KCKidsFun

Summer is most definitely HERE (judging by this week’s temps!)  – which can only mean one thing! KC’s fair and festival season is starting.

Pick a weekend, any weekend, all summer long and you’ll find a fair or festival somewhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Lots of carnivals and kids’ activities!

Get out your calendar and write these down (or just bookmark this post in your browser or pin it on Pinterest) – the 2013 Kansas City fairs and festivals schedule:

Hopefully, you already made it to gems like -

• Jiggle Jam
• Prairie Village Art Show
• Old Shawnee Days
• Lee’s Summit Downtown Days
• Festa Italiana
• Serb Fest – St. George Serbian Orthodox Church
• Vaile Strawberry Festival
• Sugar Creek Slavic Festival
• Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Festival
• Greek Festival
• Dragon Boat Festival
• Festival on the Trails

You can still catch -

Fiesta Filipina – Filipino Cultural Center, 79th St. between Antioch & Frontage in Overland Park – June 15

Belton (MO) Community Days, Markey Park – June 19 thru June 22

Browne’s Irish Street Faire – Kansas City, MO – June 21 & 22

28th Annual Waterfest, Excelsior Springs, MO – June 28 – 30

KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – July 4

Johnson County (MO) Fair – Warrensburg, MO – July 10 thru July 13

Cass County Fair, Pleasant Hill, MO – July 16 thru July 21

Amelia Earhart Festival – Atchison, KS - July 19 and July 20

Miami County Fair, Paola, KS – July 20 thru July 27

KC Fringe Festival – various KCMO locations – July 18 thru July 28

Platte County Fair, Platte City, MO – July 23 thru July 27

5th Annual Midwest Kids Fest, Overland Park, KS – July 27 and 28, Overland Park Trade Center

Wyandotte County Fair, Kansas City, KS – July 23 thru July 27

Douglas County Fair, Lawrence, KS – July 31 thru August 3

Johnson County Fair, Gardner, KS – August 6 thru August 10 – don’t miss the rodeo, Family Fun Night or the parade!

Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO – August 8 thru August 18 – 5 & under FREE every day (kids 6 to 12, just $2); lot of free kids’ entertainment

Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – August 2 thru August 4 and August 9 thru August 11 – no carnival but still super cool!

Leavenworth County Fair, Tonganoxie, KS – July 30 thru August 3

Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Kansas City, MO – August 16 thru August 18

Trails West!, St. Joseph, MO – August 16 thru August 18

Parkville Days Riverfest, Parkville, MO – August 23 thru August 25

Santa-Cali-Gon Days, Independence, MO – August 29 thru September 2 – TONS of fun for kids and adults alike. If you’ve never been, you should definitely try this one!

Kansas City Irish Fest, Kansas City, MO – August 30 thru September 1  – awesome children’s area at this Crown Center event

Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, KS – August 31 thru October 14

Chalk & Walk Festival, Crown Center Square, Kansas City, MO – September 7 & 8

The 48th Annual Annunciation Greek Food Festival, Kansas City, MO – September 6 thru September 8

Old Settlers Days, Olathe, KS – September 5 thru September 7

Valley Fair Days, Grain Valley, MO – September 5 thru September 8

Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS – September 6 thru September 15

Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival, Blue Springs, MO – September 13 thru September 15

Zona Rosa Art Festival, Kansas City north, MO – September 13 thru September 15

Jesse James Festival, Kearney, MO – September 7 thru September 16

Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO – September 20 thru September 22 – spend some time at the Kids’ Art Workshop!

School is out and summer break is in, and that means it is time for Vacation Bible School (VBS) across the metro. VBS camps are scattered across churches all summer long. They are a day camp setting offering a fun few hours of getting out of the house, songs and activities with a positive theme. Most VBS camps are reasonably priced, and some offer scholarships.

Here’s a list of VBS programs across Kansas City. If you’re looking for other camps and get-out-of-the-house activities, check out our summer camp directory.

KCMO VBS programs

• Calvary Lutheran Church, 12411 Wornall Rd. KCMO
• Colonial Presbyterian Church, 95th and Wornall Rd. KCMO
• Country Club Christian Church, 6101 Ward Parkway, KCMO
• One Spirit United Methodist Church, 7900 Blue Ridge Blvd., KCMO
• St. John’s United Methodist Church, 6900 Ward Parkway, KCMO
• St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 9420 James A Reed Rd., KCMO

