Fall Events Offering Hands-On Activities

Judge KC barbecue at the AMERICAN ROYAL BARBECUE / Kansas City, Mo.
816-569-4017, www.americanroyal.com
Visitors can experience KC barbecue at its best and most diverse this fall by judging, competing or just eating at the 28th Annual American Royal Barbecue, Oct. 4-7. Applications are available online. Nicknamed the "World Series of Barbecue," the event attracts more than 70,000 visitors and 500 culinary teams.

Make a scarecrow at POWELL GARDENS / Kingsville, Mo.
816-697-2600 ext. 225, www.powellgardens.org
With guidance from the Gardens staff, participants in a special Oct. 6 workshop will create their own miniature scarecrow masterpieces to take home and display. Part of the Gardens' annual Harvest Celebration, the workshop celebrates the unveiling of a special garden display featuring dozens of scarecrow designs ranging from the traditional to the wonderfully weird.

Mine for treasure at DEANNA ROSE CHILDREN'S FARMSTEAD / Overland Park, Kan.
913-897-2360, www.opkansas.org
The 12-acre park provides several free opportunities for children and their families to explore the Great Outdoors in Overland Park. Visitors can try their knack at mining for arrowheads and gemstones, feed the farmstead's pygmy goats or fish for bluegill with old-fashioned cane poles. The farm is open until October 31.
Create cultural art at MATTIE RHODES ART CENTER / Kansas City, Mo.
816-221-2349, http://mattierhodes.org/art-center
A Kansas City Latino arts and culture institute, the Mattie Rhodes Art Center offers fall craft workshops to celebrate Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Children and adult participants will create maracas, candelabras, altar offerings and skeletons.

Craft your own beads and marbles at MOON MARBLE COMPANY / Bonner Springs, Kan.
913-441-1432, http://www.moonmarble.com
The company's one-day fall workshops encourage participants to express themselves with glass. The Moon Marble Company's School of Glass artisans will introduce the craft to visitors and guide them through various art projects-including soft glass creations, jewelry beads and of course marbles.

Pick your own fruit at SIBLEY ORCHARDS & CIDER MILL / Sibley, Mo.
816-650-5535, www.sibleyorchards.com
Orchard visitors can reap the benefits of a bountiful harvest by picking their own produce-including peaches, berries and sweet corn-or learn to make their own cider using an old-fashioned press and apples they've picked themselves.

Train for space missions and more at SCIENCE CITY / Union Station, Kansas City, Mo.
816-460-2020, www.unionstation.org
With more than 50 interactive learning stations, education and play go hand-in-hand at Union Station's Science City. Families can train for space missions, use food chemistry to design a custom beverage, investigate forensic evidence, deliver a TV weather report, use physics to enhance their golf game or reconstruct a dinosaur bone by bone.

Create masterpieces at KALEIDOSCOPE / Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo.
816-274-8300, www.hallmarkkaleidoscope.com
In a free 55-minute exhibit presented by Hallmark, the Kaleidoscope art studio frees children's imaginations to explore new worlds and create one-of-a-kind art from the wide variety of Hallmark scrap material.

Feed lorikeets at the KANSAS CITY ZOO / Kansas City, Mo.
816-513-5700, www.kansascityzoo.org
A free, year-round activity lets Kansas City Zoo visitors feed and interact with small lorikeet birds. These brightly-colored Australian parrots fly right onto a visitor's hands, arms or head to get a sample of fruit nectar.

Make a puppet at the PUPPETRY ARTS INSTITUTE / Independence, Mo.
816-833-9777, www.hazelle.org
Youngsters can create their own marionettes and puppets from scratch with help from the artists and designers at Independence's Puppetry Arts Institute. Once complete, children love showing off their "Punch and Judies" with a pint-sized puppet show in the PAI theatre.

Ride in a racecar at KANSAS SPEEDWAY / Kansas City, Kan.
www.racingexperience.com, www.1800bepetty.com, www.drivingadventure.com
Driver's education meets new heights this fall at the Kansas Speedway. NASCAR fanatics and general thrill seekers can experience professional racing at speeds exceeding 150 mph, either behind the wheel or inside the passenger seat of a two-seat stock car. Three touring companies will lead driving schools this fall-The Racing Experience, The Richard Petty Driving Experience and The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure.

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Photo Credit:  Photos Courtesy of the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association

	Kansas City Zoo Caption: Children can get upclose with lemurs in the Kansas City Zoo's Discovery Barn. This image is not available for download. Download:  Click here to request image.
	Kansas Speedway Caption: Kansas Speedway hosts major league racing like NASCAR's Nextel and Busch series and Indy Racing League. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Powell Gardens Caption: Kansas City's botanical garden features 915 acres of beautiful, ever-changing gardens, nature trails, contemporary architecture and year-round events. This image is not available for download. Download:  Click here to request image.
	Union Station Kansas City, exterior Caption: Union Station opened in 1914 as the nation's second largest train station, and today features a science center, theatre, exhibits and dining. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res