Pop-up + pop a bottle 🍾

20 holiday pop-up bars in KC, 2024

Savoring the season is a little easier with string lights overhead. | Photo by Chicken N Pickle

Walking in a winter wonderland is all fine and dandy, but we’d rather be sipping in one instead. Here are 20 local pop-up bars that will help you sleigh the end of the year.

Rec Deck the Halls, Boulevard Brewing Company | Friday + Saturday through Dec. 28 |1:30-10 p.m. | $5 | Stop by the award-winning brewery for cozy cocktails in keepsake glassware and tear up a game of shuffleboard.

Miracle, Plaza + Rockhill Grille | Dates vary | $15-25 | This pop-up has more than its share of devoted festive fans, so reserve your space now.

Drastic Mensches, Drastic Measures | Tuesday-Saturday, Dec. 5-Dec. 31 | No cover | Be a Mensch or don’t come at all, says this James Beard Finalist bar serving up Hanukkah-inspired flavors — with proceeds benefiting Jewish Family Services.

The Wonder Dome, OurHouseKC | Available during business hours | $5 | Shake up your evening with this rooftop snow globe experience, featuring the restaurant’s full menu + festive holiday cocktails and N/A beverages.

Kingdom’s Greetings, Arrowhead Stadium | Thursday-Sunday through Dec. 29 | $25 | Step into the red + gold snow globe overlooking GEHA Field for a picture on the Chiefs sleigh and a chance to see surprise guest appearances.

The Sweet Escape Igloo, The Fontaine | Daily through March 16 | $125-$225 | Sip inside a snow globe, with treats like gingerbread hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies, marshmallows, and candy canes for every guest on the nice list.

Tinsel Town, Tom’s Town | Daily through Dec. 30 | $5 | Distill yourself a merry Christmas and explore two stories of craft cocktails, cozy decor, and festive cheer.

Conductor Club Express, Pierpont’s at Union Station | Fridays-Saturdays through Dec. 28 | $5 | We hope they have hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate when this Polar Express-themed bar rolls into the station.

Holiday Hideaway, Chicken N Pickle | Daily through Dec. 31 | $20-$100 | Cozy up in your own private igloo or experience its lodge vibes + outdoor fire pits with 10 unique festive cocktails.

Tinsel & ‘Tinis, Union Station | Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 12-Dec.21 | $15-$25 | Union Station’s family friendly photo-op becomes adult-only with live entertainment and drinks like spiked hot chocolate + jingle juice.

Tinsel Tavern, Shark Bar | Tuesday-Saturday through Dec. 28 | $15 | Skip snow banks for sandy beaches at this tropical pop-up offering special events like ornament painting and an Ugly Christmas Sweater party.

Sippin’ Santa, J. Rieger & Co. | Daily through Dec. 29 | $5 | It’s a tiki bar takeover of the Hey! Hey! Club at Kansas City’s oldest distillery.

Jingle, KC Wine Co. | Friday-Sunday through Dec. 22 | No cover | This immersive holiday experience is favored for its festive photo ops and hard cider flights.

Jolly: A Country Christmas, Faulkner’s Ranch | Thursday-Sunday through Dec. 22 | $15 | “Hallmark Christmas movie meets Nashville honky tonk” with western-themed drinks, cowboy boot shot skis, and shareable bites like the smoked brisket quesadilla.

Ho-Ho-Ho at The House, Westwood | Thursday-Saturday through Dec. 28 | No cover | Order select drinks to enjoy over its outdoor fire pits and a portion of its proceeds will go towards local nonprofit Operation Breakthrough.

The Gingerbread, T-Mobile Center | Dates vary | $14-$18 | Hand-crafted holiday gingerbread decor + an exclusive menu of small bites and cocktails make this inaugural event even sweeter.

Snowflake Soiree, CPKC Stadium | Dec. 21 + Dec. 22 | $50 | CPKC Stadium’s culinary partnership, The Riverfront Collective, will host a holiday feast with A5 wagyu, sweet potato pierogi with bourbon creme fraiche, chocolate peppermint ganache tarts, and more.

