Best of November

It's time for terrific exhibits, great shows, and holiday fun. Our top picks for November in Kansas City are here.

Note: We are looking forward to each event on this list. They are numbered to correspond with their position on the map, not in order of preference. We love them all.

• Crown Center Ice Terrace Opening Day

  Crown Center Ice Terrace Opening Day: Nov. 5 - Crown Center Square. Kansas City's only public outdoor ice-skating rink opens for its 49th season of great skating fun. Enjoy complimentary skating, coffee and hot chocolate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on opening day!

• Holiday Light and Magic near Legends Shopping Center

  Welcome to Holiday Light and Magic! Though these are the same elves that bring you 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 in downtown, it’s a WHOLE DIFFERENT type of drive-thru Christmas Lights experience.

• Live Shows at Midwest Trust Center

  Don't miss these outstanding performances at Midwest Trust Center at JCCC

  Darlene Love: 8 p.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021 | Yardley Hall

  Winterlude - “Kansas City and All That’s Jazz: Bringing Legends to Life”: 7 p.m. Sunday, November 7, 2021 | Yardley Hall

  'Eat, Drink, Play!' with Opus 76 Quartet: 7 p.m. (CDT), November 8, 2021 - November 18, 2021 | VIRTUAL EVENT

  The Romeros: 8 p.m. Friday, November 12, 2021 | Yardley Hall

  Youth Symphony of Kansas CityFall Concert: 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., November 14, 2021 | Yardley Hall

  Susan Werner: 8 p.m. Saturday, November 20, 2021 | Yardley Hall

• Black Friday Deals at Backyard Specialists

  Shop special Black Friday Deals Nov. 20-30 at Backyard Specialists for great savings on gifts the entire family will enjoy!

• Family Tree Nursery

  Holiday Container Workshops at Family Tree Nursery

  Join us for our Holiday Container Workshops. At this event, we will supply all of the product and guidance that you need to create a beautiful holiday container. Holiday containers are perfect for adding some festive joy to your front porch, patio, or balcony. Our Workshops will be hosted at our Overland Park, Shawnee, and Liberty stores on Nov. 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st. Registration for this event will open on October 21st. RSVP at https://www.familytreenursery.com/events.html

• Crown Center: Kansas City's Holiday Tradition

  • Arrival of the Mayor's Christmas Tree: November 4 - Crown Center Square. The first sign of the holiday season arrives at Crown Center, the culmination of a journey from Oregon. The 100-foot-tall tree arrives at 9 a.m. on November 4 and is put into its stand at approximately 10 a.m. on Friday, November 5.
  • Santa's Arrival at Crown Center: November 26 - Crown Center Shops, Grand Boulevard entrance. Santa Claus arrives in a horse-drawn carriage to kick off the holiday season. Join Santa as he makes his way to Santa's Gingerbread Station, where he resides through December 24. No admission fee. 
  • Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony: November 26 - Crown Center Square. The 100-foot-tall Mayor's Christmas Tree, one of the nation's tallest, is the centerpiece for an illuminating holiday celebration. Kansas City’s Mayor and a celebrity guest will flip the switch to light the tree. The tree is a symbol of the Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund, which is dedicated to assisting the people of Kansas City during the holiday season. Program begins at 5:30 p.m. No admission fee.
  • Santa's Gingerbread Station: November 26 ­– December 24 - Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Showplace. All aboard for a favorite holiday tradition at Crown Center! Kids and families can meet and have their photo taken with Santa Claus. A professional photographer is available to capture this magical holiday memory, with photo packages starting at $12, or you may take your own. Open during Crown Center Shops holiday hours. Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. 
  • 2021 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament: November 26, 10 a.m - The 2021 Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornament, crafted from the wood of the 2020 tree, is called “Festive Friends.” This year’s limited edition ornament was designed by Hallmark artist Crista Couch and made in Kansas City. Proceeds benefit the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund to help the people of Kansas City during the holidays. The ornament can be purchased for $15.95, plus tax, from Crown Center Customer Service (Crown Center Shops, Level 2) or call 816-274-7251.
  • EBT Santa's Countdown to Christmas: November 26 ­– January 3, 2022 - Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Atrium. Don’t miss one of Kansas City’s favorite pieces of Christmas nostalgia.  EBT Laughing Santa, who first appeared at KC's Emery, Bird, Thayer department store in the early 1900s, has been providing memories for new generations at Crown Center since 1979.  Children of all ages will marvel at this Jolly Ol’ Soul as he chuckles his way through the holiday season while counting down the days until Christmas.  Open during Crown Center Shops holiday hours. Open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Saturday; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
  • 41 Years of Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornaments: November 26 ­– January 3, 2022 -  Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Atrium. – A display case features all 41 of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree ornaments that Hallmark has produced and Crown Center has sold since 1981 to raise money for the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund.  Open during Crown Center Shops holiday hours. Open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Saturday; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
  • Holiday Choirs: November 29 – December 19 - Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Atrium. Beautiful music fills the halls of Crown Center, as more than 60 area school, church and community choirs perform everyday through December 19. No admission fee. 816-274-8444 or CrownCenter.com/Choirs.

