Local Expert: Fally Afani

Your Live Music Guru

Fally Afani, editor and founder of the music journalism project I Heart Local Music, is an award-winning journalist with a career spanning more than 15 years in media. From her home in Lawrence, she reports on local and touring musicians and enjoys photographing families, live events, concerts, conferences, and her daughters. She is a champion of the area’s vibrant, colorful, and progressive music community—and eager to share these riches with guests and visitors.

Fally

Fally's 5 Top Spots for Music

Fally's Event Recommendations

LIED CENTER SHOWS

The University of Kansas Lied Center brings in some of the nation’s (and world’s) biggest stage performances, including singer-songwriters, hip-hop artists, classical quartets, jazz bands, orchestras and much more. Tickets for headline events go quickly, so be sure to check out the schedule in advance of your visit.

YEAR-ROUND
 
KAW VALLEY PUBLIC HOUSE OPEN MIC NIGHTS

The relatively new North Lawrence venue has jumped onto the musical scene with regular in-house concerts and its popular Monday night open mic concerts. Since this is Lawrence, of course, the host, Megan Luttrell, just happens to have a PhD in Russian language and literature and is a talented singer-songwriter in her own right.

YEAR-ROUND
 
MARDI GRAS PARADE

Started by former Lawrence musical duo Truckstop Honeymoon, this annual tradition continues as a gathering of costumed musicians who progress down Massachusetts Street, playing tunes all along the way and ending with a raucous performance at Free State Brewery.

FEBRUARY
 
PRIDE PARADE

Lawrence values its commitment to inclusive, accepting communities—and the annual Pride Parade and street concert is an opportunity to publicly affirm and celebrate Lawrence’s diversity. The June daytime event has been followed by a Pride-themed concert and drag performances at Granada, and it continues to evolve and grow.

JUNE
 
KANSAS NUTCRACKER

The Lawrence Arts Center hosts this holiday tradition. It’s a retelling of the classic E.T.A. Hoffman tale and Pyotr Tchaikovsky ballet through the lens of Kansas settlers during the dangerous years on the Kansas plains leading up to the Civil War.

DECEMBER

Plan your day of Unmistakably Lawrence, Kansas fun with our online events calendar and discover great events, fairs, festivals, activities and things to do!