Updated 6/2/21
When its Chiefs season, Kansas City is a sea of red, including red Chiefs jerseys, Mahomes memes, and fountains that are died Chiefs red on game day.
When it’s not Chiefs season, Kansas City sports the color green.
You can see this color shift during Kansas City’s legendary St. Patrick’s Day Parade and while visiting Green Door Antiques, the Green Lady Lounge, Green Dirt Farm, Green Acres and dozens of other green venues and destinations that will make your trip to Kansas City more artsy, jazzy, and well, green.
St. Patrick’s Parade in KC
The third largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the nation takes place each March 17th in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, a city built largely by Irish immigrants. The parade usually is led by a bagpiper and followed by hundreds of entries that used to include live steer. The parade is more than 171 years old and draws more than 200,000 attendees each year.
After the parade visit one of dozens of Irish pubs in Kansas City including Gilhouly’s Irish Tavern, The Dubliner in the Power & Light District, Kelly’s Westport Inn, Fitz’s Blarney Stone, and Browne’s Irish Marketplace, which dates back to 1901.
KC turns a sea of green during St. Patrick’s Day. Photo: Via VisitKCThe Green Door Antiques
Off-season, Chiefs fans can shop antique stores. A favorite in the West Bottoms is the Green Door. This art and antique store keeps a very low profile with just a Facebook page and Saturday hours only. The merchandise is mouthwatering and the shopping experience much quieter than the 137.5 decibel sound of fans cheering during Chiefs season. (Chiefs Stadium during Chiefs’ season holds the Guinness World Record for loudest sports stadium in the world).
You can purchase items over the phone if you can’t wait until Saturday to claim your find.
Purchase this painting at The Green Door Antiques in the West Bottoms by calling 816-419-7850,
Green Lady Lounge
Did you know there was a cost to listening to CDs or streamed music? According to studies by the University of Glasgow, it takes more of a toll on the environment to stream music than to make music live or listen to a live band.
That should make you feel good about going to the Green Lady Lounge in Kansas City.
The Green Lady Lounge is a gift its owner John Scott gave to Kansas City in 2013. The sexy club infuses Kansas City with live jazz seven days a week with no cover. Scott once described his business model for the Green Lady Lounge as, “Stiff drinks, good jazz, no homicides.”
The club is safely located in the heart of the Crossroads District and has a line-up of musicians you should be forking out major dough to hear. Don’t let the drab outside of the building detour you. The inside is rich with velvet and a sharply dressed wait staff.
Green Lady Lounge is a step back in time. A time when you listened to music, not TV. When you were glued to jazz, not laptops.Green Dirt Farm
Buying locally sourced food is good for the planet. Green Dirt Farm is a sheep farm that makes artisan cheese. Visit the Green Dirt Farm Cafe in Weston to enjoy a cheese board, lunch, and ice cream. Or for $15, book a tour and tasting at the actual farm where you can see the pastures, milking parlour, and cheese kitchen.
Green Dirt Farm’s logo is the cutest darn thing we’ve ever seen.
Tour the pastures and milking parlour at Green Dirt Farms in Weston, Mo.Green Acres Market
Finally, a food store that puts the fun and dignity back into grocery shopping. Green Acres is easy to get in and out of, but be warned, you’ll want to linger. You’ll find yourself (1) smelling essential oil samples (2) tasting the latest non-dairy cheese (3) sitting in on an educational class on stress reduction (4) learning the source where they get their quail eggs (5) having a salad and quiche with a friend in the dining area.
The store is located in the Village at Briarcliff, which is the northland version of the Country Club Plaza. Green Acres has a sunny patio to sip your coffee and eat your gluten-free muffin on. During the summer weekends, Green Acres has an outdoor farmer’s market as well.
Green Acres is what you’d expect to find in Portland, but not in Kansas City. It hosts happy hour every Tuesday from 4 – 7 p.m. Get 10% off your wine and beer purchases.
Fresh organic produce sourced local.Enjoy free samples every Thursday (May – September) from 4 – 7 p.m during Local’s Nights.
These four “green” Kansas City destinations should bring you joy, health, and reduce your carbon footprint in the Midwest. What other green establishments do your support and why?
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