There are many events that occur in the Kansas City metro area, but how many of these events are actually teen friendly? My job is to explore and experience these events to document, and give feedback to the other teens in my community. The past week I went and experienced First Friday downtown. There were many adults in the area and little to no teens present besides me and my crew. There was lots of music, vendors, art, and different varieties of food. If I would’ve gone alone to this event I know I would not have had the good time that I did. I’m a firm believer that you don’t need money to have fun as long as you’re with the right people. If I was to come alone I probably would’ve spent most of my time spending my money to keep me occupied. Being with people let me discuss different topics based on things we were seeing or even listening to, because there was a lot of music and people speaking in the environment.
My biggest concern with the event was the lack of diversity and how it was split. There was a side where it was diverse and more cultured with many black, hispanic, and even asian vendors. When I walked over to the other side of First Friday there were only white people around. I don’t understand why each section had to be split off from each other, and the diverse section was at Made Mobb a smaller area compared to where the rest was located. There were so many people there so it is a great place to meet new people and learn about new places due to the many vendors present. I do believe that if more teens were to come to the event it would gain more recognition and it could grow causing more people to voice their opinions and create better change. It could also be an amazing place for teens to go to for fun and to stay out of trouble exploring new places. I hope others can go and share the experience of First Friday!
– Camila, Summer Intern 2024
Photo courtesy of the KC Crossroads website.