Where are all the light displays? Shows? Santa? Mega-guide to Kansas City holiday fun

Holiday activities began more than a month ago in the Kansas City area, but there are plenty still to come. Here are the remaining events in our annual holiday mega-guide:

Spotlight events

▪ “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,” Kansas City Repertory Theatre, days and hours vary through Dec. 24, Spencer Theatre. ($35-$129). kcrep.org.

▪ Kansas City Ballet, “The Nutcracker,” through Dec. 24, Kauffman Center ($34-$250). kcballet.org.

▪ “The Immersive Nutcracker,” days and hours vary through Dec. 31, Lighthouse ArtSpace ($30). immersive-nutcracker.com/kansas-city.

▪ “Holiday Light and Magic” drive-thru display, 6 p.m. daily through Jan. 1, Wyandotte County Park ($25-$55 per vehicle). holidaylightandmagic.com.

▪ “Winter Magic” drive-thru display, 7 p.m. daily through Jan. 1, Cliff Drive ($40-$55 for limos, commercial vans and buses). wintermagickc.com.

▪ “Holiday Reflections” walk-thru village, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. through Jan. 1, Union Station Grand Plaza ($7-$9). unionstation.org/holidays.

▪ “Christmas in the Park” drive-thru display, 5:30-10 or 5:30-11 p.m. through Dec. 31, Frank White Jr. Softball Complex (free). makeyourdayhere.com.

▪ Plaza Lights, through Jan. 8, Country Club Plaza (free). countryclubplaza.com.

▪ Holiday Luminary Walk, 5-10 p.m. Dec. 15-17, Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens ($15). artsandrec-op.org/arboretum.

▪ Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 26, T-Mobile Center ($39-$109.50). t-mobilecenter.com.

Even more light displays

▪ Festival of Lights, 4-10 p.m., days vary through Dec. 30, Powell Gardens ($7-$16). powellgardens.org.

▪ GloWild Lantern Festival, times vary Tuesday-Sunday (plus Dec. 26) through Dec. 30, Kansas City Zoo ($18-$25). kansascityzoo.org/glowild.

▪ Holiday Lights on Farmstead Lane, 5-11 p.m. through Jan. 8, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (free). opkansas.org.

▪ “Knights of Lights: A Renaissance Christmas Extravaganza” walk-thru, 5:30-10 p.m., days vary through Dec. 31, Kansas City Renaissance Festival ($12-$20). kcrenfest.com.

▪ Sar-Ko Aglow, 6-11 p.m. through Jan. 16, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park (free). lenexa.com.

Union Station

unionstation.org/holidays

▪ “The Polar Express,” through Dec. 20, Extreme Screen Theatre ($3.50).

▪ “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” showtimes vary through Dec. 23, City Stage ($12). tya.org.

▪ “Sky Station Live: Stars of Faith,” through Jan. 1, Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium ($8)

▪ “Laser Holiday Magic,” through Jan. 1, Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium ($8).

▪ Kansas City Southern Holiday Express, outdoor viewing Dec. 14-18, walk-thru tours 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, Haverty Family Yards (free). kcsouthern.com.

Crown Center

crowncenterchristmas.com

▪ Holiday Choirs, through Dec. 18, Atrium.

▪ “A Spectacular Christmas,” through Dec. 23, MTH Theater at Crown Center ($35-$59). musictheaterheritage.com.

▪ Santa’s Gingerbread Station, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 24, Crown Center Showplace.

▪ “42 Years of Mayor’s Christmas Tree Ornaments,” shopping hours through Dec. 31, Crown Center Atrium.

▪ “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” showtimes vary through Dec. 31 ($14-$20), The Coterie. thecoterie.org.

▪ Light the World Giving Machines, through Jan. 1, near Ice Terrace. givingmachineskc.org.

▪ Sea of Lights, times vary through Jan. 1, Sea World Kansas City ($19.99-$22.99). visitsealife.com.

▪ “Who’s Holiday,” 8 p.m. Dec. 15-18, 21-23, Ruby Room, MTH Theater at Crown Center ($29). whokansascity.com.

More classical music

▪ Kansas City Symphony, Christmas Festival, 7 p.m. Dec. 15-16, 1 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17, 2 p.m. Dec. 18, Kauffman Center ($21-$105). kcsymphony.org.

▪ William Baker Festival Singers. “Candlelight, Carols & Cathedral,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and 2 p.m. Dec. 18, Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral ($5-$50). festivalsingers.org/concerts.

▪ Wichita Grand Opera, “All Is Calm,” 2 p.m. Dec. 17, National WWI Museum and Memorial ($22). theworldwar.org.

