Kansas City Food Blog

​You need plans. Fat City has a recycle bin full of event listings. In this post, all of our problems are solved.

This weekend is the biggie -- the American Royal Barbecue competition is back for its 30th year. More than 500 teams are expected to compete between Friday and Sunday. Gates open today at 3 p.m. Tickets, $13, are available online.

Your drink special of the weekend is at Granite City Food & Brewery in Zona Rosa, where (the first Saturday of every month) $3 gets you an Outdoor Concert: vodka, peach schnapps, chambord, cranberry and pineapple. After two of these, you'll be dancing to a band that nobody else can hear. 

After spending the day over at Kemper, grab a slice of moon cake on Saturday night from the Fortune Star Chinese Restaurant in Shawnee Mission, and get over to the Kansas City Chinese Association's Moon Festival in Olathe.

The first Oktoberfest that's actually in October will be held at the Shawnee Civic Centre tonight from 5:30 to 11 p.m. The German American Club's sixth annual festival is well-stocked with German beer and polka music.

If you want to get a little bit out of town, there's the 9th annual Jazz and Wine Festival Saturday at the Elms Resort & Spa in Excelsior Springs. The outdoor event, which runs from 12 to 9 p.m., lets you sample wines from across the globe while enjoying music by area bands such as Killer Strayhorn. Tickets are available online for $20 ($25 at the event) and include 10 wine tastings. Proceeds help benefit the revitalization of the Downtown Excelsior Springs Historical District.

Just a bit further is the 21st annual Weston Applefest Celebration. The two-day event runs Saturday (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Saturday starts with a parade, but it should end with some pressed apple cider and apple butter cooked over an open flame.

And if you want an overnight trip, consider the St. Louis Wine Festival, 12 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Sample the latest from the Stone Hill Winery, among the more than 50 wines from around the globe. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Those of you who simply want a few vegetables to counteract the amount of barbecued meat in your system might opt for The Kaw Valley Farm Tour of 19 farms in the Lawrence area. Tickets are $10 per vehicle. Where else you could see alpacas and pumpkins on the same day?

[Image via Flickr: rick mccharles]