Let's Get Local
I’m passionate about my hometown. Which I may or may not have made clear. Supporting local businesses is close to my heart because it helps Kansas City grow and evolve. Beyond the economic reasons, I want to create relationships with people and places. I love that there are two or three coffee shops I can walk into and they know what I’m going to order or recommend something new I might like. I make a point to explore my home, experience new things, and share my favorites. It’s such a part of my life that I forget that isn’t the case for everyone.
Kansas City long embraced the identity of a ‘cowtown’ known for its beef. Now we’re starting to be know for our beer, coffee, soaps, and artists. We have chefs nominated for James Beard Awards, competing on Top Chef; we also have restaurants creating amazing dining experience with family recipes in unassuming storefronts. We're the home of a beer whose first keg went to a restaurant down the street and is now distributed in thirty seven states. I’m passionate about sharing the unique things I experience in my hometown and luckily there are organizations like Local Start and KC Local Week who have made it their mission to help makers reach a bigger audience, to share what is crafted in Kansas City.
KC Local Week is an annual event designed with theme days to help people explore what Kansas City has to offer and share it with a community of locavores. I love KC. I LOVE KC Local Week, I celebrate it as a holiday, creep #KCLocalWeek on Instagram and Twitter to see where people are going, what they’re doing, and add things to my “to try” list. Looking beyond a single week a network of events like First Fridays, Third Fridays, and Strawberry Swing events give local artists avenues to share their work. At a larger scale Local Start exists to promote Kansas City based businesses and grow the economy of KC as well as surrounding areas. Visit KC, our travel and tourism group, in partnership with their marketing agency has started to travel to other cities putting on events showing “how we do KC” encouraging the idea that KC is a destination, not flyover country. From specific weeks of the year, to sharing with locals, and even letting ‘outsiders’ in on the secret there is a growing community of individuals and groups dedicated to spreading the joy of Kansas City.
I’m a proud member of that community. I look for every opportunity possible to get out and experience my home in a new way, to meet someone new, or try something new. When I support local businesses succeed I feel better about how I spend my money and know that I’m helping my community become stronger, more unique, and more robust. I’ll continue to celebrate ‘official’ KC Local Week I think, much like the spirit of Christmas, I’m going to try to make it live in my heart all year long.
