Old Shawnee Days

Why go there:

At highway speeds Shawnee may seem to blend with all the other Johnson County suburbs. But it’s a city all its own, with a population of more than 65,000, history dating to the early 1800s, and loads of things to do — especially in the family-friendly category.

The main event:

Old Shawnee Days, Shawnee’s biggest celebration of the year, is June 2 through June 5 at Shawnee Town 1929, 11501 W. 57th St. The weekend features a parade, a tradition called the “Tomato Roll,” a carnival, live music, kids’ games and a pie-baking contest. For more information and a full schedule, go online to oldshawneedays.org.

Old Shawnee Days

Where to take the kids:

Wonderscope Children’s Museum, 5700 King St. (wonderscope.org), features interactive and educational exhibits for tykes as young as 6 months. Shawnee also has two big outdoor aquatic centers, the Soetaert Aquatic Center at 13805 Johnson Drive and Splash Cove, 5800 King St., next to Wonderscope.

Experience history:

The Shawnee Town 1929 grounds (shawneetown.org) offer visitors a chance to walk through a circa 1929 truck farm and see other businesses as they might have been in the city’s earliest days. Shawnee Town’s educational and entertainment events planned throughout the summer include the annual ice cream social on July 23.

The Johnson County Museum also is located in Shawnee, at 6305 Lackman Road (jocomuseum.org). See gravestones of some of Shawnee’s first settlers at the Shawnee Indian Cemetery, 10905 59th Terrace.

Try theater en plein air:

Shawnee boasts the country’s largest outdoor community theater, Theatre in the Park in Shawnee Mission Park, 7710 Renner Road (theatreinthepark.org). The summer season begins June 3 with “Cabaret.” Other 2016 shows are “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “A Chorus Line,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” and “Mary Poppins.”

Tour de Shawnee

Take your bike:

Shawnee is a longtime official League of American Bicyclists “Bicycle Friendly Community.” In addition to miles of on-street lanes, the city boasts more than 27 miles of off-street recreational trails — some of which link to miles more trails through adjoining suburbs. The longest and most scenic stretches of trail can be accessed at Shawnee Mission Park. Find trail guides online, in the “Parks and Facilities” section at jcprd.com.

Other summer events:

• June 27-July 5 — Flags for Freedom, a display of more than 2,000 American flags flying in downtown Shawnee and neighboring Merriam.

• Aug. 28 — Tour de Shawnee, a 12- or 24-mile bike tour through the city, benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

• Saturdays all summer (May through October) — Shawnee Farmer’s Market in the City Hall parking lot, 11110 Johnson Drive.