Just one more week till Christmas! Celebrate the Season with a week of festive family fun in Kansas City. These are our Top Picks for the Holiday Countdown!
Kansas City's Christmas Classic:
Fairy Princess at the KC Museum Saturdays: Dec. 4, 11, and 18 from 10am-4pm, Sundays: Dec. 5, 12, and 19 from noon-4pm, Kansas City Museum. In 1935, Klein’s Department Store in Downtown Kansas City celebrated the opening of their new toy department with a Fairy Princess who greeted customers at Christmas. Children would tell the Princess what they wanted for Christmas and she’d wave her magic wand as a surprise gift would slide down a chute for the happy children. The Princess was a Kansas City tradition at Klein’s until the store closed the 1970s. In 1987, the Kansas City Museum brought the tradition back to life and now young girls can visit the Princess this year at Christmas! Take a picture with the Fairy Princess, Create holiday arts and crafts, enjoy a sweet treat, visit the Fairy Princess Boutique. $5/child. 816.483.8300 Fairy Princess at the KC Museum.
The BEST Christmas Lights in Town
Christmas in the Park
Longview Lake Park (I-470 and View High Drive, KCMO) 816.503.4800. Visit Longview Lake Park to see a local area magically transformed into a winter wonderland! Over 300,000 lights You will find approximately 200 animated holiday figures that will delight and thrill you and your family. Christmas in the Park Tip: This display is outstanding and "worth the drive" even if you live 30-45 minutes away. It is also extremely popular, so weeknights are best to avoid a long wait to see the display. Beware of deer en route as many live nearby!
Country Club PlazaCountry Club Plaza (Info Center 4745 Central, KCMO) www.countryclubplaza.com Kansas City’s Christmas Tradition begins with a lighting ceremony from 6-7pm Thanksgiving evening (complete with fireworks). Enjoy over 80 miles of lights. Tip: The best view is atop the Halls Parking Lot! Enter from the Southeast corner (on Wyandotte) to drive to the top. The Ultimate Tree
In Overland Park, KS. Click for map."The Ultimate Holiday Tree™ is a giant flat panel Christmas tree lighting display with 1,000s of LED bulbs. Enjoy a light show synchronized to music with animation, lighting effects, patterns, and messages. This Must See display was featured on HGTV's "All Out Christmas" show. Watch videos of The Ultimate Tree to see a sneak preview. The Ultimate Tree is on at 5:30 every night, and stay on until 10:00 - except Friday and Saturday when the hours are extended until 11:30. It runs through the first week of January. Tip: This display is over thirty minutes long if you watch in its entirety. Bring some cocoa and cookies for the fun!
Kansas City Mayor’s Christmas Tree Crown Center (2450 Grand Blvd, KCMO) www.crowncenter.com The 100-ft tall tree is adorned with 7,200 lights. It is on display through Christmas. Tip: Beneath the Mayor's Tree enjoy a delightful wooden playground, making a wonderful backdrop for family photos!
Discover More Christmas Lights in Kansas City
Santa's Wonderland through December 24, Bass Pro Shops. Bass Pro creates a magical Wonderland experience for children with visits from Santa, special crafts and activities, photo opportunities and more! Bass Pro Shops
Santa's Crayola Christmas Land through December 31, Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Atrium . Children play on super-sized Crayola® products, while waiting to tell Santa all their holiday wishes. Santa is in residence November 26 through December 24. The Crayola Christmas Land play area is open through December 31. FREE admission. Photos with Santa are available for a fee. 816.274.8444 Crown Center
Santa's Gingerbread Village through December 24, Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Atrium . Three locomotives travel through a Santa’s gingerbread village in the North Pole, all created by the chefs at The Westin Crown Center and Hyatt Regency Crown Center hotels. 816.274.8444 Crown Center
Horsedrawn Sleigh Ride with Santa Thru December 23, around the Square in Independence. Horse Drawn wagon rides (decorated to resemble Santa's Sleigh) are offered for $7.00 per person Monday through Saturday. Reservations are not needed, though recommended. Rides are not offered in snow or icy conditions. 816.254.2466 Pioneer Trails Adventures
My Santa Experience through December 24, Legends Outlets Kansas City. Write letters to Santa and put them in the North Pole's magic mailbox, make toys with Santa's elves, create reindeer mix, and play in the snow. Visit Santa and have your photo taken. Reservations recommended. 913.788.3700 The Legends
KCS Holiday Express December 17 from 9:30am-7pm and December 18 & 19 from 9:30am-5pm, Union Station. Kansas City's favorite place for the holidays, Union Station, welcomes Santa Claus aboard the Kansas City Southern's Holiday Express! 816.460.2020 Union Station
Santa’s Coming To Louisburg Cider Mill December 18 at 11:00 AM, Louisburg Cider Mill. Bring your camera and capture the special moment when your child visits Santa Claus…feel free to shop for last minute gifts, too! 913.837.5202 Louisburg Cider Milll
Skate with Santa December 18 at 2pm, Line Creek Community Center. What better way to see Santa than on ice? Santa makes his annual trip to the Line Creek Ice Arena with the kids!
