11th Annual Earth Day Celebration - Lawrence, KS

One of the reasons I love living in Lawrence is the hippies. I don't mean that it in a derogatory way, I am hippie myself (peace, love, save the whales and all that). So when Earth Day comes around, Lawrence is the best place in Kansas to be for the annual celebration, now in its 11th year. I am also especially excited because I have a couchsurfer staying with me for the weekend, so I get the unique opportunity to share the incredible green culture of Lawrence with someone from out of town.

The Lawrence Earth Day Celebration works to educate residents, businesses and surrounding communities regarding the importance of responsible environmental policies, raise awareness of each individual’s impact on the natural environment, and highlight actions each person can take to make Lawrence and Douglas County a more sustainable and eco-friendly place to live.

It was a lovely day for a great event, the weather was perfectly sunny and warm but not too hot or cold - I think the planet was doing us a favor for celebrating it that day. We started with the delicious free vegan buffet. There were other options, of course - funnel cakes, tacos, etc. - but why would you want to eat that when you have the opportunity to learn about earth friendly food options? I have to say, the food was great. While I'm not a vegan by any means (I still believe bacon is divine) but anyone considering making the switch would be easily converted by the spread. The best was the "better than tuna salad." Instead of tuna, they replaced it with primarily walnuts as well as other nuts such as chickpeas. It definitely earned its name.

After enjoying our free-range vegan meal, we moved on to the stands. There were stands for children to educate them about being green while having fun, like a stand where you could decorate canvas bags for carrying groceries instead of using plastic bags. There were also educational stands for adults that taught about everything from solar power to green gardening to local recycling programs. My favorite stands were the green gardening stands. I got some free seeds, which makes me very excited because I am working on developing my green thumb.

This was a great event and I see why it has lasted 11 years. The Lawrence community really comes together to celebrate living green in all different ways - whether it is the food you eat, what you plant, how you power your home, or even the beauty products you use. It is definitely worth a trip next year.

Total Time Traveled: 15 minutes

Total Distance Traveled: 4 miles

Soundtrack: 102.1 FM

Kansas City International Pillow Fight Day - Kansas City, MO

Whenever I had pillow fights as a kid, my mother would always say, "It's always funny until someone gets hurt." And inevitably someone got hurt. Someone fell off the bed, someone hit her head on the nightstand, someone got hit in the eye. (Actually, I shouldn't limit this to pillow fights. A recent marshmallow fight with friends was fun until someone got hit in the eye. Why is it always the eye?) But we kept having pillow fights. There is something about the childish fun of a pillow fight that makes us forget hitting our heads or getting in trouble because you hit your sister way too hard.

It's just fun. Pure and simple.

The Urban Playground Movement brought back the flurry of feathers and fun with International Pillow Fight Day on April 2, 2011. The Urban Playground Movement is trying to make these fun events part of popular culture. They want to replace passive, consumption experiences (like watching television) with fun events that bring people together in their community. I have to admit, a community-wide pillow fight does seem like a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than catching up on my DVR. (I can do that Sunday night, anyway).

All around the world, people took up their fluffy pillows and started beating the crap out of each other. I, of course, was determined to participate. KC Pillow Fight planned the Kansas City Pillow Fight to take place at the JC Nichols Fountain in Kansas City. This was not the first event. Last year, 80 to 100 people people participated.

There are rules, of course. This isn't the lawless pillow fighting of your youth. The rules are:

1. Soft pillows only!

2. Swing lightly

3. Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.

4. Remove glasses beforehand! (This is why someone always gets hit in the eye!)
5. Wait until the signal to begin. The signal is when someone yells, "Pillow fight!"
6. Creativity, fun pillows and costumes are encouraged

It was a beautiful day for a pillow fight - sunny and 75 degrees. A few people came in pajamas with decorated pillows, one guy even came in a panda costume, which prompted cries of "Get the panda!" when the fighting started. A little after 3pm, we heard the cry and started swinging. It was panda-monium (pun absolutely intended)! Everyone was laughing and having a great time, no one hit each other very hard, it was all in good fun. Some people even brought their children, so I let a six-year-old girl take me down. Her mother told me she had been talking the whole drive there about hitting someone until they fell down, so apparently it made her day when I collapsed on the ground and announced my defeat. It was so much fun, I don't understand why it is only once a year. This seriously needs to be a monthly event, at least in the summer.

