KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in Platte County. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
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A Northland artist is creating murals and mobile artwork to welcome the Netherlands and thousands of World Cup visitors to Riverside, while a local restaurant is also making changes ahead of the crowds.
Jeff Parson is the artist behind the artwork that will welcome the Netherlands to their base camp in Riverside.
Parson is better known in the community as Fearless Jack Rabbit Art. He has displays outside his home for drivers to see.
"I wanna present our community in the most positive way we can do it," Parson said.
The Netherlands will call Kansas City Current’s Riverside practice facilities home during the tournament.
"We got to do it up big for the Netherlands," Parson said.
The country's team colors will play a central role in the welcome display.
"Their team colors are orange, so there's gonna be a lot of orange paint slopping around," Parson said.
Parson is not only creating the Netherlands welcome display — he is also designing mobile pieces that will travel to all seven watch parties across the Northland.
"For Clay and Platte County, we are doing four mobile pieces of artwork, and they want the greatest players who have played the game," Parson said.
Argentina's Lionel Messi is among the players featured in his sketches as Parson works against the clock to finish everything in time.
"The Netherlands, I have to have done by at least April 1, and then the four mobile displays have to be done by the end of May," Parson said.
Parson said the project is about more than art.
"It just brings a lot of positive attention to our community," he said.
Parson is not the only Northlander preparing for the influx of international visitors. Mike Lee, owner of Trezo Mare in Kansas City, Missouri's Briarcliff neighborhood, is getting his restaurant ready.
"We're modifying our website so that the foreign visitors have the ability to read our website in their own language," Lee said.
Lee said the restaurant is hiring and training more staff ahead of the World Cup and will be making menu changes.
"We are making changes to our drink menu to reflect the preferences of the people who are coming here," Lee said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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