6AM City In-house

Make the holidays special ✨

12 holiday traditions and happenings in Kansas City
Union Station KC Holiday Reflections
Walking in a holiday wonderland. | Photo by @mikedayphotography
The holidays are upon us, and Kansas City has an incredible lineup of festive happenings, community events, and seasonal festivals that make us feel very merry and bright.

Recently, we asked you what local holiday traditions you love taking part in each year and received many fun and festive responses. Here are some KC holiday traditions that you all told us about:

Family-friendly traditions

“We always take our kids to Crown Center and Union Station to walk around and see all the decorations, ice skating, and enjoy lots of yummy treats. The theater at Union Station also plays the Christmas classics movies on the big screen, and the planetarium has cool light shows set to holiday music.” — Hillary L.

“For my family, we’ve been going to ‘Christmas in Song’ at the Quality Hill Playhouse for the past 10 years. I can’t imagine Christmas without it.” — Quinn C.

“Come see the lights in the Armour Fields Homes Association. Between Wornall and Ward Parkway, 65th to Gregory. Most blocks compete for Best Block honors. There are also individual home awards. We get lots of buses and limos checking out the scenery.” — Jan F.

Mayors Holiday Tree KCtoday

Have you seen the Mayor’s Christmas tree?

Photo by Jim Rand


Will you be trying any of these locally recommended holiday traditions? Let us know. Also, check out these additional holiday traditions and happenings around town:

Must-do community events

Festive Fiesta | Friday, Dec. 23 | 11 p.m. | Corrigan Station, 1828 Walnut St., KCMO | $20 | Come out to this classy speakeasy with a full bar + live DJ spinning hip-hop, afrobeat, and Top 40 tunes.

41st Annual Kwanzaa Celebration | Monday, Dec. 26-Saturday, Dec. 31 | Times vary | Historic Gem Theatre, 1601 E. 18th St., KCMO | Donations accepted | Participate in seven straight days of remembering, honoring, and celebrating African origins + culture.

New Year’s Eve at Knights of Lights | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 10 p.m.-1 a.m. | 633 N. 130th St., Bonner Springs, KS | $20-$30 | Welcome 2023 with food, entertainment, prizes, and Champagne.
MORE HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
6AM City In-house

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Today, Dec. 22
  • Frosty Skate | Thursday, Dec. 22-Wednesday, Dec. 28 | 11 a.m. | Cable Dahmer Arena | $8-$11 | Lace up your skates for all-day open ice, presented by Smile Doctors. ⛸️
  • $500 and Under Holiday Gift Show | Thursday, Dec. 22-Friday, Dec. 23 | 12-6 p.m. | Bunker Center for the Arts, 1014 E. 19th St., Kansas City, MO | $50-$500 | It’s the last two days to check out works by local + regional artists — all sized to fit under a tree.
Friday, Dec. 23
  • DJ Skittlez at Nighthawk | Friday, Dec. 23 | 7 p.m. | 1228 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, MO | Free | Get funky to live music in the basement bar below Hotel Kansas City. 🎧
Saturday, Dec. 24
  • Holiday Brunch, Beverages, and Beauty | Saturday, Dec. 24 | 10 a.m. | Blvd Tavern, 320 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO | $5 | This local running and social club will follow brunch with a leisurely 3-mile holiday stroll.
  • Holiday Karaoke in the Bamboo Room | Saturday, Dec. 24 | 8:30 p.m. | Bamboo Penny’s, 5270 W. 116th Pl., Leawood, KS | $0+ | Prove your holiday spirit at this themed karaoke night. 🎤
Sunday, Dec. 25
  • Parlor’s Party Brunch | Sunday, Dec. 25 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Parlor, 1707 Locust St., Kansas City, MO | $30 | Ring in Christmas Day (or any Sunday) with bottomless brunch drinks and live jams.
Monday, Dec. 26
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

Noon Year’s Eve in Science City 🔬
Crowd with balloons
Tickets are available now for Noon Year’s Eve in Science City. | Photo provided by Union Station
Searching for the perfect family-friendly New Year’s Eve activity? Search no more — Science City’s biggest year-end event is right around the corner.

Noon Year’s Eve (happening Saturday, Dec. 31 from 12-6:30 p.m.) is jam-packed with family fun, including:
  • Abstract Self Portraits
  • Sleeping Animals (think: learn about the animals that hibernate this time of year)
  • A Mr. Stinky Feet concert at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets are $14.50, and free for Union Station members.*
LEARN MORE + GET TICKETS

Weather
  • 6º | Morning snow/wind | 83% chance of snow
  • Take it slow, buckle up, and stay alert if you find yourself commuting on this cold + snowy morning. Check all road conditions in Missouri and Kansas before bundling up and heading out. ❄️
Sports
  • Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend earned the recogntion of AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Townsend’s punting performance resulted in the Texans’ average starting field position at the 17.5-yard line — best in the AFC in week 15. 🏈
  • The MLS SuperDraft 2023 took place yesterday and Sporting KC selected Stephen Afrifa in the first round. Afrifa attended Florida International University and has played for One Knoxville SC. See how the rest of the draft unfolded here. ⚽
Outdoors
  • Meadowbrook Park goers may notice something different at the 80-acre park — at 9101 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, KS — now that phase two of the project is complete. New features include an all-inclusive playground, new restrooms, and a shelter. (Shawnee Mission Post)
Ranked
  • KC’s RSM US and Complete Technology Services were both recognized in “Best Places to Work in IT 2023" by Computerworld. Factors include salaries, benefits, work environment, and corporate culture. RSM ranked No. 4 and CTS ranked No. 14. (Kansas City Business Journal)
Travel
  • 1 hour and 16 minutes. That’s how early you should arrive to KCI before a domestic flight. A recent study from Upgraded Points analyzed criteria including the number of gates and terminals, average TSA wait time + airport size to determine this metric. Don’t forget your travel pillow. ✈️
Shop
  • What are you decking the halls with? According to Cinch Home Services, Missouri + Kansas green thumbs prefer Coralberry as their favorite holiday plant. Liven up your decoration game by picking yours up from Family Tree Nursery. 🌱
Job
  • The Starlight is offering various summer internship opportunities for college students who are pursuing both theater and non-theater careers. Apply here.
Listen
  • Need a gift that only takes a few mouse clicks? Gift three, six, or 12 months of an Audible Premium Plus membership. They’ll get one credit a month good for any title, plus instant access to thousands of books and podcasts in The Plus Catalog. Hello, future book club. 📚*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Make the holidays extra sweet 🧁

Holiday bakery items in Kansas City
Cupcakes from The Muffin Top Bakery
This requires some sweet skill. | Photo via The Muffin Top Bakery
The clock is winding down to the holidays, and we know you are searching for baked goods to bring home to the in-laws.

While Editor Bella does have a fantastic chocolate covered peanut butter ball recipe — sometimes it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Here’s a few bakeries offering special sweet treats for the season.
Have another recommendation? Let us know.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Bella.


Editor’s pick: We asked, and local photographer Allie Coyle answered: where should you go for holiday photos? She first suggested a simple option — doing them in your own home with personal holiday decor as the backdrop. She also mentioned an outdoor mini session in an area like downtown Parkville.

Everyone say “thank you, Allie!”

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s our top ten stories of 2022.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Bella Rainey, Travis Meier, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Victoria Bardega | 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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