Lawrence Public Library’s Edible Book Challenge & Other Weekend Possibilities

Think of it as a pop-up book that you can eat. The Lawrence Public Library (707 Vermont St., Lawrence, Kansas) is hosting its 2017 Edible Book Challenge  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The idea is to reimagine your favorite title as a dish or cake or whatever food makes sense. You have to register by 5 p.m. today (Call 785-843-3833 to register) and bring your dish to the library tomorrow between 10 and 11 a.m.

After the week you’ve had, a bit of Champagne couldn’t hurt. Uncorked: KC Champagne and Wine Festival is Saturday at Union Station. There are two sessions, 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., with more than 50 wineries represented. Tickets are $50 (there are VIP tickets for the afternoon session, which includes admission at 1 p.m.). Cocktail or dress attire is requested.

The Culinary Center of Kansas City (7920 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas) has a new series of Saturday morning flash demos designed to give you a lot of education in a little bitty calendar space. The next one is from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday and is all about balsamic vinegar (it’s handmade tortillas on March 18 and Spanish meatballs on March 25). The class is $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

The BIG 12 BBQ runs through Saturday. The contest downtown will be in the Hospitality Lot at the northeast corner of 13th Street and Grand Boulevard. Sample barbecue from SLAP’s BBQ (owners Mike and Joe Pearce were featured in Burnt Legend — our show on burnt ends last fall) today from 3 to 6 p.m. or attend the Big Q Prep School to learn competition barbecue secrets. The competition is open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. today and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The Naka-Kon Anime Convention is back this weekend and runs through Sunday at the Overland Park Convention Center. As part of the convention, which celebrates Japanese anime and includes plenty of cosplay folks (people dressed like their favorite anime characters), there will be a series of panels on sake.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse (4501 W. 119th St., Leawood, Kansas) is hosting a wine tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight. They’ll be sampling Location Wines, as well as cheeses from the five regions. The tasting is $20.

The Kansas City Food Circle is holding a class on heirloom tomatoes at the Cobinsteinz Farm (24216 W. 265th St., Hillsdale, Kansas) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.on Sunday. Farmer John Cobine will teach folks about different heirlooms, as well as how to plant, transplant and care for them. The class is $15 for members, $20 for non-members.

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