A couple of months ago after I turned in a column speaking about the Kansas City Royals in glowing terms, my editor sounded a word of caution: “The last time you wrote about the Royals, they went into a slump,” he warned. As superstitious, Kansas City-raised children of the ’80s, we agreed to keep the praise in check lest we inadvertently spoil things for the boys in blue.

But any worries about jinxes are past, as the Royals’ unprecedented 8-0 start to the postseason has earned them an American League pennant and a spot in the 2014 World Series. (Just typing that sentence gives me chills).

The city as a whole is in a state of exuberance I haven’t experienced in my adult lifetime (I was 4 years old in 1985), and it’s similar to Lawrence during a Final Four run, except accompanied by the relief and satisfaction of a fan base that hasn’t been to the postseason in three decades and wasn’t sure if it would ever go back.

Kansas City Royals players celebrate after defeating the Baltimore Orioles in Game 4 of the American League baseball championship Wednesday to advance to the World Series. The Royals will take on the San Francisco Giants starting Tuesday in Kansas City and is easily the hottest ticket in town this week.

With standing-room-only tickets to the World Series home games going for upward of $700, your best bet for soaking up the championship atmosphere is to visit a local bar, restaurant or watch party.

As has become the custom in recent years, the giant screen at the Power & Light District is the central gathering place for fans (and the players themselves, on occasion after the game) if you don’t mind standing outside for a few hours.

The seven area Johnny’s Tavern locations are always a hot spot for games, and the massive buffalo wings and BLTs at the Peanut bar and grill, which has five locations across the metro, will be another reliable fan outpost.

As far as special promotions go, you can’t beat the Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Road, which is selling its burgers at 1985 prices ($2.99) for as long as the Royals are in the series — an offer so popular they’ve needed to hire extra staff to deliver.

On the Country Club Plaza, Fred P. Ott’s, 4770 J.C. Nichols Parkway, Tomfooleries, 612 W. 47th St., and the Granfalloon, 608 Ward Parkway, all offer great food and environments to watch the big games.

Fans of whiskey and high class cocktails should park in front of the big screen at Julep, 4141 Pennsylvania Ave., while beer drinkers should head down the street to McCoy’s Public House or Kelly’s Westport Inn.

In Lee’s Summit and Leawood, the 810 Zone will be a popular destination, with projection screens and HDTVs on every wall.

Negro Leagues Museum

Those wishing to soak up a bit of the area’s baseball history should pay a visit to 18th and Vine and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, 1616 E. 18th St.

The museum offers hundreds of artifacts, multimedia displays and exhibits chronicling the story of Buck O’Neil, Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and many other great African-American ballplayers who played for the Kansas City Monarchs and other teams across the nation.

The museum and the museum store, which contains lots of cool KC Monarchs gear, are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults and $6 for children ages 5 through 12.

Other events

While the World Series will dominate the city’s consciousness for the next week or so, there are a few other events worth checking out as well.

Next weekend at Swope Park, a reenactment of the Battle of Westport will be taking place from Oct. 24-26 to commemorate its 150th anniversary. For more information about the event, which will feature storytellers, encampments, children’s activities and reenactments of the battles themselves, visit battleofwestport150.org.

Novelist Ben Lerner, the Topeka-born poet, essayist and novelist whose new book “10:04” has been lighting up the literary world, will be giving a free reading at Vanderslice Hall on the Kansas City Art Institute campus (4415 Warwick Blvd.) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

And at 10 p.m. Saturday at the Kick Theater, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave. in Westport, the KC Improv Company will be presenting “Drunken Personal History,” a storytelling and improvisational event in which participants will recount embarrassing episodes from their personal lives, acted out on the spot by members of the KC Improv Company.

Tickets are $8, and the company is so confident you’ll enjoy it that they’re offering a money-back guarantee to anyone who isn’t satisfied. Find more info at kcimprov.com.

— Lucas Wetzel is a writer and editor from Kansas City, Mo. Know of an upcoming event in Kansas City you’d like to see featured in Kansas City Connection? Email us about it at kcconnection@ljworld.com.