Plus, the new KCI terminal wins four industry awards.
 
April 11, 2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE | REFER
6AM City In-house

Today’s Forecast

65º | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:48 a.m. | Sunset 7:51 p.m.

 
📚 Take a look, it’s not just books
A ~4-foot tall chess night surrounded by equally tall pawns and other chess pieces. They're arranged on an outdoor rooftop chessboard.
Note: Playing on a bigger board will not, in fact, make you better at chess. | Photo by KCtoday
There’s more than meets the eye in the stacks at Kansas City Public Libraries. In addition to comics, movies, music, events + orchestral performance sets, here are five more things to check out at your local library.

Rooftop chess

Looking for a free excursion downtown? The Central Branch’s rooftop terrace is a quiet courtyard in the heart of the city. Read the history of the neighborhood on the terrace’s interpretive plaques, stroll the native plant garden, and play a game of chess on the life-sized set. You can even rent the space for events.

An open door reads "Missouri Valley Room." It leads into a warmly lit hall of black floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Special collections isn’t for the faint of heart — heavy duty research happens here. | Photo by KCtoday team

Missouri Valley Special Collections

Grab your smoking jacket and reading glasses, and sink into the Missouri Valley Room for a tour of local history. The library’s special collection contains archives, artifacts, and genealogy resources from the region. Loyal readers might remember our story on Petticoat Lane, which was all inspired by a day trip to the fifth story stacks.

Piano rental

Your library card gets you access to any of the study pods in the KCPL system. At the Central Branch, that includes one with a digital Clavinova piano, allowing you to test out your Liberace dreams before committing to, you know, carrying a full piano up a flight of stairs.

A desktop organizer containing seed packets, including mustard, peanuts, and arugula.

The Seed Library is friendly for beginners — like Editor Dayten, who didn’t know peanuts were something you could grow in a garden. | Photo by KCtoday team

Seed Library

Over at the Ruiz branch (2017 W. Pennway St., KCMO), gardening is as easy as a trip to the library. Check out the branch’s catalog of flower + vegetable seeds, take them home — along with instructions if you’re just getting started — and let it grow. The best part? No late fees.

Blood pressure cuffs

Since partnering with the American Heart Association’s Libraries with Heart program, all KC library locations offer blood pressure kiosks + take home kits to library card holders, along with resources to help understand your numbers. Is it as fun as rooftop chess? Maybe not. But is it helping keep KC healthy? No doubt.
 
Asked
 
Which college’s sports teams do you root for?*
A. Mizzou
B. K-State
C. University of Kansas
D. Other
 
Events
 
Thursday, April 11
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ in Concert | Thursday, April 11-Sunday, April 14 | Times vary | The Kansas City Symphony, 1703 Wyandotte St., Ste 200., KCMO | $84-$109 | Hear good and evil collide in the final chapter as the Kansas City Symphony performs every note of the epic score from Alexandre Desplat.
Friday, April 12
  • Brew Day Tour | Friday, April 12 | 11:30 a.m. | Boulevard Brewing Tours & Recreation Center, 2534 Madison Ave., KCMO | $15 | Treat yourself to a 5 oz. pour on this behind-the-scenes brewery tour.
Saturday, April 13
  • Arbor Day in Kansas City | Saturday, April 13 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Loose Park, 5200 Wornall Rd., KCMO | Free | Get down and dirty with this Arbor Day community tree planting.
  • 11th Annual Pint Path Pub Crawl | Saturday, April 13 | 12-5 p.m. | Multiple Locations, North Kansas City, MO | $7-$25 | Bike your way through NKC’s pubs, breweries, entertainment centers, and pop-ups for special deals on delicious pints.
  • The Silver Snout Cabaret | Saturday, April 13-Saturday, May 11 | Times vary | The Martin City Melodrama, 702 Blue Ridge Ext., Grandview, MO | $10 | Senior dogs from area shelters become paw-formers in this canine comedy show.
Sunday, April 14
  • 2024 Noah’s Bandage Run | Sunday, April 14 | 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Corporate Woods Office Park, 9401 Indian Creek Pkwy., Overland Park, KS | $30 | Brighten a sick kid’s day with your donation of fun bandages at this family-friendly race supporting pediatric cancer research.
  • Lovin’ Him Was RED Sugar Cookie Decorating Class | Sunday, April 14 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Lenexa Senior Center, 13425 Walnut St., Lenexa, KS | $50 | Calling all Swifties with a sweet tooth for cookie decorating class: Taylor’s Version.
Click here to have your event featured.
 
 
News Notes
 
Ranked
  • KCI’s new terminal landed four awards, including Best Overall Program, at the AXN Airport Experience Awards — just one year after opening. With standouts Brown & Loe, The Kansas City BBQ Experience, and airport barbershop + bar Directors Cut Take II helping clinch those industry honors. (Startland News)
Arts
  • The Nelson plans to sell one of its iconic Monet paintings, “Mill at Limetz,” at auction in May. More accurately, it’s selling its two-third stake in the painting — the other third is owned by the family that gifted it in 1986. Its sister painting fetched $25.6 million at auction last year. (Flatland)
Festival
Open
  • The Wise Guy Italian tavern is now open in the former Rieger Hotel. The new owners kept elements of the historic building, but modified the interior for a cozy dark-wood feel. On the menu: tavern-style pizza, chicken parm, and other classics designed to be shared by two diners. Sorry, no gabagool. (Kansas City Business Journal)
Closed
  • Saints Pub Express, a Shawnee burger joint from the owners of Saints Pub + Patio, is now closed. After “neither making nor losing money,” the spot was shuttered to give other businesses a crack at the location (13655 W. 63rd St.). (Kansas City Star)
Coming Soon
  • Boba tea + noodle shop Pho and My Bestea is coming to 6102 Johnson Dr., where Mission Fresh Fashion operated for 23 years. The new shop, helmed by the folks behind Fat Bee Cafe, brings boba back to downtown Mission following Tea Rex Boba’s closure. (Johnson County Post)
Biz
  • The Parlor women’s boutique will close in Liberty at the end of April before moving to Zona Rosa on Saturday, May 18. The new location is almost twice as big as the Liberty location, which hit hardships due to demolition in the area. (Kansas City Business Journal)
Plan Ahead
  • Psst — Taxes are almost due. Use E-file for quick, online filing. Plus, file your federal taxes for free with their basic software plan.*
 
 
The Buy
 
Your furry friend’s new spot to sleep. Say goodbye to traditional pet beds and pick your favorite print.
 
Answered
 
We asked for your eclipse photos, and here’s what you sent us:
The moon eclipsing a little over half of the sun.
You’ve seen a crescent moon — how about a crescent sun? | Photo by reader Marc G.
Click the button below to cure your eclipse FOMO — and to see a very good picture of a dog.
 
Share KCtoday
 
ReferralGIF1-KC.gif

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

{{profile.vars.rh_reflink_14}}
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_14}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.
Claim your rewards
 
 
The Wrap
 
Dayten Rose Today’s edition by:
Dayten
From the editor
And, of course, there’s the Community Bookshelf — which I always show visitors and never mention is actually a parking garage. Browse the 42 titles listed on KC’s biggest bookcase, which include local history and classic literature.
Missed our previous newsletter?      ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback      ›
Advertise      ›
Shop      ›
 
 

* This content is paid advertising, or contains links to our Six & Main marketplace, or affiliate partners which we may receive a commission from. ^ This content is created by our content studio.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | SHOP