Kansas City Christmas Lights 2026

The Mayor's Christmas Tree stands on Crown Center Square (in 2025 it was about 100 feet tall). On weekends the Hallmark Christmas Experience adds a free outdoor market and timed tree light shows. The Ice Terrace rink is next door.

When:

Tree lighting: Friday, Nov 27, 2026. Hallmark Christmas Experience: Nov 27 to Dec 20, 2026, Fridays to Sundays (Fri and Sat noon to 9 p.m., Sun noon to 7 p.m.). Tree light shows Fri and Sat at 6, 7 and 8 p.m., Sun at 6 p.m. Ice Terrace: Nov 6, 2026 to Mar 14, 2027. Holiday choirs in the Crown Center Shops atrium: Nov 30 to Dec 18, 2026.

Cost:

Free. The Hallmark Light Walk is ticketed.

Where:

2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Good to know:

Time your visit to a light show on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The tree is visible from Grand Blvd and Pershing Rd if you are driving past.

An indoor walk-through holiday village with model trains: 800+ feet of track and 18 trains in the Grand Plaza, plus the Model Train Gallery. Little kids (under 48 inches) can ride the Mini Holiday Express.

When:

Nov 20, 2026 to Jan 4, 2027, daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last entry one hour before close). Closed Nov 26 and Dec 25. Closes early Dec 4 and Dec 11 (6 p.m.) and Dec 24 (2 p.m.).

Cost:

$10 Mon to Thu, $12 Fri to Sun, and $12 daily Dec 21 to Jan 4, plus a 10% preservation fee. Members $9. Babies 12 months and under free. Card or online only. The kids' train ride is $5 for non-members.

Where:

30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO

Good to know:

Entry is by timed hourly slot, so book ahead for weekends. A good warm-up stop on a cold night.

Fifteen blocks of the Country Club Plaza outlined in lights. The first strand went up in 1925 and the first lighting ceremony was in 1930. The lights have been turned off only once, in 1973.

When:

2026 dates not announced yet. In 2025 the 96th lighting ceremony was on Thanksgiving night (Nov 27), and the lights shone nightly from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. through Jan 11, 2026.

Cost:

Free

Good to know:

Plaza garages are free. Ceremony night brings huge crowds, so pick another night unless the ceremony is the point. The KC Streetcar has a Plaza stop.

Some of the city's grandest homes, decorated for the season along a wide boulevard.

When:

Typically all of December. No official dates; these are private homes.

Cost:

Free

Good to know:

Start around 5500 Ward Parkway and head south, then cut east into the Brookside light blocks.

Whole blocks around Ward Parkway decorate around a theme and compete for best block, including the local "Candy Cane Lane" on W. 68th Terrace, Arno Road and Armour Fields east of the parkway, and "Snowflake Street" just west of it.

When:

Typically all of December. No official dates.

Cost:

Free

Good to know:

See our neighborhood guide for each street and the best order to drive them.

A long cul-de-sac with a 50-foot light tree in the middle and candy canes at every driveway. Neighbors have done it since 1958.

When:

Typically late November into early January. 2026 dates not posted.

Cost:

Free. Neighbors collect donations for a local charity.

Where:

7900 block of Outlook Lane, off W. 79th St, Prairie Village, KS

Good to know:

Stay in your car; traffic backs up.

A light display at the farmstead entrance that you watch from your car, with music on the radio.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 it ran from late November through Dec 31, 5 to 10 p.m.

Cost:

Free

Where:

Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead entrance, 13800 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS

Good to know:

The farmstead itself is closed in winter, so there are no animals or hayrides. Turn your headlights off when you park.

The 27th annual walk along garden paths lit by luminaries.

When:

Traditional walk: Nov 27 to 28, Dec 4 to 5, 11 to 12 and 18 to 19, 2026. Adults-only Candlelight Stroll: Dec 3, 10 and 17. Electric Glow: Dec 16, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26.

Cost:

$17 for the traditional walk and the adults-only stroll, $12 for Electric Glow. Ages 5 and under free. Glow cart tours are sold out.

Where:

8909 W. 179th St, Overland Park, KS

Good to know:

Tickets are by night, so buy ahead. Dress for walking outside.

