This is a great festival for families to get out and enjoy time together. As Independenxe…read morecontinues to become a rougher city, there seems to be more issues with violence at the event. I know this scares away many who would otherwise come. This year we went with our family and some friends from out of town. They enjoyed the carnival rides and as always there is great food. If we could be confident that security was better, it would turn into a much better event.

Used to be good, now the kansas city trash has killed it for the independence people. The food…read morebooths were cheap, now they charge more. It's up to you if you want to come here.

Glo Wild is great! We've gone the past two years and below are my takeaways:…read more 1. I think it's fun to make this part of your holiday tradition. The past two years we've gone around Thanksgiving and the Santa that works here is always 10/10, and it is a unique way to get your family into the holiday spirit. 2. I wish the member discount was a big more or you got more perks while at the event. It's still I think around $20 each to go even if you are member. I don't mind donating to the Zoo as I think it's a great local business and non profit, doing fantastic work, it just feels odd when you are already donating as a member to have such a hefty ticket price. 3. They improved it in 2025 and now offer hot cocoa for sale near Santa and you can even pay to spike it if you're an adult. I do think this could be a bit more magical, if they set up a more custom booth. For example, seeing how cheap the cocoa is kind of takes away from the vibes for me. I also think they could offer a souvenir mug each year like Christmas markets do to make it even more special. I think there is room for improvement here, but I'm glad they added this, as it was a fun and much needed element to tie it all together. 4. It's a fun walk, and the lights are always magical tl;dr: It's a fun event, worth the price overall. Kids and adults will enjoy it.

I felt like a true time traveler (Lantern Theme 2025-2026) after visiting the Glo Wild exhibition…read moreat the Kansas City Zoo. The management has done a terrific job showcasing this immersive lantern festival, making it one of the most awaited and popular activity in Kansas City. I visited the exhibition in the last week of December and was truly mesmerized by the glowing art. The mile or two long path took us through different timelines, showcasing Paris, the Wild West, American history, and then moving on to different types of animals, flowers, and fantasy highlights. There were a few cultural festivals captured as well, like Mardi Gras, followed by Ice Age animals and then sci-fi futuristic lanterns. My favorite sections were the Paris area, which featured a beautiful large Eiffel Tower lantern, Statue of Liberty lantern and also the Elvis Presley lantern - amazing. The cultural section truly had my heart. Something that really caught my eye was the Journey Entry lanterns placed at each area.. definitely fun and interesting to read. Few Tips: 1. The whole path took me around two hours to complete because I took my time to view each and every lantern. However, it could take as less as 60 Minutes. 2. It was very cold when I went, however, it wasn't windy, but I would still recommend 3 to 4 layers if warm clothing, if you're going after 8 PM in winter time (for any unexpected weather changes. 3. All the kids I saw were in their strollers and I definitely thought it was needed since it was very dark path apart from the lanterns. 4. Toilets along the path were a bit of a miss since there wasn't enough lighting around them!!! I used the main toilet near the zoo admissions area so please keep that in mind! It's great to know that this exhibition runs until April 2026. It's very family friendly, an amazing great date night option, or as a solo activity. Outside food and drinks are allowed - definitely a plus. One downside is that you won't get to see any animals, and when I visited, even the aquarium was closed. I would recommend checking the aquarium hours too before going. I also believe there is free hot chocolate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so don't miss that either ;)! Loved watching each and every lantern and had a fabulous time.

I've only attended this festival once but I had a grand time. I've been told it's always sweltering…read morewhatever weekend this festival takes place but bottles of water are only $1 so they come prepared. We perused the tents of Outlander and Highlander merch, learned all about different Scottish heritages and ate some Scottish Eggs. They have food trucks full of traditional fare and they sell plenty of kilts and Scottish hats. My boyfriend and I paid the $20 each for a scotch tasting and it was actually really interesting and worth the money. Beer on tap was provided by Schlafly and they had Pirtle wines. It is the "Highland Games" and they have performances throughout the weekend. We took some time to watch the cable toss and some other hard-core sports. It was highly entertaining. The cost to get in was only $10 so for ten bucks, it was a really good time. I recommend this festival for couples or families alike. Anyone even remotely interested in Scottish heritage or even just some good meat pies, this is an event to mark on your calendars.