Johnson County, KS programs

• Old Missions UMC, 5519 State Park Rd., Fairway
• King of Kings Lutheran, 306 E Madison, Gardner
• Church of the Resurrection (COR), 13720 Roe, Leawood
• Lord of Life Lutheran, 3105 W. 135th St., Leawood
• Lenexa UMC, 9138 Caenan Lake Rd., Lenexa
• Salem Lutheran Church, 9143 Haskins, Lenexa
• St. Paul’s UMC, 7740 Lackman, Lenexa
• Westside Family Church, 8500 Woodsonia, Lenexa
• Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal, 6630 Nall, Mission
• Advent Lutheran, 11800 W. 151st, Olathe
• Aldersgate UMC, 151st and Black Bob, Olathe
• Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 13145 S. Black Bob, Olathe
• First Baptist Church of Olathe, 22024 E. 151st St., Olathe
• Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 16000 W. 143rd, Olathe
• Redeemer Lutheran, 920 Alta Lane, Olathe
• Bethany Lutheran, 9101 Lamar, Overland Park
• Colonial Presbyterian, 12501 W. 137th St. Overland Park
• First Family Church, 7700 W. 143rd., Overland Park
• Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
• Grace Covenant Presbyterian, 11100 College Blvd, Overland Park
• Heritage UMC, 12850 Quivira, Overland Park
• Knox Presbyterian, 9595 W. 95th St., Overland Park
• Legacy Christian Church, 10150 Antioch, Overland Park
• Rolling Hills Presbyterian, 9300 Nall , Overland Park
• Grace Fellowship Church, 10201 W. 127th St., Overland Park
• Presbyterian Church of Stanley, 148th and Antioch, Overland Park
• Valley View UMC, 8412 W. 95th St., Overland Park
• Overland Park Church of Christ, 119th and Pflumm, Overland Park
• Nall Avenue Baptist Church, 6701 Nall, Overland Park
• Asbury UMC, Prairie Village
• Hope Lutheran Church, 6308 Quivira, Shawnee
• Shawnee Presbyterian Church, 6837 Nieman, Shawnee
• Shawnee United Methodist Church, 10700 Johnson Drive, Shawnee
• Trinity Lutheran Church, 7740 Hedge Lane, Shawnee
• Stilwell UMC,19335 Metcalf Ave, Stilwell, KS 66085

Northland programs

• Barry Christian Church, 1500 NW Barry Rd., KCMO
• Highlands Community of Christ, N. Platte Purchase Drive, off Barry Road, KCMO
• Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church, 7600 NW Barry Rd., KCMO
• St. Matthew’s Evangelical (North American Lutheran Church), 5047 NW Gateway, Riverside, MO
• St. Therese Parish, 7207 NW Hwy 9, KCMO
• Chandler Baptist Church, 11401 Hwy 33, Liberty, MO
• Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, 1600 N 291 Hwy, Liberty, MO
• Platte Woods Church, 7310 NW Prairie View, Platte Woods, MO
• Liberty United Methodist Church, 1001 Sunset, Liberty, MO
• Harvest Church International Outreach, 4300 N. Corrington Ave., Kansas City, MO

Cass County, MO programs

• Crossroads United Methodist Church, 700 Quik Trip Way, Belton, MO
• First Baptist Church, 810 S. Cedar, Belton, MO
• Peculiar United Methodist Church, 20521 S. School Rd.

Kansas City, KS and Leavenworth programs

• Holy Name Catholic Church, 16 South Iowa, KCK
• Living Water United Methodist Church, 3001 N. 115th St, KCK
• Lutheran Church of Our Saviour, 4153 Rainbow Blvd, KCK
• Wallula Christian Church, 23785 139th Street, Leavenworth

Eastern Jackson County, MO programs

• Timothy Lutheran Church, 425 NW RD Mize Rd., Blue Springs
• St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 4746 S. Lee’s Summit Rd., Independence
• The Stone Church, 1012 W. Lexington, Independence
• Sycamore Hills Baptist Church, 15200 E. 39th Street, Independence
• Grace UMC, 2400 SE 50 Hwy, Lee’s Summit
• Lee’s Summit Baptist Temple, 2614 NW Chipman Rd., Lee’s Summit
• Lee’s Summit UMC, 114 SE Douglas, Lee’s Summit
• Summit Woods Baptist Church, 2501 SE Shenandoah Dr., Lee’s Summit
• Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church, 130 NW Murray Rd., Lee’s Summit
• St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 700 NE Chipman, Lee’s Summit
• New Summit Church, 1800 NE Independence Ave, Lee’s Summit

Congratulations to our 2 winners–  JASON HENDRICKS and WILLIAM MCDOWELL!

Thanks to all who entered.  Jason and William, please look for an email from us with instructions.  Enjoy the GRAMMY Museum at Sprint Center!

Have you heard about the GRAMMY Museum Experience at Sprint Center? Located inside the Grand Lobby, the GRAMMY Museum Experience @ Sprint Center is 3,500 square feet of hands-on content that celebrates all forms of music and the history of the GRAMMY Awards.

You can mix tracks like a producer, jam on studio-grade instruments, record a track as a Heavy Metal rock star and many more. Exhibits encourage self-expression and ingenuity while legendary artifacts from Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Justin Bieber, Garth Brooks and more bring history to life.

A satellite location of the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live, the GRAMMY Museum Experience @ Sprint Center is a non-profit, 501(c)3 charitable organization that aligns with Kansas and Missouri learning standards. Hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.GRAMMYMuseumExperience.org or call 816.949.7300.

The museum is located inside Sprint Center’s Grand Lobby and metered parking on Grand Boulevard is the most cost-effective place to park. Enter the building through the “College Basketball Experience” doors located off Grand Boulevard and you will easily locate the GME ticketing desk. Tours are self-guided and the typical duration is 45 to 90 minutes.

So, what about the ticket giveaway?  Our friends at the GRAMMY Museum Experience have given us (2) Family 4-packs of tickets to pass on to two lucky readers!  Please enter by leaving a comment by next Monday, June 3, at 9pm.  PLEASE TELL US WHAT THE FIRST THING ON YOUR SUMMER TO-DO LIST IS!!

Winners’ tickets are valid through the end of summer, August 31, 2013.  Good Luck!