Yeah, parking is a bite at those type functions!!! Up until just a few years ago, the Main Post Office facility was located at the base of the hill where the SpiritFest takes place. Parking is by permit only and it's guarded on the 4th of July for the very reason of violaters from SpiritFest.
Since I worked there, it was awesome, because even though we were on the job; with the building shooting up 6 stories in the air, it put us at a very audible level to hear the jams as we were working if some of the windows were open.
During lunch hours and after work, we could just kick our heels up the hill without having to worry about parking. Our Main Plant moved about 4 years ago, but the other building still exists for Administrative purposes.
Used to be, the SpiritFest was wide open to entry from any direction accessible to the Liberty Memorial Mound.... but since they have began charging admissions, they put a huge fence around the area where it actually takes place.
At one time Pepsi Corporation sponsored the entire event with free admissions, but back during the 80's they were sued by a restuarant by the name of Babydoe's for structural damage. It was acclaimed that the finale fireworks display, a HUMONGOUS cannonball burst called the BEAST, cracked the foundation of the building. Babydoe's collected in the lawsuit, although they shouldn't have been able to if Pepsi Corp. had known the true details.
Babydoe's had built their restuarant on top of an underground mining field. I used to ride dirt bikes with my brother on the exact location where they had built, and there were times where we could feel the blasts underground while we were riding. We lived about 2 miles away from there and our home suffered a cracked foundation that required repair from the underground mining. No one in the neighborhood attempted lawsuits, because the underground mining area was government owned and controlled.
Pepsi Corp. got screwed BIG TIME!!! Perhaps someone from the neighborhood should have tipped Pepsi Corp. off for their defense, but I don't think anyone ever did. I was too young back then to concern myself with big business litigation, but now I wish that I would have attempted to contact SOMEONE!
I'm sure that the owners of Babydoe's realized that there was underground mining going on beneath them after they had built and they just laid in wait for the biggest event in Kansas City to stake a fraudulent claim against a corporation largest enough to absorb their loss. The SpiritFest took place at least 8 miles away from the foundation of Babydoe's, and there were hundreds to thousands of home and business foundations in the distance in between the Festival and Babydoe's that went unharmed. It's amazing what dirty attorneys can accomplish.
It shut down the SpiritFest for a few years entirely, and NEVER has the revived SpiritFest ever came close to the event that it once was.
Tedster, Quiet Riot and Wallflower are both playing on the 3rd... Quiet Riot, I remember as being pretty good during their day; although I can remember the songs they were famous for, I do remember their name which means I took the time find out.... so I must have liked something they did
