BBQ Sizzles at West Bottoms' First Friday Weekend in September

KC's Brews and BBQ in the Bottoms Event will feature 'Mantiquing'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. , Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City's West Bottoms has a tradition of bringing together shopping and fun. September's First Friday Weekend will get the guys grinning from ear to beer and barbeque. The sizzling showdown of brews, barbeque, and fans of football all rolled into one saucy event. This Labor Day weekend, September 1-3, the West Bottoms District is turning up the heat with Brews and BBQ in the Bottoms.

This shopping event will feel like a tailgate with an epic collision of flavors, fandom, and fun to spice up Labor Day Weekend. Football fans are encouraged to break out their boldest team colors, whether roaring for the Chiefs, Wildcats, Jayhawks, or Tigers. Wearing game colors and enjoying a pint with the best in barbeque while shopping the Bottoms is a smokin' good time.

The game plan? Visitors make a touchdown mantiquing – where vintage and antique items are curated to appeal to men. Some masculine-favored places sure to score in décor and gifts include Stuffology, Porcelain Monkey, and Bella Patina's Lights by Mason, which takes metal objects, like vintage motors, gears, and pulleys, and repurposes them into unique lamps. The district earns extra points with fans when it's time for a shopping timeout with beer and barbeque.

Chef J BBQ's pitmaster fires up their 1000-gallon cooker fourteen hours before opening using real hickory firewood. "It takes a lot of time cooking and when we open it sells fairly quick. When it's gone its gone. We often sell out around 1:30 pm, so our rule is first come, first serve," said Chef J about his namesake restaurant policy at Hickory and 13th. After Chef J was recognized at the American Royal BBQ competition on his first try in 2019, he was influenced to put his first restaurant in the West Bottoms due to its proximity and historical significance to the former stockyards. This BBQ quarterback serves a fusion of untraditional Kansas City sauces with a bit of heat and masterful cooking that requires checking the meat every thirty minutes to bring a melting pot of styles beyond the traditional KC-style barbeque.

If feasting on BBQ wasn't enough, visitors can do a 'pick 6' to intercept some rubs and tools from KC Stockyard BBQ Supply that'll turn anyone's grill game into a culinary championship. Plus, scoring big is possible in the 13 blocks of shopping with game-worthy apparel, art, glassware, dishes, and even socks that'll have football fans strutting their stuff.

"This shopping tailgate of brew and barbeque with fellow fans is like a victory lap for the soul," said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, the organizer of the West Bottoms event and also known as the Queen of Haunts during the Halloween season. "We've also readying for souls who surrender the night as we prepare to open our nationally acclaimed haunted house on September 8 and September 15. We hope people will leave their comfort zone and get out to the Beast, Edge of Hell, and Macabre Cinema for the short time they are open."

The West Bottoms hosts the Festival of the Full Moon outside on First Friday Weekends and when the haunted attractions are open. Upcoming themes like Boo in the Bottoms - October 6-8; Blessings in the Bottoms - Nov. 3-5; and December weekends will feature Bows in the Bottoms starting December 1.

SEPTEMBER's BREWS and BBQ in the BOTTOMS WEEKEND PLANNER

• West Bottoms' Shopping – Festival of the Full Moon Weekends' theme – Brews and BBQ in the Bottoms September 1-3. Open Friday through Sunday – Most shops open on Fr/Sat at 9 AM and close around 6 PM, Sunday 12-5 PM. It's recommended to refer to individual store Facebook pages for specific store openings or westbottoms.com.
  
  
• Full Moon Bar– pop-up bars located on the West Bottoms streets will be serving an array of beer choices, cocktails, and more.
  
  
• Full Moon Escape – the Escape Games have slots available and new games. Open Friday, 12:00 PM - 12:30 AM; Saturday, 11:45 AM - 12:30 AM; Sunday, 10:45 AM - 8:45 PM.

About the West Bottoms Historic Entertainment District

The West Bottoms Historic Entertainment District, located just off the 12th Street Bridge, has 22 warehouses in a thirteen-block area with approximately 600 vendors and more than thirty stores and restaurants. Its large, multi-story buildings have histories dating back more than 130 years. These repurposed, vast spaces form the largest indoor vintage entertainment district year-round. The West Bottoms is the destination for interior decorators, designers, collectors, and consumers making unique, quality finds for home, décor, style, and gift options with history and patina that cannot be replicated. westbottoms.com                              

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SOURCE Historic West Bottoms District