• Holiday Reflections at Union Station

  Union Station is celebrating with more magical memories and brilliant new traditions filling Kansas City’s Historic Home for the Holidays this year.

  • “Holiday Reflections” Opening November 26^th – Return to Union Station’s 27,000 sqf Grand Plaza to the delight of tens of thousands of local and regional Holiday guests. Tickets as low as $5 are now on sale at unionstation.org. Experience the supersized magical holiday walk-thru village that attracted over 70,000 guests during its inaugural 2020 presentation. Visited by more than 70,000 people last year, “Holiday Reflections” will feature KC’s largest indoor decorated tree, sky-reaching lights, giant forest friends and eye-popping, floating mirrored ornaments along with the largest holiday model train layout in the Midwest. Plus, new this year, extravagant 3-D window scenes -- complete with animated elements -- will add to the magic and fascinate guests of all ages. And, of course, the family-favorite Jones Store ride-on train will take young guests on a delightful train ride through Rudy’s Wonderland. 
  • Mini Holiday Express Ride-On Train: For an additional $5 ticket (FREE for Union Station Members), little ones (under 48”) are invited to ride the Mini Holiday Express Ride-On Train thru Rudy’s Wonderland. All guests must have a ticket to “Holiday Reflections” in order to ride on the mini-train.

  Included in this year’s complete Union Station Holiday Season:

  • $3 Holiday Classic Movie Series in Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre including Jack Frost, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Polar Express (Pajamas encouraged) - Running19th thru Dec. 23rd (Advance/online ticket purchases highly recommended).Check unionstation.org for showtimes and tickets.
  • All-time seasonal and holiday favorites in the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium featuring all new projection technology and direct feed from NASA for eye-popping, immersive experiences into space.
  • A full month of Holiday Science in Science City, featuring “Merry Science Day” on December 11^th and Noon Year’s Eve on Dec. 31^st.
  • Live Theatre in City Stage. Theatre for Young America presents: The Elves and the Shoemaker: Nov. 26^th – Dec. 23^rd.
  • Memorable Holiday dining at Pierpont's and Harvey's - sweet treats from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - something to warm you up from Parisi, gifts from Rally House and the Science City Store.
  • Plus, the family fun provided by all our Union Station attraction partners, including Museum of Illusions, Escape Room and Graffiti Attic.

  Note: Due to COVID, the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express Train will not be making its annual journey to Union Station. Station officials greatly appreciate the fantastic support and partnership with Kansas City Southern and hope to welcome Rudy and his magical walk-thru train back to Union Station in the future.

  New and Renewing Union Station Members receive free admission to “Holiday Reflections”.  Current Members are encouraged to renew early to take advantage of this added benefit.

• Kids Club at Colonial Gardens & Santa Visit

  Jump into fall for this month's Kid's Club activity! This month your kids will:

  • Make a cool fall craft
  • Discover why trees drop their leaves
  • identify different trees by their leaves
  • explore where leaf colors come from

  We have two sessions available:

  • November 13th: 10:00am-11:00am
  • November 13th: 11:30am-12:30pm

  Parents are more than welcome to come to learn with their kids! Otherwise, you can shop through the store or have lunch at Colonial Kitchen!

  Please note: you only need to purchase tickets for the children attending. Parents are welcome to stay for Kids Club, or the kids can be dropped off for their session! We ask that any children who will be dropped off are at least 5 years old.

