Julia Williams 
Editor-in-Chief 

Whiffs of fresh squeezed pear, echos of Latin Rock and local Northeast and Kansas City organizations came together Sunday, Sept. 29 to celebrate Pendleton Heights’s fourth annual “Orchard Fest” within Independence Plaza Park (2200 Independence Ave). 

Hosted by Pendleton Heights’s Community Orchard, Orchard Fest is a free, family-oriented festival which offered pumpkins — courtesy of Johnson Farms — bouncy houses for children, nourishment and refreshments including fresh pear cider pressed from community orchard pears.  The Giving Grove and local vendors provided additional resources and education. 

Photos by Julia Williams

“It’s just exciting to celebrate our green spaces and our orchard and our community garden and bring folks together,” Amy Strange, Pendleton Heights resident and Neighborhood Association member said in an interview, Sunday. 

Live musicians performed including SouLuna — a Latin, alternative rock, five-member Kansas City native ensemble. 

Complementary books were also provided by Wick Thomas, Democratic party candidate for District 19 Missouri House of Representatives. As a librarian himself, these books serve as part of his campaign to provide quality education access, which includes fighting for library funding advocacy and against book bans.

Grant funding provided by the City of Kansas City and The Neighborhood Tourism and Development Fund (NTDF),  continues to allow Orchard Fest to thrive as a free event for the community, Strange said Sunday.

For those looking to get involved, the Community Orchard work days are held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month (2125 Minnie St).