Saturday events

Democrats to meet Saturday

The Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast will meet at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the parking lot of Las Islas VIP Sports Bar and Grill, 4929 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Breakfast is at 9 a.m., with the group starting to gather at 8 a.m. Mayor-CEO candidates on the Nov. 2 ballot, incumbent Mayor David Alvey and challenger Tyrone Garner, have agreed to speak. Also, both candidates for Unified Government commissioner at-large District 2, incumbent Commissioner Tom Burroughs and challenger Claudine Sanders, are scheduled to speak. The Wyandotte County Sheriff candidates also have been invited to speak. There will be free doughnuts at the event.

Butterfly Festival to be Saturday

The 16th annual Lawson Roberts Butterfly Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library, 4051 West Drive, Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas. The free event will include Monarch tagging demonstrations; butterfly and insect-related crafts; catching insects with nets; and a butterfly walk on the nature trail. In addition, there will be face painting, a Monarch migration game, insect scavenger hunt, insect photo contest results, concessions, free milkweed seeds and information on pollinators and native plants. Masks are required indoors for everyone age 5 and older.

American Royal Barbecue continues today

The American Royal World Series of Barbecue continues Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Kansas Speedway, I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas. The event lasts through Sept. 19. Barbecue teams compete in this contest, which bills itself as the world’s largest barbecue contest and the American Royal’s largest fundraiser. There will be live music during the event. For a list of scheduled music performances and activities, visit https://www.americanroyal.com/weekend-events-activities/. A Salute to Service Day is scheduled Saturday, including a flyover. Tickets are $25 per person, with different plans available. For more information, visit https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/13699/2021-american-royal-world-series-of-barbecue??performance_id=5337469&country=US&language=en.

Resource fair planned Saturday


The Boys and Girls Club, 1240 Troup Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will have a resource fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18. The event is open to families and teams throughout Greater Kansas City. There will be free food and drinks, giveaways, vendors, entertainment, tours and enrollment opportunities for boys and girls. For more information, visit helpkckids.org.

Free COVID vaccines available at Quindaro Community Center


Free COVID vaccines are available from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Quindaro Community Center, 2726 Brown Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Residents of Wyandotte County who get their first COVID vaccine at the event will receive a free $50 debit card. There will be free ice cream at the event. The First Baptist Church of Quindaro is the host of the event. Other area churches are participating. The event is supported by the Unified Government Health Department.

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot to be Saturday at Alcott Arts Center


“The Merry Wives of Windsor” has been transformed into a western for this production at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Alcott Arts Center, 180 S. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas. The admission charge is a $10 donation, and those attending need to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. The play starts at 5 p.m. on the west lawn of the Alcott. Performances will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 and 25-26. Alcott Arts Center is not ADA-accessible.

AutumnFest to be Saturday in Edwardsville


The Edwardsville AutumnFest will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, at Edwardsville Community Center, 696 S. 3rd St., Edwardsville, Kansas. The event includes a craft fair, touch-a-truck, a bounce house, mouse races, wrestling, and a concert. The concert is from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and features the Roni Ward Band, Damien Gunn and the Mike Wheeler Band. For more information, see https://www.edwautumnfest.com/schedule.

Butterfly Festival to be today at library

The Lawson Roberts Butterfly Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Sept. 18, at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library, 4051 West Drive, Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road. (Photo by Mary Rupert)

The 16th annual Lawson Roberts Butterfly Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library, 4051 West Drive, Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas.

The free event will include Monarch tagging demonstrations; butterfly and insect-related crafts; catching insects with nets; and a butterfly walk on the nature trail.

In addition, there will be face painting, a Monarch migration game, insect scavenger hunt, insect photo contest results, concessions, free milkweed seeds and information on pollinators and native plants.

Masks are required indoors for everyone age 5 and older.

The Butterfly Festival is made possible through donations from the Lawson Roberts Memorial Fund.

Shakespeare, Western-style, to take over the Alcott Saturday and Sunday

A hilarious, barefootin,’ hollerin’ and laughing version of Shakespeare will be performed Saturday and Sunday at the Alcott Arts Center’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” has been transformed into a western for this production, according to Chris Green of the Alcott Center, 180 S. 18th, Kansas City, Kansas.

She’s been hearing all the hilarity during the rehearsals, and “I just can’t wait to see this,” she said.

The admission charge is a $10 donation, and those attending need to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.

The play starts at 5 p.m. on the west lawn of the Alcott. Performances will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 and 25-26.

The director, Bethany Phillips, also put together last year’s show, “The Best of Shakespeare,” Green said. This weekend’s production will include community actors from all over the metropolitan area.

In conjunction with the play, the Alcott will have art galleries open, she said, including one during intermission.

Darryl Woods, a Wyandotte High School graduate, will show some abstract artwork. Woods is mainly known for his sports drawings of the Chiefs, as well as superheroes and Star Wars paintings, and will offer something different this weekend, she said.

Other artwork from Alcott’s collection also will be on display, she said.

Green said there will be social distancing outside. If people are sitting with others who are not normally in their group, they should wear masks, she said. Masks must be worn inside the building at all times, she said.

The Alcott is not yet ADA accessible. On Saturday and Sunday, the restrooms will not be available.

For more information on the production, visit https://www.alcottartscenter.org/ or call 913-233-2787.