  Also, visit Santa on Nov. 20 & 21!

• Lake Quivira Holiday Bazaar

  Lake Quivira Holiday Bazaar: Nov. 12 & 13 - This annual Holiday tradition at Lake Quivira features over 40 local vendors featuring boutique home decor, jewelry, gifts, pet items, clothing/accessories, a big raffle, and more! Holiday entertainment Friday evening. Bar open during shopping hours. All in our festively decorated 1930 stone Clubhouse overlooking beautiful Lake Quivira. Free and open to the public. 

  Hours: 

  • Friday 1 pm to 8 pm
  • Saturday 9 am to 4 pm

• Auschwitz Exhibition at Union Station

  Auschwitz Exhibition is a groundbreaking exhibition bringing together more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums from around the world. 

  Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. is the most comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the history of Auschwitz and its role in the Holocaust ever presented in North America, and an unparalleled opportunity to confront the singular face of human evil—one that arose not long ago and not far away.

  The exhibition explores the dual identity of the camp as a physical location—the largest documented mass murder site in human history—and as a symbol of the borderless manifestation of hatred and human barbarity.

  Featuring more than 700 original objects and 400 photographs, the exhibition allows visitors to experience artifacts from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, including hundreds of personal items—such as suitcases, eyeglasses, and shoes—that belonged to survivors and victims of Auschwitz. Other artifacts include concrete posts that were part of the fence of the Auschwitz camp; fragments of an original barrack for prisoners from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz camp; a desk and other possessions of the first and the longest serving Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss; a gas mask used by the SS; Picasso’s Lithograph of Prisoner; and an original German-made Model 2 freight train car used for the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps in occupied Poland.

• Dave Claflin

  Legendary Tree Lighting and Black Friday Shopping at Legends Outlets

  Celebrate the holidays at Legends Outlets:

  • Legendary Tree Lighting: Nov. 13 - Saturday, Nov. 13, 5-8 p.m. The Legendary Tree Lighting returns to Legends Outlets for its 16^th annual celebration on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. Shoppers are invited to kick off the holiday season with a live concert, text-to-win prize giveaways, complimentary hot cocoa, fun photo opportunities, special holiday deals, and family-friendly activities including face painting, balloon animals, roaming character appearances, photos with Santa, and more. The lighting of the tree will take place in the Center Courtyard at approximately 6 p.m., but festivities will continue until 8 p.m. Legends Outlets’ 45-foot holiday tree is also getting an upgrade this year with new lights and more than 2,000 ornaments. Still synchronized to music, the holiday tree and center-wide light display will continue to brighten spirits until early January 2022.

  Black Friday: Nov. 26 - Friday, Nov. 26, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Legends Outlets is officially closed on Thursday, Nov. 25, for Thanksgiving, and will open at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 26, for Black Friday shopping and all-day sales. Black Friday shoppers can enjoy steep savings at the region’s widest selection of brand-name outlet stores in one location – nearly 75 – including the first-area Vera Bradley Factory Outlet and Tory Burch Outlet, PUMA, Kate Spade Outlet, Michael Kors Outlet, J. Crew Factory, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, and more, making holiday shopping easy and convenient for everyone this season. In addition to special savings, Black Friday will include prize giveaways, fun photo opportunities, holiday movie screenings on The Lawn, and more, with some activities extending into the weekend.

  • Enjoy fabulous sales, specials and fun events!

• LEGOLAND Discovery Center

  Legoland Discovery Center Kansas City offers a fun, highly interactive and educational 2-to 3-hour indoor experience. Based on the ever-popular Lego® brick, Legoland Discovery Center provides a range of interactive play areas.

• Monster Jam at Worlds of Fun

  Worlds of Fun is open weekends thru Nov. 14.

  During your visit, check out Monster Jam Thunder Alley™: In 2021, the all-new Monster Jam Thunder Alley™ drives home a full-throttle immersion into the incredible world of Monster Jam® available only at Worlds of Fun! Enjoy this AMAZING, limited-time experience that is FREE with park admission.

• Tick Tock Escape Rooms

  Enjoy family time at Tick Tock Escape Games: Quality and creativity is what separates Tick Tock® from the crowd. They use sound, technology, and other special effects to bring your game to life in an immersive experience you won’t soon forget. The puzzles are well thought out and blend seamlessly into the games. Rooms are themed to transport you into another world. When you want the best experience for your groups' special event, Tick Tock is here, ready to serve. Tick Tock Escape Games is conveniently located one block east of College and Metcalf just west of the Overland Park Convention Center. 

