Wonderscope Children’s Museum – 433 E Red Bridge Road, KC – Wonderscope.org

South Kansas City is now home to the Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum which opened its doors October 23. All the interactive exhibits in the 30,000-square-foot space focus on educating young visitors about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math through the power of play. The museum will have two daily admission sessions from 9 AM–noon and 1–4 PM Tuesday through Sunday. Members and non-members must order tickets online in advance. Protective face coverings are required for adults and children age three and older. 

Festival of Lights: Enchantment – Powell Gardens – 1609 N.W. U.S. Highway 50 – Kingsville – PowellGardens.org

More than twenty miles of holiday lights will transform Powell Gardens into an enchanted wonderland November 13 to January 3. Festival goers are invited to explore the immersive displays along a mile-long path spread out over twenty-five acres. The event will also include adult beverages at holiday-themed tiki and wine bars, snacks, fire pits, ornament crafting, and shopping for garden-inspired and locally made gifts. Another crowd-pleaser will be the Fountain of Light installation—a riveting combination of reflective structures, lighting design, and sound elements.

Sauced – 1881-B Main Street, KC – U-Hungry.com/Sauced

Executive chef Jayaun Smith recently opened Sauced, a new “urban lunch counter,” in the Crossroads District. Come hungry to this takeout-only eatery where menu items include a double patty burger topped with pulled brisket, sautéed onions, and pickles, alongside chicken sandwiches, wings, fries, and more. For a lighter meal, try the classic mixed salad with arugula, sliced apples, toasted pecans, cranberries, red onion, parmesan, and lemon vinaigrette. Sauced is open Monday–Saturday from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Fall menu at Sweet Tea Pie Co. – SweetTeaPieCo.com

Photo courtesy Sweet Tea Pie Co.

After being furloughed this spring due to the pandemic, chef Amy Marcus started making pies in her home kitchen as a way to pass the time and provide comfort food to friends and family. The project led to a full-fledged business, Sweet Tea Pie Co. Now, she works out of a commercial kitchen space inside the Bauer Building. Her fall-inspired flavors include s’mores, pumpkin spice latte, bourbon maple pecan, chai chess, and caramel apple and pancetta. (The shop is currently not offering weekends in November. Weekend orders will resume in December with a new Winter menu.)

Nickel and Suede – Country Club Plaza – 232 Nichols Road – NickelAndSuede.com

Since 2014, Kilee and Soren Nickels have contributed to Kansas City’s fashion scene with their line of lightweight leather earrings, cuffs, and other accessories. The couple’s flagship boutique is in Liberty and on Sept. 12, they expanded the brand with the grand opening of a 1,300-square-foot location on the Country Club Plaza.