Two festivals, one very full weekend of eating
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Past festivals. Photos: Courtesy of the EEC and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
More than 40,000 people are expected to eat their way through Swope Park this weekend, and thousands more will do the same on the WWI Museum lawn Saturday night.
Why it matters: Two major food events land on the same weekend, one a three-day showcase of 42 countries and the other a celebration of hot dogs.
🌍 Ethnic Enrichment Festival
The 47th annual festival runs Friday through Sunday at Swope Park, with food, music and dance from all over the world.
Flashback: The commission behind it started in 1976 as a Bicentennial committee, held its first festival in 1980 at Liberty Memorial and settled into Swope Park in 1984.
What they're saying: Concerns that immigration enforcement would target the event came up last year, given who attends. "It did not impact turnout or commission participation," an Ethnic Enrichment Commission representative tells Axios.
- City support "has only continued to grow," the representative says. Parks and Rec provides machinery, carpentry and labor to build the site.
💭 My thought bubble: The food is what gets me there. The people behind the booths, telling you about home, are why it's one of my favorite weekends of the summer.
If you go: Admission is $5, kids under 12 get in free and parking is free at 4177 Pavilion Rd. No pets.
- Hours are Friday 6pm to 10pm, Saturday noon to 10pm and Sunday noon to 6pm.
🌭 Heart of America Hot Dog Festival
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's fundraiser takes the WWI Museum lawn Saturday, pairing ballpark food with eight hours of music.
Catch up quick: Museum president Bob Kendrick started the festival in 2013 in the 18th and Vine District. It paused for two years during the pandemic.
What they're saying: The festival celebrates "the historical connection between the game and the hot dog," Kendrick told the Kansas City Star.
If you go: Gates open at 3pm and music runs from 3:30pm to 11pm. General admission is $50.
- Tickets cover entry and activities, not food. Proceeds go to the museum.
The bottom line: Go hungry.