Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

As the new year unfolds, 2026 will bring celebrations, world-wide sporting events and the completion of several key projects around Kansas City.

250 USA

Red, white and blue will be the colors for 2026 as the United States and its citizens celebrate 250 years since our country’s founding date on July 4, 1776. This semiquincentennial will be marked in celebrations large and small across the nation with concerts, festivals and parades.

FIFA World Cup 

Planners and organizers are expecting 650,000 visitors coming into the greater Kansas City metro area during the six games scheduled in Kansas City, Missouri beginning June 16, 2026.

In addition to the match games hosted at Arrowhead Stadium, the National World War I Museum will be the site of a 10 to 20 day-long FIFA Fan Festival, featuring activities, food vendors, merchandise and four to five large screens live-streaming the games.

Kansas City is one of eleven sites where games will be taking place, with the first match scheduled in Mexico City on June 11. Teams that will match up in Kansas City are Argentina vs. Algeria on June 16, Ecuador vs. Curacao on June 20, Tunisia vs. Netherlands on June 25 and Algeria vs. Austria on June 27. Winners of those matches will face off  during matches scheduled for July 3 and 11, with the final cup match on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium.

For ticket and additional game information, visit www.kansascityfwc26.com

100th Anniversary of Route 66

Known today as America’s “Mother Road”, this famous roadway is marking its centennial, with celebrations across the country throughout the year.

The creation of U.S. Highway 66 was a multi-year process that began in 1912, when Cyrus Avery (1871-1963) was elected as Tulsa’s County Commissioner. An early promoter for better roadways, today Avery is considered the “Father of Route 66”. By 1921, he was elected president of the Associated Highways Associations of America. Working collectively, numerous highway associations across America petitioned the Secretary of Agriculture to create a series of U.S. Highways, with Avery championing a route that traversed from Chicago to Los Angeles, paved for two lanes of traffic and signage to mark the designated route.

In a telegram sent by Avery from the Colonial Hotel in Springfield, Mo. on April 30, 1926, the selection of number “66” to designate this new roadway was preferred over “60”, thus sealing Springfield’s designation today as the “Birthplace of Route 66”.

From April 30 to May 4, Springfield will host the National Route 66 Centennial Kickoff, with a parade, car shows, concerts and dedications of two new monuments. On August 6 and 7, the city will host its annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.

For additional celebrations along Route 66, visit https://www.route66centennial.org/

KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension 

The final leg of  KC Streetcar, connecting Kansas City’s riverfront development to its terminal at UMKC (52nd St and Main), remains on schedule for completion in early 2026.

Construction of the 0.7 mile extension is nearing completion and testing of the system has begun with the final phase focusing on operator training, safety drills and real-world service situations.

While testing continues, crews are completing key finishing touches, including installing communications, train and traffic signals, completing shelters and station stops and restoring sidewalks and curbs in Berkley Riverfront Park.

For more information about progress, visit https://kcstreetcar.org/about-streetcar/streetcar-riverfront-extension/

Morton Amphitheater

Music lovers will have an additional venue for live entertainment following the opening of a new amphitheater in Riverside, Mo, just in time for the summer concert season.

This 16,000 seat venue at 6150 N.W. Music Rd. will feature 12,000 covered seats and additional lawn space seating, with a full range of food and drink options. Morton Amphitheater’s season will open on June 19 as Weird Al Yankovic takes the stage, followed by a full barrage of the biggest names in rock music scheduled for August, including name acts Rod Stewart, Train, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns N’ Roses, Chicago and Styx.

For a complete lineup of concerts and tickets, visit www.mortonamphitheater.com

Barney Allis Plaza and Auditorium Parking

Closure of Barney Allis Plaza and the Auditorium Parking Garage in April 2024 left a big gap in event space and parking for downtown event-goers but construction is on schedule for a completely re-designed plaza with 580 parking spaces underneath.

HOK Design envisioned a multi-functional plaza with paved areas, a sloped lawn terraced to view events, a pavilion plaza with space for food trucks, centered with an oval lawn as a flat, flexible green space.

Belgian artist duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh designed the $2.18 million public art piece entitled “Kansas City Spirit: Memory and Resilience”, to be installed at the southern entrance of the plaza.

Construction is slated to be completed later this year. Follow the progress at https://barneyallis.org