S:CP 2025 - Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

Kansas City Jazz ALIVE is a 501(c)3 Jazz catalyst organization formed to collectively, "Raise the tide that lifts all Jazz boats" in greater Kansas City.

KC Jazz ALIVE

Join us for a walking tour of one of Kansas City's most historic neighborhoods; 18th & Vine Jazz District!

1601 E 18th St

18th and Vine History Walking Tour

Get your tickets TODAY for a walking tour of one of Kansas City's most historic neighborhoods; 18th & Vine Jazz District! Celebrate  KC jazz's stomping grounds and feel the tunes run through you!

Spotlight: Charlie Parker Celebration

Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2024 celebrates the jazz icon’s 104th birthday with jam sessions and musical tributes, tours, lectures, exhibits, panel discussions, workshops, and concerts. The annual program was developed to honor Parker (a.k.a. “Bird”).

Special Promo with American Jazz Museum:PARTICIPANTS OF THE KANSAS CITY JAZZ ALIVE 18TH &amp;VINE WALKING TOURS CAN ENJOY $2 OFF ADMISSIONWHEN THEY STOP BY THE AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM AFTERWARD!Check in at the Museum Swing Shop after your KCJA Tour OR use promo code: KCJATOURSWelcome to the Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour!Come join us for a fun and informative walking tour of the historic 18th and Vine district in Kansas City. Get ready to immerse yourself in the rich history of jazz in this vibrant neighborhood.Our tour will start at The Historic Lincoln Building,1601 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, where you'll meet your knowledgeable guide, Geri Sanders who will lead you through the streets where jazz legends once roamed. Learn about the iconic venues, musicians, and stories that have shaped the jazz scene in Kansas City.This is a great opportunity to experience the magic of jazz in its KCMO birthplace and discover the hidden gems of the 18th and Vine district. Don't miss out on this unique and unforgettable experience!Guides:Glenn North - An award-winning poet, activist, educator and arts executive. North shares insights from his youth, growing up in the 18th and Vine Historic District.Geri Sanders - Independent historical consultant, specializing in the community at the 18th and Vine Historic District and other diverse projects such being a part of the design team for the reopening of the Kansas City Museum as well as the Community Remembrance Project through the Legacy Museum, founded by Bryan Stevenson in Alabama.About the Tour:During the days of public segregation, Kansas City’s 18th and Vine area developed into a self-contained community. The intersection of 18th and Vine served as the hub of a bustling business and entertainment district--the heart and soul of an African-American community, bounded by Independence Avenue on the north, Troost Avenue on the west, 27th Street on the south and Benton Boulevard to the east.Just after the turn of the 19th century, an African-American preacher and his wife, the Reverend and Mrs. Sweeney, operated a truck farm in the 18th and Vine area. By the late 1800s, thousands of African-Americans settled in the area, then known as the “Bowery.” In November 1909, the first moving picture show for African-Americans, the Star, opened in a wood-frame building at the northeast corner of 18th and Vine, forming the cornerstone of the new business district.The area grew quickly and by 1915 dry goods stores, laundries, fish shops, bakeries, barbers, cobblers, tailors, restaurants, nightclubs and all the businesses and services denied the community downtown packed 18th Street east of Paseo Boulevard. Apartments and headquarters for social clubs perched on the second floor above the bustle of commerce below. The fragrant aroma of hickory smoke from Henry Perry’s Barbeque pit at 19th and Highland wafted over the community. Street cars rattled down the center of 18th Street connecting the community to the rest of the city and jobs in packing plants, the railroads and homes of the wealthy. Once established, the community grew swiftly and prospered.Young Charlie Parker came of age as a man and musician in the 18th and Vine area. After Charlie’s parents separated in 1930, he and his mother Addie moved to a two-story brick house at 1516 Olive Street just blocks away from 18th and Vine. Addie worked nights and after she left for work, Charlie began his nightly rounds of the night clubs dotting 12th and 18th streets. While on tour later in his career, Charlie often stopped off in Kansas City to visit Addie, play gigs in the clubs on 18th street and renew old acquaintances.Thank you for taking the time to fill out your registration. This demographic data is very valuable to us as a nonprofit organization for grants and funding.

Summer Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

1616 E 18th St

S:CP Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

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S:CP 2025 - Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

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Summer Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

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S:CP Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

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S:CP 2025 - Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

More events from KC Jazz ALIVE

Discover more events from KC Jazz ALIVE, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

Summer Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

Summer Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

S:CP Edition: Kansas City Jazz Alive 18th and Vine Walking Tour

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