The Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, with a free festival planned Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Called WyOneDotte festival, the event will include food, entertainment and activities for the public. It will be a free family event. The event is from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the ballpark at Village West, where the T-Bones play baseball. The festival will include prizes and giveaways.
At the Thursday night Unified Government Commission meeting, as part of the consolidation anniversary events, the UG Commission unanimously renamed 7th Street between Minnesota and Tauromee avenues “Marinovich Way” after former Mayor Carol Marinovich. The honorary street name is for 7th Street in front of the UG’s Municipal Office Building and the county courthouse.
At the UG meeting, Commissioner Melissa Bynum, 1st District at large, recalled serving on a group in 1997 that supported unification, Citizens for Consolidation. Residents voted for consolidation of the city and county governments by a large majority.
“The promise of consolidation was, in my opinion, not a promise to make everything in our community perfect in one or two five or even 10 years, it was a promise to do things differently,” Bynum said. “It was a promise to work together as one body to innovate, collaborate, seek best practices and change the way we improve our community. I think the evidence 20 years later is pretty overwhelming.”
Bynum said it was clear that unification would only happen with a political leader with the vision and stamina to see it through to success, and Marinovich was that leader.
Mayor Mark Holland said the event Saturday will celebrate the 20th anniversary of consolidation while focusing on the future for the next 20 years.
UG officials have said that population and jobs have increased, as well as personal income, in the community since unification.
The event is free and open to the public. There are several sponsors. It will include music, free food, a bounce house, games, car show, mascots, face painting, and a bag toss. A lot of the activity will be held on the concourse, which is covered.
For more information on the festival, visit https://www.wyonedotte.com/.