an open kitchen. Kansas City gained fashion recognition when a local store, Dear Society, earned national ranking. The store hosts a matcha bar and offers a curated range of women’s brands. Book lovers found community through library events showing reading trends. The library published lists of most checked-out and staff-recommended books, bringing people together for discussions. Civic leaders prepare for transition as a new mayor takes office. The outgoing mayor reflected on efforts and called for future policy changes. Residents still face challenges with services, taxes, and neighborhood needs.

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The Kansas City Public Library’s Central Library downtown will host most of the events for the Heartland Book Festival. By Jill Toyoshiba

NO. 1: SEE KANSAS CITY’S BEST AND MOST POPULAR BOOKS OF 2025, ACCORDING TO LIBRARY DATA

We really got around in 2025. | Published December 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anne Kniggendorf

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Lilico’s Taverna is now open in the Crossroads.

NO. 2: SPANISH-STYLE ‘SNACKS AND SANGRIA’ SPOT OPENS IN KANSAS CITY’S CROSSROADS

So far, customers have been fairly open to trying the new bar’s lineup of tinned fish, employees at Lilico’s Taverna told The Star. | Published December 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jenna Thompson

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Dear Society is a clothing store in Kansas City’s Crossroads district.

NO. 3: ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST CLOTHING STORES IS IN KC, THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS

Kansas City is home to one of the country’s best clothing stores, according to The New York Times. | Published December 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jenna Thompson

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Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner speaks at Kansas Speedway

NO. 4: MAYOR TYRONE GARNER SAYS HIS LEADERSHIP WAS ‘UNAPOLOGETIC.’ WHAT’S NEXT FOR KCK?

Tyrone Garner’s days in office are drawing to a close, and as he readies to hand off leadership of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, he wants residents to know he tried to be someone his community could be proud of. | Published December 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Sofi Zeman

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.