Time for weekend calendar picks from KC Studio editor Alice Thorson! Today is opening for the 13th Annual KC Fringe Festival. Stop by the Folly Theater for teaser performances, or stop by one of many Fringe performances happening throughout the city until July 30th. Tomorrow night, Lady D performs at the Blue Room and Northeast Arts KC presents the 5 Star Jazz Band at Concourse Park. Summerfest continues this weekend at White Recital Hall and St. Mary’s Episcopal. Sunday afternoon, bring the family to the Nelson-Atkins lawn for Kansas City’s Big Picnic. for more ideas this weekend, visit Kansas City’s most comprehensive arts calendar at kcstudio.org/events.
13th Annual Kansas City Fringe Festival
July 20, 2017 – July 30, 2017
Now celebrating its lucky 13th anniversary, the Kansas City Fringe Festival is an 11-day explosion of performing and visual arts. It is the single biggest celebration of arts and culture in the Kansas City metropolitan region.
From July 20th to 30th, 2017, the Kansas City Fringe Festival will present 450 performances by around 100 artists at 17 venues, plus visual arts displays at two galleries. More than 25,000 people attend KC Fringe annually.
Opening Night Teaser at the Folly Theater
The time has finally come! Please join us for the Opening Night of the 13th Annual KC Fringe Festival. Celebrate with us as we kick off the this years festival in style.
The best way to dive into Fringe is to attend the opening night party, where you get an opportunity to sample teasers of the many festival performances
Please keep in mind some of the performances do feature Adult Content. All family friendly material will be performed from 7:00-7:55 PM, PG content will run from 7:56-9:10 PM and we will finish off the night with our more Adult R rated content from 9:11-9:56 PM.
We roll out the Fringe carpet at 5:30 PM for the Fringe Walk. Come mingle with fellow Fringers, and pick up your 2017 Fringe Festival Button.There will be beverages and a cash bar.
Indigo Hour: Lady D
July 21, 2017 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
American Jazz Museum – The Blue Room
Indigo Hour in the Blue Room features the best Kansas City R&B and Neo-Soul acts every Friday night from 5 pm – 7:30 pm for free in our award-winning jazz club. Enjoy drink specials and an appetizer buffet!
Acknowledging her gift at the early age of 8, Lady D began her musical endeavours in church choirs, local gospel groups and countless talent shows. In her late teen years she recorded a gospel album and appeared on the infamous Bobby Jones Gospel show. In addition to her gospel background Lady D has always been involved with exceptional music projects. Through the years she has appeared on several recordings and opened for the likes of Roger Troutman & Zapp, Brian McKnight, Najee and Peabo Bryson to name a few.
Her musical style is an eclectic mix of jazz, R&B and blues. Her sets are sprinkled with a smooth mix of them all. Her smile is contagious; her interaction and ability to get the crowd involved is outrageous! True to herself and the music she loves, Lady D is a well-rounded, professional entertainer. She prides herself in always being surrounded by the best and most talented musicians and vocalists.
SummerDusk Concert Series
July 21, 2017 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Free
Concourse Park
Summerdusk brings a variety of local and regional musicians to the Collonade for a series of free family-friendly concerts every summer.
July 21st – 5 Star Jazz Band (Big Band Jazz)
Bring a blanket or a folding chair, and if you’d like, a picnic basket or cooler with your favorite snacks and beverages, and maybe a sweater or jacket to put on when the sun goes down and the evening cools off.
Summerfest Chamber Music Festival
July 22, 2017 @ 7:30 pm
White Recital Hall
July 23, 2017 @ 3:00 pm
St. Mary’s Episcopal
In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln faced a divided nation. Less than a month before his March 4, 1861 speech, seven states formally declared themselves the Confederate States of America, tearing asunder a young nation that was only eighty-five years old. Urging his listeners to come together, Lincoln appealed to the “mystic chords of memory” that would “swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched…by the better angels of our nature.” Today, we again find ourselves needing those better angels, needing to find reconciliation and union. As artists, we believe that nothing is as powerful as music in bringing us together, helping us find and celebrate our shared humanity. So invite a friend and join Summerfest this July as we evoke President Lincoln’s Chords of Memory through a series of concerts designed to remind us of who we were, who we are, and who we still might become.
Kansas City’s Big Picnic
July 23, 2017 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
KC comes together for a fun-filled evening for all ages! In celebration of the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park and National Parks and Recreation Month, the museum teams up with Kansas City Parks and Rec to create a GIANT picnic space.
