Attendance at the Mayor’s Nights events this summer has reached over 7700 as the second half of the summer series is underway. The program included Club KC, a free event featuring dancing and video games, at six Kansas City community centers, in addition to three sports-themed activities: Mayor’s Night Kicks, Mayor’s Night Hoops and Mayor’s Night Nets. These programs have provided Kansas City youth with safe summer activities that include an educational component through appearances by KCPD DARE Officers, youth financial advisors and military officials.
“I am incredibly proud of our efforts to provide Kansas City youth with fun activities this summer,” said Mayor Sly James. “I am absolutely committed to telling our kids where they can be as opposed to just telling them where they can’t be. The youth asked us for this type programming. We delivered it, they have shown up for it and it continues to be a huge success. Most importantly, our City’s young people really have a good time because of these activities.”
The second annual Sly’s Rock the Block event, the end-of-summer celebration of Mayor’s Nights, will take place on August 17th, at Union Station in the south parking lot. This free event, produced by the Mayor’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement, will feature family-friendly activities from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. with free food from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. At 8 p.m. the event will transition to the final night of Club KC for middle and high school students.
Club KC will continue until midnight, at which time the City’s curfew ordinance will be in effect. The curfew ordinance is enforceable until the last Sunday in September and is set for minors under 16 at 10:00 p.m. and for minors ages 16 and 17 the curfew at 11:00 p.m. The City’s five entertainment districts, the Plaza, Westport, Downtown/Central Business District, 18th and Vine, and Zona Rosa, all have a special curfew during summer months that requires anyone under 18 to be accompanied by their parents after 9:00 p.m. Minors, 17 and under, attending Club KC would be subject to the curfew exception allowing attendance at a City event, but are required to go directly to their place of residence after the close of Club KC.
Exceptions for the curfew include:
a. When a minor is attending an event for which the City has specifically approved the presence of unaccompanied minors upon City property;
b. When a minor is accompanied by his or her parent, guardian or other adult person having the lawful care and custody of the minor;
c. When the minor is upon an emergency errand directed by his or her parent or guardian or other adult person having the lawful care and custody of such minor;
d. When the minor is returning directly home from a school activity, school entertainment, school recreational activity or school dance;
e. When the minor is returning directly home from lawful employment that makes it necessary to be in the places referenced in this section during the prescribed period of time;
f. When the minor is attending or traveling directly to or from an activity involving the exercise of first amendment rights of free speech, freedom of assembly or free exercise of religion; and
g. In interstate travel through the city.
The curfew ordinance allows for any minor found in violation to be detained until their parents pick them up. In addition, the ordinance allows for parents to be fined up to $500 for each infraction.
“Two years ago, we set a curfew designed to put some parameters around who could be at the City’s entertainment districts and when. We did this because we want to keep our kids safe and our entertainment districts bustling with commerce,” said Mayor James. “Since we have enacted the curfew, we have had fewer incidents, safer young people, and happier residents.”
The Mayor’s Nights events continue to accept registrations through August 10. Anyone interested in joining the program should register online at kcmayor.org/mayorsnights or one of the 6 community centers where Club KC is offered.
Entrance to Sly’s Rock the Block event is free. Additional details can be found at kcmayor.org/mayorsnights or by contacting Roosevelt Lyons, Senior Advisor for Civic & Community Engagement, at .
