Painting the town red: Downtown gearing up for Chiefs celebration

Jul. 26—Red Rally is returning to St. Joseph this weekend, bringing residents and tourists alike a chance to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs with food and fun.

This year's festivities will commence on Saturday, June 29 at 1 p.m. at Civic Center Park with music groups, including the Mid-City Excellence Drumline and two 1980s cover acts.

These acts will be followed by visits from the Kansas City and Missouri Western State University cheerleaders and mascots. Mitch Holthus, the voice of the Chiefs, will also make an appearance that afternoon.

The afternoon will be filled with plenty of fun and activities. The biggest surprise of the event is the debut of Blain Howard's new Chiefs-themed country song.

Kristi Bailey, director of communications at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, said she is excited for attendees to see what is in store this year.

"There's lots of food trucks and some great acts," she said. "We just get to have a really big party after training camp on Saturday."

Red Rally has been a popular event for the past few years, and Bailey believes this year will be no different.

Since the official start of Chiefs Training Camp on July 23, St. Joseph has seen an influx of Chiefs fans visiting the city. Bailey said that the Red Rally is a chance to show these newcomers what St. Joseph has to offer.

"Red Rally is so important because it really brings the whole community together, and it also brings tourists in," she said. "It's our way to show support for the Chiefs organization, but it's also just a fun way to get together with our residents and tourists alike."

The Red Rally is a collaboration of Made with Uncommon Character, the City of St. Joseph, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, Missouri Western, the St. Joseph School District and the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau.

More information is available on the City of St. Joseph website.