March 29 Weekend Preview

This is a fairly quiet weekend for Kansas City sports with it being Easter weekend. The Comets season is over, the Mavericks are waiting for the playoffs to start, but the Renegades are home and the Jayhawks are playing in the Sweet Sixteen in Dallas.

Only two movies open this weekend. The first is G.I. Joe: Retaliation. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson.

The other film is The Host. This is the next epic love story from the creator of the "Twilight Saga," worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt), proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

Several places will be having Easter festivities this weekend. Legends Outlets Kansas City and Mix93 hosts a family-friendly Easter event from 12-3:00 p.m. with free fun including music from Mix93 DJ Steve Serrano, a petting zoo, bounce houses, games, Easter giveaways, and prizes. Free and open to the public, guests are encouraged to bring a camera to capture memories with the Easter Bunny. For more information click here

For other fun Easter activities I suggest you checkout Explore Kansas City.

As far as area sports, at around 6:30 p.m. on Friday night the Jayhawks will be battling the Michigan Wolverines for the right to move on to the Elite Eight. So stock up on cold drinks and order pizza and wings to watch Kansas try for another NCAA Title. Or you can head to Jayhawk Central. Any of the local Johnny’s Taverns in the area. This place has great food, cold beer, outstanding staff and best of all they love their Hawks.
The Missouri Mavericks will face the Rapid City Rush in the opening round of the 2013 Central Hockey League (CHL) playoffs. The series will start on Fri., March 29 in Rapid City and will follow a 2-3-2 format. The fifth-seeded Mavericks will host games three, four and five (if necessary) at Independence Events Center on April 3, 5 and 6.

The Renegades are trying to make it a full day for you on Saturday. First up they will be hosting a Football and Family Night. It kicks off with Renegades players holding a youth mini-camp at 3 p.m. All youths are welcome. The little guys (and girls) are welcome down to the field to participate in player introductions and get recognition for their team and league at halftime. Game tickets for football players and their families are $3 off.

Then Popular KC cover band Lipriddle will oblige Renegades fans with a free concert. So bring the grill, the family, and some cold ones and enjoy the day. The show starts at 4:30p.m. in the main parking lot. Kemper Arena gates open at 6:20, the game starts at 7:05. So make an afternoon and evening of it and watch the hometown gang get their first victory of the season as they host the Oklahoma Defenders.

The Topeka RoadRunners are on the road in Wichita Falls to take on the Wildcats. Again, as with all RoadRunners home games there will be a watch party at Blind Tiger Brewing.

Have a Happy Easter Weekend!