Get Ready for the City of Fountains: Fun Facts About Kansas City

In early September, legal professionals from around the country will descend on Kansas City, Mo., for our three-day annual meeting and convention filled with networking, learning and fun.

With all due respect to Patrick (and Brittany) Mahomes and Swifties worldwide, the 37th-largest city in the nation has much more to offer than just Super Bowl-caliber football at Arrowhead Stadium, purported to be the loudest in the nation. Kansas City is widely known as the Heart of America, located just three hours from either coast and straddling the borders of Missouri and Kansas. The city offers more than 200 officially registered fountains, 220 parks, 134 miles of trails and bikeways, 29 lakes, 103 playgrounds, and 119 monuments. Kansas City’s moniker of the City of Fountains is beautifully depicted in this video.

So, plan ahead and bring your sightseeing shoes. There is much to see and do in between presentations and continuing legal education (CLE) sessions occurring at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. And while the conference officially runs Sept. 5-7, consider extending your trip for a long weekend.

Here are just a few highlights to check out.

• Eat Up: Barbecue’s on the Menu

Kansas City is home to more than 100 barbecue restaurants, with popular dishes including smoked ribs, pulled pork, and burnt ends of smoked brisket. Interestingly, Kansas City was almost named “Possum Trot” and “Rabbitville” in 1853—two critters that were popular barbecue delicacies at the time. Fortunately for all of us, times have changed but the quality of the city’s smoked meats has not. In a recent Food & Wine review, Kansas City came in No. 4 in the nation for best barbecue spots, right behind a few Texas towns to the south. And Eater provides suggestions for can’t-miss BBQ joints, starting with Slap’s on Central Avenue.

• Enjoy Jazz in the Heartland

Did you know that Kansas City is world famous for its cool jazz and blues legacy? The popularity of this music genre in Kansas City dates back to the 1920s and continues today in clubs and events happening throughout the city. More than three dozen area nightclubs feature jazz on a regular basis, and you can find a guide to live jazz here. Historically, Kansas City’s 12th Street became known across the country for its jazz clubs, gambling parlors, and brothels and even achieved the moniker, “The Paris of the Plains.” A few blocks south, jazz also thrived at 18th & Vine, becoming a widely known hub of the city’s African-American community. Notably, jazz legend Charlie Parker’s first show was in The Country Club Plaza, where restaurant Fogo De Chao is now located. The American Jazz Museum is the perfect place to embrace this rich culture and history.

• Explore the City’s Trailing History

For all of the Oregon Trail lovers out there, Kansas City’s roots go back to the pioneer days. The Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails originated in the KC metro area, and this tradition is celebrated at the SantaCaliGon Days festival that occurs over Labor Day weekend each year. According to the history books, Kansas City was named in 1850 before the state of Kansas was admitted to the Union; its name is derived from the Kaw Nation living there. In 1853, Kansas City was officially incorporated as a city and, today, it has a population exceeding a half-million residents. To learn more, visit one of Kansas City’s many national museums.

Get Planning

With business travel and offsite professional development opportunities becoming more of a luxury these days, make the most of your time in Kansas City. Walk around, book side excursions, eat well, jazz it up, learn some history, and go to the official Visit KC site for more tips. We’ll see you Sept. 5.