Lee's Summit Downtown Days This Weekend

Friday kicks off this year's Downtown Days in Lee's Summit. Downtown Days is an annual festival held at the beginning of summer in Downtown Lee's Summit, MO. The event is free, and live entertainment will be provided, but don't worry you will have plenty of chances to spend money as well - carnival rides, vendors selling food and other items.

Live music this year includes Oklahoma based pop-rock band Sownds, and local classic rock band Flashback on Friday night. Clint Martinez Band, Four Roads Crossing, and the Kansas City Drum Tribe (hippies beating on drums and playing with fire - what could be cooler than that?) perform on Saturday night.

New for 2011 is the 3 on 3 basketball tournament - this takes place on Saturday and you can still register here. Also new is the Happy Hour for all you lushes out there. $2 off beers from 4:30-6:30PM on Friday only. A Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned Bar-B-Q contest will also be held on Friday with winners announced on Saturday.

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Kansas City Zoo Offering Free Admission To Kansas City Residents

Once again this year, The Kansas City Zoo will be offering free admission to Kansas City, MO residents for the entire month of October and November. The deal is good any day during normal business hours. You need to provide a photo identification, and proof of residency consisting of utility bill, credit card bill, or some other official correspondence. Normal hours are 9:30AM - 4:00PM on weekdays, and weekends the Zoo closes at 5:00PM.

For those of you who have not been to the Kansas City Zoo lately, they have made lots of improvements in the last several years. The most recent of which is the Polar Bear Passage - a state of the Art Polar Bear Exhibit that houses "Nikita", a three year old male. It has a large chilled water pool for swimming and observation areas from three angles. Pretty cool.

The Africa region of the Zoo is excellent also, in fact it was rated #1 in the country according to "America's Best Zoos 2008". The African Exhibit is 95 acres and represents animals from 5 countries. It includes quite a large family of Chimpanzees, a gorilla, an african plains exhibit that houses Zebras, Giraffes and others.

I highly recommend our city's zoo, if you like it, come back again - you can get an annual zoo membership for $79 - this incudes FREE admission for your whole family for an entire year. Normal admission prices are $11.50 for adults, and $8.50 for kids over 3. For other Kansas City Events and things to do click here.

Prairie Village Jazz Festival This Saturday

Prairie Village Jazz Festival This Saturday

This Saturday, September 11, Prairie Village will celebrate it's first ever Jazz Festival. The fun kicks off at 3PM at Harmon Park, 77th and Mission, Prairie Village. It's the park with the water tower, you can't miss it. Parking is available at the Prairie Village Pool Complex, or Shawnee Mission East High School. The event in FREE.

The schedule is as follows:

Killer Strayhorn - 3:00-3:50

A local five piece mainstream jazz ensemble.

Sons of Brasil - 4:10-5:00

Kansas City Jazz with a Brazilian Flavor - be prepared to dance.

David Basse and Orchestra 2010 - 5:20-6:10

Basse is a local musician that has appeared on A&E's City Confidential, CBS Sunday Morning, and All Things Considered.

Eldar Djangirov Trio - 6:30-7:20

Born in the Soviet Union, Eldar moved to the US at a young age and was a true child prodigy on the piano. He spent his formative years in Kansas City, soaking up the extensive jazz history of this town. Now, at age 23, he is a veteran of the music business having worked with the likes of Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis , and Herbie Hancock.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra w/Miguel "Mambo" DeLeon - 7:50-9:00

The Jazz orchestra is a Kansas City tradition - "Mambo" DeLeon is a vocalist and percussionist with a salsa flavor.

Vendors will be on hand to serve food and drinks including wine and beer. No coolers or outside alcohol is allowed, but pets are as long as they are leashed and under control.