Arts & Entertainment

Bingo

From the new Bloch building to the Fringe Fest, here's what to do when it's hot outside.

By Megan Metzger 

Peanuts and Cracker Jack at the ol' ballgame. Leggy models in hot pants strutting an urban catwalk. Juicy hothouse tomatoes you can eat like a peach. Dragons and dinosaurs and butterflies! This is the stuff summer dreams are made of.

Hot Town, Summer in the City

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Bloch Building Opening

June 9-10 Those perplexing modern structures next door to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak) are finally ready for their unveiling. The opening of the Bloch Building, designed by architect Steven Holl, is one of the most exciting art events this year — and not just in Kansas City. Time magazine ranked it the most anticipated building of 2007. We've been told that when famed celebrity-photographer Annie Leibovitz came to Rainy Day Books for an evening signing, an avid fan and museum employee finagled a supersecret sneak peek of the building just for her — and she loved the place! The gallery invites everyone to two days of free admission at its official public opening on Saturday, June 9, and Sunday, June 10, beginning with a brief building dedication at 10 a.m. Saturday. For parking, shuttle and exhibit info, see www.nelson-atkins.org.

Dragon Boat Festival

Anthropologists believe that the Far East tradition of racing lithe, wooden paddle boats was born more than 2,500 years ago on rivers in southern China. The Plaza's Brush Creek has been the site of dragon boat races for just three years, but you have to start somewhere, right? Enjoy other delights from Asia, such as traditional Chinese music and dance, at this free festival from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9. See www.kcmo.org for more information.

Dog-N-Jog Sunday

KSHB Channel 41 weatherman Gary Lezak and his trusty pups, Stormy and Breezy, are the celebrity masters of ceremony for Dog-N-Jog, a June 10 race to benefit the Humane Society. Beginning on the Plaza, the two-mile run and walk begins at 8 a.m., with a one-mile version starting at 9 a.m. Call 913-596-1000 or see www.hsgkc.org/dognjogpage.html.

18th Street Fashion Show:

A Summer Wonderland

You'd be one Mad Hatter to miss this chic and sexy block party, now in its seventh year. Sixteen local designers — some of whom have threads featured in style bibles such as Nylon, Women's Wear Daily and Glamour — parade their handiwork down a 100-foot runway populated by hot models and local celebrities. Last year's show boasted 1,000 people along the stretch of 18th Street between Baltimore and Wyandotte, and this year the event producers, who are also owners of Crossroads boutiques Spool and Birdies Panties, expect an even bigger turnout. The show begins at dusk on Saturday, June 16, and admission is free. (VIP tickets are available for $20.) See www.west eighteenthstreet.com.

Bike-A-Thon for Medical Missions Family Bike Ride at the Kansas Speedway

Luckily for bike hounds, there won't be any race cars revvin' their engines on the Kansas Speedway when they take to the NASCAR track for the World Indigenous Mission Health Care Ministries' charity bike ride. On Saturday, June 23, for a minimum pledge of $25 per rider, bicyclists have the option of circling the Speedway or a 20-mile perimeter of Wyandotte County Lake. Prizes are awarded for those who raise the most dough, and all donations are tax-deductible. The ride begins at 5 p.m.; see www.wimbikeathon.org for more information.

Crown Center Antique Festival

More than 150 dealers are on hand to sell fine china, old and rare books, collectible toys and other antiques at this free event at Crown Center Square (2450 Grand) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 23, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24. See if that garish, giant porcelain howler monkey from Great-Great-Uncle Claude is actually worth something when the atrium inside the shopping center turns into Kansas City's own little Antiques Roadshow. Experts offer free appraisals from noon to 4 Sunday. (They request that each person bring only one item.) Call 816-274-8444 or see www.crowncenter.com/AboutUs-Antique/Index.htm.

Kansas City Urban Farms Tour

Food. We all need it. But most of us don't know how it gets out of the ground and onto our plates. The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture hopes to remedy this with a tour of 11 farms right here in the metro. The event, which runs from noon to 5 on Saturday, June 24, also includes music and activities for the kiddies — along with, of course, fruits and veggies for sale, all grown in the city. Tickets cost $5 a person or $12 for a family of three or more; get them at city markets around town. See www.kccua.org for farm locations.

Dinosaurs at Powell Gardens

In Jurassic Park, tycoon John Hammond populates a theme park with real-life dino clones. Then, the bellowing, short-armed T. Rex and his crafty raptor cohorts get out of their cages and all hell breaks loose. Luckily, the folks at Powell Gardens (1609 Northwest U.S. Highway 50) know better than to mess with the real thing. Instead, they employ lifeless but convincing replicas, including a 33-foot-tall daspletosaur tyrannosaur and Missouri's own state 'saur, the 30-foot duck-billed hadrosaur. The exhibit, which runs from June 27 through October 7, also showcases fossils, prehistoric plants, and kid-friendly performances, including a show from puppetman Paul Mesner (July 7). See the dinosaur exhibit with paid admission to Powell Gardens. Find details at www.powellgardens.org.

Fringe Festival