Capturing KC — and our hearts 📸

2022 KCtoday holiday photo contest winners

The weather outside is frightful, but Union Station’s delightful. | Photo by @_kayleefromkc_

Here’s a virtual round of applause for everyone who sent in season-themed photos for our winter photography contest. We had the best time looking through these and seeing so many different perspectives of our city.

To recap, we wanted photos related to Christmas lights, winter wonderlands, holiday characters, or seasonal food + drink. We only considered photos that were submitted.

It was tough to choose, but we present to you the winning submission — the above black-and-white photo of a snowy scene at Union Station, captured by Kaylee Brown. We can practically hear the hush of snowflakes and a distant Chiefs chant.

In addition to the winner, here are our five finalists, captured by Aaron Wanger, Tom Arnhold, Jim Rand, Craig Piburn, and Ginzy Schaefer.

KC_Plaza Lights 02.jpg — Did you know old Plaza bulbs get turned into ornaments?

Note: Due to KCtoday’s website + newsletter auto-formatting, some of these photos were cropped. We tried to preserve each photo’s essence.

Photo of a frozen bubble on a cedar tree — Just a bubble chilling on a tree.

We ran out of space here, but you can find the other three photos in the button below.

Pro tip: Remember, you can tag @thekctoday on social media to share any photo or video at any time. We clearly have some talented readers, and we know there are more of you out there with an eye for Kansas City. We can’t wait to see and share your work.

THREE MORE FINALISTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Today, Dec. 19

Shawnee Fire Department Blood Drive | Monday, Dec. 19 | 1-6 p.m. | Shawnee Town,11600 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS | Free | Save a life and give blood.
Spire Chamber Ensemble presents: Handel’s Messiah | Monday, Dec. 19 | 7 p.m. | Kauffman Center | $25-$50 | This choir is joined by Baroque Orchestra with period instruments, performing this master work as it was intended. 🎻

Tuesday, Dec. 20

Eis Weiss & Ugly Sweater Day | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 3 p.m. | Kansas City Bier Company, 310 W. 79th St., Kansas City, MO | $0+ | Check out this boozy Bierhalle exclusive on draft only — and keep yourself warm in your best sweater. 🍺
Tunesdays ft. David Luther | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 6-8 p.m. | Boulevard Brewing Company, 2534 Madison Ave., Kansas City, MO | Free | This collaboration with 90.9 The Bridge provides a special show of interviews and live music broadcast from Boulevard. 📻

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Kansas City Mavericks | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 10:35 a.m. | Cable Dahmer Arena | $12-$75 | Watch the Mavericks take on the Iowa Heartlanders. 🏒
“Elf” in Concert: Film + Live Orchestra | Wednesday, Dec. 21-Saturday, Dec. 24 | 7 p.m. | Kauffman Center | $110-$135 | Watch this heartwarming holiday movie on the giant screen as every note of John Debney’s score is played live by the KC Symphony.

Thursday, Dec. 22

NightTime Wine Tasting Tour | Thursday, Dec. 22 | Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, KS | $50 | Expand your palette at this wine tasting — each paired with an appetizer or dessert. 🍷

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

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SmartAsset matches you with vetted financial advisors in your area. | Photo by SmartAsset

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Weather

36º | Rain and snow | 60% chance of rain

Sports

The Chiefs officially won the AFC West for the seventh time in a row after defeating the Texans in overtime, 30-24. Patrick Mahomes had 20 completions in a row (a personal best) and ran for his 11th rushing touchdown (a franchise record). KC will contend for first seed with the Bills. 🏈 (Arrowhead Pride)

Development

Kansas City Council made a preliminary agreement for a $400 million multi-phase plan in the West Bottoms. The city will rebuild crumbling streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure north of 12th Street. Meanwhile, SomeraRoad will begin building 1,250 new apartments. 🏗 (Flatland)

Travel

Southwest Airlines will add three nonstop flights to KCI beginning July 11, 2023. Service to Milwaukee + Minneapolis come as a part of seasonal summer travel. The third is San Antonio, which is currently KC’s most in-demand route without a nonstop option. ✈️ (Kansas City Business Journal)

Civic

The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners announced a new police chief. Stacey Graves has 25+ years of experience in KCMO’s Police Department, including patrol, media + internal affairs. She is also the departments first-ever female chief, serving alongside KC’s first female Fire Chief. (KCTV5)

Closing

Adiós. Westport Mexican restaurant Port Fonda is permanently closed as of last night. The restaurant was owned by Culinary Virtue Restaurant Collective, which also closed Mickey’s Hideaway (also in Westport) this past November. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Shop

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for someone on your list, look no further. Let us introduce you to gift cards from our KCtoday shop, Six & Main. Purchase a gift card today. 🎁
Give the gift of a quality shave month after month with a Harry’s trial set and blade subscription. Choose your handle color, refill frequency, and let the good shave days roll in for as little as $5 on sign-up (yes, you heard that right). 🪒*

Real Estate

When the dream job came knocking, the Abernethys needed to sell their house and move — quickly. See how they were able to sell in record time.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

When the moon hits your... tongue? 🌙

Recipe: German vanilla moon cookies from Affäre

Photo of two types of cookies on a plate

Schmeckt mir gut. | Photo via Affäre.

It’s Christmas time in the city — and in the kitchen. Katrin and Chef Martin Heuser of Affäre brought back their traditional, Old World-style German holiday cookies.

These recipes aren’t just restaurant specialties — they are handed-down, generational recipes from Katrin’s grandmothers. Katrin and Martin said they often made them with their kids during the holiday season.

Along with Vanilla Kipferln (moons), the restaurant is also offering Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars).

Vanilla Moons

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for shaping 1 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup finely ground almonds
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt

If you run out of time to bake, the assorted cookies are $15 per half dozen, available in the restaurant as a cookie plate with Chantilly cream or to-go.

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS HERE

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Travis.

Editor’s pick: A special hello to recent subscriber Michelle D. — she responded to one of our welcome emails with a list of personal recommendations. Clearly, she already gets it.

“Hello! I enjoy sandwiches and salads from The Whole Person and Thelma’s Kitchen, both great organizations for the community. Also, The Russell on Main and Billie’s Grocery have tasty dishes and desserts! Cheers!”

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Here’s our guide to the Crossroads.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Bella Rainey, Travis Meier, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Amanda Munsey | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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