May 7, 2024

Today’s Forecast

78º | 8% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:12 a.m. | Sunset 8:17 p.m.

🌮 Break out of your shell

Visit KCK sorts its selections between “Authentic Mexican” and “Tex-Mex.” | Photo of El Toro Loco via KCK Taco Trail

We love our barbecue — but the metro has a lot more on its plate.
And with new rewards on the Taco Trail, KCK is giving residents even more reason to find out why it was once dubbed the taco capital of the US.

KCK Taco Trail pass

With 60+ local taquerias, restaurants, and markets across the city, Visit KCK created the KCK Taco Trail. The passport system provides foodies with a complete list of locations + a range of culinary styles.

Trying them all is harder than it sounds, but remember to keep your eyes on the prize(s):

Points can be redeemed for items like T-shirts, decals, and tortilla warmers.
Check in at 25 or more restaurants for a chance to win a KCK Taco Package Experience.
Join the 50+ taco enthusiasts that have completed the whole trail for an invite to a Taco Party hosted by KCK next summer.

You have until April 15, 2025 to stake your claim — that works out to 49 weeks, or a new taco place every week (plus a bonus taco once a month). Whatever your strategy, you can share the journey on socials with @visitkansascityks. And KCtoday, of course.

The KCK Taco Trail pass is free and instantly delivered via email and text.
|
Photo via KCK Taco Trail

Head to the Visit KCK Taco Trail website. Pro tip: Scroll down for a full directory of restaurants on the trail + guides like KC Taco Trail 101.
Click “sign up” and go through checkout — it’s all totally free.
Open the text containing your KC Taco Trail pass on your phone’s web browser. (Read: no apps, unless you count chips and guac.)

That’s it. Just remember to open your pass whenever you visit a participating restaurant. Otherwise you might have to visit one of KCK’s diverse, delicious taco restaurants twice in order to redeem your points. Oh, the tragedy.

Events

Tuesday, May 7

Long-Form Improv Class | Tuesday, May 7 | 7-10 p.m. | The Bird Comedy Theater, 103 W. 19th St., KCMO | $100-$135 | Learn how to get a laugh at any moment with this all-levels-welcome comedy series.
MJ the Musical | Tuesday, May 7-Sunday, May 12 | 7:30-4 p.m. | Music Hall Kansas City, 301 W. 13th St., KCMO | $37-$249 | This multi Tony Award-winning musical is centered around the making of Michael Jackson’s 1992 “Dangerous” world tour.

Wednesday, May 8

Pickup Golf | Wednesday, May 8 | 8-11 a.m. | Heart of America Golf Course, 7501 Blue River Rd., KCMO | $27 | Get over your mid-week slump with a morning tee time.
Mother’s Day Pop-up Shop & Happy Hour | Wednesday, May 8 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. | lightwell, 1100 Main St., 2nd Floor, KCMO | Free entry | Get on your mother’s good side this year with a day of shopping + sweet treats.
When Stalemate Equals Victory: The Battle of Jutland | Wednesday, May 8 | National WWI Museum and Memorial, KCMO | Free with RSVP | Sail through WWI history with Dr. John Kuehn as he lectures on one of the largest sea battles in history.

Thursday, May 9

Keith O’Brien Presents Charlie Hustle in Conversation with Jason Kander | Thursday, May 9 | 7-9 p.m. | Unity Temple on The Plaza, Sanctuary, 707 W. 47th St., KCMO | $39 | Listen as award-winning journalist + author Keith O’Brien breaks down the record-breaking rise and sensational scandal of baseball star Pete Rose.

Friday, May 10

Kansas City Tattoo Arts Festival | Friday, May 10-Saturday, May 11 | Times vary | Sheraton at Crown Center, 2345 McGee St., KCMO | $25-$50 | Mingle with all kinds of ink masters, catch seminars, participate in tattoo competitions, and shop vendors selling everything from supplies to jewelry.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Coming Soon

Buc-ee’s is coming to KCK at 110th Street and I-70, but don’t worry about setting your GPS: it’ll be hard to miss. The behemoth convenience store’s first metro location will likely run north of 50,000 sqft with 100+ gas pumps — and feature the chain’s signature snack line. More on that soon. (Flatland)

Festival

JoCo’s first ever Dragon Boat Festival will come to Shawnee Mission Lake on Saturday, Sept. 28. The partnership between Johnson County Park & Rec and KC Pink Warriors, Kansas and Missouri’s first full time dragon boat racing team, will support breast cancer awareness. (Johnson County Post)

Closed

It’s only temporary. Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue at 1727 Brooklyn Ave. is closed for a few days due to flooding and plumbing issues compounded by last week’s stormy weather. A timeline is TBA.

Listen

Garment District Grooves, the lunchtime concert series now in its sixth season, will return every third Wednesday through October. Stop by for local musicians + food trucks — starting with It’s Murf Music + Sugar Skull on Wednesday, May 15.

Ranked

Overland Park is the No. 7 best place to live in the US, according to Livability.com. With high marks in local parks, school districts, and “charm,” this is the second consecutive year OP has made the top 10. (Johnson County Post)

Trending

Travis Kelce brought his best KC speakeasy fit to the Kentucky Derby, where he was spotted repping the home team this past weekend. If a certain KU sweater is any indication, we predict you’ll be seeing a lot of navy fedoras this summer. (Kansas City Star + FOX4)

Community

Your KCtoday Editors here. We care about Kansas City. We also care about the people in it. That’s why every day, we bring you positive, impactful news stories about our city — skipping the political talk, crime coverage, and biased reporting. Support our approach to local news with a one-time donation.

Active

ICYMI, May is National Bike Month — and we’re wheelie excited to see how Kansas Citians experience cycling in our community. From the people you meet to the places you discover, bikes connect us. Pro tip: Request a free copy of the Regional Trails and Bikeways Map.*

Edu

🍎 We give our teachers an A+

There aren’t enough shiny red apples in the world to express our appreciation for local educators. | Photo via Unsplash

It’s National Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to recognize the vital role played by our local educators. We didn’t always make their jobs easy — but all of us have a teacher that made us who we are today.

Editor Dayten here. I’m a Northland native, so Park Hill High School was my stomping ground. Dr. Gross + Mr. Snelling got me into literature, and were the first people to encourage me to share my thoughts through writing. I wouldn’t be writing your favorite morning newsletter without them.

Editor Maddie here. Coming from a family of teachers, it’s hard to play favorites (sorry, Mom) — but a few important educators do come to mind. This goes out to Mr. Hallauer + Mr. Farnan, two teachers whose guidance helped me realize my passion and talent for storytelling.

Shout out a teacher who made an impact, and we’ll pass it along in a future newsletter.

The Buy

A gift for your favorite teacher. We promise this is better than a shiny apple on their desk. Check out our teacher appreciation giveaway on Six and Main’s Instagram.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Dayten

From the editor

Surprised that KCK is a US taco capital? From the Forbes article: “Unlike other US cities, Kansas City’s Mexican population comes from nearly all of Mexico’s cultural regions, which means KCK doesn’t specialize in carnitas, mole or sopes, but is home to masters of all Mexican dishes.”

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