And by the way, no one got hit in the eye.

Total Time Traveled: 2.5 hours

Total Distance Traveled: 80 miles

Soundtrack: Tegan and Sara "Sainthood"

Kansas City Zombie Walk for Hunger - Kansas City, MO

The Kansas City Zombie Walk is a biannual charity event for the Kansas City Metropolitan Community who suffer from hunger or homelessness. Local weirdos (like myself) dress up as zombies and donate canned food, clothing and other items to participate in the walk. We all gather, donate our items and then follow a rubber brain on a stick around the Plaza while shocked and amused patrons look on. It's a great time!

For those who enjoy looking like a zombie, I made myself look undead with flour paste (just flour and water) that I painted with grease paint and fake blood. That's why my face looks so...well...zombie-like? For the more adventurous, Bess has a great zombie makeup tutorial on The Unplanned Misadventures of MirMir and Bess so be sure to check it out!

Total Time Traveled: 3 hours

Total Distance Traveled: 90 miles

Soundtrack: "Sometimes I Wonder About You" Playlist

96.5 Buzz Beachball Festival - Bonner Springs, KS

I rarely listen to the radio when I'm in the car. I usually have a new playlist or CD to listen to when I'm driving. That's probably why I didn't hear about the 96.5 The Buzz Beach Ball festival until the last minute. The lineup for this mini-festival includes: Smashing Pumpkins, Anberlin, Limosines, Civil Twilight, AM Taxi, the Beautiful Bodies, A Silent Film and Six Percent. But none could have made me leave the comfort of my home and drive through the perpetual traffic jam on I-70 except for...(drum roll, please)...Cake!

I was late to the Cake party because I didn't start listening to them until after college, though this alternative rock band has been around since the 1990's. But once I started listening to them, I was hooked. So when I heard they were playing at Buzz Beachball, I paid for my overpriced ticket (and my equally overpriced parking pass), queued up the Cake albums on my iPod, and hit the road!

The crowd at Buzz Beachball ranged from the very drunk preople from small towns, the indie/alternatives showing their piercings and tattoos, teen girls sneaking alcohol, and the occassional thirteen year old who had probably been dropped off by his mom. Luckily, most of the less-than-devoted crowd had been driven away by the bad weather. It wasn't the ideal weather for an outdoor concert. It was the coldest night we have had yet and after an afternoon of rain, it was dark, damp, and cold. It actually made me a little concerned I had only just recovered from allergies to put myself in the perfect situation to catch a cold.

But I forgot all about that when people started screaming and in the dark I could see Cake taking the stage. They opened with "Comfort Eagle," a great song. The lyrics, "We are building a religion," captured my mood as I stopped feeling cold and forgot that I had to keep wiping my nose on my hoodie sleeve because I forgot tissues. Because I was seeking Cake live. And they were awesome. We were building a religion of Cake fandom!

They played some music from their upcoming album that drops 1/11/11, and, as always, it sounds great. Which once again proves that Cake will always continue to produce great music (even if Comfort Eagle will always be my favorite Cake album).

In honor of this amazing musical experience, I though I would share my top five Cake songs for road trips. But if you're also a Cake fan, feel free to comment and suggest your own!

1. The Distance

2. Long Line of Cars

3. Stickshifts and Safetybelts

4. Race Car Ya-Yas

5. Satan in My Motor

KC Fringe Festival – Kansas City, MO

Back when I was in high school, I got my first taste of the Fringe Festival – the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival to be precise. The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland began in 1947. Eight groups not invited to perform in the Edinburgh Festival of the Arts decided to perform anyway. They created makeshift theaters on the fringe (Get it? On the “fringe”?) of the festival. Over the years, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival would grow until it surpassed even the Edinburgh Festival of the Arts. Today, the Fringe continues in Scotland and draws acts from around Europe and the world.

