Your guide to Kansas City’s Plaza Lighting Ceremony, Mayor’s Christmas Tree and more
Fireworks, music and more will mark the 93rd annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony, which always draws thousands of spectators to the Country Club Plaza on Thanksgiving evening.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will flip the switch at 6:52 p.m. Nov. 24 from a stage at Nichols Road and Pennsylvania Avenue. Festivities will begin at 5 p.m., and KMBC-9 will broadcast the event live.
Here’s the schedule:
5-6 p.m.: Performances by Quixotic and other groups; giveaways.
5-8 p.m.: Photo opportunities with Santa Claus at Nichols and Broadway.
6-7 p.m.: Lighting ceremony, with “Flip of the switch” featuring Kendrick, followed by fireworks.
7-8 p.m.: Concert by The Elders.
Free parking will be available at the Valencia Garage, north side of 47th Street and Pennsylvania; Balcony Garage, Wornall near 46th Street; Seville Garage, entrance on 47th Street between Jefferson and Summit; and Time Building Garage, north of True Food Kitchen on Pennsylvania.
The lights will remain on through mid-January. More information at countryclubplaza.com.
More holiday events
▪ Merry Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 25-27, Dec. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, City Market (free). thecitymarketkc.org.
▪ Santa’s Arrival, 10 a.m. Nov. 25, Crown Center Shops (free); Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, 5:30 p.m. Nov. 25, Crown Center Square (free). crowncenterchristmas.com.
▪ Holiday Luminary Walk, 5-10 p.m. Nov. 25-26, Dec. 2-3, 8-10, 15-17, Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens ($15). artsandrec-op.org/arboretum.
▪ “Knights of Lights: A Renaissance Christmas Extravaganza” walk-thru 5:30-10 p.m., days vary Nov. 25-Dec. 31, Kansas City Renaissance Festival ($12-$20). kcrenfest.com.
▪ “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” Theatre for Young American, opens 2 p.m. Nov. 26; runs through Dec. 23, City Stage ($12). tya.org.
Music
▪ Glenn Jones, 6 p.m. Nov. 25, ArtsTech ($50). eventbrite.com.
▪ Kodak Black with Nardo Wick, GloRilla & Friends, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25, T-Mobile Center ($69-$125). t-mobilecenter.com.
▪ Kansas City Symphony, “Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, with Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto,” 8 p.m. Nov. 25-26, 2 p.m. Nov. 27, Kauffman Center ($25-$95). kcsymphony.org.
▪ Peekaboo with Ternion Sound and Ginyu, 8 p.m. Nov. 25, The Truman ($23.50-$55). thetrumankc.com.
▪ Digital Underground, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 25, VooDoo ($40-$55). voodookc.com.
▪ For King + Country, 7 p.m. Nov. 26, T-Mobile Center ($24.99-$249.99). t-mobilecenter.com.
▪ Five Finger Death Punch and Brantley Gilbert, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 29, T-Mobile Center ($25.50-$125.50). t-mobilecenter.com.
▪ Charley Crockett with Greyhounds, 8 p.m. Nov. 30, Uptown ($35-$75). uptowntheater.com.
More entertainment
▪ The Thanksgiving Day 5K Run and Family Stroll will begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 24 at Aspiria in Overland Park ($25-$37). sportkc.org.
▪ Clay Aiken will be host for “Wheel of Fortune” Live! at the Kauffman Center, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25 ($50.50-$70.50). kauffmancenter.org.
▪ Cirque Dreams Holidaze will bring a Broadway-style musical combined with contemporary circus artistry to the Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26, 1 p.m. Nov. 27 ($31-$137). cirquedreams.com.
▪ “Época De Oro” will celebrate the music and images from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the Ruby Room at MTH Theater at Crown Center, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25-26, ($20-$25). musictheaterheritage.com.
▪ A national touring company will perform the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Lied Center in Lawrence, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 ($21-$60). lied.ku.edu.
▪ Unicorn Theatre will present “Clyde’s,” a comedy set in a truck-stop diner, opens 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30; runs through Dec. 18 ($37-$47). unicorntheatre.org.