“Al Weird” Yankovic

Best known for its outlandish parody songs, Weird Al’s The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour seems fitting. However, the extensive North American tour will be a scaled-down version of what he’s best known for, with a limited production run and no costumes, props or video screens in smaller, more intimate theaters, and his setlist will consist “almost entirely of his original (non-parody) songs. Fans and haters alike should be curious to see what that departure will look like.

September 2, 7:30 p.m. Kauffman Center.

K-Bar 5K

The nation’s first dog-friendly 5K is back this fall. Run with your dog or alongside other people’s dogs in Berkley Riverfront Park and along the Riverfront Heritage Trail. The race starts early and ends at Bar K Afterparty in their two-acre dog park. Competitive runners, novices, walkers and poodles are welcome.

September 3. Berkley Waterfront Park. $40 registration.

twelfth night

The KC Rep season kicks off with Shakespearean comedy twelfth night, a story of mistaken identity and unrequited love. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Nelson T. Eusebio III, this contemporary take on a beloved classic features original music composed solely for the production.

From September 6 to 25. Spencer Theater.

KC Symphony: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in concert

The magic of Harry Potter’s sixth year comes to life at the KC Symphony with big-screen projections of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince accompanied by the transformative music of our own world-class symphony orchestra. And who knows? Before you can say Felix Felicis, you might realize that the music was always the best part.

September 7-11. Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Luke Bryan

country superstar and american idol Judge Luke Bryan has been making music for twenty years, writing and singing country hits about beautiful women and equally beautiful pickup trucks. Country girls, get ready to shake it for him.

September 8, 7 p.m. T-Mobile Center.

Greek Food Festival

Sponsored

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation presents the 60th Annual Greek Festival. You’ll experience authentic Greek cuisine and pastries, live Greek music and dancing, plus church visits and Vespers on Saturday evenings. Free entry and free parking. Come join all your friends at Greek Fest. OPA!

September 9-11. For more information, visit www.greekfoodfest.org. 120th & Wornall, KCMO | @KCGreekFoodFest.

twenty one pilots

Columbus, Ohio, “rap rock” duo Twenty One Pilots have been launching drum-heavy melodic radio hits over the past decade. Don’t get “stressed out” – there are still tickets available for their nationwide The Icy Tour.

September 9, 8 p.m. T-Mobile Center.

Hansen

One of the most iconic boy bands of the ’90s, brothers with long blonde hair and nearly identical baby faces, Hanson has been riding the “MMMBop” gravy train for decades. Now they founded The Hanson Brothers Beer Co. in their hometown of Tulsa and occasionally tour to inspire a new generation of boy band fans.

September 10, 8 p.m. Downtown.

Chiefs vs. Cardinals

The Chiefs’ first game of the season pits them against the oldest and most cursed team in the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals, another team with an MVP-caliber QB who saw his playoff hopes playoffs wiped out earlier than expected last year. Patrick Mahomes visits Kyler Murray in Glendale for this anticipated game. If you want a game day vibe, head to the Power and Light district, where the game will be shown on the biggest giant screen in town.

September 11, 3:25 p.m. KC live! to Power and Light. Free, all public.

Bill Maher

Hate it or tolerate it, political commentator and satirist Bill Maher has been cracking jokes and voicing his political views to anyone who will or won’t listen for decades.

September 11, 7:30 p.m. Downtown Theatre.

Panic! At the disco

Originally a Las Vegas pop rock band that rose to fame with bold lyrics and catchy melodies in the wave of mid-2000s punk boy band fame alongside bands like Fallout Boy, Panic ! at the Disco is now just singer Brendon Urie. Although the band has changed, Urie still produces nostalgic and nerve-wracking tunes.

September 13, 7 p.m. T-Mobile Center.

The National

Formed in Cincinnati in 1999, The National, based in Brooklyn, has been a staple of the moody rock scene ever since. Vocalist Matt Berninger’s listless, unconcerned vocals accompanied by melodic guitar riffs will have you bobbing your head to the beat or wondering if you need to up your Zoloft prescription.

September 13, 8 p.m. Grinders.

