Tour of Booty
5/6-5/8
A classic campus scam on broke freshmen is the fraternity rush-party fake-out: Scruffy underclassmen with no interest in fraternal orders crash the annual recruiting bashes and gorge themselves silly on grub and beer. As they dine, the frats regale these potential recruits with stories of loose chicks and elaborate fake-ID operations, but the only place the freshmen will be rushing is back to the dorms -- with full stomachs. Those sly skills will serve us well this weekend as we chow and chug our way through the Downtown Council's sales pitch -- that it's cool to live downtown -- at the Urban Tour Weekend events. Come tune out with us as we slam Boulevard beers from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday in the parking lot behind Michael's (1830 Main). On Saturday, there's a party with barbecue, music and fire breathing from 4 to 7 p.m. in Oppenstein Park (12th Street and Walnut). Call 816-421-1539. -- Michael Vennard
Tending the Block
FRI 5/6
During last summer's outdoor performances of Julius Caesar, a sewerlike odor polluting Southmoreland Park kept some bard watchers at bay. But from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, olfactory-sensitive supporters of the annual Shakespeare Festival should have no such worries at the Bacchus Block Party at 20th Street and Walnut, which is sure to be a festive atmosphere given its date and location. The $25 admission ($20 in advance; see www.bacchuskc.org) covers food, alcohol and entertainment by NoMathMatics, DJ Brent Scholz, Mike Dileo and Count Kaiser -- and counts toward a $30,000 goal to build the thespians a permanent stage. Call 816-753-7278. -- Annie Fischer
