A fun-filled first weekend in May

Mow the grass early and get out of the house.

That’s only a suggestion, not an order. But the first weekend in May offers an array of activities for courting couples or whole families. Some highlights:

Celebrating its 29th year, this is the first major art show of the season. It runs Friday to Sunday in the area of 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard.

Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The show has children's activities on Saturday and Sunday, light music in the evenings, and food booths operated by local restaurants.

Details are at www.brooksidekc.org.

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The Guadalupe Centers Inc. will host the 23rd annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta on May 2-4 at Guadalupe headquarters, 1015 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez in Kansas City.

The festivities start with a concert and dance beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, with Mexican food and drink for sale. Admission is $5 for adults; children under 10 are free if accompanied by an adult.

Fiesta Mexicana follows from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, with entertainers, ethnic food and craft and jewelry booths. Carnival rides will operate from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

At 8 a.m. Sunday, a 5K run will be part of the “5 de Mayo 5Que” Run/Walk and Mariachi Fest.” A Mexican breakfast will follow.

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This annual event is Saturday at Missouri Town 1855 near Interstate 470 and Woods Chapel Road. Sheep will be hand-sheared, and visitors can see how raw wool is processed by washing, dying, carding spinning and weaving. There will be baby lambs, music, food and and crafts, too.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for most adults and $3 for children 5 to 13 and seniors 62 and over. Kids under 5 are free.

The address is 8010 E. Park Road, Lee’s Summit

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Jackson County is one sponsor of this free event — for kids 2 to 15 — Saturday at the Lake Jacomo Marina, 7401 W. Park Road, Blue Springs.

Kids can fish from 9 to 11 a.m., with registration starting at 8:30. There’s also a casting contest from 9 to 11, sponsored by the Missouri BASS Federation and the Optimist Clubs of Blue Springs, Lake Lotawana and Lee’s Summit.

Children must be accompanied by an adult and should bring a pole, bait and bucket. Life jackets are recommended. Bait, tackle and life jackets can be purchased there.

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The City Market area is the center of free activities Saturday that focus on the health of the planet. There’s a 3-mile walk along the Missouri River and a festival with the StoneLion Puppet Theatre.

The festival runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m. Walkers are encouraged to get pledges to support Bridging the Gap. Learn more or preregister at

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The free event will be 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Hill Park, 2201 S. Maywood St., with food, entertainment and children’s activities. Sponsors include the Local Investment Commission, the NorthWest Communities Development Corp. and the Kansas City and Mid-Continent public libraries.

This story was originally published April 28, 2014 at 8:25 PM with the headline "A fun-filled first weekend in May."