KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Board of Directors of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street penned a message Tuesday announcing the discontinuation of Downtown Days, citing safety and security issues in recent years.
“With heavy hearts, we have made the decision that the 2026 Downtown Days festival will be our last,” the board wrote. “The safety of our community, small businesses, partners, volunteers, and attendees comes first.”
Despite efforts to increase security and make changes, the board said it was “not enough to prevent what happened Saturday evening at Downtown Days.”
Police responded to several disturbances Saturday, including fights, assaults, property damage, large groups of juveniles refusing to disperse and a weapons-related call.
One woman was trampled in the chaos that ensued after bear spray was dispersed into the crowd.
"She was shoved to the ground, hit her head bad, was bleeding, and ended up going to the hospital, ended up in the ICU overnight," said J.D. Schiller, a friend of the woman.
The nearly 40-year-old tradition started in 1989 as a way to transform a declining downtown. Downtown officials said the years of celebration helped raise funds and build up business owners to transform the area into the “downtown we all love and cherish today.”
However, this chapter has come to a close.
“Though the time has come to say goodbye to Downtown Days, our dedication to that early dream does not waver,” the board stated. "We will continue to look for ways to bring our community together and to celebrate what makes us special.”
Looking forward, the board said it will work to bring the community together through new events.
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