Lee's Summit Lowdown

Welcome to the Lowdown! I am so glad you’re here!

Happy Sunday, Lee’s Summit! ☀️

I hope your week is off to a great start. We have a packed one ahead – new businesses, sports champions getting their flowers, summer kicking off in the best ways, and a Friday night downtown that you genuinely do not want to miss. Let’s get into it! 👇

🏈🏀 Hy-Vee Teams of the Week: Lee’s Summit Gets Double Recognition

Is there something in the water here, or is Lee’s Summit just completely dominating the local sports scene right now?

The Lee’s Summit Tigers football team was recently named KCTV5’s Hy-Vee High School Team of the Week, and the story behind it is incredible. After starting the season 0-4, they absolutely refused to quit. They went on a 10-game winning streak and brought home Missouri’s first-ever Class 6 football state championship under Coach Todd Miller. That is the first title in school history, proving that it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you completely rewrite the ending.

To make things even better, the Lee’s Summit West Girls Basketball team also brought home Hy-Vee Team of the Week honors. At this point, we might need to just rename it the Lee’s Summit Team of the Week. Huge congratulations to both squads!

🏈 Lee’s Summit West Has a New Head Coach

Lee’s Summit West football has a brand new head coach, and everyone is ready to leave the spring drama in the rearview mirror.

Benny Palmer was officially hired on May 11 to steer the ship. He has a big job ahead after the previous coaching staff was let go following a residency investigation that cost the team their 2025 wins. But if anyone can handle the reset, it is Palmer. He is coming over from Lee’s Summit High School where he was an assistant coach, so he already knows exactly what makes our community tick.

Here is to a season focused entirely on Friday night lights and zero percent on landlord leases. Welcome to West, Coach Palmer!

🚗 Welcome to LS, Take 5 Oil Change!

A new business just pulled into town… literally. Take 5 Oil Change has opened its first Lee’s Summit location at 330 NE 291 Hwy, making it the 7th spot in the KC metro area. Locally owned by T5KC LLC.

The concept: you stay in your car, they handle everything, and you’re back on the road at pit-stop speed. No waiting room, no appointment needed. Find location and details here.

🎶 This Summer at Legacy Park Amphitheater Is Going to Be Something

The City just dropped the full summer concert lineup for Legacy Park Amphitheater, and I need you to open your calendar right now.

Here’s the season ahead:

• May 30 — RED: A Taylor Swift Tribute | 8 p.m. | Early bird $16

• June 26 — World Rhythms Zumba Party | 6–7 p.m. | $12 pre-reg / $15 gate

• July 25 — Jamaican Jam feat. AZ-One & Jah-Lion | 8 p.m. | FREE

• Aug. 8 — Elton Dan and the Rocket Band (Elton John tribute) | 8 p.m. | Early bird $21

• Aug. 22 — The Fabulous Freddie Mercury (Queen tribute) | 8 p.m. | Early bird $26

• Sept. 12 — JAM: Michael Jackson & Bruno Mars Tribute | 7 p.m. | Early bird $16

General admission lawn. Bring blankets and chairs. Food trucks at every show. Grab early bird tickets before prices go up. (The Taylor Swift tribute is in two weeks. Just saying. 👀)

✍️ Online Cursive Camp from a Local Literacy Expert

Ready to give your child’s brain a boost this summer? One of our Lowdown readers, Lee’s Summit educator Susan, known for championing student literacy is hosting a specialized Online Cursive Camp.

This interactive program is brilliant for all young learners, but it holds special magic for dyslexic students. Because cursive flows continuously without lifting the pencil between letters, it drastically reduces the frequent letter confusion and reversals that often come with traditional printing. It is a proven boost for memory, focus, and reading confidence.

Space is limited to maintain small class sizes, so do not wait if you are interested.

Dates, details, and registration here.

💛 Parade of Hearts: Three Sculptures Call Lee’s Summit Home

The Parade of Hearts is back, and we’ve got three sculptures this year. Grab the family and make a little self-guided tour of it:

• “Upcycled Flora” by Katie Kramer | 209 SE Green Street

• “The Colors of KC” by Michael B Savage | 220 SW Main Street (Amtrak Station)

• “Sister Cities – We Are Family!” by Susan McGinnis | 927 NE Woods Chapel Road

Tag your photos and show some love for the artists – they brought some serious color to our city.

⏪ The LS Loop

Meetings that happened while you were living your life last week.

Mayor Lopez kicked off the evening by honoring some of our community’s finest, officially recognizing National Public Works Week and National Police Week. (Honestly, if I were mayor, I’d use my power to proclaim every Tuesday as Taco Tuesday, but honoring the folks who fix our potholes and keep us safe is definitely a better call!)

The Council received a massive presentation on the North Land Reserve Property. This is a whopping 4,203-acre tract of land, but the immediate priority is the Arborside Development, covering the northern 1,064 acres right near the regional airport. The City is looking at a mix of capital and “statutory economic tools” to fund the roads and sanitary sewers for the area, with public hearings rolling out this summer. Want to hear a joke about the new sanitary sewers? Never mind, it stinks.

The Council had a second reading and officially adopted the Preliminary Development Plan for the John Knox Village – Country Club Corridor Hybrid Villas at NW Chipman and NW Pryor. It passed with a unanimous vote – though there was one mysterious recusal! The council also held a public hearing and viewed a conceptual incentive request for another senior community – the O’Reilly Senior Living Community over on NE Lakewood Way.

