Fall Events in Kansas City for Families

Some of the best events occur in the fall in Kansas City! From art fairs to festivals to Halloween-themed events, there’s something for everyone on this list.

Fall Events in Kansas City for Families

SEPTEMBER

SantaCaliGon Days Festival

Celebrate westward expansion at this FREE Independence festival, Sept. 1-4. 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.

GloWild at the Kansas City Zoo

The GloWild lantern festival is back this fall with an exciting “Around the World” theme. It will showcase stunning handcrafted steel and silk lanterns representing global landmarks, as well as animals and botanicals from all seven continents. The festival opens September 29 and runs through December 30. 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), and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on September 2 and October 15. Check out our guide for family focused visit tips. Get tickets.

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. Animated by the Arboretum’s transitioning seasons, the boundary-breaking event will illuminate the environment in surprising ways: agrestal costuming that incorporates the bounty of the gardens, embedded performers who meld and merge with the twilight landscape, light design that leads the audience deeper into the dream. Tickets are on sale now for the event which runs the evenings of September 14-16 and September 21-23.

The Great Pumpkin Fest at Worlds of Fun

Hop on your tractor, pirate ship or witch’s broom and hurry on over for a super-sized celebration of all things fall at Worlds of Fun’s Great Pumpkin Fest, Saturdays and Sundays Sept. 16 – Oct. 29. Great Pumpkin Fest offers one-of-a-kind Halloween activities for kids throughout the park! In Europa, you’ll find play zones, costume contests and dance parties with Snoopy and the whole PEANUTS™ gang. During the kids’ Halloween event, loads of family-friendly games and activities await at every turn. Around every hay bale you can catch toe-tapping, live entertainment and grab a comfy seat to just kick back and take it all in. And all the fun, fall food!

Hanging with Heroes

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Hanging With Heroes! Don’t miss out on this fun inaugural event giving families of Kansas City the opportunity to come together and hang with Superheroes, Community Heroes and even become heroes themselves! Join us Saturday, September 30 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Zona Rosa’s Central Park as we join together to become a force of good in our metropolis!

Plaza Art Fair

Held Friday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Sept. 24, the Plaza Art Fair encompasses nine city blocks and features 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. Check out kids activities in  the Broadway block between 47th Street and Nichols Road. All ages are welcome!

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 Sept. 29 and features a full line-up of activities all day on Sept. 30.

American Royal

The American Royal World Series of Barbecue is the largest barbecue contest in the WORLD and the American Royal’s largest fundraiser! Join other barbecue lovers at the Kansas Speedway on September 27 – October 1 for a BBQ experience like no other – live music, delicious BBQ, activities for the BIGS and the LITTLES (Saturday is better for the littles), and a vendor fair that’s a MUST SEE for all BBQ enthusiasts.

Library in the Park

Library in the Park in Kansas City, Kan., is back! Come celebrate at Huron Park behind the Main Library! on September 30 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

October

fall guide Kansas City

Olathe Arts Festival

The Olathe Arts Festival (October 6-7) at the Johnson County Square in Downtown Olathe will provide individuals and families an enriching experience that inspires and celebrates the arts and creativity. The Festival will showcase exceptional art from across the region, food & drink, live entertainment, and activities for the entire family!

Missouri Town Fall Festival

Explore the sights and sounds of the harvest season on October 7-8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Historic interpreters, artisans, musicians, and crafters will bring to life the hard work and celebration that took place as the crops came in. Hitch a ride on a wagon, see sorghum being made, play a 19th century game, and make memories to last a lifetime!

Brew at the Zoo, and Wine Too

Brew at the Zoo is back on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.! Enjoy live music, great food, and tastings from more than 38 local breweries and wineries all in a WILD outdoor setting. our 2023 Brew at the Zoo ticket also includes access to GloWild: Around the World, Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s immersive lantern festival featuring a 1-mile walk through handmade steel and silk sculpture works depicting animals, botanicals, and more.

Cornucopia at the Power & Light District

Cornucopia is KC’s Ultimate. Fall. Festival. Enjoy a fall-filled District boasting with family-friendly activities, live entertainment, food/drink tastings and more. Cornucopia will cover three streets throughout the District and surround the KC Live! Block Oct. 13-15. Carnival festivities will be available ALL weekend, including the first ever Ferris wheel in downtown KC.

Haystack painted like catNight of the Living Farm at Deanna Rose Farmstead

Experience the Deanna Rose Farmstead after dark if you dare. Enjoy traditional “spooktacular” fun including a DJ dance party, pirate ship race, spooky experiments, storytelling, flashlight scavenger hunt, games and food for purchase. Tickets go on sale in September for festival dates of October 20,21,27 and 28.

Enchanted Forest

For one night only, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park is transformed into The Enchanted Forest on Thursday, Oct. 26 from 4-8 p.m.  Enjoy performances by puppets, musicians and singers along the trail around Rose’s Pond and fun photos in the photo booth. Stroll the seasonal displays, visit friendly characters and enjoy performances. Costumes optional.

Mildale Farm Fall Festival

Bring the family and spend the day exploring the Mildale Farm property and enjoy a number of fall activities during this free public event on October 28. The site includes the 22-acre Mildale Farm that is usually only accessible by reservation. Events include a pumpkin patch, hayrides, storytelling, petting zoo, putting green, Chris Cakes pancakes ($5/plate) and catch and release fishing. Some activities have a small fee and cash or Venmo only. Learn more.

 

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.

Sarah McGinnity
Sarah grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (Go Cats!), she moved to Minnesota where she met her husband, Shea. Realizing how much she hated snow in May, she convinced him to move to Kansas City in 2010. Together they have lived in Midtown, Waldo, the Plaza, and now Overland Park. Sarah is mom to 10-year-old, Henry, 7-year-old Clark and 5-year-old Lucy. She has her master’s in urban administration and is passionate about making Kansas City a more equitable and supportive community. In between the crazy, she likes to drink coffee, run, hike, travel as much as possible, and experience all things Kansas City!