• Great Pumpkin Smash

  Visit the Kansas City Zoo November 6-7 as our animals taste, kick, pounce, and smash their fall pumpkin treats! This annual enrichment extravaganza will provide lots of delightful photo ops and even more fun memories. This year's Great Pumpkin Smash schedule includes:

  Saturday, November 6:

  • Tropics: 9:30 am
  • Orangutans: 10 am
  • North American River Otters: 10:30 am
  • Rhinos: 11 am
  • Elephants: 11:30 am
  • Chimpanzees: 1 pm
  • Red River Hogs: 2 pm
  • Camels: 2:30 pm
  • Tigers: 3 pm

  Sunday, November 7:

  • Discovery barn: 9:30 am
  • Hippos: 10:30 am
  • Elephants: 11:30 am
  • Lions: 12 pm
  • Gorillas: 1:30 pm
  • Rhinoceros Hornbills: 1:30 pm
  • Red Pandas: 2:30 pm

• Urban Air Trampoline Park Lenexa

  If you’re looking for the best year-round indoor amusements in Shawnee, Bonner Springs and Lenexa area, Urban Air Adventure Park is the perfect place!

• Johnson County Museum staff, 2020

  November at Johnson County Museum: Including FREE DAY!

  Enjoy these special events in November:

  • Sensory Friendly Mondays: Nov. 1
  • Retro Storytime - "Four Puppies" - Nov. 10, 10am
  • Night at the Museum - Scout Edition! - Nov 12, 6pm
  • Kids' Day OutJohnson County Museum - Johnson County Museum - Nov. 22, 23 & 24
  • Free Day! at Johnson County Museum - Nov. 24: Enjoy FREE Admission!

• November Events at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm

  Enjoy these living history programs at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop:

  • 1860s Thanksgiving Workshop: Nov. 18 - Thanksgiving was celebrated as an official national holiday beginning in 1863. What did people eat? How did Abraham Lincoln become involved? What is the real story of the pilgrims? We'll explore answers to these questions and more.
  • Living History the Day After Thanksgiving: Nov. 26 - Bring your family and out-of-town guests to the farm the day after Thanksgiving! Visitors enjoy learning about local history, spending time with their loved ones, and taking a ride on the stagecoach. Admission is $7 per person ages 11 and up, $5 per person ages 5 to 10 and free for people ages 4 and under. Olathe residents receive $2 off each admission. 
  • Cookies with Santa: Nov. 30 & Dec. 2 - During Cookies with Santa, you and your group can enjoy the beautifully decorated Heritage Center, cookies, cocoa, crafting, and of course a meeting with Santa himself! First pick your date: Tues., Nov. 30 or Thurs., Dec. 2Then pick your meeting time with Santa! Meetings are offered in ten-minute increments, so there will be NO LINES! Enjoy the activities in the Heritage Center before and after your scheduled time. Reservations are required. Please visit www.Mahaffie.org to register. The registration fee of $20 is for any group up to eight people. Members pay just $18 for their group. Additional people may be added for $3/person age 3 & up.Your registration fee includes a printed photo of your group with Santa. Additional prints may be purchased at the event.

• RoKC Olathe

  RoKC’s mission is to bring a state of the art climbing facility to the Olathe community, and provide a fun, adventurous environment, capable of teaching and challenging individuals of all ages and abilities.

• The SpongeBob Musical

  Tip: Read KC Parent's review of The SpongeBob Musical.

  THE COTERIE presents The SpongeBob Musical November 4, 2021  - January 2, 2022/

  A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners... One of the world’s most beloved and unforgettable characters... Turn them loose on stage and what do you get? The undersea town of Bikini Bottom! Inhabited by an ever-optimistic yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob and his equally quirky circle of friends and neighbors: Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and even Plankton! Their pleasant existence is interrupted when it is discovered that Mt. Humongous will erupt within the next 48 hours and obliterate Bikini Bottom.  SpongeBob powerfully proves to one and all that optimism really can save the world, and shows everybody that he is not “just a simple sponge.”