Hot Dog Festival
American summers and hot dogs go hand in hand, and what better way to celebrate summer than at the Heart of America Hot Dog Festival? August 1 at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the festivities begin at noon and include an incredible musical lineup including Average White Band. Tickets are $10 for adults and just $5 for children (those under five are free). You’ll get a free hot dog, Pepsi product and admission to the museum.
Keep in mind that tickets at the door come with a price increase and no complimentary food or drink. A trip to this museum is a must for any visitor, but taking advantage of the annual Hot Dog Festival is a great way to indulge in local cuisine and some of the best local musician performances available.
Hot Dogs and Hot Summer Nights
Enjoy a self-guided tour of the museum, and earmark the entire day to explore the many exhibits. The Early Years exhibit showcases the beginning of African-American baseball post-Civil war. In the Pioneers exhibit, you’ll get to learn more about the earliest players at the college and pro level. The Drawing the Line exhibit focuses on the “gentleman’s agreement,” which banned black players from a number of leagues circa 1900.
At the Great Independents exhibit, you’ll discover the black stars and teams that made big waves in the first Negro Leagues. Kansas City welcomed the first Negro Leagues in 1920, and the Traveling Men exhibit takes a look at the travel conditions and what life on the road meant for these early players. Combining baseball and hot dogs is as natural as a day at the ballpark—which exhibit will you visit first?
