Mark your calendar for a variety of dining tastes, boutiques, and festivals

This article is presented in partnership with Historic Downtown Parkville

Historic Downtown Parkville may be one of the Kansas City area’s best kept secrets. Located fifteen minutes northwest of downtown Kansas City and fifteen minutes south of the Kansas City airport, downtown Parkville offers local dining, shopping, and scenic parks with miles of walking trails set alongside the Missouri River. (Also see: 10 Most Beautiful Small Towns in Missouri.)

Downtown Parkville has all the sights, tastes, and activities for a complete day trip. To start your itinerary, check out the unique shopping options located throughout Main Street, East Street, and English Landing Center. Just a sampling of the boutique shops includes, art and antiques, clothing and candles, collectibles and quilts, watches and wine, home decor and jewelry, gourmet coffee, chocolates, and fresh flowers. 

Photo courtesy Historic Downtown Parkville

There’s also a farmers’ market on Saturdays where you can get locally grown and homemade items. 

To satiate your appetite, a variety of tastes can be found up and down Main Street. From a French bistro to Italian dining, an Irish pub to American family dining and sports pub fare, you’ll find the right morsels to keep your energy up. Just need a drink? Check out the global wine boutique or the local coffee shops. Specialty shops like a bakery, a gourmet popcorn shop, an ice cream shop, and an old-fashioned candy store, also offer snacks and more.

At the end of the day, if you’d rather rest than drive, Downtown Parkville is blessed with eight Airbnb suites located in the mix of shops and restaurants and an award-winning B&B just a few short blocks away. Staying an extra day will afford you time to explore the trail system and nature sanctuaries, play in the parks, get your game on at Miniature Golf, or enjoy live music on Friday and Saturday nights at the Irish pub.  

Lastly, historic Downtown Parkville is also known for its annual events and festivals, which include music and beer festivals, classic car shows, a 4th of July celebration, the annual Parkville Days festival, and the holiday Christmas on the River event. Mark your calendar and stop by Downtown Parkville where there’s always something going on. 

For more information, visit ParkvilleMo.org.