by Sharm | Feb 28, 2014 | Articles
Below is information taken from an official press release on the Mardi Gras Festival coming to KC.
Saturday, March 1, 2014 in the Kansas City Power & Light District. The crazy festiveness of Bourbon Street will take over the Live! Block for guests to immerse in a Mardi Gras festival experience.
This year’s bash will feature a crawfish eating contest, Cajun food booths, Zydeco music, live DJ, street performers, fire breathers, fortune tellers and of course, an abundance of beads! There will be a parade with mini floats made from shopping carts and all participating bars and clubs will be decked out with Mardi Gras décor. There is free entry into the overall event and guests must be 21 years old or older. Guests have the option to purchase Mardi Gras Bar Crawl tickets, which includes free cover at 15 participating bars and clubs and unlimited drinks from 8 -11 p.m. Guests can purchase tickets at www.missiontix.com/KCMardiGras.
Highlights Include:
- Live entertainment all night
- New Red Onion Jazz Band performing live Zydeco music
- Craw Fish Eating Contests at 8:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Contestants must be the first to eat 10 Cajun crawfish. Winner receives a cash prize.
- Beignet Eating Contest at 9:15 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Contestants must be the first to scarf down 10 sweet, powdery pastries. Winner receives a cash prize.
- Most Beads Contest at 11:00 p.m. on the KC Live Stage. Winner is determined by crowd vote .
- Cajun food booths featuring gumbo, jambalaya and dirty rice from Z-Strike and The Dubliner.
- Roving street performers throughout the district, breathing fire, juggling, mimes, stilt walkers and more, 8 – 11 p.m.
- A fortune teller, 8 – 10 p.m.
- Beads galore
- Shopping Cart Parade, a fun parody to the festive Mardi Gras parades held around the country, 9 p.m.
- Mardi Gras Bar Crawl: A party package upgrade that includes all access passes to 15 participating bars and clubs throughout the evening, as well as unlimited domestic beer, hurricanes and well drinks for just $25 in advance/$35 for VIP upgrade to call.
Featured Entertainment:
Ticketing:
- Free entry into overall event, must be 21+
- Mardi Gras Bar Crawl Well Package: A party package upgrade that includes all access passes to 15 participating bars and clubs throughout the evening, as well as unlimited domestic beer, hurricanes and well drinks for just $25 in advance/$35 at the door.
- Mardi Gras Bar Crawl Well Package: A party package upgrade that includes all access passes to 15 participating bars and clubs throughout the evening, as well as unlimited domestic beer, hurricanes and call drinks for just $35 in advance/$40 at the door.
Featured Bars and Clubs:
Angels Rock Bar • Fuego • Hotel Nightclub • Howl at the Moon • Johnny’s Tavern • Living Room Bar • Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge • The Dubliner • McFadden’s Sports Saloon • Mosaic Lounge • PBR Big Sky • Pizza Bar • Shark Bar • Tengo Sed Cantina • KC Live! Block!
About the Kansas City Power & Light District (www.powerandlightdistrict.com)
The Kansas City Power & Light District is a vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City that is redefining the City from its skyline to its sidewalks. The District links together the renovated Bartle Hall Convention Center, the new Sprint Center, offices, hotels, entertainment, cultural destinations and residential developments. The $850 million mixed-use District anchors $5 billion of complimentary development efforts in downtown Kansas City. The combination of entertainment, retail, nightlife and residential with the District’s imaginative and innovative design, has created an intriguing 24/7 neighborhood.
by Sharm | Feb 17, 2014 | Articles
I was recently loaned out the Mini Jambox by Jawbone to review from Verizon Wireless and have to say it is quite nifty.
This tiny wireless Bluetooth enabled speaker has a trendy design with a single aluminum enclosure and comes in a variety of colors and styles.
I had a blast trying out and thought it sounded great! The Bluetooth capability allows it to pair with a smart phone, tablet, iPhone and other Bluetooth enabled devices and becomes a speakerphone that will receive and make calls all with the touch of a button.
With not being much bigger than a cell phone, the Mini Jambox is easy to take along anywhere you go or sit seamlessly anywhere in the house. It can play music and audio that is already on your device or if you prefer using one of the many music apps, those will play as well. It can be connected to gaming units, laptops and televisions and enhance the sound of anything you may want.
If Bluetooth is not available, a speaker cord comes with the Mini Jambox that can be connected to any device that has a speaker output. I tend to watch a lot of Netflix and found connecting the speaker wire to the laptop while watching gave me much better volume control and clarity.
