Sporting Kansas City’s mascot, Blue, the double decker bus ‘No Other Bus’ and its youth soccer department will be out in full force in Prairie Village on Saturday.
The Sporting KC First Kick Party — an annual event previously held at Leawood’s Town Center — will be held at Corinth Square in Prairie Village for the first time ever. Sporting KC Director of Marketing Kaley Hattrup said the organization loves the Prairie Village area and a lot of their fan base is within that community.
“We thought it would just be a great fit [for the First Kick Party] and a great time to revamp the overall feel of the event, and [Corinth Square was] the perfect location,” Hattrup said.
The First Kick Party will include a variety of family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, face paintings, video games on No Other Bus, and watch parties. Laurie Morrissey, Corinth Square media and marketing representative, said the First Kick Party fits well with the type of events Corinth Square likes to host: Family-friendly, and supporting local teams. Below is a timeline detailing the events throughout the day:
- 11 a.m., lunch deals begin at Corinth Square’s BRGR
- 1 p.m., event programming begins
- 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., specials on Sporting KC merchandise at participating shops in Corinth Square
- 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., the bounce house, face painting and balloon artist are all available
- 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., a free soccer clinic for children between 3- and 8-years-old (registration available here)
- 9:30 p.m., watch parties of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC versus Sporting KC game will be held at Johnny’s Tavern in Corinth Square (drink specials and prizes available)
“We just hope it’s a really wonderful way to let the community know Sporting KC is back,” Hattrup said. “We’ve had a little bit longer off season than normal and they’re ready to re-engage with the community and re-engage with our fan base.”
The event is free and open to the public, and there will be a VIP watch party at BRGR for winners selected throughout the day. The first home opener game Sporting KC will play will be on March 7 against the Houston Dynamo, and tickets for that game are still available online.
“We think this fits right in with our brand and supporting the community, and giving you a reason to come out and have fun on a Saturday,” Morrissey said.
