Garment District Grooves is Back!
By Jared Campbell, Resident Engagement Project Manager at Downtown Council of Kansas City
On Wednesday May 15th, Garment District Grooves will return for its sixth season bringing music and food to the Historic Garment District in Downtown Kansas City. The concert series is produced by the Downtown Community Improvement District (DCID), KC Parks & Recreation, Crossroads Charter Schools, and the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA). This year, there will be lunchtime concerts on the third Wednesday of each month from May through October from 11:30am to 1:00pm and two evening performances in the fall.
What started as a way to bring back concerts to Garment District Place Park (8th & Broadway), which were originally supported by the late Harvey Fried who founded the Garment District Museum, has blossomed into a can’t miss monthly attraction for downtown residents and office workers. This year’s line-up brings back some crowd favorites, both musicians and food trucks, while introducing some new names as well.
The fun starts on May 15th with It’s Murf Music and the Sugar Skull taco food truck. The remaining line-ups for the lunchtime concerts are:
- June 19th: Musician – Jass, Food truck – Julita’s
- July 17th: Musician – Tica Felise, Food truck – Chillakillers
- August 21st: Musician – Dave Panico, Food truck – Jabaday’s Tasty Kitchen
- September 18th: Musician – Stan Kessler & friends, Food truck – Sugar Skull
- October 16th: Musician – TBD, Food truck – Taste of Brazil
Not only has the concert series brought more people to one of the best pocket parks in all of downtown, but the efforts of the above organizations have also brought more attention and resources to the park. KC Parks was able to identify funds that have been used to repair sections of the hardscaping and add new landscaping. Those efforts will be boosted this year by additional plantings this spring and a PIAC award to help fund more hardscape repairs. This will be a more long-term endeavor, but the City of Fountains Foundation is exploring what it will take to bring the fountain back to life.
We invite you to join us on May 15th!
