Some of the best events occur in the fall in Kansas City! From art fairs to festivals, there’s something for everyone on this list to celebrate fall!
Fall Events in Kansas City for Families
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
SantaCaliGon Days Festival
Celebrate westward expansion at this FREE Independence festival, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1. More than 400 booths, free entertainment, fantastic bands, a Midway carnival and bingo. Free parking is available at the Community of Christ Auditorium parking lot located at 1001 W. Walnut. Shuttles run every 15 minutes and cost $1 per rider. Learn more.
Kansas City Renaissance Festival
Looking for a new way to spend a fall weekend in Kansas City? Bring your family to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival for a magical time! Be sure to plan your visit around the theme weekends and kid specific activities. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (plus Labor Day Monday) from August 30 through October 12, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on October 13. Get tickets.
Mums Night Out at Johnson Farms
You’re invited to celebrate the beginning of fall with Kansas City Mom Collective at Johnson Farms Plants & Pumpkins! Grab your friends, sisters, moms and neighbors, and enjoy this night out doing all the fall things on Sunday, September 7, from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Get all the details here.
GloWild at the Kansas City Zoo
GloWild: Time Traveler presented by Saint Luke’s is set to dazzle at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium once again this fall, featuring a brand-new theme. In its fourth year, this unique and immersive nighttime experience allows guests to adventure through massive, handcrafted artworks on display at the Zoo. Crafted by more than 150 artisans using over 34 tons of steel and 89,000 feet of fabric, the displays are along a one-way path filled with photo ops, concessions, and entertainment. Special features this year include access to Sobela Ocean Aquarium on Wednesdays and seasonal-themed lanterns. The festival opens September 5 and runs through December 28. Learn more.
Jesse James Festival
The Jesse James Festival in Kearney, Mo. runs Sept. 13 and Sept. 19-21. This quiet little Missouri town, which was previously named Centreville, is the birthplace and boyhood home of Jesse James, as well as his final resting place. Over the last several years, a great deal of publicity was created by the Media all over the world concerning whether Jesse was really buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Activities include a carnival, parade, arts and crafts vendors, rodeo, car show, kids fishing tournament, and more.
Terra Luna at the Overland Park Arboretum
Local performance group, Quixotic, will open a portal between everyday reality and elemental fantasy at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. The annual multimedia installation will guide guests on a wild journey through the grounds, culminating in an immersive performance uniting live music, dance, aerial acrobatics, and more. Tickets are on sale now for the event which runs the evenings of September 11-13 and September 18-20 Thursdays, Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 are adults only night!
Tricks and Treats at Worlds of Fun
Celebrate spooky season at Worlds of Fun with Tricks and Treats, a family-friendly daytime Halloween event full of mischievous tricks, tasty treats, and spook-tacular entertainment for all ages. This kid-friendly celebration takes place before the sun sets and the scares set up — it’s all fun, no fear during the daytime at Worlds of Fun! Select days Sept. 13 – Nov. 1.
Hanging with Heroes
Hanging With Heroes is back for its fourth year, and it’s more heroic than ever! We have had so much fun with you in the past, and you don’t want to miss out on this FREE event! Your family will hang with superheroes, community heroes, and even become heroes yourselves. Toss on your cape and join us Saturday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. – noon. at Zona Rosa‘s Central Park as we become a force of good in our metropolis! We are thrilled to have Oakhill Day School as our title sponsor!
Beanstalk Garden Festival
Explore the Children’s Beanstalk Garden at Kansas City Community Gardens on Saturday, Sept. 20. Interact with a beekeeper and praying mantises in the Insectary Garden. Help make peanut butter in the Grain Garden and apple cider in the Orchard. Sample grilled vegies and watermelon. Learn about pollination and butterfly metamorphosis. Make crafts and take home your own basil plant! Learn more.
Plaza Art Fair
Held Friday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 21, the Plaza Art Fair encompasses nine city blocks and features 240 artists. Featuring 240 artists, the Plaza Art Fair is a top-ranked, national art event with three live music stages and over 20 featured restaurant booths. It continues to be a weekend of people simply celebrating art and each other, as well as Kansas City’s unofficial welcome to the fall season.
Overland Park Fall Festival
The OP Fall Festival in Downtown Overland Park is back with a great line up of live music, children’s performers and entertainment, food trucks, the Overland Park Farmers’ Market and an all-day artisan fair. The festival kicks off the evening of Friday, Sept. 26 and features a full line-up of activities all day on Saturday, Sept. 27.
OCTOBER EVENTS
Weston Applefest
For decades, Historic Weston’s Applefest has been the region’s biggest celebration, marking the harvest season and all things apple! Apple Alley, Apple Treats, an Apple-themed parade, and more crafters and artisans than ever before. Live music, an apple butter demonstration, kids’ games, and autumn delights. (And yes – there will be apple dumplings!) Plus music, entertainment, exhibits. Applefest runs Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (parade at 10 a.m.) and Sunday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Olathe Arts Festival
The Olathe Arts Festival on October 10-11 returns to the Johnson County Square in Downtown Olathe with a fresh fall festival theme! This year, we’re expanding our marketplace to include a wider variety of handcrafted items alongside exceptional fine art. Enjoy live entertainment, delicious food and drink, and family-friendly activities in a vibrant and creative atmosphere.
Missouri Town Fall Festival
Explore the sights and sounds of the harvest season on October 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Living history interpreters in period attire, along with artisans, musicians and crafters, will highlight different aspects of life in the fall of the mid-1800s. Check out our lost arts area where vendors show skills from a bygone era. Hitch a ride on a wagon, play 19th century games, shop for unique gifts, and try out delicious foods. Make memories to last a lifetime!
Brew at the Zoo
Brew at the Zoo is back on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. Enjoy an adults-only (ages 21+) evening of live music and free sampling from more than 30 local breweries and wineries, plus food trucks available to tame your belly’s roar! Your 2025 Brew at the Zoo ticket also includes access to GloWild: Time Traveler, Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s immersive lantern festival.
Night of the Living Farm at Deanna Rose Farmstead
Dark Forest at Powell Gardens
Mildale Farm Fall Festival
Though we aim to ensure the accuracy of all our postings, we always advise you check online before heading out for the most up-to-date information.
