Visiting Crossroads First Fridays

About Crossroads First Fridays

On the first Friday evening of each month, Crossroads galleries and studios open late and the blocks around Baltimore Avenue and 18th Street fill with food trucks, street musicians and pop-up stalls. Many galleries pour free wine and the area's restaurants and breweries are packed.

Tip: Ride the free streetcar to the Crossroads stop rather than hunting for parking.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 2–3 hours.
• Cost: Free — no ticket needed for the main area.
• Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
• Where: Crossroads Arts District, converted warehouses full of galleries, coffee roasters and restaurants south of downtown.

Best time to visit Crossroads First Fridays

To avoid the biggest crowds, aim for the quietest of the good months:

• March: 13°C (55°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• November: 12°C (54°F) highs, about 7 rainy days, moderate crowds.
• April: 19°C (66°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, moderate crowds.

When to visit Kansas City has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Crossroads First Fridays is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen National WWI Museum and Memorial and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

• No. 12 of the 17 sights in our Kansas City things-to-do list.
• Listed in free things to do in Kansas City.

If you like Crossroads First Fridays

• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — Country Club Plaza, 2–3 hours
• Chiefs or Royals game at the Truman Sports Complex — Truman Sports Complex, 4–6 hours with tailgating
• American Jazz Museum and the Blue Room — 18th & Vine Jazz District, 1–2 hours, plus a show
• Country Club Plaza — Country Club Plaza, 1–2 hours

Staying near Crossroads First Fridays

Stay in Crossroads Arts District ($$$) to walk here: converted warehouses full of galleries, coffee roasters and restaurants south of downtown. All areas to stay in Kansas City.

Questions travellers ask