Connecting the Mini Jambox to a computer via the USB cord and installing the Jawbone updater allows the speakers firmware to be updated and allows a number of voices and languages to be used for the voice prompts that notify you of the amount of battery life left, incoming and outgoing calls and more.
Speaking of battery life, the website claims to have 10 hours of continuous play. I never tested it or ran the speaker that long as it seemed my phone needed charging before then. The Jawbone app available in both iTunes and Android format allows users to control the Jambox’s options.
Although, the Jambox was only on loan and I have to give it back, I wish to thank Verizon Wireless for allowing me to test it out. I did not think I was in the market for a wireless speaker, but after using this Mini Jambox, I may reconsider. I will admit I am not as tech savvy as some others out there and with the Mini Jambox; you do not need to be! It was easy and simple to use, had great sound and the sleek designs will fit any personality.
Additional information on size, specs, compatibility and any other questions you may have can be found at Jawbone.com or Verizonwireless.com.
by Sharm | Feb 15, 2014 | Articles
Chaz on the Plaza is using a new technology developed by a medical apparatus inventor to launch a new Wine Exploration Initiative that will open a new world to wine aficionados.
Chaz’s new Coravin Wine Access System allows enthusiasts to experience top tier reserve wines without having to purchase an entire bottle. The new system allows wine to be extracted from a bottle without breaking the seal or allowing oxidation of the wine.
Beginning February 6, guests may order wines from a new Coravin Wine List at prices from $12 – $26 per two-ounce pour. The world of wine exploration is expanded when you can experience an exemplary wine without spending $300 for an entire bottle.
Through February participants in The Wine Exploration Initiative receive an appropriately paired cheese plate with a minimum four-ounce purchase by presenting a coupon available at raphaelkc.com.
About The Coravin Wine Access System: The Coravin system is the most advanced wine preservation system to date. It was conceived by Greg Lambrecht, an MIT educated nuclear engineer best known as inventor and patent-holder of medical apparatuses. The Coravin System allows wine to be transferred from the bottle to glass without a cork ever being removed. It works by a surgical procedure in which a thin, hollow needle is plunged down through the cork, keeping the seal functionally intact. As wine is transferred into the glass, it is replaced with Argon gas that prevents the wine from interacting with oxygen. The wine can be preserved and consumed over a period of months or more. The system only works with real cork due to cork’s physical property of expandability, thereby allowing it to reseal itself.
About Chaz on the Plaza: Chaz on the Plaza is the signature restaurant of the historic Raphael Hotel located at 325 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, MO. It is a destination restaurant that embodies its city’s unique culture, history and spirit. Chaz is a 2013 recipient of Forbes Travel Guide Recommended award, TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and Ingram’s Most Romantic Restaurant Silver. Signature items include a hand-cut, wet-aged prime beef tenderloin with brie stuffed potato croquette and grilled asparagus, locally sourced lamb chops and fried green tomatoes. Chaz Lounge presents live music nightly and from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during Weekend Jazz Brunch. Happy Hour drink specials and half-price appetizers are offered from 4 – 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Information, menus, wine lists, and reservations are available online or by calling 816.802.2152.
by Sharm | Feb 15, 2014 | Articles
Kansas City Power & Light District’s annual winter restaurant week, Dine Downtown, is back, Feb. 21 – March 1, 2014. 11 restaurants will feature value priced, multiple-course lunch menus for $10-15 and three-course dinner menus for $25-30. Dine Downtown Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to try a new restaurant and experience all that Downtown Kansas City has to offer.
Guests will receive complimentary gift cards when they order from the exclusive Dine Downtown Menus. In addition to the already value-priced, multi-course menus, guests will receive gift cards or vouchers up to $10 for future use.
To view the participating Dine Downtown restaurants and menus, visit www.districtrestaurantweek.com. Make a reservation from the Yelp icon next to each participating restaurant.
Dine Downtown 2014 Participating Restaurants
- Bar Louie
- Bristol Seafood Grill
- Drunken Fish Sushi Restaurant & Lounge
- Flying Sauce Draught Emporium
- Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
- Johnny’s Tavern
- Maker’s Mark
- McFadden’s Sports Saloon
- Pizza Bar
- Tengo Sed Cantina
About the Kansas City Power & Light District (www.powerandlightdistrict.com)
The Kansas City Power & Light District is a vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City that is redefining the City from its skyline to its sidewalks. The District links together the renovated Bartle Hall Convention Center, the new Sprint Center, offices, hotels, entertainment, cultural destinations and residential developments. The $850 million mixed-use District anchors $5 billion of complimentary development efforts in downtown Kansas City. The combination of entertainment, retail, nightlife and residential with the District’s imaginative and innovative design, has created an intriguing 24/7 neighborhood.
