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Get smarter, faster on what matters in Kansas City with Travis Meier and Abbey Higginbotham.

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A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze

Café 333 arrives as American drinking hits a record low.

Live band on a brick-walled bar stage: a woman in a blue sparkly dress sings into a mic while two male musicians accompany; warm pendant lights and seated audience in the foreground.

No need to dampen these vibes. Photo: Courtesy of Lindsey Nhingsavath/CTRL Creative Agency

Kansas City jazz was born in Prohibition-era clubs fueled by liquor. A century later, the city&#x27;s newest club is alcohol-free.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Café 333" data-vars-click-url="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" data-vars-content-id="12730782-38c9-43b7-9ef7-88f25e28fa3c" data-vars-headline="A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cafe333kc.com/index.html" target="_blank">Café 333</a> is KC&#x27;s first sober jazz bar, and it&#x27;s arriving just as American drinking hits a record low.

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Record crowds moved through Kansas City's airport, streetcar and buses during the metro's six World Cup matches.

Why it matters: The city's hosting stretch from June 11 to July 12 tested how well KC moves people at a scale it had never attempted.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 06: FIFA World Cup 2026 signage at the Kansas City International Airport on June 06, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. 

World Cup 2026 signage at KCI. Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

The airport recorded its busiest outbound day in its 54-year history on July 12, screening 24,266 travelers as quarterfinal crowds flew home.

That broke a record set in May 2025 by nearly 600 passengers.

KCI moved 1,127,270 passengers in June, up 2.19% from June 2025, per the Aviation Department.

Eight days topped 20,000 outbound travelers during the tournament.

Colombian fans ride on the subway to take part in a "banderazo" flag-waving gathering at Mill Creek Park in Kansas City on July 2, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Colombia and Ghana. 

Colombian fans ride the streetcar. Photo by Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty Images

The KC Streetcar carried 698,705 riders in June, an all-time monthly record and more than four times its June 2025 total. Tournament ridership reached nearly 839,000.

All five of the busiest days in streetcar history came during Fan Fest days. The peak was 55,973 trips on July 11, when Argentina met Switzerland at Arrowhead.

About a quarter of June trips touched Union Station and Crown Center, the stops nearest the Fan Fest site, followed by the downtown loop at 19% and Midtown at 15%.

KC Streetcar says roughly 75% of June trips went to destinations other than Fan Fest. These numbers do not include the Streetcar Link buses.

Does A Free Public Transit System Sound Like A Pipe Dream? Kansas City Is Doing It. Kansas City, MO - September 6: Riders prepare for a stop. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) bus is free for all riders. 

Patrons on a KCATA bus. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Getty Images

The Streetcar Link buses along Main Street carried more than 100,000 additional trips, Cindy Baker, the communications director with the KC Area Transportation Authority, tells Axios.

Route 201 through Zona Rosa, North KC and downtown jumped roughly 76%, averaging nearly 400 more riders a day than baseline, per KCATA data shared with Axios.

Routes 12, 31, 47 and 63 each rose by a third or more. KCATA increased frequency and expanded hours on those routes during the tournament.

KC2026's shuttle system logged 215,000 passes, 145,000 of them to the stadium compared with other services between KCI and areas around the metro. Ridership grew from about 19,000 passes for the first match to an average above 24,000 across all six.

ILLUSTRATION - 08 August 2024, Berlin: A man stands in front of a rental car with a sign from the mobility service provider and ride broker Uber and holds his smartphone with the company's app in his hand. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Phone with a rideshare app on the screen. Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/Getty Images

Uber reported the metro ranked among the top U.S. host cities for increased bar traffic after matches.

Axios asked Uber and Lyft for trip totals but did not receive any numbers.

What we're watching: KCATA rolled back its expanded service July 12 and could suspend more than a dozen routes by September amid funding shortfalls, even as Mayor Quinton Lucas says the improvements should continue.

KC set transit records as soccer fans swelled

The streetcar's five busiest days ever all came during the World Cup, and KCI logged its biggest outbound day in 54 years. Here's how the metro moved 800,000-plus riders.

City street race scene with runners and volunteers in neon vests, a red bus at right, and a modern downtown skyline with cranes and tall glass buildings under a blue, cloudy sky.

Walkers, riders and bikers — oh my! Photo: Travis Meier/Axios

Record crowds moved through Kansas City&#x27;s airport, streetcar and buses during the metro&#x27;s six World Cup matches.Why it matters: The city&#x27;s hosting stretch from June 11 to July 12 tested how well KC moves people at a scale it had never attempted.

Transit

News

It's National Climb A Mountain Day, and you don't need to go west to experience rugged terrain and rolling vistas.

