A big pumpkin for your little pumpkin. | Photo courtesy of KC Pumpkin Patch
From apple picking and pumpkin patches to haunted houses and beer fests, Kansas City shines in the crisp autumn air. Whether you’re sipping cider or screaming in a corn maze, we’ve rounded up 30+ ways to make the most of spooky season.
Festivals
KC Oktoberfest | Friday, Oct. 3–Saturday, Oct. 4 | Crown Center | $14–$225 | Bavarian brews, German bites, and oompah music? Prost to that.
Maple Leaf Festival | Saturday, Oct. 18–Sunday, Oct. 19 | Baldwin City, KS | Free entry | Operating since 1958, this classic fall fest features 300+ craft booths, a 5K run, and a parade.
Orchards, pumpkin patches + mazes
Cider Hill Family Orchard | Open Tuesday-Sunday through October | 3341 N. 139th St., KCK | Pay per item/activity | Pick your own apples from the orchard’s 6,000 trees, then enjoy special treats like apple cider donuts and apple pie nachos.
Prepare to be scared.
Photo by KCtoday
Haunted houses
Full Moon Escapes | Open Thursday‑Sunday through December | The Beast Haunted House | $45+ | As if escape rooms aren’t creepy enough... make your way through themed rooms including The Ghost of Merlin, The Manhattan Project, and The Beast Tool Room.
Leawood is dealing in something new: The Bam Bam Room, a mahjong parlor opening Thursday, Sept. 25. From casual ~$8 games to ~$100 lessons, the shop caters to players of all skills — plus, browse colorful tiles, mats, and gifts to get started. (Kansas City Star)
Today is
Opening Day for 1587 Prime. It’s not on the calendar, but between the hype and Mahomes’ birthday, it may as well be a holiday. Reservations are booked out for the next month, but you can feast on a full-course preview from the Pitch.
Edu
Kansas City Public Schools launches its College & Career Decision-Making Incubator this year. The program weaves financial literacy + decision-making into core classes to help students (and families) tackle questions about majors, colleges, and costs earlier. (KSHB41)
Arts
After a February 2024 fire gutted the Warwick, the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre is finally home again. The comeback show: the KC premiere of “Mother’s Daughter,” opening tonight. (Kansas City Star)
Closed
The Final Final Club in Overland Park has shuttered after three years. The members-only club, which offered food, drinks, and live music for an annual fee, closed following one owner’s recent cancer diagnosis. (Johnson County Post)
Job
Ready to kickstart your career in digital media sales remotely? We’re looking for a Sales Coordinator to fuel our fast-paced sales team, with a competitive salary, premium benefits, unlimited PTO, and real growth opportunities to boot. Apply to join our team.
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The Buy
ASTR the Label’s scarf tie sleeveless sweater, newly added to Nordstrom. Look effortlessly put together as you go from morning meetings to after-work drinks in a top that perfectly transitions from summer to fall.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
You may have spotted that our events section looks a little lighter than usual. We’re testing a new, faster format that skips the descriptions so your morning scroll is smoother. Have thoughts on the change? Is there a type of event you’d like to see more of? I’d love to hear your feedback.
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