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Plan ahead for these May 2024 festivals + events

Break out your pen (or app) and plan your summer calendar before the heat slows you down.

Picture of Downtown in summer

Cue Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves.” | Photo by @em1.sam

The trees are green, the birds are chirping, and you can leave your car outside without coming back to what is, essentially, an oven on wheels. So before the encroaching heat changes your mind, here are a few May events to commit to on your calendar... buy a ticket and you’ll just have to go.

Gin + Jazz | Saturday, May 4 | Downtown Excelsior Springs, MO | Step back in time with this Art Deco experience, celebrating all things 1920s with themed cocktails, games, dancing, and a best dressed competition for only the most fabulous flappers.

Brookside Art Annual | Friday, May 3-Sunday, May 5 | 63rd and Brookside Boulevard, KCMO | The city’s first outdoor art show of the year attracts eclectic enthusiasts and serious buyers alike for a weekend of art, food, and music among its tree-lined streets.

NASCAR Weekend | Saturday, May 4-Sunday, May 5 | Kansas Speedway, 400 Speedway Blvd., KCK | Shake and bake at this twice-a-year event for any local looking to live out their Talledega Nights dreams.

Disney100 | Friday, May 24 | Union Station, KCMO | This immersive exhibit celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company and its Kansas City origins.

Festa Italiana | Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2 | Zona Rosa, 8640 N. Dixson Ave., KCMO | This three-day experience offers everything Italian — from a wine tasting tent and chef demos to local music acts and an international motorsports show.

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