This fall travel to Kansas City and don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty. There are numerous fall activities planned across the metro area that allow you to get hands-on.

1. Judge barbecue at the American Royal Barbecue

• Visitors can experience KC barbecue at its best and most diverse this fall by judging, competing or just eating at the 31st Annual American Royal Barbecue. Nicknamed the “World Series of Barbecue,” the event attracts more than 70,000 visitors and 500 culinary teams.

2. Make a scarecrow at Powell Gardens

• With guidance from the Gardens staff, participants in a special Oct. 3 workshop will create their own miniature scarecrow masterpieces to take home and display. Part of the Gardens’ annual Harvest Celebration, the workshop celebrates the unveiling of a special garden display featuring dozens of scarecrow designs ranging from the traditional to the wonderfully weird.

3. Mine for treasure at Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

• The 12-acre park provides several free opportunities for children and their families to explore the great outdoors in Overland Park. Visitors can try their knack at mining for arrowheads and gemstones, feed the farmstead’s pygmy goats or fish for bluegill with old-fashioned cane poles.

4. Cultural art at Mattie Rhodes Art Center

• A Kansas City Latino arts and culture institute, the Mattie Rhodes Art Center offers an art exhibit to celebrate Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. A special festival on Oct. 2 is designed for the whole family and features live entertainment, food and games.

5. Discover lots of marbles at Moon Marble Company

• Thousands of marbles of all sizes and colors await at the Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs. Learn more about the history of marbles and how they are made at demonstrations offered at the store on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
 

6. Pick your own fruit at Sibley Orchards & Cider Mill

• Orchard visitors can reap the benefits of a bountiful harvest by picking their own produce—including peaches, berries and sweet corn—or learn to make their own cider using an old-fashioned press and apples they’ve picked themselves.
 

Hands-On Activities Available Year-Round

There are also numerous opportunities throughout the year to experience Kansas City first hand. Here are a few experiences you'll find in KC.

1. Train for space missions and more at Science City

• With more than 50 interactive learning stations, education and play go hand-in-hand at Union Station’s Science City. Families can train for space missions, ride a bike along a high-wire suspended 30-feet above the ground, investigate forensic evidence and use physics to enhance their golf game.

2. Create masterpieces at Kaleidoscope

• In a free 55-minute interactive experience presented by Hallmark, the Kaleidoscope art studio frees children’s imaginations to explore new worlds and create one-of-a-kind art from the wide variety of Hallmark scrap material.
 

3. Feed lorikeets at the Kansas City Zoo

• A free, year-round activity lets Kansas City Zoo visitors feed and interact with small lorikeet birds. These brightly-colored Australian parrots fly right onto a visitor’s hands, arms or head to get a sample of fruit nectar.

4. Make a puppet at the Puppetry Arts Institute

• Youngsters can create their own marionettes and puppets from scratch with help from the artists and designers at Independence’s Puppetry Arts Institute. Once complete, children love showing off their “Punch and Judies” with a pint-sized puppet show in the PAI theatre.

5. Ride in a race car at Kansas Speedway

• Driver’s education meets new heights this fall at the Kansas Speedway. NASCAR fanatics and general thrill seekers can experience professional racing at speeds exceeding 150 mph, either behind the wheel or inside the passenger seat of a two-seat stock car.