Max’s Lair, Bar K | Daily through Jan. 5 | $20 | Feast on “Roast Beast Sliders” and spicy melon margaritas while your four-legged sidekick explores the “Grinch-proof” Whoville decor.

Christkindlmarkt, The Campground | Daily, Dec. 5-Dec. 8 | No cover | Warm up by the fire pits while shopping local vendors + sipping seasonal drinks, including mezcal hot chocolate, Glühwein, and eggnog.

Pink Pony Christmas, Vignettes | Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 6-Jan. 10 | $7 | It’s your favorite pop-up’s favorite pop-up, bringing “Red Wine Supernovas” and “Naked (In) Manhattans” to a Midwest Princess-certified holiday celebration with trivia, music bingo + karaoke.

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Today, November 9

Visiting Artist Speaker Patricia Streeper | Wednesday, Nov. 9 | 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS | Free | Join Streeper for a discussion about art as a force for social change in the context of her paintings of influential women. 🖌
Momentum | Wednesday, Nov. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Uptown Theater | $10-15| Rock out to songs like “Overkill” and “The Lie After LIfe” with this metal band.

Thursday, November 10

Veterans Breakfast | Thursday, Nov. 10 | 8:30-10:30 a.m. | Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park, KS | $0-$8 | Celebrate Veterans Day early with a pancake + sausage breakfast from Chris Cakes. 🥞
FLEX: Shawnee Downtown Dash 2022 | Thursday, Nov. 10 | 4:30 p.m. | Sixty16 Apartments, 6016 Roger Rd., Shawnee, KS | $15 | Dash around downtown Shawnee while snacking on tacos and enjoying a pour at Transport Brewery. 👟
SoDown | Thursday, Nov. 10 | 8 p.m. | recordBar, 1520 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO | $20 | Enjoy songs from the electronic artist like “Cliffs” and “With You.”

Friday, November 11

103rd Leavenworth County Veterans Day Parade | Friday, Nov. 11 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. | 416 Cherokee St., Leavenworth, KS | See the oldest + largest Veterans Day parade west of the Mississippi River.
Lake Quivara Holiday Bazaar | Friday, Nov. 11-Saturday, Nov. 12 | 1-8 p.m. | Lake Quivira Country Club, 100 Crescent Blvd., Shawnee, KS | Free admission | Sip on hand-crafted cocktails while shopping local exhibitors. 🛍

Saturday, November 12

Beginner Level Glass Fusing Class at the Riverfront Community Center | Saturday, Nov. 12 | 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Riverfront Community Center, 123 S. Esplanade St., Leavenworth, KS | $40 | This beginner level class will teach you the basics + send you home with a completed project.
Wicked Wine Walk | Saturday, Nov. 12 | 3-7 p.m. | Kansas City Power & Light District, 13 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO | $40 | Grab your boos crew for this wicked wine walk. 🍷

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

A world-class musical performance with Friends of Chamber Music

Try This: A world-class musical performance with Friends of Chamber Music

Presented by a KCtoday Partner

KC_Midest Trust Center chamber concert experience

The world’s stage is right here in the Midwest Trust Center. | Photo by KCtoday

Where do the world’s finest musicians go to provide top-tier performances at gorgeous venues? Kansas City, of course — in the Midwest Trust Center, to be more specific.

That’s thanks to the work of Friends of Chamber Music, a nonprofit founded in 1975 with a mission to bring world-class chamber music to our city. Recently, we were able to experience it for ourselves with a performance of classical string music (think: Beethoven, Ligeti, and Dvořák) by the Verona Quartet.

This fall marks a new chapter for the Friends — not only is it the 47th season, but the organization also added two artistic co-directors who hope to bring together educational outreach efforts + community programming.

“This is a dream come true,” co-director Dmitri Atapine told us. “We’re crazy about [chamber music].”