A free lights walk around Rose's Pond, opened each year with a lighting ceremony with carolers and Santa.

When:

Lighting ceremony Friday, Dec 4, 2026, 6 to 7 p.m. (cancelled if the forecast is 15°F or colder). Lights on each evening after that into January.

Cost:

Free

Where:

Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, 87th Street Pkwy & Lackman Rd, Lenexa, KS

Good to know:

Free parking at the Sar-Ko-Par Aquatic Center and Foundry Church.

A lighted walking path on a farm, with a giant slide and Santa.

When:

Friday to Sunday evenings in season. 2026 dates and prices not posted.

Cost:

Ticketed. Part of the proceeds go to the Veterans Community Project.

Where:

13875 S Gardner Rd, Olathe, KS

The 39th annual drive-through: more than a million lights and over 200 animated displays, run by Jackson County Parks + Rec.

When:

Nightly Nov 25 to Dec 31, 2026. Sun to Thu 5:30 to 10 p.m., Fri and Sat 5:30 to 11 p.m. Opening night (Nov 25) starts with Christmas in the Sky: a free show with Santa and fireworks at 7:30 p.m. at Longview Lake Beach.

Cost:

Free. Donations at the exit go to local charities.

Where:

3901 SW Longview Rd, Lee's Summit, MO (enter at Frank White Jr. Softball Complex)

Good to know:

Buses and RVs are welcome; clearance is about 14 feet.

A single tree covered in lights, a Lee's Summit holiday tradition. In 2025 it moved to a spot you can see from I-470.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 the lighting was on Nov 26 at Paragon Star. In past seasons it has stayed lit into early January.

Cost:

Free. Toy donations are encouraged at the lighting.

Good to know:

It is near I-470 and View High Drive, so it pairs well with Christmas in the Park.

A one-mile lantern festival through the zoo. The 2026 theme is "Hidden Treasure."

When:

Open since Sept 11, 2026, Wednesday to Sunday 6 to 10 p.m. (open Thanksgiving week). The zoo has not posted an end date.

Cost:

Ticketed; see the zoo for current prices.

Where:

6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, MO

Good to know:

Allow about an hour to walk the path.

More than a mile of lights around the historic square and Truman Courthouse.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 the lighting ceremony was Friday, Nov 21. In 2024 the lights stayed up through December.

Cost:

Free

A light walk of about a mile through the botanical garden, with a holiday train and a warming station.

When:

Select nights Nov 19, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, 5 to 10 p.m.: Nov 19 to 22 and 27 to 29; Dec 2 to 5, 10 to 12, 18 to 23 and 26 to 29; Jan 2 to 3.

Cost:

Ticketed; prices not posted yet.

Where:

1609 NW US Highway 50, Kingsville, MO

Good to know:

Closed on the major holidays. Buy tickets ahead.

A drive-through of about a mile, with music on your car radio.

When:

Nightly from early November through Jan 2, 2027. Opens at 6 p.m.; closing time varies by night.

Cost:

Per carload, $20 to $40 depending on the night (peak December Saturdays are $40). Tickets on sale now.

Where:

10400 N Platte Purchase Dr, Kansas City, MO

Good to know:

Buy tickets for a specific night ahead of time.

Lighted Kansas City crowns over the streets and a 44-foot tree. In past seasons The Rink at Zona Rosa has offered outdoor skating.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 the lighting ceremony was Saturday, Nov 22.

Cost:

Free to see

Where:

8640 N Dixson Ave, Kansas City, MO

The Renaissance Festival grounds lit for the holidays, with a maze, train rides, Santa and a light-covered dragon.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 it ran Fridays to Sundays from late November through Dec 31.

Cost:

Ticketed (about $20 for adults in 2025).

Where:

Kansas City Renaissance Festival grounds, 628 N. 126th St, Bonner Springs, KS

The outlet center (formerly Legends Outlets) holds a tree lighting each November.

When:

2026 dates not posted. In 2025 the tree lighting was Saturday, Nov 15. Check before you go whether the synced light show returns under the new owner.

Cost:

Free

Where:

1843 Village West Pkwy, Kansas City, KS