Bacon. Tons of bacon. Bacon popcorn. Bacon brownies. Bacon Mac & cheese. You get the point…read more With admission to Bacon Fest, not only do you contribute to charity, you also get tons of bacony samples and lots of AmeriBrew pub beer. With 10 vendors providing food samples, you really get to try a lot of different things. My favorites were the Lucky bakery scones and the Funky Monkey popcorn. We didn't partake in all you can eat bacon contest ($10) but watched, and it was pretty entertaining. The beer samples were good, including the pale ale, dark lager, and blonde. The event was held in the parking lot at the Ameristar Casino, not too much shade but thankfully the weather was nice today for the event. Enjoying the food beer and people watching. A fun way to celebrate a Midwestern staple.

Loved all the bacon-inspired food samples: bacon-wrapped pork belly, bacon covered brownies, bacon…read morescones, bacon popcorn, bacon soda, & more. Great idea to have the ticket bands to coordinate stations. It helped us keep track of what we'd tried & where each was located. I had more blonde than expected as I'm more of a sour drinker (hint, hint). My only complaints were having nowhere to set anything down; it made eating samples & drinking difficult. Also, a few tents or some kind of shade would have also made a world of difference. If not for the wind, the excessive sweating would have sent me home after our last samples. If a little better set-up, or a kinder day, this is an event I would love to taste again.

After having attended quite a few beer festivals throughout the years in Kansas City, I have come…read moreto the conclusion that Hopfest is the best of the bunch. Most importantly, the beer selection was really good! I mean, I've been to festivals with a few more selections, but i didn't even come close to trying all of them that were available here. Further options would just be wasted. Plus a lot of familiar breweries pulled out stashes of really unique products. I was glad to get a sample of some rarities from Boulevard, Schlafly and New Belgium. I know for a fact there were a lot of other little surprises in the mix, I just never got around to trying them. The layout is fantastic. There were quite a few people here, but the lines moved quickly and efficiently. No waiting 10 minutes to sample a beer. Barely any waiting at all. I thought that was pretty awesome. There were plenty of tables and shade for people wanting to chill for a bit, and the restroom line moved quickly as well. I'd maybe add a FEW more toilets next year, but it wasn't that big of a problem. My only other suggestion would be to do something different with the speaker series. It's great that they offered it, but I think they should make it more prominent. It was difficult to hear the speakers, at least the couple that I kinda/sorta paid attention to. OK, one more suggestion: I think it'd be fun to have a vendor area. I mean, beyond a sausage and lemonade truck. Overall, I was VERY happy to attend Hopfest, and It'll certainly be on my calendar next year.

I was definitely very happy to attend Hopfest this year and I hope this will be a reoccurring…read moreannual festival. When I think of the establishments in Waldo I think of beer - from brewery, to sports bar, to gastropub, to dive. So, how very appropriate to have such an amazing beer tasting day in Waldo. The craft beer selection was quite extensive to say the least. Though it was packed with lots of folks, the pace was surprisingly easy and fast and barely any waiting at all. All of the vendors were extremely friendly as well as very patient & informative - they all seemed to enjoy discussing beer and didn't mind having their brains picked. I love the art of beer and I happen to be a very inquisitive individual as well - so it was refreshing to feel at ease while I delved into the world of endless beer knowledge. As Matt E. suggested, I also think that it would be wonderful if Hopfest would make their speaker series more prominent in the future and I second his suggestion on enhancing the vendor area to more than just two - quite a few Waldo exclusive vendors would be a really nice touch or at least plenty of food trucks would be divine. As an amazing conclusion to my day, my girlfriend and I gladly went next door to The Well to enjoy the Spinach Artichoke Dip (along with a pint to wash it down, of course) - it was offered complimentary when you used Yelp's mobile app to check-in to Hopfest!

A wonderful experience! The environment is a family, friendly environment with lots of activities…read morefor both parents and children. You have a wide range of vendors who are selling their merchandise that are all from Kansas City. Every item that you're able to purchase at the art Garden Kansas City is locally made or locally grown. Some of the products are, honey, jewelry, oil, paintings, photography, soap, T-shirts, hats, and many many more. I highly recommend this for the entire family. Get outside and enjoy the weather and eat some good food and do some amazing shopping.