$5/person. 816.513.0760 Line Creek Community Center
Father Christmas December 19 at 1:30 PM, Toy and Miniature Museum. Jim "Two-Crows" Wallen reprises his role as Father Christmas for this annual storytelling tradition. Adults: $6, Children (5-12): $4, Children 5 and under: FREE. 816.333.9328 Toy & Miniature Museum
Read to Me Tea Dec. 18 (10:00 - 11:00 a.m.). Shabby Hattie's Tea Room in Parkville, MO. Read to Me Tea, with Santa & Mrs. Claus. $15 each. Enjoy Finger sandwiches, desserts & tea while Mrs. Claus reads a holiday story! Bring your wish list and cameras so you're prepared for Santa's visit! Afterwords, guests will walk a few doors down to Toy and Book, where each child will receive a free book. Call 816.587.1044 to reserve.
Breakfast with Santa: Powell Gardens December 18, Various Seatings. Join Santa for breakfast in Cafe Thyme, make a craft to take home and join Mrs. Claus for storytime. The menu includes buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, fruit, orange juice and milk. Various seatings from 9 -10:30 a.m. Craft activity and storytelling available until noon. Reservations are required for breakfast: call 816.697.2600 x209 for details. Powell Gardens
Movie Time:
Christmas Movies for $3 at the Screenland Enjoy the magic of the beloved Christmas movie, The Polar Express (Dec 24 and Dec 26-30 at 11:30 a.m.), laugh out loud with Elf (Dec 17-18 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.), or parents may enjoy a night out for the comedy, Scrooged (Dec 24 and Dec 26-30 at 1:30 p.m.). Admission is just $3 per person. Get a small popcorn and a juice box (or small drink) for another $2. Call 816.545.8034 for more information. Screenland
Tangled Disney's telling of the beloved Fairytale, Rapunzel, debuted over Thanksgiving and families are loving the latest masterpiece from the Mouse House. The revamped story of Rapunzel tells the tale of the long haired beauty and her bandit-hero in a laugh-out-loud film for the whole family. Find a Movie Near You
Polar Express showing through January 2, at The City Stage at Union Station. Tickets are just $5 each and include complimentary rides on the Jones Store Holiday Train. 816.460.2020 Union Station
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The third in the Chronicles of Narnia Series (rated PG) tells the story of Lucy and Edmund Pevensie's return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Find a Movie Near You
Yogi Bear Premiers December 17. Yogi Bear (rated PG) is the newest CGI film coming to theaters this Christmas bringing the classic cartoon to life for a new generation.Find a Movie Near You
Showtime:
Holiday Extravaganza at the Melodrama through January 2, Martin City Melodrama at Metcalf South Mall. Three Shows in One! A Star Trek Christmas or Beam Me Up Santa! Hamletta or the 3 Little Pigs! Holiday Vaudeville featuring the Water Glass Symphony! 913.642.7576 Martin City Melodrama
Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells through December 30, Union Station. Based on Barbara Parks’ Junie B. Jones books, adapted by Allison Gregory, this happy musical features Junie B. Jones herself, a first grader who is funny, silly, lovable, but irreverent. $8 per person. Special for the December 4 performance, bring your favorite Junie book for her autograph. 816.460.2083 Theatre for Young America
KC Ballet: The Nutcracker December 11-24, Music Hall. Holiday magic sparkles as the curtain goes up for Kansas City Ballet’s enchanting presentation of The Nutcracker with live orchestral accompaniment of Tchaikovsky's famous music. Featuring elaborate scenery, stunning choreography and vibrant costumes, Clara’s magical adventure captures the imaginations of all ages. Kansas City Ballet’s The Nutcracker is the largest production in an eight state region. Over 200 area children who are students in the Kansas City Ballet School perform alongside 25 Kansas City Ballet company dancers. This performance lasts approximately two hours. There will be one twenty-minute intermission. Ticket Prices Vary. 816.931.2232 KC Ballet Nutcracker
“A Holiday Happening” Puppet Show December 18 at 11am & 2pm, and December 17 at 7pm, Puppetry Arts Institute. $5/person (all ages). 816.833.9777 Puppetry Arts Institute
The Gingerbread Boy Puppet Show through December 23, Lenexa Community Centre. "The Gingerbread Boy" - This is Piccadilly's longest-running and most sought-after show, selling out every year as it sets the stage for the holiday season. "The Gingerbread Boy" is showing Dec. 20, 21, 22 & 23. Show times are 10 a.m. each day. Admission is $6. Babies under 2 are free. 913.837.3544 Piccadilly Puppets
Kansas City Symphony Christmas Festival Kansas City Symphony. Christmas Festival - Dec. 17-19. Join the Kansas City Symphony and Chorus for this all-new spectacular holiday celebration, featuring lush symphonic arrangements of Christmas classics, fresh versions of your favorite carols and many melodic surprises!
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: The Musical through December 31, Coterie Children's Theater, Level I Crown Center. From the moment Alexander wakes up (with gum in his hair), everything that can go wrong seems to do just that, in one epic day. In our delightful musical of Viorst’s very popular children’s book, Alexander’s best friend demotes him to third best friend; his mother forgets to pack a dessert; the dentist doesn’t have good news; there are lima beans for dinner and—yuck—there’s kissing on TV. It’s enough to make anyone want to move to Australia. All kids experience this type of day and will be glad to find out they aren’t alone! $10-15/ticket. 816.474.6552 Coterie Theatre
You Might Also Like:
- Hometown Holidays
- Nativities
- Christmas Lighting Ceremonies
- Best Christmas Lights
- Santa in Kansas City
- Princesses, Pink, TuTus & Tea
- Christmas Trains
- Christmas Shows in Kansas City
Note: This guide was compiled by the staff of KC Parent Magazine and may not be reproduced in print or online without permission. If you have additions to this guide, please email kristina@kcparent.com.