🏆 WORLD CUP GUIDE

World Cup Guide is Live

We’ve been building something behind the scenes, and it’s officially here.

The KC Scene World Cup Guide is your go-to spot to explore Kansas City during one of the biggest moments the city has ever hosted.

Whether you're visiting or live here, this is where you’ll find:

• Full KC Directory — One place to explore restaurants, shops, and local spots across the city
• Smarter Search & Filters — Find exactly what you’re looking for by neighborhood, category, vibe, and more
• Save & Favorite — Bookmark places and build your own list for later
• Events & Specials — Everything happening during the World Cup, all in one place
• Map-Based Discovery — See what’s near you and plan your route around the city
• Locally Owned Filter — Easily find and support local businesses
• Safe Space Badge — Know which spots are inclusive and welcoming
• KC Green Badge — Find businesses focused on sustainability
• Dog-Friendly Filter — Quickly find patios, shops, and places your dog is welcome
• Happy Hour Finder — Search by time and location, no more guessing, yes there’s a countdown
• Direct Booking Links — Reserve a table or book directly without digging
• Parking Info — Know where to park before you get there
• Quick Access (QR + Links) — Jump straight to places from posts, guides, or real-world signage

👉 Save your favorites and build your own list for the tournament

🏪 Own a Business?

You can still be part of it.

Join the guide for FREE and:

• Get your business in front of locals and visitors
• Promote your World Cup specials and events
• Show up in search, map, and filtered results
• Update your profile anytime with photos, hours, and details

👉 Join the guide here​

Share with all businesses that you think will benefit from being apart of this!

📍 Why We Built This

We didn’t want people coming to KC and only seeing the obvious spots.

This is about putting a spotlight on the locally owned businesses that actually make Kansas City what it is.

So whether you're exploring or promoting, this is your place to be.

👀 This Week Around KC

🦒 KC ZOO'S $30M GIRAFFE COMPLEX OPENS THIS MONTH​

The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium's new $30 million giraffe complex is opening this month, giving guests year-round access to the herd for the first time. The facility includes an overlook feeding station where visitors stand at giraffe eye level, a new barn, snack shop, and indoor dining room. The zoo welcomed three Masai giraffe calves since November, including community-named Beni.

🌺 HAWAIIAN BROS CHANGED THE ROYALS DEAL​

The original Plates for Plates promo gave loyalty members a free classic plate every time the Royals scored six or more runs at home. It triggered 10 times in the first 37 games and sent out more than 41,000 free meals. Hawaiian Bros updated the terms: loyalty members now get a buy-one-get-one when KC hits six runs at home.

🏗️ BEALE INFRASTRUCTURE PULLS OUT OF GARDNER​

California-based Beale Infrastructure withdrew its application for a 300-acre data center in Gardner after the city denied incentives and roughly 100 residents packed the May 4 city council meeting in opposition. Residents raised concerns about noise pollution, light, and environmental health impacts. Beale is still breaking ground on a $3.1 billion data center in De Soto later this month, and this was the second data center proposal to fall apart in Gardner.

🏛️ KC MOVES TO PROTECT HISTORIC BUILDINGS FROM INTENTIONAL NEGLECT​

Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced three ordinances targeting what advocates call demolition by neglect, where property owners let historic buildings deteriorate until the city authorizes a teardown. One proposal requires vacant buildings to be secured and weatherproofed within 90 days, a second creates a registry of absentee owners tied to blighted properties, and a third holds empty-lot owners accountable for neighborhood blight.

✈️ KAYAK RANKED KC THE TOP TRENDING U.S. SUMMER DESTINATION​

KAYAK's 2026 travel trends report put Kansas City at the top of its list of trending U.S. summer destinations, with searches up 14% year-over-year. The surge is driven by the city's World Cup host status, growing international attention, and the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce engagement news. KC also ranked in the top 50 trending destinations globally.

🏟️ KC COUNCIL IS DECIDING ON EXTENDED BAR HOURS FOR WORLD CUP​

The Kansas City City Council is voting this week on whether to extend alcohol sales hours during World Cup match days this summer. Under Missouri's new state law, cities can opt in to allow sales until 5 a.m. during the tournament window, while Kansas City's current cutoff sits at 1:30 a.m. in most areas and 3 a.m. in some zones. Merriam, Kansas has already unanimously approved 23-hour sales for the tournament period.

What you might have missed last week

• Kansas City is officially opening a new bike and pedestrian bridge along Grand Boulevard that creates a safer, more direct connection between the River Market and Berkley Riverfront areas.
• A vacant city-owned site at 25th and Campbell in Kansas City’s Hospital Hill neighborhood is planned to become a new $34.6 million mixed-income apartment community called The Ascent.
• You’ve probably seen the headlines: “Kansas City ranks as the weakest World Cup hotel market.” That’s coming from the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s April 2026 World Cup report.

🏢 DEVELOPMENT SCENE

Overland Park Greenlights Major Mixed-Use Transformation Around Black & Veatch Campus

This was one of the bigger development weeks Kansas City has seen in a while — and the stories connect into a single picture of a city reshaping itself fast.

The lead: the Overland Park City Council unanimously approved rezoning and development plans for Black & Veatch's $1.1 billion headquarters redevelopment at 11401 Lamar Avenue. The updated project adds 788 multifamily units, a 250-room hotel, 1 million square feet of office space, and a 25,000-square-foot childcare center on the 22-acre College Boulevard site. It requests $286 million in public incentives — more than Brookridge — and runs in phases through 2038.

