Rows of white tents lined the street where the boutiques and shops stayed. The 83rd Annual Plaza Art Fair was held Sept. 19 to 21. The large stages for the other artists separated the street blocks that contained the featured artists. Musicians, metalworkers, painters, photographers, glassworkers, fiber workers and other artists of all kinds were scattered along the street. As many as 650 artists from all over the country were displaying their various kinds of art.

Kansas City has rich history in art, although not the exact same art as we might think. There is a Museum of Jazz on East 18th Street, that shows us what kind of art this city is most familiar with. The Plaza Art Fair lets Kansas City experience art in a new way, giving those who attend the choice between music and physical art.

Along with the hundreds of art displays, there were activities appealing to larger groups and families. There was a kids’ area, stages for live performances, aisles in the streets that consisted of food trucks and stands, along with the hundreds of shops and restaurants on the sidewalk.

With all kinds of artist from around the US, presenting a variety of presented art, and no two booths were the same. Walking the streets, seeing the people rushing down the paved sidewalk, pausing to look at the contents within tents, and people pouring out cafes and shops, let Kansas live up its name, “The Paris of the Plains.”