Jimmy eat people

A recent headline from The Hard Times, a punk rock version of the satirical newspaper The Onion, read: “Jimmy Eat World issues formal apology for telling us all, we’d be fine.” It’s very funny and also a bit painful. Immerse yourself in the emo of the early 2001s and forget everything after the summer of 2001 during this show. Or you can shop their comeback single, “Something Loud,” which has renewed relevance by racking up over a million Spotify plays.

September 14. Uptown Theater.

mother son

The Melting Pot Theater begins its season with mother son, written by KC native Lewis Morrow, and directed by Nicole Hodges Persley. Set amid the Covid pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s a black comedy-drama about a mixed-race man and his white mother who denies his own racism and addiction.

September 15-17 and 21-24, 7:30 p.m. September 18, 2 p.m. Melting Pot Theater.

New dance partners

The ninth annual contemporary and modern dance festival is back. Each night, four local dance companies perform: Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Störling Dance Theater and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company. The “ultimate dance collaboration” brings four choreographers to Kansas City to create original works each year.

September 16-17, 8 p.m. Yardley Hall in the Midwest Trust Center.

Collect-A-Con

Did you ever think you would see Vanilla Ice and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the same stage again? We didn’t see that coming, but it only makes Collect-A-Con even more exciting. This convention provides a space where people can focus on their favorite things and claims to be the largest trading card, anime, and pop culture convention in the country.

From September 17 to 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kansas City Convention Center.

Beer Tower

BikeWalkKC and Head for the Cure team up for a day of bikes, beer and philanthropy. The social bike ride around Kansas City’s craft breweries and historic neighborhoods also serves as a fundraiser for safer streets and local brain tumor research.

September 18. Berkley Riverfront Park and Riverfront Heritage Trail. Registration $65. bikewalkkc.org/tourdebier.

Overland Park Fall Festival

Sponsored

Returning in 2022, the Overland Park Fall Festival is one of the most anticipated urban traditions, drawing tens of thousands of people to the Overland Park Historic District.

The annual event showcases the best dishes from resident restaurants and dozens of food trucks and vendors. There will be the ever-popular Farmer’s Market with tons of fresh produce, local artisan food items and all your farm-to-table favourites. The celebration is only made more festive with live musical performances from Kansas City’s favorite local bands playing throughout the day as shoppers browse beautiful wares from more than 50 local and regional artisans, makers and designers.

Free for visitors of all ages, you should plan to stay and play all day as entertainment designed to engage our youngest citizens and the young at heart is scheduled throughout the day.

September 23, 5-8 p.m. and September 24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 7935 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park.

Carmen

Even after a century and a half, Carmen is always that femme fatale. The popular opera tells the story of an unhappy romance, touching on the themes of jealousy, obsession and bullfighting. Interpreted in the original French version with English subtitles.

September 24 to 30, 7:30 p.m. Muriel Kauffmann Theater.

Cinder Block Brewery

Sponsored

If you’re looking for more than a weekend of fall fun, join Cinder Block Brewery for their week-long 9th anniversary celebration. Stop by for daily specials, events, live music and beer releases. From some of KC’s best craft beers to a variety of ciders and spritzers, you won’t want to miss the biggest party of the month during Celebration Week at Cinder Block.

From September 25 to September 30. Visit cinderblockbrewery.com for more details. 110 E. 18th Ave., N. KCMO | 816.298.6555 | @cinderblockbrew.

American Royal World Series of BBQ

How many barbecue competitions are there in the world? We don’t need to count – American Royal’s World Series of Barbecue is the biggest. A longstanding tradition in Kansas City, the World Series brings together global competitors against the backdrop of live music, fun for the kids and, of course, a delicious barbecue at Kansas Speedway.

From September 28 to October 2. Kansas Speedway. americanroyal.com/bbq.

Holiday store

Kick off the Christmas shopping season at the city’s largest nonprofit shopping event. The annual Kansas City Junior League Holiday Market is in its 35th year and will feature a wide range of retailers from Kendra Scott to Messner Bee Farm.

From September 29 to October 2. Variable hours. Kansas City Convention Center.

Live in Vitality Conference

Now in its twenty-fifth year, Advent Health’s annual conference aims to help attendees achieve a healthier mind, body, and spirit. This year’s breakout sessions include presentations on how big tech is diverting our attention (and how to fight back), the effect of stress on the microbes in our gut, and how to make the most of the big transitions in your life. .

September 30. 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Overland Park Convention Center.