What we tried (with pricing):

During the concert ($25), the Verona Quartet performed two hours (including intermission) of some of the most impressive string music we had ever heard. We especially noticed the physicality of the performance — the musicians were literally jumping out of their seats, and their phrasing moved their entire bodies.

Fun fact: Friends of Chamber Music nonprofit was initially conceptualized by founder Cynthia Siebert as a series of intimate, in-home performances — but has grown to attract the likes of internationally-acclaimed musicians like Yo-Yo Ma.*

WHAT NOT TO MISS

Weather

79º | Partly cloudy | 10% chance of rain

Outdoors

A new tunnel in Lenexa now connects Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park to the expansive network of trails north of 87th Street Parkway. The project, including lighting and call boxes, provides a safe way to link the park with other area parks, like Little Mill Creek, Lackman, and Ad Astra. (Shawnee Mission Post) 🌳

Biz

Cafê Sofrito is bringing a new mural to its location in Midtown — at 3737 Main St. The Carribean + South American restaurant will celebrate its commissioned piece with a party on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. (and you’re invited). Expect light apps and a cash bar. 🎨

Closed

Mickey’s Hideaway in Westport has permanently closed. A social media post from the restaurant did not give a reason. The corner restaurant — at 4057 Pennsylvania Ave., KCMO — opened just before the pandemic. We’ll miss the Mac Daddy. 🧀

Development

A study on converting the current Buck O’Neil Bridge into a park found that costs could reach $100 million — double the original estimate. KCMO would to come up with a plan before the Missouri Department of Transportation is scheduled to demolish it in 2024. (CityScene KC)

Try This

Lace up your tennies. The Wilderness Run is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 12. This cross-country race is 2-5 miles through woods, over logs, and across creeks, starting at Shoal Creek Living History Museum — 7000 NE Barry Rd., KCMO. Tickets are discounted before race day. 🍂

DYK

Did you know Maya Angelou was born in Missouri? The St. Louis native writer + civil rights activist is the inspiration behind the Maya Angelou Award, created by UMKC, KC’s public library, and Mizzou. This year’s award will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the UMKC Student Union.

Travel

Lots of Kansas Citians are flying to San Antonio (hey, SATXtoday). That’s according to a report on top KCI destinations without a direct flight. The next most popular non-direct destinations are Portland, Oahu, Raleigh, and San Francisco. ✈️ (Kansas City Business Journal)

Seasonal

Don’t let chilly temperatures keep you from going to outdoor sporting events or enjoying local hiking trails. Stock up on HotHands Hand Warmers + keep the feeling in your fingers all season long. Or try this rechargeable electric hand warmer with three different heat levels.*

Wellness

Did you know? BetterHelp is the world’s largest online therapy platform. Getting started is easy: Take a quick quiz and get matched with a licensed therapist within 48 hours. Join over 3.5 million others and sign up today for 25% off (read: save up to $75). 📲 *

Fact or Fiction

Smoking weed can cause hair loss. Find out if this is Fact or Fiction.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

KC’s 2022 midterm election results

MO and KS midterm election results 2022

Put your sticker somewhere fun, like your forehead. | Photo via Canva

To recap: This year, we voted for positions like US House and Senate seats in MO + KS as well as a new KS Governor. Tack on a few amendments, and that’s the ballot.

You can stop refreshing those election trackers, because we’re here to share the results. Say hello to...

Eric Schmitt: Missouri US Senator
Jerry Moran: Kansas US Senator

These were the called results at the time of publication. We will update this article.

Plus

KC Question 1 (parks, rec + entertainment): Yes
KC Question 2 (affordable housing): Yes
KC Question 3 (Northland park land removal): Yes

CHECK ALL THE RESULTS

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Travis.

Editor’s pick: KCtoday had a team lunch at The Russell, and when I say I was blown away, I mean I wanted to crawl up inside their steak sandwich and dream sweet dreams. I don’t know if that makes sense, but I also recommend trying the turkey chowder + hummus platter. Just. Wow. 10/10.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Explore your creative side.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Bella Rainey, Travis Meier, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Victoria Bardega | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Amanda Munsey | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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