The big picture: Whether you want a different (less crowded) idea for a mountain getaway or just want to stay a little closer to home, we have recommendations for an East Coast hike and one right here in Missouri. 

Three loaded hiking backpacks (black, gray, red) rest against a rocky wall beside a Missouri marker plaque. Gear includes a rolled mat, water bottle, metal cup, and hiking boots.

It pretty much says, "You're the tallest thing in Missouri right now." Photo: Travis Meier/Axios

👋 Travis here. When I was told there are mountains in Missouri, I was skeptical. My mom hails from Denver, and I spent my summers growing up in Colorado.

Reality check: The St. Francois Mountains in southeast Missouri are definitely not the Rockies.

Yes, but: They are mountains, with rapidly changing elevation and long, steep climbs that would put any hiker to the test. 

Taum Sauk Mountain is the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet, and the Taum Sauk Section of the Ozark Trail is no joke. 

I spent three days backpacking there, and it was both stunning and challenging. 

Just don't leave your keys back at the beginning as I did, and bring LOTS of tick repellent. 

By the numbers: The 35-mile section ascends rocky ridges, explores boulder fields and crosses verdant ravines.

It's more than 4,100 feet of elevation in either direction, and guides rate it difficult. 

Worth your time: The nearby Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park is magnificent, with massive rock features and crystal clear water.

Split image: left shows a smiling woman in sunglasses giving thumbs up on a mountain under a blue, cloudy sky; right shows a rocky summit with stacked stones and distant blue mountains under bright sun.

Don't let the smile fool you. Photo: Abbey Higginbotham/Axios

🙋🏻‍♀️ Abbey again. I have climbed four mountains in my life. Last week's was Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire's White Mountains. I thought the 9-mile hike would take six hours MAX.

By the numbers: You have to climb more than 4,100 feet of elevation in either direction, and guides rate it difficult.

Not a brag — just information I wish I'd known.

The start of the climb is stunning. The trail goes through dense woods past three waterfalls and the view at the top of the peaks is worth it.

However, most of the hike is essentially vertical and for miles you jump from rock to rock, so tiny your foot can barely fit on them.

On the descent, you look straight down the mountain to find your next step, and it's just loose rocks the whole way.

I finished the descent in the dark using my phone flashlight, blaring 80s pop ballads to keep the bears and ghouls away. Nothing came out of the trees, so I'm saying it was a success.

I just like to complain. I still recommend the hike. New Hampshire is beautiful. Just plan better than I did.

The bottom line: Two mountains, two states and two reporters who should have packed better.

Our recs: National Climb A Mountain Day

You don't need to go west to experience rugged terrain and rolling vistas.

Illustration of an animated smiling sun, looking around as it sets over a mountain range. 

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

It&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Climb A Mountain Day" data-vars-click-url="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-climb-a-mountain-day-july-30" data-vars-content-id="8b38b645-bfc4-4bf0-a4cb-76a8d98cd3fc" data-vars-headline="Our recs: National Climb A Mountain Day" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-climb-a-mountain-day-july-30" target="_blank">National Climb A Mountain Day</a>, and you don&#x27;t need to go west to experience rugged terrain and rolling vistas.The big picture: Whether you want a different (less crowded) idea for a mountain getaway or just want to stay a little closer to home, we have recommendations for an East Coast hike and one right here in Missouri.

Things to Do

Travel

Metro nonprofits, restaurants, school districts and at least one municipal court are gathering school supplies before students return to class next month.

Why it matters: Nearly one in five Kansas City children lives below the poverty line, per the city, which affects how many kids start the year equipped.

By the numbers: Parents will spend an average of $173.45 on the 21 most common supply items, up 7.7% in a year, according to Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation, which analyzed transaction data from about 50,000 retailers.

Lunchboxes rose 26.8%, single-subject notebooks 23%, index cards 22.2% and notebook paper 20%.

Counting meals, the groups put the full year at close to $4,000 per child, 10.7% more than last year.

ScrapsKC collects at sites across the city through August, then gives supplies free to any teacher who picks them up. It served more than 700 last year.

The Big Biscuit takes new, unused supplies at all 32 locations through Aug. 16, routing each donation to the district where it was dropped off.

Community Services League sells $50 sponsorships through Friday, each buying one child a stocked backpack and shoes, handed out Aug. 22 at Cable Dahmer Arena.

Cargo for Kids, run by discount retailer Cargo Largo, packs donated supplies and hygiene items into hundreds of backpacks for Independence students.

Center School District wants supplies and clear backpacks ahead of its Aug. 8 bash, where about 1,000 students and family members will register for classes.