▪ Lee’s Summit Symphony, “Sounds of the Season,” 3 p.m. Dec. 17, The Pavilion at John Knox Village ($11-$21). lssymphony.org.

▪ Kantorei KC, “A Star on the Horizon,” 7 p.m. Dec. 17, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, and 3:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church ($10-$20). kantoreikc.com.

▪ “Tidings of Joy” with Village Choirs and Kansas City Wind Symphony, 3 and 6 p.m. Dec. 18, Village Presybterian Church (free). villagepres.org/music.html.

▪ Te Deum, “O Magnum Mysterium,” 7 p.m. Dec. 19, Village Presbyterian Church, and 7 p.m. Dec. 20, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church ($20-$25). te-deum.org.

▪ Kansas City Symphony, “Elf” in Concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 21-23, 11 a.m. Dec. 24, Kauffman Center ($60-$135). kcsymphony.org.

More dance

▪ Storling Dance Theater, “Child of Hope,” 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17, The Culture House ($18-$25). storlingdance.org.

Other music

▪ Fountain City Brass Band, “Fountain City Christmas,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, Bell Center ($10-$20). fcbb.net.

▪ Kelley Hunt and Friends, “Winter Soulstice,” 8 p.m. Dec. 17, Folly ($25-$45). follytheater.org.

▪ Dickens Carolers in Concert, 2 p.m. Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20, Chestnut Fine Arts Center ($29-$32). chestnutfinearts.com.

▪ Cowboy Christmas Toy Drive with C. Thomas Howell, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22, Knuckleheads (free with toy donation). knuckleheadskc.com.

▪ Burning Pianos Christmas show, 8 p.m. Dec. 23, Aztec Shawnee Theater ($15-$20). aztecshawnee.com.

More theater

▪ “Christmas in Song,” through Dec. 24, Quality Hill Playhouse ($42-$45). qualityhillplayhouse.com.

▪ “Milking Christmas,” Living Room Theatre, through Dec. 24, Black Box ($25-$35). thelivingroomkc.com.

▪ A Drag Queen Christmas, 8 p.m. Dec. 20, Midland ($42.25-$87). midlandkc.com.

Other displays

▪ KC Winter Wonderland, 5:30-9 p.m. through Dec. 18, KC Pumpkin Patch ($12.95). kcpumpkinpatch.com.

▪ Olde World Christmas, noon-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through Jan. 15, Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center ($5-$10). strawberryhillmuseum.org.

▪ Gingerbread Lane, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Monday through Jan. 17, National Museum of Toys/Miniatures ($5-$8). toyandminiaturemuseum.org.

▪ Living Nativity, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 16-17, Connection Point Church (free). connectionpoint.tv.

Outdoor ice skating

(Hours vary at each facility)

▪ Crown Center Ice Terrace, through March 12 ($8). crowncenter.com/iceterrace.

▪ The Ice at Park Place, through Feb. 26 ($9-$11). parkplaceleawood.com.

▪ The Rink at Zona Rosa, through Jan. 31 ($10-$12). zonarosa.com.

▪ Summit Ice, Lee’s Summit, through undetermined ($4-$9). summitice.net.

Other activities

▪ Meet Santa, times vary through Dec. 24, Zona Rosa ($20). zonarosa.com.

▪ Holiday Tours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 30, Bingham-Wagonner Estate ($5-$10). bwestate.net.

▪ Victorian Jolly Christmas, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 30, Vaile Mansion ($5-$10). vailemansion.org.

▪ Santa Delivers, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 17, Kansas City Zoo ($8.50-$20). kansascityzoo.org.

▪ SantaCon KC Pub Crawl, 5 p.m.-midnight Dec. 17, Westport, Martini Corner, Waldo ($50). santaconkansascity.com.

▪ Great Santa Run 5K and Little Elves Fun Run, 9 a.m. Dec. 18, Johnson County Community College ($12-$44). kcsantarun.com.

▪ Christmas at The Crossroads, 11 a.m. Dec. 23, The Truman (free). thetrumankc.com.

▪ Heartland Holiday Hangout, 2-5 p.m. Dec. 25, Drexel Hall (free). heartlandsongnetwork.org.

This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 5:30 AM.

Dan Kelly

The Kansas City Star

Dan Kelly has been covering entertainment and arts news at The Star since 2009. He previously worked at the Columbia Daily Tribune, The Miami Herald and The Louisville Courier-Journal. He also was on the University of Missouri School of Journalism faculty for six years, and he has written two books, most recently “The Girl with the Agate Eyes: The Untold Story of Mattie Howard, Kansas City’s Queen of the Underworld.”