Due to the fact that the first Friday in July just happens to fall on a holiday, there will be First Friday events on both Friday, July 4th and Friday July 11th. Galleries with events being held on the 4th of July will be open from 6-9pm.

To avoid confusion, we've split the list.... here are gallery events, openings, and artist receptions for July 2008 First Friday in the Crossroads.

Read our First Friday Guide

Know of an event we missed? Send us an email

One thing is for sure--Kansas City knows how to do it up right when it comes to fireworks. With the 4th of July holiday right around the corner, it's time to start figuring out which fireworks display to go and see. With everything from super extravaganzas to festivals, family fun and parades, show your patriotic spirit and head to one of our Top Kansas City Fireworks Displays and watch the metro sky light up.

About Kansas City's Top Kansas City Fireworks Displays

Shawnee Mission Park Fireworks Extravaganza

Parkville 4th of July Fireworks and Festival

Corporate Woods Star Spangled Spectacular

Independence Fireworks Display at the Mormon Visitor Center

Riverfest

For complete info on these and many other great fireworks displays in the Kansas City Metro-- read our Top Kansas City Fireworks Displays Guide for 4th of July, 2008!

We've almost made it to the weekend, hooray!

What would we do if we were you this weekend, you ask?

• We'd catch a Free Flick around town
• Be amazed by Quixotic at the Uptown
• Eat some BBQ at the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle
• See Shakespeare Fest's production of 'Othello'
• Watch 'Beauty and the Beast' at SMP
• Listen to The Elders and The Wilders for FREE
• We're also feeling quite patriotic, so we're heading to Merriam to see all the flags at the 'Fields for Freedom' event.

  For these and many, many more fun things to do this weekend in KC, read the KC Weekend Guide.

Lindsay Shannon, owner of Kansas City's own BB's Lawnside, had a guest spot on the 'Today Show' this morning in their Battle of the BBQ segment. Shannon was pitted (unfairly in my opinion) against some guy from Texas to see who had the tastiest barbeque. Shannon prepared some of his mouth watering short ribs while the Texan cooked a lame piece of brisket.

FYI Al Roker...to make it fair, you should have had a rib showdown.

The three judges voted the Texan as the winner, when everyone in the world knows BB's Lawnside has some of the best BBQ on the planet.

BB's Lawnside tops our list Top 5 Best Places to Eat Kansas City BBQ, so the 'Battle of the BBQ' was obviously fixed.

See Lindsay on the Today Show