Downtown KC Parks Performances Still Going Strong
By Jared Campbell, Resident Engagement Project Manager at Downtown Council of Kansas City
If you haven’t yet had a chance to enjoy any of the event series co-produced by the Downtown Council, Downtown & River Market Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) or Art in the Loop, you still have time! From River Market Melodies to Garment District Grooves, from Summer in the City to Art in the Loop, check out the line-ups below for September and October. We hope to see you at a future event!
The last Summer in the City event for 2025 will take place on Thursday, September 11th. Oppenstein Brothers Park at 12th and Walnut will come alive with programming starting at noon and going all the way into the evening. This month, the festivities will be bigger and better because Art in the Loop is joining forces with Summer in the City for one big bash on 11th.
Summer in the City September 11th Line-Up
12:00-1:00pm – Amado Espinoza, a unique performing artist, composer, and instrument maker from Cochabamba, Bolivia, that respects his folk traditions of the Andes Mountains while creating compositions that are sincere to his musical-wanderlust personality.
2:30-4:00pm – Community Activity led by Viva la Tinta, a celebration of the printmaking legacy – not only contained to fine arts but as a tool for community building and social progress. Viva la Tinta will invite the community to watch a live printing demo and participate in making a print themselves. This hands-on experience will bring to life the magic of printmaking.
3:30-6:30pm – Art Market with Local Art Vendors:
- Anita Easterwood, a multi-disciplinary visual artist, born and raised in Kansas City, enjoys creating art that celebrates life, centered around fashion, history, culture and sisterhood.
- Tokeya Waci U Richarsdon of Coup Count Designz is a member of the Oglala Lakota and Haliwa-Saponi tribes whose inspiration comes from the old teachings from childhood stories, read in books or told by elders in my tribe(s). Tokeya recreates a modern style of Native American Ledger art that traditionally uses its main purpose of having a visual reference to reflect the stories and teachings that one would hear from their elders.
- Mariah Markt works range from murals to postcards of various subject matter, with a favorite medium of silkscreen art prints.
- Emily Alvarez loves exploring the duality of human experience through vibrant, ecstatic, playful and sometimes eerie artwork. These reflections include large-scale public art projects, digital and painted illustrations, ink drawings and small-scale sculptures and accessories.
- Yum Yum Ceramics specializes in hand crafted unglazed terracotta planters that have style and soul. The clean, architectural forms create a dynamic contrast of light and shadow that allow your plants to exist and thrive in a small piece of artwork.
5:30 – 7:30pm – Art in the Loop featured artists:
- The Swallowtails, a genre-bending acoustic duo that fuses rock, pop, and folk genres by-way of their unique instrumentation. Featuring Miki P on acoustic guitar/vocals, and Rachel Lovelace on bassoon/vocals, the songwriting duo from Kansas City is making waves throughout the Midwest and beyond.
- Unique Sixteen (Unique Hughley) is a celebrated poet and activist whose work amplifies the Black experience and resilience. His activism shines through poetry that confronts systemic inequities, mentoring youth, and advocating for creative expression as a tool for healing.
- EleveN2wenty2 is a professional vocalist trio based in Kansas City, Missouri. The group consists of a soprano (Kai Manning), alto (JaNay Adgers) and Tenor (Darius Sheppard). EleveN2wenty2 have stepped to the forefront and are exploring their own artistry as featured artists by headlining their own shows and releasing original music!
Lunchtime and Evening Food Trucks:
Garment District Grooves
Garment District Grooves has two more concerts to finish its seventh season bringing music and food to the Historic Garment District in Downtown Kansas City from 11:30am to 1pm. The concert series is produced by the DCID, KC Parks & Recreation, Crossroads Charter Schools, and the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA).
- September 17th: Musician – Jass Crouch (Soul), Food truck – Mai’s Noodle Express
- October 15th: Musician – David Luther (Singer-Songwriter), Food truck – Sugar Skull
River Market Melodies
The River Market CID (RMCID) is partnering with the River Market Community Association, and Port KC to present live music in City Market Park located off 3rd Street directly west of the City Market. Performances will take place on first Thursdays, May through October, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. starting Thursday, May 1. For more information, contact jared@downtownkc.org.
The line-up for the September 4th performance will be Calvin Arsenia presenting an immersive harp performance.
October 2nd will find Hot Club KC playing “a different style of jazz”
