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If you haven't had a chance to stop by the Museum of BBQ, you can get in for free on Friday for Henry Perry Day.
Henry Perry was an iconic pit master in Kansas City barbecue history.
The first 100 folks will receive a free barbecue rib.
Museum founder Jonathan Bender said many international visitors have stopped in during the World Cup.
"Yeah, it's been amazing," he said. "What I have loved is [that] it's people from all across the globe who have one common thing, like let's talk barbecue. And it's why we built the Museum of BBQ. So it's folks in from Tunisia and Algeria and Mumbai, India, all of whom just want to delve into what made Kansas City famous."
Bender also talked about who Henry Perry was.
"Henry Perry is really part of the fabric of Kansas City barbecue. So he started cooking in the West Bottoms, the Garment District, and then eventually 18th and Vine," Bender said. "What was fascinating is he cooked on hickory wood, which we have come to know as the signature scent of Kansas City barbecue.
"He also had a great talent for promotion, so he was known as the Barbecue King, and he would cook brisket and possum and woodchuck and bring people in from all across the city. So he's part of the reason that Kansas City barbecue is so famous today."
With free admission Friday, Bender said any donations will go to the Henry Perry Foundation in Kansas City.
"On July 3, Henry Perry fed 1,000 widows and orphans for free, and back in 2020, 100 years after the anniversary of that event, Mayor Quinton Lucas said, 'Today is going to be Henry Perry Day henceforth.' We have wanted to honor that at the Museum of BBQ," Bender said. "So, on July 3, we're offering free admission, and what I love is ordinarily the price of admission would come to us. Instead, on this day, it's going to go to the Henry Perry Foundation."
The foundation is run by Henry Perry's granddaughter, Bernetta McKindra.
"She is devoted to helping with childcare assistance, as well as CPR training," Bender said. "That ability to give back to not only Henry Perry's family and legacy, but also his spirit of generosity, makes us feel connected to the world of barbecue here in Kansas City."
I reached out to the Henry Perry Foundation, which told me via email that barbecue brings people together. The foundation also said it was formed to continue Henry Perry’s legacy of generosity, perseverance and community spirit.
Below are examples the foundation shared with me of how it has served the community:
- To date, the foundation has given surprise Christmas/holiday checks to 25 childcare centers.
- The foundation supplies desserts twice monthly and meals quarterly to a local church that feeds the unhoused.
- Soon, the Henry Perry Foundation plans to provide funding for CPR training for at least 50 kids and adults.
If you'd like to come check out the Museum of BBQ, it is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The museum is in Crown Center, which is close to FIFA Fan Fest.
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