Village Gardens

Wondering what to do this Fourth of July in Kansas City?  Well, the people of KC certainly know how to celebrate our nation’s day of independence.  They have a number of different events you can attend and, of course, many of them feature fireworks.

More than 20,000 people attend the annual Parkville Fourth of July Fireworks and Festival every year.  Things start on Tuesday morning with a parade followed by an all-day carnival at English Landing Park.  At 9:30 p.m., fireworks are shot off over the Missouri River.

Berkley Riverfront Park is host to the KC Riverfest, one of the most popular fireworks shows in the KC Metro.  There are a number of things to do before the fireworks show, but you don’t want to miss the grand finale.  This fireworks display is actually choreographed to live music!

Worlds of Fun, one of Kansas City’s popular theme parks, will be hosting its own Fourth of July celebration.  This event is one of the longest running annual fireworks show in Kansas City, and it all starts around 10 p.m.

For those wanting to spend a little time with nature before watching fireworks, the Booms and Blooms Fest at Powell Gardens is exactly what you want.  Stroll through the beautiful gardens, maybe even take a picnic dinner, before settling near the lake to watch the fireworks.  This event is actually held on the third, not the fourth, so you can attend it and then plan to see another fireworks display on Independence Day.

Finally, Corporate Woods Star Spangled Spectacular is another amazing Fourth of July event full of funnel cakes, a free concert, and a huge fireworks display that is one of the biggest in the area.  It all starts at 4:00 p.m. and lasts until 11.  Note that parking is a concern with this event, so be ready to walk.

Summer is the perfect time for outdoor entertaining.  Whether you’re just having a few friends over or hosting an outdoor party for your entire family, getting out of the house and enjoying an evening outside can be a great change of pace.  Of course, you do have to do a little planning before hosting an evening outdoors, and that includes decorating.

Since you’re going to be outdoors, why not take advantage of the décor already there?  Setting up your table near your beautiful flower beds or garden can be a great way to bring in the greens and other bright colors.  For your table, cut a few fresh blooms from these flowers and place them in a vase.  Alternatively, you can order a nice arrangement that compliments the colors of your garden and flowers.

You can also bring the summer flower décor indoors.  If your guests will need to go through your home to get to your event, place a few vases of summer flowers around your home.  If they’re coming in through a gate, you can put a small table near the entrance with summer flowers on it.  If you need to put a sign up directing guests to the back yard, you could attach a few flowers to it or put several pots of flowers around it.

By letting your summer flowers spread out from the table, you’ll be creating an overall motif that will really impress your guests and show off both your gardening and your decorating skills.

Ready for some springtime fun in Kansas City?  There are many great attractions in the city for you and your family to enjoy.  Here are just a few of the best attractions for you to enjoy this spring.

The Crown Center in the heart of Kansas City is a great place to start your springtime adventure.  They have a great number of different dining options, plus the center features three live theatres and a huge movie complex.  Next door to the Crown Center is Union Station, a historic landmark that houses Science City.  This attraction is a hands-on science center that kids will enjoy.

If you’d rather go outdoors, the Overland Park Arboretum features 300 acres of trees, flowers, and nature.  More than 80 percent of the park is natural ecosystem, while the remaining part of the garden features botanical gardens, a visitor’s center, and a conservatory.  You can wander through the Erickson Water Garden, the Monet Garden, and a learning arboretum.  The arboretum also features many different hiking and walking trails.

A visit to the Kansas City zoo can also be a great springtime activity for families.  The zoo has more than 200 acres and over 1,000 animals, including elephants, kangaroos, camels, and more.  Several new additions, including an indoor rainforest, new viewing decks, and a lion viewing area are now open, and a polar bear exhibit is planned for 2010.

If you need to cool down on a hot spring day, Oceans of Fun is a great destination.  This water theme park features a 72 foot super slide, a water funhouse with cannons and rope bridges, and a 2,000 square foot spray ground for the kids.  For a more relaxing time, you can float down the Caribbean Cooler or visit the Castaway Cove and its swim-up cabana.

The holiday season is often full of family for many people.  In fact, it’s sometimes the only time of the year that you get to see some relatives.  For that reason, having the perfect Christmas is often associated with a huge family celebration.  Everyone gathers at one person’s home to eat great food, share stories, exchange gifts, and bask in the glow of a grandly decorated Christmas tree.  The question of what constitutes a perfect Christmas will be different for everyone, but it almost always centers around family.  Here are a few ways you can celebrate this holiday season with those who mean the most to you.

The first step to having a perfect Christmas is to avoid getting caught up in the holiday rush and stress.  Remember that it’s all about having time with family, not about buying expensive gifts or putting up lavish light displays.  If you have a large family, in fact, you may all agree to not buy gifts for everyone.  Drawing names out of a hat for a gift exchange or playing a Dirty Santa game can be just as fun, and it dramatically cuts down the cost. 

Also remember that it’s not always easy for some family members to travel.  If you have elderly parents or other relatives, consider offering to give them a ride instead of letting them drive.  This is especially important if it has been snowing or if the roads are icy.  One small slip can turn the perfect Christmas into a perfect disaster.  In some cases, you might even want to visit these relatives instead of taking them somewhere.  If they are in ill health or live in an assisted care facility, it might be better for a small number of relatives to take Christmas to them so they don’t get overwhelmed or have to get out in the cold.

Don’t forget the kids, either.  Have some activities for the younger members of the family.  You can set up a television with some Christmas-themed movies in a back bedroom, or you can bring out the board games.  If you have a good amount of snow, you might even suggest that the kids go outside and build a snowman or snow fort.  You might also suggest that parents bring an extra set of clothes for the kids because there’s always the chance that a sudden snowball fight will break out and leave them damp.

Above all, remember to have fun during the holidays and enjoy the time with your family.  Don’t get too caught up in what to buy, and don’t get stressed out.  If you stay relaxed, you’ll find that the perfect Christmas tends to create itself.