A Year After the Streetcar Reached UMKC, the Riverfront End Has Somewhere to Go

When did you last ride the streetcar to the very last stop? For most of its history, the north end of the line wasn't a stop at all. It was the River Market loop, where cars circled the neighborhood and headed back south. That changed in May, and as of this month the riverfront end has a bar with its doors open, a full weekend on the calendar and trains running the whole route again.

The timing works out neatly. The Main Street extension to UMKC opened on October 24, 2025, so this Saturday is its first anniversary. That same weekend is the busiest the riverfront has seen since the tracks reached it.

The line now runs to the river on every trip

The Riverfront extension opened to passengers on Monday, May 18, 2026. Since then, KC Streetcar says every trip runs between UMKC and the Riverfront, and the River Market loop no longer exists.

If you rode the old loop for years, a few things work differently now, according to the Streetcar Authority's route-change guide:

• Getting off before the river: Northbound riders who want to stay in the River Market can get off at the River Market Northbound stop on Grand Boulevard, then catch a southbound car at the River Market Southbound stop on 3rd Street.
• Heading to Delaware Street: Get off at the City Market stop at 5th and Walnut and walk two blocks west. You can also make the same transfer on Grand and 3rd.
• A renamed stop: The stop once called River Market West is now the Delaware stop. It's in the same location, and the maps, audio announcements and signs have been updated.
• How often cars come: The Authority says cars arrive every 10 to 12 minutes during the day, and the ride is still free.

When KCTV5 covered the Downtown Council's project briefing on October 8, it reported that the riverfront project cost about $26 million in local funding and $35 million from a federal grant. Streetcar Authority executive director Tom Gerend described the goal as using connectivity "to grow a neighborhood" and reconnect the riverfront.

Last week's shutdown is over

If you tried to ride downtown last week, you probably ended up on a bus. Crews worked from the night of Sunday, October 11, rebuilding the track slab on 5th Street between Delaware and Walnut in the City Market. They cut out sections of the slab, reset the existing rail and poured new concrete. While they worked, "Streetcar Link" buses covered the stretch between Union Station and the Riverfront. Service between Union Station and UMKC kept running as usual.

The work finished ahead of schedule. The route passed testing early on Thursday, October 15, and full service between the Riverfront and UMKC came back that day. So this coming weekend, you can ride from a Plaza or Midtown stop to the riverfront without a transfer.

What's open at the end of the line

For most of the riverfront line's first five months, the last stop dropped you off near CPKC Stadium with very little to do on a day without a match. That started to change the week of October 8.

Revel at Current Landing is the district's first sports bar. It had an invite-only soft opening on Thursday, October 8, which drew just over 300 people, and opened to the public on Saturday, October 10, the Kansas City Star reported. It sits on the outdoor plaza across from the CPKC Stadium entrance. Overland Park residents may already know the original Revel at 7300 W. 119th St. The Star says the riverfront menu is close to that one, with a few pastas dropped, some different burgers and a few more upscale appetizers.

The Star described a few details at the riverfront location:

• A Patrick Mahomes statue standing over a Buffalo Bills helmet at the entrance, with large TVs throughout and coin-operated basketball and darts
• Drinks named for the Current, including a Current Landing cherry limeade
• Mid-October menu prices, including the burnt end burger at $16, the Smack N Cheese with burnt ends at $15 and the ahi tuna tower at $18

Revel's website lists the address as 1426 Riverfront Drive, with hours of 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. An employee gave the Star slightly different late-night hours, so check before you plan a late ride home.

Co-founder Danney Elmore told the Star that being first lets the bar "learn how this entertainment district will run" and share what it learns with the businesses opening after it.

What's opening next

Revel's opening is the first in a line of planned restaurants. In the same KCTV5 report, Palmer Square Capital Management's Mukul Sharma said Providence Pizza would follow "in a couple of weeks." The Star had earlier listed its address as 1460 E. Front St. Sharma's estimate was made October 8, so Providence could open any day.

Three more places are announced on Current Landing's directory and marked "coming soon":

1. Crows Coffee, a local coffee brand announced in May for the riverfront.
2. Clementine's Ice Cream, planned for the riverfront promenade facing the Missouri River and Founder's Park.
3. A new restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Nicholas Stefanelli, announced in February. It doesn't have a public name yet.

People are also starting to live in the district. Sharma told KCTV5 the first residents had moved into the River's Edge residences, and the Confluence residences were set to open later in October. KCTV5 also reported plans for parking, shops and more seats at CPKC Stadium. The city has committed up to $185 million in financing for the $1.4 billion project.

October 24 and 25: the first full weekend at the end of the line

This weekend brings the anniversary, the restored service, Revel's first weeks and the Current's season finale together. Here's the schedule, from morning to night:

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to noon: Goats & Ghouls at Berkley Riverfront. Port KC is hosting a family-friendly Halloween meet-and-greet with goats from Goats Gone Green LLC, the same herd that's been clearing brush along the riverfront.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, 4 p.m.: The KC Current play the Washington Spirit at CPKC Stadium. It's the team's last scheduled regular-season home match, and the club's schedule calls it Fan Appreciation Day.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, all day: One Current 2026 fills Current Landing around the match, with Grounds Pass access to the district, DJs, food and drink stations, partner activations and a Chiefs–Seahawks watch party after the match. Ticket prices differ between the club's announcement and the district's repost, so check with the club before you buy.
• Also Oct. 25: Revel is holding its grand opening celebration. The bar has been promoting Chiefs watch parties, which the Star notes it's known for at its Overland Park location.

After that weekend, the next soccer dates are less certain. The Current's schedule lists NWSL playoff quarterfinals for November 6–8 and semifinals for November 13–15, with opponents and venues still to be decided. The final is set for November 21 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. A playoff match at CPKC isn't on the calendar yet.

The park between events

On days with no match and no goats, the riverfront is still worth the ride. The Berkley Riverfront explore page lists a two-mile trail, picnic tables, six lighted sand volleyball courts, Urban Boulder, bike lockers and racks, and a B-cycle station. It also connects to the Riverfront Heritage Trail, a 15-mile regional route. The fitness courts have been taken out for now because of construction, so plan another workout spot if you were counting on them.

A low-key Saturday could look like this. Ride north from the Plaza, walk the riverfront trail before noon, stop by the goats if it's the 24th, then have a late lunch at Revel and catch a southbound car home. The cars come every 10 to 12 minutes during the day.

If you've been riding the streetcar since it reached UMKC and you're starting to wonder which stretch of the line might fit your next chapter, Sherry Lynn & Co knows the corridor from the Plaza to the river and is happy to talk it through. Schedule a consultation whenever you're ready, no pressure and no rush.