Kansas City’s West Bottoms Revitalization is a real boon in the bottoms, 4th-6th Nov
KANSAS CITY, MON, October 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Historic West Bottoms District is celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the First Festival of the Full Moon today 4th to 6th November with the theme Blessings in the Bottoms. The festival takes place around the first Friday weekend to incorporate street entertainment, food and a different theme each month, often around the month’s moon and upcoming holidays, all hosted by Full Moon Productions.
The Historic West Bottoms in Kansas City is celebrating its 15th anniversary with its First Friday Weekend theme of Blessing in the Bottoms. The neighborhood offers vintage, antiques, originals and more for shopping and entertainment.
The theme of blessings is related to the Thanksgiving holiday and the blessings many shopkeepers express to their customers and assets in order to maintain a quality inventory of vintage, antique, unique and exceptional items that interest shoppers. The 13 blocks of these multi-storey, “warehouse-sized” buildings and their shopping floors abound with themed photo opportunities.
In 2007, Good JuJu, the first vintage store in the West Bottoms, wanted to create a shopping experience that was more purposeful in its presentation. They went beyond the norm to display their wares in a way that achieved a collective “look” as opposed to a flea market exhibit which is more random and divided by booth walls.
Other stores, including Bottoms Up, with the same aesthetic, soon moved to the West Bottoms, and Full Moon Productions began hosting First Friday weekend events. The owners of Serendipity KC started out as salespeople at the Good JuJu store and have transitioned from a booth in the Bottoms to store owner over the past 13 years. Bella Patina celebrated 11 years in 2022 and Ugly Glass 10 years. Dusted Attic has been in the area for seven years and Robin’s Nest for six. Rustic Vintage Rose is also a favorite that people seek over the years.
Fans of the Bottoms also make it a tradition to visit stores that have a more masculine appeal, like 12-year-old Stuffology, West Bottoms Whiskey, and Stockyard BBQ Rub and Sauces. Some newer places to check out include the Fountain City Winery, the Boutique Treasures on the 13ththand a new Escape Room added to Full Moon Escape Games.
Many stores house different vendors, but the look is one seamless display that works together to create a cohesive, uncluttered shopping experience. Today there are over 30 storefronts in the Historic West Bottoms, many of which now mix new items and things that artists made to offer an eclectic mix of products with their vintage items, antiques and clothing.
Before the area was fashionable for its huge vintage and antique shops, the neighborhood awoke from its post-1950s flood in 1988, when the spirited Edge of Hell Haunted House moved in. The meeting place moved away from City Market after it was rededicated. Now, 35 years later, the haunted attractions are still a mainstay in the community, albeit at night and the season is short. Due to popular demand, Full Moon Productions announced that the haunted season will be extended November 11th and 12 as the last weekend of the season for animal, edge of helland Macabre cinema haunted houses. They open at 19:30 o’clock and close once the crowds clear.
“We’re going from Haunting Boos to Blessings,” said Amber Arnett-Bequeath, district spokeswoman and also known as the Queen of Haunts. “It’s all in a day’s work, but it was decades in the making. We’re proud to celebrate 15 years of the Festival of the Full Moon and the 35 year milestone of the hauntings of the West Bottoms, so don’t be afraid to come down. The festival’s November moon is the Frost Moon, named because it typically marks the time of the first hard frost. For us, the frost will also be a sprinkle of all Christmas and holiday products that are available now.”
Many shops will also be open most Fridays and Saturdays. The next event on the West Bottoms’ First Friday Weekend is loops in the bottoms, what’s going on 2nd-4th December and every Friday and Saturday through December 17th.
NOVEMBER BLESSING in the BOTTOMS WEEKEND PLANNER
- Shopping at West Bottoms – The theme of the Full Moon Weekend Festival is “Blessings in the Bottoms”. 4th to 6th November. Open Friday to Sunday – Most shops open on Fri/Sat at 9 amclose 6 p.mand Sunday off 11 clock to 4. Admission is free. Check individual store Facebook pages for information on specific store openings.
- Progressive Friendsgiving Dinner & Tour Giveaway – The West Bottoms Facebook Pages are promoting a giveaway where people can enter to win a progressive Friendsgiving dinner that includes drinks and prizes for 10 guests.
- Food truck Wine & Dine
- Beast, Edge of Hell & Macabre Cinema Haunted Attractions – Season extended Nov 11 & 12, opens at 19:30 o’clock
- full moon escape – The Escape Games have slots for groups of under 11 people to test their wits and solve puzzles to find their way out of locked rooms within 60 minutes. Although these games are not scary – they excite. See website for opening times.
About the West Bottoms Historic Entertainment District:
The West Bottoms Historic Entertainment District, located just off the 12th Street Bridge, features 22 warehouses in a thirteen-block area with approximately 600 vendors and more than thirty shops and restaurants. Many of the large, multi-storey buildings have histories that began over 120 years ago. These repurposed, massive expanses form the largest year-round vintage entertainment district. The West Bottoms is the destination for visitors and buyers including interior decorators, designers and collectors looking for stylish decor and gift options with history and patina that cannot be reproduced. westbottoms.com
SOURCE West Bottoms Historic Entertainment District
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