KCKidsFun

I love county fairs. I’m a suburban girl who always wanted to be a small town girl. The idea of hanging out on a sticky summer evening at the fair, seeing friends from school and their families, eating cotton candy and funnel cakes, spending all the money you could possibly squeeze out of your parents is pure Americana.

I’m not sure that my nostalgic memories of county fairs are completely accurate – but, at least in my recent experience, it’s pretty darn close. There’s not much left in the way of family fun that can be considered a throw-back to our childhoods and those of our parents. But county fairs were enjoyed by our parents and their parents before them.

And we here in the Kansas City area are heading into the thick of the county fair schedule.

On the south side of town, Paola, KS hosts the Miami County Fair, starting Wednesday, July 22 and running through Saturday, July 25. Highlights include a carnival, a rodeo and a demolition derby.

If north of the river is more your speed, check out the Platte County Fair in Platte City, MO. This one also runs July 22 through July 25 and features lots of live music, demolition derbies, 4-H exhibits, petting zoos, kids’ games, carnival rides and much, much more. With a traditional fair queen contest and little Missy/Master contests, this fair still has a real small/rural community feel. Love it.

The Wyandotte County Fair was canceled this year due to changes at The Woodlands and an inability to secure an alternate location. 4H events are still being held at another location but no entertainment or carnival this year!

But the fair goes on in Gardner, KS beginning on Monday, August 3, 2009. The Johnson County Fair runs from August 3rd through August 8th. Highlights include flat track racing, barrel racing, the rodeo, Family Fun Night, 4H exhibits, livestock auction, a carnival and a great parade! My kids adore this fair!

Lawrence, KS hosts the Douglas County Fair from August 5 through August 9. Petting zoo, pony rides, turtle races, pedal tractor pulls, livestock shows and a carnival are all sure to be hits with your kids.

If you really want to go big, head to Sedalia, MO for the Missouri State Fair, from August 13 through August 23. I can’t even begin to list the highlights of the state fair – but I’ll start with this: kids 12 & under get FREE admission every day!

And, to close out the county fair season, the Leavenworth County Fair hits Tonganoxie, KS from August 11 through August 15. A parade kicks off the week and is followed by fun times such as draft horse pulls, pedal tractor pulls, 4H exhibits and judging, carnival, turtle races, a mud run and a rodeo!

The Kansas City-area fairs and festivals don’t end once school begins either. Check out our full listing of 2009’s local fairs and festivals for lots more to do and see in August and September!

Things are heating up in KC with the heat indices hovering near 110 degrees.  Why not head to the beach?  A day of fun at the beach in landlocked KC can be had for a few bucks at most…and a vivid imagination would be helpful, too!

Blue Springs Lake at Fleming Park (which is in Lee’s Summit, not in Blue Springs - go figure…) has a one-acre beach and a marina. This lake is Lake Jacomo’s little sister (also in Fleming Park) but Jacomo doesn’t have a beach. You can rent a variety of styles of boats at each marina.

Longview Lake is in Kansas City, between Raytown and Lee’s Summit and just a stone’s throw from Grandview. Longview has a one-acre swimming beach and a full-service marina. Boat rental is available at the marina.

These two Jackson County MO beaches have lifeguards on duty and shower/restroom facilities. They are open from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm on weekdays; 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekends and holidays. Admission is $3/child or senior; $5/adult. Season passes are available.

Shawnee Mission Park Beach is in western Johnson County at 79th and Renner Road. The beach is open most days from 12 pm to 6 pm. Open Water Swim from 6pm until 7:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Daily rates are: $3/day for kids 12 and under and seniors; $5/day for the over 12 set, with  $.50 surcharge for non-residents.  Shawnee Mission Park also has a marina where you can rent canoes, fishing boats, two person sailboats and pedal boats!

Kill Creek Park Beach is located in Olathe, KS in the newest park in the Johnson County Parks & Rec system. The swimming beach and marine are open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm. Prices are the same as at Shawnee Mission Park Beach and the marina offers similar boat rentals.

Smithville Lake, just north of the metro area, offers boating, swimming beaches, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, hiking trails and more. Pack a cooler and go! The Army Corps of Engineers is in charge and they require a $1/swimmer fee. You can’t really beat that price!

Also up north is the Watkins Woolen Mill State Park with a swimming beach at Williams Creek Lake. The Park is outside of Lawson, Missouri – just north of Excelsior Springs and east of Kearney. Camping, biking and fishing are also available here.

