Westport, Kansas City / The Official Site

An inventive species known for strident voices and an enlarged abdomen, commonly referred to as a beer gut.

It's been said that the ancient Egyptians used to yell out, “Here's to your ghost!” as a toast. The great Medieval conqueror Charlemagne considered beer an essential to modern living. And, William Shakespeare's father was a beer-tester by trade.

Yes. Beer has a long and storied history. And now, it's your turn to help tell it for KC Beerfest. Maybe it's a dramatic reenactment. Maybe it's an impassioned historical monologue. Maybe its puppets. How you do it is up to you. Just tell us a little bit about beer's history (or future).

To enter the contest or view entries, visit our YouTube page and post your video as a response. Entrants will have the chance to show their video at the 3rd Annual KC Beerfest.

This year the 3rd annual KC Beerfest will be on Saturday, May 22nd from 1pm to 5pm in Westport. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Please note, advance tickets are only available online.

KC Sprints will take over the Buzzard Beach on Saturday, April 10th, 2010. Registration kicks-off at 7 p.m. and the race starts at 8 p.m. $5 tournament and $2 Grudge Markets.

For more information visit kcsprints.blogspot.com

Westport turned Irish, or at least Irish for a day, as revelers celebrated the 37th annual St. Patrick's Day parade with bagpipes, marching bands, beads, and boas. A little rain couldn't dampen the spirits of thousands as they took to the streets of Westport in celebration of all that is green. The neighborhood flurried with music and dancing and there was no shortage of frothy libations flowing both inside and outside of some of the city's most fabled taverns.

Thank you to all for making St. Paddy's Day 2010 so brilliant and memorable. Now, it is time to catch up on some much needed rest! Sláinte.

Click the images below to enlarge.

Congratulations Maitreya Levanchild and Jennifer Whitney. You had the luck o’ the Irish on your side and each won a pair of VIP passes to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade viewing tent! We hope you enjoy one of the largest celebrations in the country from the best seats in Kansas City.  A million thank yous to everyone that entered and we hope you have a very safe and jovial St. Paddy’s Day. Sláinte!

In an effort to be a good neighbor to our mid-town hosts, we’ve asked for area property owners to consider opening their parking facilities to the general public for the Parade. If you’re coming to the Parade, we ask that you consider using one of the parking facilities listed below or use public transportation. Some of the lots are free while others are charging a fee. For many of those charging a fee, the proceeds are going to good causes.

For an overview of the locations, use our Parade Route Google Map.

Westport Area

Manor Square garage – $5
40th Street & Pennsylvania

Various surface lots in Westport – both pay and free

Big Brothers Big Sisters lot – $15
39th Street and Washington

Willow Woods Child Development Center lot – $10
Central & Archibald

Mid-Route

Uptown Shops parking lot/garage (300+ spaces) – $10
Valentine & Pennsylvania

Former Blockbuster location (130 spaces) – $10-$50
Valentine/36th Street & Broadway
More information available at www.aidswalkkansascity.org

Former Chatham Hotel (30 spaces) – $10
37th Street between Broadway & Central

North end of Route

Park Reserve Condos garage (500 spaces) – $5
31st & Baltimore

Park Reserve Condos lot (50 spaces) – $5
31st & Wyandotte

Redemptorist Church lot – $15
34th & Broadway

Storage Mart (20+ spaces)
34th Street East of Broadway

Parade Day Bus Routes

If you are interested in using The Metro to come to the Parade, bus routes closest to the Parade are:

MAX
47-Roanoke
51-Broadway
57-South Oak

Riders should use any stops between Linwood (33rd Street) and Westport Road. Also available are a number of Park and Ride locations. These are available at the KCATA website.

The Parade Committee receives no revenue from these parking lots. We are simply publicizing their locations as a public service.

Once again, it's time to transform Kansas City into a sea of emerald green as the 37th Annual St. Paddy's Day Parade prepares to move from Broadway from 33rd street to 43rd street. You knew this long awaited day was coming, so plan to deck yourself out in shades of green or be wary the wrath of the pinch!

This year make Westport your official St. Paddy's Day playground. Start early and enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast at one of the neighborhoods many local eateries. Or, celebrate late while drinking green beer and dancing a jig at one of the city's most fabled watering holes.  Regardless of how you plan to celebrate, everybody is Irish on St. Paddy's Day!

www.kcirishparade.com

PARKING FOR ST. PADDY'S DAY:
Westport: Mixed Free and Paid Lots
Redemptorist Church: $15
Storage Mart (34th and Broadway) - $15
Uptown Shoppes: $10
Park Reserve Condos (31st and Baltimore): $5

** Please Note: After 5:00 a.m. all regular street traffic will no longer be allowed to pass through the core of Westport. **