It's past time to update my 14 month old review; especially since they moved their main location…read morefrom Pendleton heights to the City Market Park. I'll be honest; this move that occurred 3 months ago really irritated me. How dare you move this neighborhood based organic arts commune that was attracting people like me into a cool little area for a leisurely Sunday afternoon. The City Market is already jammed with people on the weekend and doesn't need more parking problems. After pouting for two weeks, I visited the new location and was prepared to hate everything about it and consider it just another artistic sell-out... I soon realized that my thinking was very short sided. This move has allowed the 60+ vendors to have an entirely new and much much larger customer base. To my relief this has not turned into another Plaza Art Fair and has retained it cutting edge / experimental / alternative... dare I say "hippy" vibe. Art ranges from small $2 trinkets to large oil paintings for $100's, clothing, jewelry 3d printed objects, massage therapy... lot's of cool stuff being sold by cool people that love having conversations about their craft. The season is almost over, but they are now prepared to pop-up at other events also such as Troostapolooza last week. Parking is a breeze, use the streetcar and park in the free lots next to North Loop stop. Two years running as being my favorite free Sunday activity in Kansas City.

This has been the second time I have gotten to go to this event. The first time, it was still held…read moreat the riverfront park. Performers on multiple stages playing my favourite music. Organised places to get signatures and meet your favourites. All while stopping by the multiple tents to pick up another Guinness! I expected a few more vendors selling their crafts; however, I understand that to do so has become harder and harder. There is an issue with some crafters using a lot of Cheap AI Art or the overabundance of 3d printed tchotchkes. But, a few more selling good items would have been welcome. I don't think there were more food options to choose from. I, of course, chose items that could be considered standard Irish fare. Too much on while watching the shows. It was a good turnout. Only bad experiences were with other goers who just didn't bother to consider that there were people around them. But, that isn't the norm and were few and far between on the 12 hours that we were there! Note: Love the HIGH KINGS!!!

I can't tell you how many years I have attended this event, It is always a great event. So many…read moregreat bands and performers. With everything from a silent disco, Bingo, cultural movies and talks, along with a whole area for the kids to play and run. Plus a row of food venders and beer tents. There is also a large area of art dealers and tents. It is easy to get there in the morning and make a day of the event.

The staff was full of knowledge. We were the only patrons inside the water bar area. I read each of…read morethe more than 20 information boards posted around the perimeter of the water bar area. It was beautifully decorated in one of my favorite architectural eras, art deco. The information boards gave great explanations of the founding of the town, the springs, how the Hall of Waters operated, the water bar, famous people who visited, founding of hotels and the history of the people who operated them, and lots more! Be prepared to read A LoT. Which I enjoy learning that way and at my own pace. The treatment area was interesting to see the devices and apparatus they used when this place was humming in the early 1900's. I was disappointed the pool area and the bottling area are closed off to the public. Wish I knew someone on the inside. Haha. And they would show them to me. I love exploring safely and respectfully. A definite must see for someone who loves history like I do!

Art deco splendor! A…read moreworking city building filled with reminders of the spring waters heydays here. Love the intact water bar which is now the welcome center. Lots of surrounding picture displays of the town's history and notable persons with connections to the general area. **No special water to drink or bathe here!

Great bagpipes so day night was cool out the crowds were very heavy and long lines even after it…read morewas closed at 6 on Sunday

This is such a fun & unique festival, to the area. Fun for the whole fam! Not only is it filled…read morewith food, but also with music, dancing and products, from the various countries that take part. Downsides....the event is placed in the middle of a field, so prepare for bugs, there's also no relief from the blazing sun, so bring your sunglasses and cooling towel. The picnic tables are kinda worn out and the bales of hay will poke your bottom, so sit with caution. And, enjoy the port-a-potties, because #icant. These things are manageable though. The food options are the star of the show and there are so many to choose from. You are bound to find something you'll enjoy. Or, just people watch. People come from far & near to attend this fun event! Hope you enjoy it too!