Lee's Summit Social Services has run its drive since 1992 and takes supplies, cash and volunteers.

FosterAdopt Connect collects ahead of its Aug. 1 drive for children in foster care.

Love Fund for Children, run by FOX4, is gathering supplies for Kansas City Public Schools' Aug. 1 giveaway.

North Kansas City Schools Education Foundation takes donations Aug. 7 at the Gladstone Walmart.

Replenish KC accepts donations online or through community partners for Park Hill families.

Olathe's municipal court knocks up to $50 off a traffic or parking fine for $15 in new supplies, receipt required, through Aug. 4.

Her Legacy Leaders collects ahead of an Aug. 15 event serving 125 students.

The bottom line: All of these events are working toward a stocked backpack for every kid on day one.

Where to donate school supplies in KC

Collections are underway as school supplies rise in cost.

Illustration of a child wearing a backpack standing on the point of a giant pencil

Metro nonprofits, restaurants, school districts and at least one municipal court are gathering school supplies before students return to class next month.Why it matters: Nearly one in five Kansas City children lives below the poverty line, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per the city" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/city-officials/city-council-members/councilwoman-ryana-parks-shaw-5th-district/operation-backpack" data-vars-content-id="dedf51fd-0a0d-4511-8720-df845c85de41" data-vars-headline="Where to donate school supplies in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/city-officials/city-council-members/councilwoman-ryana-parks-shaw-5th-district/operation-backpack" target="_blank">per the city</a>, which affects how many kids start the year equipped.

Education

More than a century of Kansas City drag history now lives on one Westport wall, where a new mural brings 18 performers back into public view.

Why it matters: The mural only exists because a handful of local archivists spent years saving the flyers, photos and costumes that kept those names alive.

Zoom in: Muralist Jared Horman, who co-painted Midtown's Chappell Roan mural last year, spent June building his lineup with three organizations.

He worked with the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at UMKC, Black/queer Kansas City and the KC Rainbow Tour.

"A big part of this mural wouldn't exist if those archives didn't exist," Horman tells Axios.

The mural covers the side of the adult boutique Passions KC in Westport.

Hand-painted letters across the top read, "If life's a drag, Kansas City's been living."

An artist on a ladder paints a vibrant mural of cartoon faces on a brick wall, using spray paint; bold blue, yellow, orange panels. A close-up shows a hand applying pink paint on yellow.

Horman painting each performer's name. Photo: Courtesy of Luca Simmons

Each square is labeled with a name and the decade the performer started.

What they're saying: "I wanted to show that we've had this history without it feeling like a memorial," Horman says. "I wanted it to feel joyful and fun and bright and colorful."

The wall shouldn't feel "bleak or stodgy," he says, "because drag is neither of those things."

Flashback: The oldest face on the mural is Vesta Tilley, a drag king who built a 50-year career playing men, and by the 1890s, she was the highest-earning woman in England, according to researchers at the History Workshop.

Actress Vesta Tilley and her bicycle pose for a publicity postcard circa 1910 in London, England. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)



Vesta Tilley and her bicycle. Photo: Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Another queen on the wall is Mr. Half-and-Half, who sang at a KC nightclub called Dante's Inferno in half a gown and half a tuxedo. Horman painted him split down the middle to match.

A lot of the wall's midcentury faces trace to one address. The Jewel Box Lounge ran female impersonation shows for 34 years on Troost and later Main before closing in 1982.

Skip Arnold, a comic there, became the central figure in "Mother Camp," the first book-length study of a gay community.

Anthropologist Esther Newton wrote it after sitting through more than 100 Jewel Box shows in the mid-1960s.

The bottom line: Horman wants people to dig out their old drag flyers and photos and donate them to an archive, so they're not lost to time.

More than a century of KC drag on one wall

A new Westport mural brings 18 drag performers back into public view — and honors the archivists who kept their stories from disappearing.

Colorful mural on a brick wall features a grid of pop-art portraits in bright squares with bold text along the top. A man in gray overalls stands by a green lamppost near a yellow awning and a STOP sign.

Jared Horman next to his art. Photo: Courtesy of John Brant

More than a century of Kansas City drag history now lives on one Westport wall, where a new mural brings 18 performers back into public view.Why it matters: The mural only exists because a handful of local archivists spent years saving the flyers, photos and costumes that kept those names alive.

Abbey Higginbotham

Featured stories

More than a century of KC drag on one wall

Our recs: National Climb A Mountain Day

KC set transit records as soccer fans swelled

Where to donate school supplies in KC

A dry jazz bar in a city built on booze