KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The final outdoor First Friday event of the year will bring back art vendors but in a new setting, as organizers continue to consider the future of the event following a deadly shooting in August.
For the October event, art vendors will set up shop in the Crossroads Art District's "art alleys," according to Jeff Owens, vice president of the Crossroads Community Association and First Friday chairman.
Owens said the move will help with congestion on streets and sidewalks, as well as bring a focus to a unique part of the Crossroads.
“Our alleys are so beautiful, and some of them have been activated with shops and things, so we thought what a fun thing to do to have them in the alley,” Owens said. “It’s just going to enhance the experience that everyone’s had in the past. It will make it more intimate and more fun.”
Vendors will be in the alleys near Baltimore Avenue, where they have set up in past events, Owens said.
First Friday organizers are also continuing to work to find a permanent spot for food trucks. For the October event, Owens said food trucks will be located on 18th Street between Cherry and Holmes streets.
Organizers are working with the Kansas City Police Department to contain the food trucks within a smaller area to help with security issues, Owens said. A permanent location for the food trucks is expected to be announced next year.
The changes to the popular event come after a 25-year-old bystander, Erin Langhofer, was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet at the First Friday in August. Deon’te Copkney, 18, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death.
The event, which attracts thousands of people each month, returned in September, but with a much different, scaled-back feel. The September First Friday did not include food trucks, art vendors or performers on streets and sidewalks because the event lost its general liability insurance.
Owens told 41 Action News last month that First Friday organizers hope to bring the event back to its roots, which is art.
The October event will be the last outdoor event of the season. First Fridays will be held indoors through April.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect that First Fridays will be held indoors through April.
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