Fall will soon be underway in Kansas City and while most of us love the idea of sweater weather, we’re equally charged by the fun of Friday night lights, outdoor fall festivals and breathing in the great outdoors! KC Destinations serves up a great lineup of tailgate options to watch the big games, festivals for the entire family and lots of fun seasonal things to do outside! So, grab your favorite hoodie and head out to enjoy this list of must-do fall fun across the region!
Leavenworth: CAMP Leavenworth Festival, September 20-21 CAMP Leavenworth Festival in Leavenworth, KS: two-day festival that invites everyone to discover their worth. By creating unique experiences around our historic down – people will see how much fun it is to break out from the ordinary and live life free. Leave it to Kansas to throw a shindig as adventurous as this. www.Campleavenworth.com
Lansing: Fall City wide Garage Sale Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21. On Saturday, check out the live music and a Builders’ Flea Market at Lansing Lumber Farm & Feed. For more info, check out Lansing, KS Happenings on Facebook! Bonner Springs: Family Timber Challenge The 5th annual Fall Family Timber Challenge is a 2-mile long obstacle course fun run packed with TONS of obstacles for the whole family to enjoy (recommended ages 5+). Held on September 22, this year’s event is going to be LOADED with active entertainment! Unplug, get muddy and have an EPIC Family Adventure! In addition to our one of a kind terrain we are presenting 25+ obstacles including: Zip Lines, climbing walls, tunnels, mud, foam, our legendary vertigo bus and many more!
Kansas City, KS: Wyandotte County Lake & Park, 91st & Leavenworth Road Fall is the perfect time to hike and bike the single track trails around Wyandotte County Lake and Park. The Park provides 1,500 acres of wooded area, a 400-acre lake with marina, kids' fishing pond, a large playground, boat rentals, concessions, bridle trail, off-leash dog area, an archery range and the F.L. Schlagle Library and Environmental Center. Learn more at Wyandotte County Lake & Park.
Clay County: Liberty Corn Maze The Liberty Corn Maze is a fall staple in Clay! Get lost in this exciting adventure of twists and turns. This years’ maze theme is Wild West in the Midwest, and feature Clay’s own infamous outlaw, Jesse James. The Liberty Corn Maze opens for the season on September 6th. https://libertycornmaze.wixsite.com/liberty-corn-maze
Kansas City, MO: The Kansas City Chiefs look to pick up where they left off last season behind the arm of reigning NFL MVP Pat Mahomes and the high-flying offense as they open the 2019 season at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 22. Plus, root for the Royals as they close out the MLB schedule strong with their final homestand of the year (Sept. 24-25, 27-29). But the Kansas City outdoor fun doesn’t end there. Sample hundreds of brews from around the world in the 11th annual KC Beer Fest celebration in the Power & Light District (Sept. 14). And art appreciators love the nationally recognized Plaza Art Fair (Sept. 20-22), a nine-block event at the Country Club Plaza that regularly draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands, all people passionate about creativity, live music and local food and drinks. For a full rundown of September KCMO highlights, go to VisitKC.com.
Merriam: Merriam Drive Live, Saturday October 5
This day long FREE music fest combines live music with games, beer and tasty selections from area food trucks to give you a fun fall outing in downtown Merriam without breaking the bank. The 2019 performance lineup includes Four Fried Chickens and a Coke, Red Guitar, Stolen Winnebagos, Fast Times and Noe Palma. Check it out at www.merriam.og/MDL Olathe: Lake Olathe, 625 Lakeshore Drive Explore the four miles of trail around Lake Olathe this fall. Hop off the trail to enjoy the nature play area and interactive sculptures, or play a round of disc golf. Learn more at https://bit.ly/2JI45qC
Gardner Edgerton: What’s a tailgate without some local beer or wine? Sample over a dozen varieties at the Grand Slam Beer, Wine & Spirits Fest in Gardner on Saturday, Sept 28th and decide for yourself what you will take to your next tailgate party. Tickets are $35 and limited to 1,000 people. Enjoy live music, food and lawn games at this laid-back, unique tasting event at Celebration Park in Gardner. Learn more at http://www.gardnerkansas.gov/government/departments-and-divisions-/parks-and-recreation/special-events/grand-slam-beer-wine-festival
Lenexa: Food Truck Frenzy at Lenexa Civic Campus: September 21 Come out to Lenexa City Center to sample what the metro's best food trucks have to offer. Our Food Truck Frenzy events draw thousands of hungry folks!
Chili Challenge in Old Town Lenexa: October 11-12 About 200 teams compete in our chili, salsa and hot wings contests in hopes of taking home the Grand Champion prize. Teams host private parties on Friday night and give out samples to everyone on Saturday. Activities include musical entertainment and JDRF Fundraising both days, fireworks on Friday night, and the Kids Kornbread Contest on Saturday. This link is to all upcoming Fall events: https://www.lenexa.com/government/departments___divisions/parks___recreation/festivals_events