Head the opposite direction (south for those of you not paying attention…) and you’ll find Hillsdale Lake in Miami County, Kansas. That’s the county just south of Johnson County.  Two beaches with bathroom facilities are open from sunrise to sunset. The lake is surrounded by a beautiful Kansas State Park. Fishing, camping and boating are some of the other popular activities at Hillsdale.

Clinton Lake just outside of Lawrence, Kansas also has a popular swimming beach. Consider making this trip a whole weekend – camping, fishing (even a small children’s fishing pond), boating, trails, archery, disc golf courses, four playgrounds and sand volleyball courts!

Summer in the Kansas City metro means fairs and festivals! And they’ve already started! The Brookside Art Annual was held last month and the next few weeks brings the first wave of true summer events. The best news? Each and every fair has a TON of awesome activities to share with your kids!

So, get ready for Tilt-A-Whirls, funnel cakes, ferris wheels, corn dogs, cotton candy, livestock and live music. Fair and festival season is starting…and there are so many that you have ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE to not catch at least one!

The 2009 Kansas City fair and festival schedule looks like this:

Prairie Village Art Fair, Prairie Village, KS – May 29 thru May 31

Serb Fest – St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, College & Greenwood (west of Pflumm), Lenexa KS – May 29 and May 30

Old Shawnee Days – Shawnee, KS – June 4 thru June 7

Lee’s Summit Downtown Days – June 5 thru June 7

Festa Italiana – Zona Rosa, Kansas City North – June 5 thru June 7

Mardi Gras Days – downtown Overland Park, KS – June 5 and June 6

Vaile Strawberry Festival, Vaile Mansion, Independence, MO – June 6

Irish Street Fair – Kansas City, MO – June 6

Sugar Creek Slavic Fest – Sugar Creek, MO – June 12 and June 13

Greek Festival – St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Church, Overland Park – June 12 thru June 14

Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Festival, E.H. Young Park, Riverside, MO – June 12 thru June 14

Dragon Boat Festival – Country Club Plaza, KCMO – June 13

Fiesta Filipina – Filipino Cultural Center, 79th St. between Antioch & Frontage in Overland Park – June 13 thru June 14

Chalk & Walk Festival, Crown Center Square, Kansas City, MO – June 20

KC Riverfest – Berkley Riverfront Park, KCMO – July 2 thru July 4

Cass County Fair, Pleasant Hill, MO – July 14 thru July 19

Amelia Earhart Festival – Atchison, KS - July 17 thru July 18

Miami County Fair, Paola, KS – July 18 thru July 26

KC Fringe Festival – various KCMO locations – July 19  thru July 26

Platte County Fair, Platte City, MO – July 22 thru July 25

Douglas County Fair, Lawrence, KS – August 5 thru August 9

Wyandotte County Fair, Kansas City, KS – July 28 thru August 1 (CANCELED THIS YEAR DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF SPACE AT THE WOODLANDS)

Johnson County Fair, Gardner, KS – August 3 thru August 8 – don’t miss the rodeo, Family Fun Night or the parade!

Missouri State Fair, Sedalia, MO – August 13 thru August 23 – 12 & under FREE every day; lot of free kids’ entertainment

Festival of Butterflies, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – August 7 thru August 9 and August 14 thru August 16 – no carnival but still super cool!

Leavenworth County Fair, Tonganoxie, KS – August 11 thru August 15

Ethnic Enrichment Festival, Kansas City, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Trails West!, St. Joseph, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Parkville Days Riverfest, Parkville, MO – August 21 thru August 23

Lewis & Clark Trail Days, Buckner, MO – August 21 and August 22

Santa-Cali-Gon Days, Independence, MO – September 4 thru September 7 – 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 – September 4 thru 6- awesome children’s area at this Crown Center event

Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Bonner Springs, KS – August 30 thru October 13

The 48th Annual Annunciation Greek Food Festival, Kansas City, MO – September 11 thru September 13

Old Settlers Days, Olathe, KS – September 4 thru September 6

Valley Fair Daze, Grain Valley, MO – September 10 and September 11

Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS – September 11 thru September 20 – Nat & Alex Wolff, the Naked Brothers Band closes the Fair on the 20th!

Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival, Blue Springs, MO – September 18 thru September 20

Zona Rosa Art Festival, Kansas City north, MO – September 18 thru September 20

Jesse James Festival, Kearney, MO – September 11 thru September 20

Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO – September 25 thru September 27 – spend some time at the Kids’ Art Workshop!

(Photos via jonathan_moreau)