It's Festival Friday!

Kansas City will be hosting several festivals this fabulous weekend!

Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival
Swope Park will be one of the hottest places to be this weekend, as the Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival takes over for 3 days of food, music, dance, and just plain FUN! You won’t need a plane ticket to travel around the world. It won’t be in 80 days, but 80 dishes might do the trick!. Since it’s origins in the 80’s, the Kansas City Ethnic Enrichment Festival has brought together over 60 cultures in this extravaganza, making this one of the largest and diverse ethnic festivals in the US. With more than 40 booths dispensing authentic dishes such as empanadas, egg rolls and tandoori chicken to curried goat, fried rice and cantaloupe drink, you’ll eat better than any world traveler of old. Entertainment will include Scottish Highland Games, a Parade of Flags, and lots of live song and ethnic dance.

Festival hours will be:
Friday, August 18, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 19, from noon to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 20, from noon to 6:00 p.m.

Admission to the festival is just $3, kids 12 and under no charge, and parking is free. The location is in Swope Park at Swope Parkway and Meyer Boulevard
You can call 816.333.1124 for more info.


Boxcar of Blues Festival
It’s here! This weekend will be the 2nd Annual Boxcar of Blues Festival at Knuckleheads Saloon, in the east bottoms. You talk about hot! If you’re a blues lover, or just looking for a good party, this is the place to be! There’ll be plenty of good food, liquid refreshment, and blasting blues music for your fun and enjoyment!

The kickoff party will begin Friday night at 6PM. Saturday entertainment will start at 2PM and last until who knows when in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Knuckleheads is located at 2715 Rochester, not far from the Isle of Capri Casino. (there’s even a free shuttle from there to the festival running every 30 minutes on Saturday) For more information, visit Knuckleheads’ website or call either the club,(816)483-1456, or the office (816)483-6407. This festival is also being brought to you by KKFI Radio

Festival of Butterflies
This will be the final weekend of the 10th Annual Festival of Butterflies at Powell Gardens.
The festival includes hundreds of free-flying butterflies from the tropical United States in an indoor exhibit, two outdoor butterfly breezeways fully aflutter with native species, a butterfly art exhibit, children's activities, a butterfly plant sale and more.

A partial Schedule of events includes:
Butterfly release: The first 50 children under 12 to arrive Friday, August 18, will help release new butterflies into the Conservatory. Tickets for the release will be handed out at the admission gatehouse.
Costume Parade, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily
Trolley Service, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Children's Activities, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Cafe Thyme Indoor Cafe, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

The kids will have a ball at the Butterfly Carnival in the Grand Hall. where they can get their faces painted, paint a pot complete with a butterfly-friendly plant to take home and snack on some popcorn. They’ll also be enthralled by Caterpillar ‘Petting’ Zoo, the Monarch Watch Science Center, Butterfly Arcade, and many other fun activities. There will be a Butterfly Plant Sale with a selection of native plants for caterpillars and butterflies from Missouri Wildflower Nursery.
Butterfly Interpretative experts will be stationed throughout the gardens. You may even win a diamond butterfly necklace from Helzberg Diamonds.
Festival Admission
$9/adults $8/seniors 60+
$3/children ages 5-12
FREE/children 4 and under and members of Friends of Powell Gardens.

Directions
Powell Gardens is located 30 miles east of Kansas City on U.S. Highway 50


The Kansas City Reggae Fest 2006
World music reaches out and touches people with it's lyrical themes of peace and harmony, struggle and growth, survival and pride, creating feelings of joy, unity, strength and hope. The International Arts & World Music Festival has provided family entertainment and cultural enrichment for the Kansas City area. This, the 17th annual celebration, is sure to enhance the cultural life of our city by the river.

The festival will start at 1PM on Sunday, August 20th at the Liberty Memorial. Some of the entertainers performing are Ziggy Marley, Stephen Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Jon Nicholson. Liberty Memorial is located at Pershing & Main, across the street from Union Station.

Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster. Call (816)-743-0547 for more info.

Festival de Dos Mundos
Festival de Dos Mundos will feature performances from national and local Latino dance groups and musicians. There'll be food and drink from Kansas City's top Mexican and Latino restaurants, as well as a variety of unique shopping experiences. An extensive children's area featuring games and crafts with Mattie Rhodes will ensure fun for the whole family.
Aug. 19, from 12 noon until 10pm. Located near Crown Center, at Southwest Boulevard between Summit & Monitor Streets.
Admission is free!
www.dosmundos.com

So c'mon, all you festival people! Get out there and enjoy yourself this weekend! And be sure to tell them you heard about them on thingskc.com !

posted by B.G. Roberts @ 7:46 AM