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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Boulevardia returns to the metro for its fifth year this weekend, and more than 40,000 people are expected to attend.

It’s a two-day beer and music festival held this Friday and Saturday in the Stockyards District of Kansas City. The event features Boulevard beer, food trucks, local vendors, carnival games and rides and a VIP patio sponsored by local business Hop Cat. 

Oh, and don’t forget the lineup of musical guests, including headliner Tech N9ne.

Tech N9ne

Organizers have been preparing the space and setting up for the two-day festival all week long. With nearly 100-degree temperatures in the forecast for the weekend, tents were among the first things to be set up.

“We have provided a huge shade tent this year for the main square. We’ve done our best to find shade,” said Keli O’Neill Wenzel, executive director of Boulevardia.

“We have the Royals pop-up bleachers. We call it the outfield experience, which is just a shaded area for people to view and sit down and have a beverage,” Wenzel added.

Tents set up for Boulevardia 2018

Keeping in mind that alcohol and extreme heat don’t always mix, a word of advice from organizers.

“We ask everyone: Drink your boulevard beer, followed by a water,” Wenzel said. “You need to take care of yourself. We have a free water-filling station, so you can bring your empty water bottles or you can fill your other water bottles throughout the day. We want everybody to stay hydrated.”

This year, in addition to new vendors, a new carnival ride and a new VIP area, festival guests can enjoy a unique new pop-up experience.

“We have a really fun new addition this year, one of which is called the silent disco,” Wenzel said. “If anyone has ever seen a silent disco, it’s where literally you’re dancing, and no one around you knows what you’re listening to because it’s all through headphones. It’s a spectacle to watch but probably even more fun after a Boulevard beer or two to be dancing to.”

And while guests are focused on brews and tunes, organizers will be focusing on safety.

“We take this very seriously. Safety is our number one concern for everything with these size of festivals. We just ask people not to bring bags. We have bag checking,” Wenzel said.

Both KCPD officers and a private security detail will be keeping an eye out as well.

“We hope for everybody’s safety, and we hope for everybody to have fun,” Wenzel said.

There’s an event parking lot near Liberty and West 16th streets. Organizers encourage people to use ride share services to avoid parking confusion and for safety if you’ll be enjoying a few brews at the festival.

For more information on ticket prices and musical guests, visit the event’s website here.