The Kansas City Curling Club has signed up hundreds of new people to try curling since the Winter Olympics began, flooding its facility with first-timers eager to slide a stone.

Why it matters: The club is the only dedicated curling facility within 350 miles of KC, and Olympic buzz is boosting interest in the niche winter sport.

State of play: Curling's popularity always rises during the Winter Games. This year, two U.S. silver medals are keeping it in the spotlight.

How it works: Curling teams throw 42-pound granite "rocks" toward the "house" (target) on ice that's been sprayed with water — this gives it a pebbly surface.

• The name comes from the way the rock arcs as it moves down the ice — a phenomenon that's inspired dozens of scientific papers.

Zoom in: The club hosts Olympic watch parties while juggling packed curling lessons.

• Club president DeeAnn Wlodarski tells Axios they're receiving calls every day from people who saw curling on TV and want to try it.

By the numbers: Nearly 600 people have registered for the club's curling experience lessons in the past month, according to Wlodarski.

• The club had just under 200 league members before the Olympics and hopes to add about 50 more from this surge.

The curling experience is $40 and teaches delivery, sweeping and the basic rules.

• New players can join beginner play without committing to a full season.
• Leagues run in the fall, winter and spring, with discounted rates for first-time players.

Flashback: Founded in 1987, the club spent decades renting time on hockey rinks before opening its own dedicated facility along I-70 in Blue Springs in 2021.

• Today it operates as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) with leagues, bonspiel tournaments and corporate rentals.

What they're saying: Many newcomers quickly realize curling looks easier on TV than it feels on ice.

• "The very first thought from newcomers is, 'Oh, this is harder than I expected,'" Wlodarski says.
• "Then they keep coming and they're like, 'OK, I can do this!' They realize how fun it is," she says. "It's not just the curling. It's the community. It makes people stick around."

The bottom line: If you've watched curling at the Olympics and thought, "I could do that," you can join the hundreds of Kansas Citians who already are.

Go deeper: The science behind sweeping

There's plenty to do in Kansas City this weekend, but we whittled down three that scream local.

🎭 KCRep: "One of the Good Ones"

What to expect: This comedy opened Tuesday and runs through March 8, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets range from $44 to $70.

• The show is at Copaken Stage inside H&R Block's headquarters. You can park in the garage off Main Street, and KCRep provides a QR code for a prevalidated ticket.

🎥 Reel Black Film Fest

What to expect: KC PBS' second-annual event runs Friday and Saturday with screenings at the Gem Theater and other events throughout the 18th and Vine District.

• General admission is free, but you must still register.

🍻 KC Brew Fest

What to expect: The event at Union Station is on Saturday and has two ticket options: 1–4pm or 5–8pm. Both cost $63 for general admission.

• Tickets give you access to more than 50 breweries and 150 beers, but food is purchased separately. Designated driver tickets cost $20 at the door.

⚧️ A new Kansas law prohibits transgender residents from changing the gender marker on their IDs and forbids multi-occupancy unisex restrooms in government buildings. Republicans overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. (Kansas City Star)

🏥 An Olathe clinic for people with developmental disabilities will open this spring as the first piece of the $320 million Halo Ridge project, an all-abilities development planned near 119th Street and Renner Boulevard. (Kansas City Business Journal)

🏛️ A new Union Station exhibit will explore the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, featuring more than 200 artifacts and 10 tons of the original wall. "The Berlin Wall: A World Divided" opens in May. (KMBC)

🏠 Lenexa has approved a Habitat for Humanity project that will add 50 affordable homes, boosting housing access in the Kansas City region. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Kansas City's share of adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher rose from about 37% to 40% between the 2015–2019 and 2020–2024 periods, according to new census data.

The big picture: That's on par with 89% of other metro areas that also saw some growth during this time, and slightly ahead of the national average, which rose to 38%.

• The biggest gains among the 100 largest metro areas: Durham, N.C. (53%, up from 45%); New Haven, Conn. (42%, up from 35%); and Austin (51%, up from 45%).
• Springfield, Mass., was the only metro with a decrease, dropping from about 33% to 29%.

How it works: That's based on the Census Bureau's latest five-year American Community Survey estimates.

• A metro's share can increase if more residents get degrees, or if more people with degrees move into town.

Yes, but: Many graduates are saddled with debt, with about 42.7 million borrowers owing more than $1.6 trillion in federal loans.

• And 13.4% of unemployed people in July 2025 were new to the workforce, the highest rate since 1988.

The bottom line: Degrees are going up, but so is the pressure on graduates.