Count Down to Thanksgiving Kansas City Style!
If you're looking for extra special Thanksgiving fun for your family this year, look no further! We have your Guide to Thanksgiving Fun in Kansas City!
Start with turkey watching all month long!
Take the family to Burr Oak Woods Nature Center (1401 NW Park Rd., Blue Springs) to watch wild turkeys in their native habitat. Burr Oak features five hiking trails winding through the woods, where quiet visitors observe deer, turkey and other wildlife. Inside the Nature Center, enjoy a bird watching gallery. 816.228.3766
The night before Thanksgiving, celebrate with Christmas in the Sky.
Kick off Thanksgiving Weekend on Wednesday night with “Christmas in the Sky,” a spectacular fireworks presentation, a holiday stage with live performances and the lighting of Christmas in the Park! Longview Lake Park, 11100 View High Dr., KCMO. 816.503.4800
Thanksgiving morning, participate in the 20th Annual Thanksgiving Day 5K Run & Family Stroll.
Join other families as they participate in the Thanksgiving Day 5K & Family Stroll presented by Sprint. The event, hosted at the Sprint Campus in Overland Park, begins at 9:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. www.SportKC.com
Thanksgiving night, enjoy the Plaza Lighting Ceremony.
Kansas City’s Thanksgiving tradition since 1925 includes live music, fireworks and the celebrity “switch flipping” as the Country Club Plaza is decked out in Christmas style with 80 miles of colorful lights! www.CountryClubPlaza.com
Skip the long lines on Black Friday and make a toy!
Enjoy family day at the Toy & Miniature Museum (5235 Oak, KCMO) with the event “Focus on German Toy Making.” Take a tour, listen to German music, try the polka and make your own German toy! Friday, Nov. 27, from 10:00 to 4:00. Adults: $6, Children (5-12): $4, Children 5 and under: FREE. www.ToyAndMiniatureMuseum.org
Thanksgiving weekend, celebrate at the Nelson!
On Friday, Nov. 27, from 5:00 to 9:00, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is hosting its 5th Annual Luminary Walk. At this FREE event, museum docents will be available from 5:00 to 7:00 to answer questions about sculptures featured along the walk. Visit www.Nelson-Atkins.org for information on other events over the weekend.
Enjoy a luminary walk at the Overland Park Arboretum.
Stroll down one mile of candlelit trails through the woods and around the ponds at the 2009 Holiday Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 4-5, from 5:00 to 8:30. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children, ages 5-11; 4 and under are free. 913.685.3604.