The endless joy of budget season marches on! The Council approved an addendum to keep School Resource Officers (SROs) in our Lee’s Summit R-VII schools and passed an amendment to the current fiscal year’s budget. Meanwhile, the Finance and Budget Committee is still chewing on the FY27 budget (specifically looking at “Version C”) and will continue refining it ahead of their upcoming May 18 meeting.

🎸 Live & Local

Friday and Saturday are stacked this week. Here’s where the music is:

Wednesday, May 20

• The Blues Experience with Nick Schnebelen | 7:00 p.m. at The Playing 1909 Club (25 SE 3rd St). Join in for a powerhouse night of live blues led by Nick’s electrifying guitar work and raw vocals in an intimate lounge setting.

Thursday, May 21

• The McWallace Duo | 7:30 p.m. at Iron Horse Bar & Grill. Enjoy acoustic covers, warm harmonies, and midweek vibes done right.

Friday, May 22

• Music in the Park: Bonbon Gitans | 6:30 p.m. at Howard Station Park. A completely free evening of gypsy jazz, so remember to bring your lawn chairs along.

• Brooke Waters | 6:30 p.m. at Tipsy Taco 🌮 in Lake Lotawana.

• One-Two-Trio | 8:00 p.m. at The Pink Elephant. They are back again at the coolest little club in downtown LS.

  • Editor’s Note: If you head out to see them, do not forget that their drink of the month is still “The Foley!” It is a dairy-free espresso martini named after yours truly, and it makes for the perfect weekend toast. Go grab one and support a fantastic local spot.

• Womanish Girl | 7:00 p.m. at The 1909 Club. Step into an evening of bold expression and electrifying, soulful sounds.

• Discord & Rhyme | 8:00 p.m. at Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House. High-energy live music perfect for kicking off the weekend on Main Street.

Saturday, May 23

• Live Music with Late Fees | 7:00 p.m. at The Goat Brewing Co. Featuring Josh Andrae, singer and songwriter, playing everything from country to pop classics.

• Time Bandits KC | 7:00 p.m. at Lotawana Brewing Company. Classic rock and country hits from the 60s and 70s.

• Damaged Goods | 8:00 p.m. at Iron Horse Bar & Grill. Southern rock, classic rock, and country covers featuring all the songs you know by heart.

• The MGDs | 7:00 p.m. at The 1909 Club. A refined yet electrifying live music experience blending soulful rhythms with polished musicianship. Table reservations are highly recommended for this one.

• Double Take | 8:00 p.m. at Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House. Bringing a packed set of great covers to keep the Saturday night energy going strong.

📅 The Weekly Lineup

Here’s more going on this week:

Monday, May 18

• A Derby Soiree | 7:00 p.m. at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.

Tuesday, May 19

• Tuesday Night Karaoke | 8:00 p.m. at The Black Rabbit. Enjoy 6 dollar shot specials, 5 dollar seltzers, and reverse happy hour. Their description says “Good singers welcome. Bad singers encouraged,” which is exactly the kind of fun energy we love.

Wednesday, May 20

• Veterans and Military FREE Breakfast | 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Hy-Vee on SW Ward Rd. A wonderful morning offering free breakfast and coffee for active military and veterans as a thank-you for your service.

• Downtown Farmers Market | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Green Street. The mid-week market is officially back and running every Wednesday morning through October.

Thursday, May 21

• Critter Chat | 6:00 p.m. at Green Street. KC Exotics-R-Us is hosting this free, educational program with an accompanying craft to help the family learn about the unique critters among us.

• FRIENDS Trivia Night | 7:00 p.m. at Craft Putt. Free to play with a 50 dollar gift card on the line for the winning team.

Friday, May 22

• Fourth Fridays Art Walk | 5:00 p.m. in Downtown Lee’s Summit. Presented by Budget Blinds, you can enjoy artist pop-ups, live music, free kids’ activities, and gorgeous public art displays all over downtown.

• Mother and Son Nerf Night | 6:00 p.m. at Harris Park Community Center. Team-based games designed for moms and sons to play together, with all equipment and safety gear fully provided.

Saturday, May 23

• Summit Waves Opening Day! | 11:00 a.m. The summer moment everyone has been waiting for is finally here. Weekend hours are 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and weekday hours are 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Grab your sunscreen and head out!

🤔 Lee’s Summit Trivia

Did you know? The Amtrak station at 220 SW Main Street – where one of this year’s Parade of Hearts sculptures now stands – has been a rail stop since the late 1800s. Lee’s Summit’s location along the Missouri Pacific Railroad line was a big part of why the town grew the way it did.

So the next time you drive past and see that heart sculpture, you’re standing at one of the original reasons this city exists. Pretty cool, right? You’re welcome. 😜

One Last Thing

Every now and then a week comes along that just has it all – sports pride, a new local business, a pool opening, a live music lineup that could honestly be a full weekend festival on its own, AND gypsy jazz in the park for free on a Friday night. That’s this week.

I feel really lucky to live in a city where there’s this much going on, and even luckier to get to share it with you every week. Thanks for reading. Hit reply and tell me what you’re most excited about – I genuinely want to know.

Thanks for being part of the Lowdown crew!

– Jen

 Editor, Lee’s Summit Lowdown

P.S. My daughter did a cursive camp a few years ago and it was one of her favorite summer activities – so this was something I knew I had to share. Also, have you seen my handwriting? I might need to register too. Have a wonderful week, LS! ✍️

How did we do in this edition?

• 🥂 Top Shelf: My favorite part of the week!

• ✨ Found 20 Bucks: A really great surprise.

• 🧺 Folded Laundry: Useful, but I wasn’t excited.

• 🥛 Day-Old Coffee: Pretty “blah” today.

• 🤢 Stepped in a Puddle: Let’s pretend this didn’t happen.