An estimated 10,000 people packed into Harris Park in Kansas City's Ivanhoe neighborhood on Labor Day for the fourth annual Taste of KC, a free food festival that has grown from a modest gathering into one of the city's bigger end-of-summer draws. Between food trucks, horseback rides and even a bit of extreme wrestling, the event turned into more than just a meal for at least one couple — it marked the spot where their relationship began four years ago.
Mitch Spencer and Rita Summers went on their first date at the very first Taste of KC back in 2022, and this year they returned to the festival newly engaged, according to FOX 4 Kansas City. The festival was held once again at Harris Park, the four-acre Midtown site at 4029 Wayne Avenue that has become a fixture for large community gatherings in the neighborhood.
Among the food vendors drawing heavy crowds was the Tamale Kitchen food truck, operated by Mike Derting, which saw significant foot traffic throughout the day, per the same account. Live music, horseback rides offered by J.O.B. The Cowboy Company and Mia Harton, and extreme wrestling matches rounded out the day's attractions for families spread across the park.
A Pastor's Vision Rooted in Chicago
The festival was founded by Pastor Timothy Hays, who leads the 24 Hour Faith Training Center in Kansas City. Hays has said he was inspired by the Taste of Chicago, the massive Michigan Avenue-born food showcase that restaurateur Arnie Morton proposed to Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne before the event's July 4, 1980 debut — an event that drew 250,000 visitors on its debut day and later expanded into Grant Park, according to WTTW Chicago. Hays studied theology at American Baptist College and graduated from Paseo Academy of the Performing Arts before founding his ministry in November 2015, according to the Pastor Tim Hayes website.
Beyond Taste of KC, Hays' 24 Hour Faith ministry runs weekly free community dinners on Prospect Avenue that are recognized in outreach listings compiled by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to help connect residents with food resources.
Harris Park's Own Story of Renewal
The venue itself carries its own history of neighborhood transformation. Harris Park was established in 1998 by Christopher Harris, a neighborhood native and former college basketball player who purchased an entire city block of vacant, decaying lots across from his childhood home to build a safe gathering space, according to the Harris Park Midtown Sports & Activity Center. The site later added Kansas City's first urban pitch-and-putt golf facility between 2018 and 2020, and expanded in 2025 into a community development initiative building affordable housing on adjacent lots.
Ivanhoe, the neighborhood surrounding the park, was originally settled in the 1890s by German immigrants before suffering severe economic decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Grassroots green space and sports projects have helped reverse that blight over recent decades, a shift the festival's organizers and attendees say is visible in the crowds that now fill the park every Labor Day.
Familiar Faces and First-Timers
The festival drew both longtime residents and newcomers. Chaquita Weston attended with her grandchildren and nephew, while Elijah Coffey, who traveled from Lee's Summit with William Graham, was attending his first Taste of KC. James Eubanks, who lived in the area during the 1970s, returned to the neighborhood for the event after more than 40 years away, per FOX 4's report.
The 816 Festival was also mentioned in the account. Organizers have said the festival is expected to return again next year.
Part of a Growing Festival Season
Kansas City hosts gatherings like the Taste of AAPI Food & Cultural Festival. Event listings for this year's gathering noted free entry, more than 75 local food vendors and small businesses, live music and family activities running from noon to 7 p.m., per a Facebook post from KC Discover.
Harris Park hosts family-oriented events like Taste of KC at its four-acre site.
