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Welcome, {{secret_name | Secret Reader}}
I've been getting over a cold this week. Chicken noodle isn't on my menu, and soup is generally meh. But hot and sour from take-out is the bee’s knees. Egg rolls, cold medicine, and a few Farscape episodes, and I'm right as rain. Which means I'm resting up for Saturday. VOO on Vinyl is on the calendar, and I’m all about nights built around DJs and a record crate.
The Spooky season is upon us. The month has handed us a Hocus Pocus pop-up bar, a Houdini piece in a distillery, and a walk through the woods at Powell Gardens. One more week until Samhain.
I'll see you at the bar ☾
—Jay, SecretKC Editor
I Almost Threw Out My Keurig. It Wasn't Broken.
Every cup from my Keurig started tasting weak, flat, stale — so I unplugged it and stuck it in a closet. Then I learned the dirty secret of grocery store K-Cups: by the time a pod reaches your kitchen, it's usually spent months going from factory to warehouse to truck to shelf. The flavor oils are long gone. Some brands even over-roast to hide it.
The fix wasn't a new machine. It was fresh pods from Angelino's, a family-owned L.A. roastery that roasts, packs, and ships within 3–5 days — straight to your door, from 39¢ a cup. Over 1,000,000 happy customers. 50+ flavors, no subscription required, and 15% off your first order, applied automatically at checkout.
🍸 The Weekend
East Crossroads Fall Crawl · Sat noon–midnight The first self-guided crawl through the East Crossroads. No tickets, no wristbands, no starting line. Costumes encouraged, 21+. Participating bars post on @fallcrawlkc. → East Crossroads
VOO on Vinyl · Sat A night built a turntable/s and a mic. DJs on vinyl at VOO, I’ll see you there!
→ VOO Kansas City
The Sir Queen · Fri 10/23 Live at Nighthawk's. Another great KC vinyl DJ that moves the crowd!
→ Nighthawk's
The Don Henley Experience · Sat 7–11 PM A tribute set for that older age demographic! 😝 At the roots-music room on Rochester Ave.→ Knuckleheads Saloon
📖 The KC Pulse
Would you attend a SecretKC night out?
Also, if you haven’t, take our SecretKC Year One survey!
💃🏽 Date Nights
Live Music with Millie Edwards · Thu 7–9 PM Live jazz in a wine-and-bourbon spot on 75th Street. A weekly Thursday set.
→ Audrey's Wine + Bourbon Lounge
Adam Larson Quartet · Fri 8:30 & 10 PM Two sets of modern jazz at the iconic 18th & Vine Blue Room
→ The Blue Room
Lonnie McFadden Dinner Show · Fri & Sat Singing, trumpet, and tap from Lonnie McFadden and his band, over dinner.
→ Lonnie's Reno Club
👨👩👧👦 Family Friendly
GloWild: Hidden Treasure · Fri–Sun, after dark
Lantern displays light up the zoo after dark. A Pirate’s Feast add-on runs Friday and Saturday.
→ Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Boo at the Zoo · Sat–Sun 9:30 AM–5 PM Halloween activities, included with zoo admission or membership. → Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
🎃 Spooky Season
Amuck, Amuck, Amuck! · Sat 10/24 A Hocus Pocus-themed pop-up bar with a live show and spooky cocktails. Doors 6, show 8, bar open until 11. Reservations recommended. → PH Coffee / Public House
Razor Blades, Rituals & Rumors · Fri 8–9 PM A theatre piece from Bryce Kuhlman and C. K. Carey, marking about 100 years since Houdini's death. Vintage urban legends and psychological trickery, inside a distillery. → Lifted Spirits Distillery
Dark Forest · Thu (21+), Fri, Sat A one-mile walk through the Powell Gardens woods with light, performers, and music, presented with Quixotic. Trail opens 7 PM. Tickets are limited and sold through Fever. Not recommended under 13.
→ Powell Gardens
Bat Boy: The Musical · Fri/Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM A dark cult musical at Crown Center, running through Nov 1. → Music Theater Heritage
Last Call
Sometimes, it’s simply scotch and a water.
—Stay Sharp KC, 🍸
🥃 Cocktail Destination Picks
The Monarch Bar
Serious cocktails and a clean handoff between dinner and the night.
→ The Monarch Bar
Tom’s Town Distilling Co.
House gin and bourbon in an art deco room. The Cloven Hoof Halloween pop-up runs through October.
→ Tom’s Town
Jade Jaguar
Agave-focused, from the team behind The Mercury Room, Verdigris, and The Monarch. Bar seats, small plates, and friendly regulars to talk to.
→ Jade Jaguar
Crossroads Hotel Lobby Bar (XR Cafe)
The adult rowdy room. Bar open until 1 AM Friday and Saturday.
→ XR Cafe
Where Kansas City Goes After 10 PM: SecretKC's Year One
Dinners done, but the night is young. Here’s your playbook to what’s next!
→ Read the guide
Check out our other SecretKC guides: All SecretKC Guides →
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