Your guide to family-friendly things to do in Johnson County as school year starts

The school buses might be running their routes, but there is still plenty of summer fun to be found in Johnson County this month — including live music in Merriam, a movie in the park in Mission, and a dog contest with 10 different categories in Shawnee. Or, you could camp out in a cabin in Leawood.

Each week, as part of our Johnson County News coverage and weekly newsletter, we share news, tips, events and community resources for several cities across Johnson County.

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Leawood

Go camping in the ‘burbs

The Ironwoods Cabins, located within Ironwoods Park, 14701 Mission Road, are available to rent. Each cabin includes access to a private, ADA-accessible portable restroom. There are nearby hiking trails, a fishing lake, and the Prairie Oak Nature Center. The cost for Leawood residents and civic groups is $135 per night. For non-residents, it’s $170 per night. You can add a fire ring too for just $60 for the first 2 hours, with additional hours available at $15 each.

Lenexa

Drop your compost

Compost Collective KC’s food waste bin swap program will be at the Lenexa Farmers Market, 17201 W. 87th St. Parkway, on Saturday, Aug. 16. They provide 5-gallon bins to fill with food scraps to be recycled. Customers will get finished compost back twice a year for their lawn or garden. Compost Collective will be at the Lenexa market again on Saturday, Aug. 30.

Your best spinach recipe?

Time to start thinking about the Lenexa Spinach Festival Spinach Recipe Contest. The contest will be held in conjunction with the festival, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, 8801 Greenway Lane. Judges will award cash prizes in four categories: appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert. Contestants are asked to bring their entries to the Lion’s Shelter between noon and 1 p.m. on festival day.

See eclectic, local art

The Lenexa Artists’ Show has opened at the Lenexa City Hall, 17101 W. 87th St. Parkway. The exhibit will run through Sunday, Sept 28. There will be a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at the gallery. The Lenexa Artists’ Show highlights an eclectic mix of artwork from local artists.

Merriam

Catch live outdoor music

Catch some live music from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at the Merriam Community Center Courtyard, 6040 Slater St. There will also be games and adult beverages for purchase.

Mission

Kid-friendly movie in the park

Movie in the Park will feature a free showing of “Night of the Zoopocalypse” from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at Water Works Park, 5810 W. 53rd St. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, snacks and blankets.

Olathe

Hop on a spooky cemetery tour

Tickets are on sale for the fall cemetery tours at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25, 26 and 27 at the Olathe Memorial Cemetery. Half-hour slots are available each evening and the tour lasts about an hour. This year’s theme is Olathe’s Immigrants. There is a lot of walking, and the tours are recommended for people age five and older.

Overland Park

Volunteer at the arboretum

New volunteer orientation will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St. This is for new volunteers wishing to serve on a regular basis. Discussion will include information on all volunteer opportunities, collection of required paperwork and an introduction to the arboretum.

Roeland Park

Catch a new photography exhibit

There will be a reception for the Gray Ghost Photography exhibit from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at the George Schlegel Gallery, Roeland Park City Hall, 4600 W. 51st St. Ric Westman captures the power and elegance of birds of prey in the exhibit. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Aug. 30.

Shawnee

Join a pup-party

The Dog Days of Summer event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Shawnee Town 1929, 11600 Johnson Drive. There will be vendors, food trucks, music and dog contests. The contest categories include: Best Dressed, Waggiest Tail, Sweetest Smile, Best Bad Hair Day, Biggest Bark, Smallest Dog, Largest Dog, Longest Tongue, Star Senior (for dogs 9 and older) and Puppy Love (for dogs under a year).

Sit in on a community lunch

The Shawnee Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Over the Fence” luncheon this year will include the KCK Chamber and the Bonner Springs Edwardsville Chamber. This year’s guest speaker will be David Pruente, chief strategy officer for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, who will speak on the big issues shaping the region. The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at The Mint, 12345 W. 95th St., Lenexa. It costs $34 for members and $44 for non-members.

This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.