18th & Vine Arts Festival

The 18th & Vine Arts Festival will take over Kansas City’s historic Historic 18th & Vine District from September 25-27, 2026. The theme for the three-day event is “Neo-Soul Fusion — Where Music Meets Art.”

Tickets are $10 for a single-day pass or $20 for a full weekend pass, with children 13 and under free.

Festival Hours & Daily Highlights

All scheduled main stage entertainment, runway events, and competitions are included with your general admission pass.

Friday, September 25 (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.)

• 5 p.m. Gates Open with beats by DJ Cynsere.
• 6:30 p.m. Community Awards Presentation hosted by Melissa Patterson and Michael Johnson.
• 7 to 9:15 p.m. Rock the Runway Fashion Show, with nine independent designer showcases, kicked off by a musical performance from Kim Keys.
• 9:15 p.m. Film on the Vine: Featured independent film trailers on the big outdoor screen

Saturday, September 26 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

Saturday is dedicated to local music talent, with DJs MOHEAT, Phillo Macc.

• Noon to 5:50 p.m. Live on the Vine Semi Finals. Music from 12 semi-finalists competing across four artist teams.
• 7 p.m. Finalist Reveal of the four acts that will move to the final round.
• 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Finals, plus a special feature performance by Marcus J, the 2025 Live on the Vine champion.

Sunday, September 27 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Sunday includes interactive food events, wellness and visual arts. Main programming runs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with tunes from DJ Mari.

• 11 a.m. Brush Wars. Watch artists compete and create visual art before your eyes.
• 11:15 a.m. Farm Talk. Conversation about local agriculture and seasonal cooking.
• 11:50 a.m. Food, Fitness & Flow. Movement session featuring Estelle Brooks, Monique McDaniell and Dawn Rattan.
• 12:30 p.m. Food Truck Showcase & Judging. See local culinary masters present their best featured dishes to an expert judging panel, featuring Glenn Robinson of Hood Dude Food Review.
• 1:15 p.m. Cook What’s in Your Bag. A cooking challenge where contestants have to improvise a dish using mystery ingredients.
• 2:10 p.m. Blind Taste Test: Audience members can step up and try to identify secret ingredients and flavors for prizes.
• 2:50 p.m. Wing Eating Challenge. (If you want to compete, sign up between 2:35 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.)

Artist Marketplace & Food Truck Lineup

The Artist Marketplace. Local makers will offer paintings, crafts and apparel. Booths will be open all three days.

Food Vendors. On Sunday, food trucks serve from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sample from favorites like Island Spice Caribbean Restaurant, Syl’s Soul Food Grill, La Estrella Taqueria, Swifts Cajun Cuisine, Cousins Maine Lobster, and Buck’s BBQ, or grab sweets from Nothing Bundt Cakes and One More Scoop.

Parking

Public Parking: The city-owned 18th & Lydia garage is at 1819 Lydia Avenue. There are also lots nearby.

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