Your guide to December First Friday: What to see, do in the Crossroads & West Bottoms
Wrap up the year on a good note at First Friday in downtown Kansas City this weekend. Both the Crossroads and West Bottoms will be jam-packed with art, entertainment and goodies.
Travel solo or with a group of friends and check out what each entertainment district has to offer for the last First Friday of 2022.
CROSSROADS
With the holiday season in full effect, First Friday in the Crossroads is the perfect chance for you to find the right Christmas present for a loved one. Art displays of all kinds will feature the artists selling their work.
If you need help picking a piece, wander into the Winter Market from 6-9 p.m. at the ArtsKC building at 106 Southwest Blvd. Over 40 different local vendors will be on-site, with live performances and beverages provided by Cafe Corazón.
Along with the art, all of your favorite breweries and restaurants are open for First Friday.
You can also see these exhibits scattered throughout the entertainment district:
Cheryl Eve Acosta’s Holiday Party from 6-9 p.m. on 217 W. 19th Terr.
“50 Bowls, 50 States, 50 Woodfires,” by artist Elaine Olafson Henry, who created each porcelain bowl and sent each one to a different woodfire in every state in the country to be woodfired. The exhibit is open from 5-8 p.m. at Belger Crane Yard Studios on 2011 Tracy Ave.
An art exhibit celebrating the 50 years that UMKC’s Women’s Center has provided service to the university and the community.
The art goes on, and you can find more exhibits here.
WHEN TO SHOW UP
Events in the Crossroads start as early as 10 a.m. on Friday, and many events are happening on Saturday and Sunday as well. Here’s where you can see all the events, including what time they start.
WHERE TO PARK
Parking will likely be tight on a First Friday. People who show up early will have the best chance at on-street parking, according to the Crossroads website.
You can use public transit like the Kansas City Streetcar to avoid any parking nightmares. The 16th Street and the 19th Street stops will put you right in the heart of the Crossroads.
WEST BOTTOMS
The Historic West Bottoms celebrates the holidays with “Bows in the Bottoms,” with classic Christmas characters and a holiday tree lighting ceremony. Join The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Mr. and Mrs. Claus and others as they turn on the three-story tree at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at W. 13th and Hickory streets.
The shops in the West Bottoms will be decked out with holiday cheer and in the Christmas spirit. Bells, bows, ornaments: you name it, it’s there.
Over 30 stores in the West Bottoms shops should be open on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. including:
Java Garage with coffee, various hot and cold drinks and homemade treats
Chef J’s BBQ
Evola’s Italian deli at Good JuJu
The Painted Rooster Restaurant on Bella Patina’s third floor and “Phase 2” Coffee Cart
Wine sampling at Robin’s Nest, Treasures on 13th and Serendipity KC
“We are putting a bow on it, as they say,” district spokesperson Amber Arnett-Bequeath said in a statement. “The West Bottoms is a wonderful place to find gifts and make those final touches to your holiday plans.”
Learn more about the West Bottoms shops here. All stores will have holiday decorations on sale along with vintage and antique items, and will also be open on weekends through Dec. 17.
Full Moon Escape will be open for groups to solve puzzles and work through the escape room from 12 to 11:15 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 12 until 8:45 p.m. on Sunday.
WHEN TO GO
The First Friday festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
WHERE TO PARK
Free street parking in the West Bottoms is typically extremely limited during First Friday weekends. City parking lots cost $10 for the day and may require a short walk. Here’s a map of the neighborhood parking lots.
