At 2024 Celebration at the Station, energy is high, public safety concerns are low

Public festivities returned to Kansas City’s Union Station on Sunday with Celebration at the Station, a gathering of music, food and fireworks honoring veterans on Memorial Day weekend.

More than 20 food trucks opened on the south plaza of Union Station at 4 p.m., with live entertainment starting at 5 p.m. The free event, anchored by the Kansas City Symphony’s patriotic concert, drew what officials estimated as 50,000 people.

Celebration at the Station is the first large event at Union Station since the Chiefs’ Super Bowl rally on Feb. 14 . that ended in a mass shooting, killing 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injuring 24 others.

At least six people fired guns, according to federal documents. Three adults and three teens have been charged so far.

Kansas City police spoke Friday about security plans for the Memorial Day weekend event, which included on-duty officers, off-duty officers and traffic management.

“We always take lessons learned from the past into account,” Deputy Chief Joe Mabin said Friday. “But we’re confident in the plan that we have for this weekend.”

For many gathered Sunday, public safety concerns were not at the forefront.

“Generally speaking, we feel like the police are doing a good job managing the crowd,” said Chandler Hansen, who attended with wife, Sara, and their two kids.

The Hansen family did not attend the Chiefs rally, which they said is more for sports fans.

“I think we’re just keeping our eyes open,” Sara Hansen said.

The Kansas City Police Department maintained a visible presence at Union Station throughout the evening. Officers could be seen patrolling every few feet, along with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office personnel and staff from Titan Protection & Security and NPB Staff Services.

Some families stayed back from Union Station and laid out their blankets on the slope of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, under dozens of shady trees.

In the cool shadows on the hill, Kurt Wheeler polished off an Italian beef sandwich while Alicia Wheeler gently bounced their baby on her lap. The couple chose to attend Celebration at the Station on the recommendation of Kurt’s mom.

“I was happy about the family aspect,” Alicia Wheeler said. “And I really liked the fallen soldiers memorial inside the station.”

Kurt Wheeler has lived in Kansas City for eight years, and Alicia for two and a half. Before Sunday, they discussed safety concerns but did not feel discouraged from coming, Kurt said.

“We thought about it, but it didn’t really deter us,” Kurt Wheeler said. “You just keep your head on a swivel.”

An ambulance staffed by the Kansas City Fire Department was parked conspicuously near the long lines of food trucks. Some Jackson County officers sat on the wall overlooking the stage.

The crowd on the lawn of the WWI memorial was the most silent, chairs spaced far apart as residents looked down onto the stage below.

Near a large medical aid tent at the top of the hill, Cayla Williams and Angel Buenrostro parked in lawn chairs with their 9-year-old dog, Luna.

“We’re just here to enjoy music and relax,” Buenrostro said.

Williams said she had no concerns about events at Union Station after the Chiefs rally.

“I don’t think people get too rowdy here,” Williams said. “That was the first time we saw people get a little violent.”

Kathy and Roland Mohler have been attending Celebration at the Station since before their daughter Rachel was born. Now, Rachel’s 8-year-old son has attended with his family for every year of his life.

Classical music fans and avid picnickers, the Mohlers have their Celebration routine down to a science. When asked if this year felt different, Kathy Mohler pointed to the weather.

“It’s a little windier and cooler than some,” she said.

Other members of the Mohler family had attended the Chiefs rally in February. Survivors were hesitant to join in the fun Sunday, she said.

“If [a relative] was at the Chiefs rally, it’s a little more personal for her,” Mohler said. “That was the scariest part — seeing it on the news and not being there and wondering if they were OK.”

Nevertheless, the Mohlers were laid-back as they looked forward to a long evening of overtures and fireworks.

“We’ll stay until the fireworks are done and the smoke clears,” Roland Mohler said.

The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed reporting.