You may remember that great song from “Oklahoma” by Rodgers and Hammerstein that says, “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City.” As a resident of the Kansas City area, I can assure you that’s true.
Let me be the first to welcome you to our city and the home of the 2019 Convocation of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. It has always been a dream of mine to host this national event in my home city. I can assure you that you will be welcomed in grand style.
The Kansas City experience
There is so much to see and do here, but to have the added joy of experiencing powerful worship in beautiful worship spaces, hearing some of the nation’s top speakers, singing with 400 other people who share your common interests, or simply sitting down to a plate of Kansas City barbecue, this is an opportunity that you will not want to miss.
Kansas City has gone through a sort of metamorphosis over the past 10 years. Much of the downtown has been redeveloped. Only steps from our Convocation hotel is the Power & Light District, a thoroughfare of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues.
Kansas City also has a streetcar system that can take you from the Historic Union Station all the way to the River Market, another area with great food and fun. (There is a stop two blocks from the hotel and it’s free.)
The world-renowned Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is three blocks south of our hotel and some of the most beautiful worship spaces in the Midwest are literally across the street.
In addition to being the home of the 2015 Major League Baseball champions, the Kansas City Royals, we also boast an NFL team and a nationally-recognized soccer team. We have an amusement park and zoo, and are the home of a national jazz museum and the National World War I Museum.
And now, Kansas City can add that it has The Fellowship’s national Convocation as well.
Top things to do in Kansas City
When you plan your trip to Kansas City, be sure to save some additional time to visit the following fun attractions.
Worlds of Fun is a 235-acre amusement park. The park opened in 1973 and is owned and operated by Cedar Fair, which purchased the park from Hunt-Midwest in 1995. Admission to Worlds of Fun includes access to Oceans of Fun, a water park adjacent to the amusement park.
Admission to the museum is free, and you can visit from Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays and Fridays until 9 p.m. Garage parking is available on-site for a fee. Afterwards, head to the Country Club Plaza for lunch or shopping.
National World War I Museum and Memorial
The National World War I Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the summer. Admission is $14 for adults and $8 for kids between the ages of 6 and 17. Discounts for military, teachers, seniors and students are also available. The museum is located near Crown Center, which is another great place for shopping and food.
Explore the Kansas City Zoo – with more than 1,700 animals on 202 acres, it’s the most affordable family fun for kids of all ages. The zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum, which describes itself as a “time capsule of life on the American frontier in the mid-nineteenth century,” is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $14.50 for adults and $5.50 for kids between the ages of 4 and 12. Parking is free. Guided tours start on the hour and half-hour and last about 20 minutes. It is located in the River Market area, with places to eat and a great farmer’s market on Saturdays.
Design Team member Amy Rosine assisted in compiling this list. Thanks, Amy!
Photos courtesy of VisitKC.com
A Place at the Table: Convocation 2019 