In Mission, the Gateway site hit its 20-year mark this week still unbuilt — a half-finished parking garage and weed-covered lot where the Mission Mall once stood. A Johnson County judge recently ruled that Metropolitan Community Bank can foreclose on the property, which could finally move it to a buyer ready to build. Mission Mayor Sollie Flora says redevelopment is a city focus, and several local developers have expressed interest. No timeline yet.

And in the background: Kansas City's parking minimum repeal is now in effect. On April 20, the City Council eliminated blanket minimum parking requirements across the Urban Core — a boundary stretching from the Missouri River south to 85th Street, and from State Line Road to the Blue River. That covers Midtown, Westport, the Crossroads, Hyde Park, 18th and Vine, and the Troost corridor. New development in those neighborhoods no longer has to build a required number of spaces — a change advocates say makes infill projects significantly more financially viable.

Three big moves. One direction.

​​Let me know what you think of this story ➡️

🎨 ART SCENE

ARTERIE FEST IS TAKING OVER KEMPER'S BLOCK THIS SATURDAY

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is opening its block for a free community arts festival on Saturday, May 9, from 11 AM to 3 PM. Expect face painting, DJ sets, food trucks, and live performance — organized as part of Arterie Fest, which connects Kemper, KCAI, and the Nelson-Atkins metro-wide. Low-key, all-ages, and free all afternoon.

🌃 NIGHTLIFE SCENE

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND IN KANSAS CITY: BRUNCH, GARDENS & LIVE EXPERIENCES

To every mom reading this — we see you, we love you, and the flowers are always well-deserved. Here are five ways Kansas City is showing up for you this weekend.

🥂 J. RIEGER & CO. MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH

Sunday, May 10 | 10 AM–1 PM | J. Rieger & Co., East Bottoms

A chef-curated brunch with seasonal cocktails inside one of the best-looking spaces in the city. Limited tickets — this is not a day-of situation. Reserve tickets​

🐐 MIAMI COUNTY SPRING FARM TOUR

Sat–Sun, May 9–10 | 10 AM–4 PM | 17 farms across Miami County, KS | FREE

Seventeen farms on a free self-guided tour — bison, alpacas, baby goats, a flower farm, and local wineries. It's the kind of thing KC locals sleep on every year and then regret. Perfect for a Mother's Day weekend that actually gets everyone outside. Get the farm map​

🌸 POWELL GARDENS — MOMS FREE ALL DAY

Sunday, May 10 | All day | Powell Gardens, 1609 NW U.S. 50, Kingsville, MO | Moms FREE

Powell Gardens has 970 acres of Missouri landscape and moms get free admission all day Sunday for Mother's Day. Garden walks, picnic spaces, and a setting that's genuinely worth the 45 minutes out of the city. If you missed the brunch reservations, the grounds alone are the move. Plan your visit​

🍽️ NELSON-ATKINS ROZZELLE COURT MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH

Sunday, May 10 | Rozzelle Court Restaurant, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Rozzelle Court inside the Nelson-Atkins does a proper Mother's Day buffet brunch — one of the more refined ways to spend a Sunday in KC without leaving the city. Museum admission is included with your reservation. Reserve your table​

⚽ KC CURRENT — MOTHER'S DAY MATINEE

Sunday, May 10 | CPKC Stadium, Kansas City

The KC Current are playing a home matinee on Mother's Day — a solid move if your mom is into a live match atmosphere at one of the best soccer-specific stadiums in the country. Helzberg Diamonds giveaway for attendees. Get tickets​

🏐 SPORTS SCENE

39 DAYS FROM THE FIRST KICK: WHERE KANSAS CITY STANDS

Kansas City's first World Cup match at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is June 16. The city hosts six matches total: group stage on June 16, 20, 25, and 27, a Round of 32 on July 3, and a Quarterfinal on July 11. Teams already confirmed at Arrowhead include Argentina, Algeria, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and Austria.

Here's the honest snapshot: hotel bookings are tracking below Visit KC's 650,000-fan projection, though the city is standing by its number. Transit passes for the tournament are on sale now. Fan Fest infrastructure is actively being built around the stadium footprint. And the City Council is voting this week on whether to extend bar hours for match days — a decision that shapes the entire game-day experience for the metro.

Nobody has packaged all of this in one place yet. This is the moment to do it.
​

🎯 REAL ESTATE SCENE

​SPONSORED BY MOVING TO KC​

Mid-Century Modern Retreat in Old Briarcliff Surrounded by Woods and Architectural History

Set on a rare wooded lot in highly desirable Old Briarcliff, this 3-bedroom, 3-bath mid-century modern home offers 3,156 square feet of thoughtfully updated living space just minutes from downtown Kansas City. Originally built in 1958 and redesigned by acclaimed architect Cary Goodman, the striking cantilevered ranch blends timeless design with a private, tree-filled setting that feels tucked away while still close to the city.

Inside, clean lines, open spaces, and expansive walls of glass bring in natural light and frame the surrounding mature oaks, creating a strong indoor-outdoor connection throughout the home. New hardwood floors, updated systems, and careful maintenance add modern comfort to its architectural character. Located near neighborhood trails and just down the street from the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Bott House, this property offers a rare mix of design history, privacy, and convenience in one of Kansas City’s most unique enclaves.

🏡 Property Overview

Address: 1 NW Greentree Ln, Kansas City, MO 64116

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

Square Footage: 3,156 sq ft

Lot Size: 0.35 Acres Lot

📞 Ready to see it in person?
​Take a closer look at the details, and let’s get your tour scheduled!​

Listing Provided by:Aaron Olla with Real Broker, LLC

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🌆 This Weekend in Kansas City!