In 2004, I was an actor in an American high school theater troupe brought to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to perform “The Day They Shot John Lennon.” It was amazing! I had been going to the theater my whole life and even seen performances on Broadway in New York City, but nothing could prepare me for the explosion of art, theater, music, and culture that is the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I would help promote the show by performing monologues on the street next to jugglers, magicians, living statutes, musicians, and any number of talented individuals beckoning the crowds to come and see their shows. Though I am a writer by nature and prefer to be behind the scenes rather than on the stage, I can genuinely say it was the most thrilling and fulfilling experience I have ever had in my brief time as an actor.
It was this uncensored artistic expression that inspired numerous “fringe” festivals around the world, including Kansas City. The KC Fringe Festival follows the guiding principles of the Edinburgh Fringe – to create an opportunity for all artists to express themselves in any way they choose and to make that art available and accessible to all members of the community. The KC Fringe Festival is about art for everyone.

The KC Fringe Festival 2010 had events throughout the city from July 23rd to August 1st, featuring 120 participants in 79 performing and film arts. With my busy schedule, I didn’t make it to Kansas City until the last couple days. But I was relieved to see that the KC Fringe Festival took the “affordable” part of the fringe philosophy seriously. A ticket to an event is only $5 - $10, which is split between artists and their venues. I was also happy to see an incredible variety of events. There were performance artists from theater, cabaret, comedy, music, dance, and even burlesque. There were fashion designers showing their creations; there were visual artists displaying their latest works.

It is impossible for me to describe everything available at the KC Fringe Festival because it is impossible for me to even see it all. I did particularly enjoy the Create Your Own Reality event at Arts Tech.

CYOR is a monthly arts and crafts networking group I heard about from May Evans, who you might know as the brilliant and talented blogger of May’s Machete. I’m an artistic person but law school hasn’t left me a lot of time for my more creative proclivities beyond knitting. So I was excited to have an evening where I could experience the KC Fringe Festival and let out a little bit of my pent up creative energies. We spent a few hours making “freak flags” with the boxes upon boxes of art supplies brought by the dedicated women of CYOR and Arts Mafia. Everything from paints to fabric to markers was there – the only limitations were what you could create in that time.

I let loose my meager artistic talents and created my own freak flag to fly with pride. It may not be the greatest work of art, but it is a piece worthy of the fringe – it is accessible, affordable, and a whole lot of fun!

Total Time Traveled: 2 hours
Total Distance Traveled: 100 miles
Soundtrack: “The Dresden Dolls” and “Yes, Virginia” Dresden Dolls

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival - Kansas City, MO

One of the first things I did when I moved to Kansas City was go to the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival with my family. I was still adjusting to life in the quiet Midwest, away from the bustle of the big city, and my family wanted to show me the unique and beautiful cultural offerings of Kansas City.

Last year, they were producing my favorite Shakespearean tragedy, "Othello." This year, I went back with my family to enjoy "The Merry Wives of Windsor." It was a magical evening and I loved of every second of it - it is a tradition I'm sure I will continue as long as I live in Kansas. It is absolutely free, they only ask for donations at the entrance to keep the production free and open to the public.

For the last seventeen years, the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival has put on 21 Shakespeare productions in Southmoreland Park, a small park west of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Marilyn Strauss, the festival's founder, tells the story of her inspiration for bringing Shakespeare to Kansas City, "The dream for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival began in 1990 with a promise to my friend, famed N.Y. Shakespeare Festival founder Joseph Papp. 'You’re a Kansas City native. There’s not a festival there. You made it in New York and on Broadway – now, give something back, something you personally create. You can't beat the feeling, kiddo. Do it now, make it the best, and keep it FREE!'"

On a rainy night in 1993, Strauss' dream became a reality and her vision has reached over 450,000 audience members. Now, in its 22nd production, it continues to fill the park every night with eager Kansas Citians. If you decide to go, the show starts at 8pm but be sure to be at the park no later than 7pm to get a good spot on the lawn. Also, parking can be tricky to find so give yourself plenty of time. And ignore the people who leave at intermission, who knows why they are missing the great second half. The last show of 2009 is tonight, but I'm sure we'll see another thrilling production of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in 2010!

Total Trip Time: 5 hours
Total Travel Distance: 32 miles