Public festivities returned to Union Station in Kansas City on Sunday with Celebration at the Station, a gathering of music, food and fireworks to honor veterans over Memorial Day Weekend.
More than 20 food trucks opened at Union Station’s south plaza at 4 p.m., with live entertainment starting at 5 p.m. The free event, anchored by a patriotic concert played by the Kansas City Symphony, drew an estimated 50,000 partygoers.
Celebration at the Station is the first major event at Union Station since the Feb. 14 rally celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. A mass shooting occurred during the celebration, killing 43-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan and injuring 24 others.
At least six people fired shots during the rally, according to federal documents. So far, three adults and three teenagers have been charged in the shooting.
Kansas City police spoke Friday about safety plans for the Memorial Day event, including on-duty officers, off-duty officers and traffic flow management.
“We always take into account the lessons learned from the past,” Deputy Chief Joe Mabin said Friday. “But we are confident in the plan we have for this weekend.”
For many gathered Sunday, public safety concerns were not at the forefront.
“Overall, we feel like the police are doing a good job of controlling the crowd,” said Chandler Hansen, who attended the celebration with wife Sara and their two children.
The Hansen family did not attend the Chiefs meeting, which they said they associated more with sports fans.
“I think we’ll just keep our eyes open,” Sara Hansen said.
Kansas City police maintained a visible presence at Union Station throughout the evening. Officers patrolled every few feet, along with personnel from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and personnel from Titan Protection & Security and NPB Staff Services.
Some families skipped the Union Station lawn and laid out their blankets on the slope of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, under dozens of shady trees.
In the cool shadows on the hillside, Kurt Wheeler polished off an Italian beef sandwich as Alicia Wheeler gently bounced their baby on her lap. The couple chose to attend Celebration at the Station based on Kurt’s mother’s recommendation.
“I was happy with the family aspect,” Alicia Wheeler said. “And I really liked the monument to the fallen soldiers in the station.”
Kurt Wheeler has lived in Kansas City for 8 years and Alicia for 2.5 years. They discussed safety issues before Sunday but didn’t feel discouraged from coming, Kurt said.
“We thought about it, but it didn’t really deter us,” says Kurt Wheeler. “You just keep your head on a swivel.”
An ambulance staffed by the Kansas City Fire Department was conspicuously parked near the long lines of food trucks. A few Jackson County officers sat on the wall overlooking the stage.
The crowd on the lawn of the WWI memorial was the quietest, chairs far apart as residents looked down at the stage below.
At a large medical tent at the top of the hill, Cayla Williams and Angel Buenrostro parked in lawn chairs with their 9-year-old dog Luna.
“We are just here to enjoy music and relax,” Buenrostro said.
Williams said she wasn’t concerned about the events at Union Station after the Chiefs meeting.
“I don’t think people get too loud here,” Williams said. “That was the first time we saw people get a little violent.”
Kathy and Roland Mohler have been attending Celebration at the Station since before their daughter Rachel was born. Now Rachel’s 8-year-old son attends with his family every year of his life.
Fans of classical music and avid picnickers, the Mohlers have their Celebration routine down to a science. When asked if this year felt different, Kathy Mohler pointed to the weather.
“It’s a little windier and cooler than some,” Kathy Mohler said.
Other members of the Mohler family had attended the Chiefs meeting in February. Survivors were hesitant to join in the fun Sunday, Kathy Mohler said.
“Like [a relative] was at the Chiefs meeting, it’s a little more personal for her,” Mohler said. “That was the scariest part: seeing it on the news and not being there and wondering if everything was okay.”
Nevertheless, the Mohlers were relaxed as they looked forward to a long evening of overtures and fireworks.
“We’ll stay until the fireworks end and the smoke clears,” Roland Mohler said.
The Star’s Nathan Pilling contributed reporting.
