Kansas City glows red for the Chiefs. How does downtown coordinate its light display?
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This winter, the Chiefs paint the town red. Landmarks on the Kansas City skyline — like Union Station, the Kauffman Center and the Kansas City Marriott Downtown — are illuminated with lights to cheer on the Super Bow championship contenders.
Championship games aren’t the only events that light up the skyline. Downtown buildings have been illuminated red and blue for Veteran’s Day, pink for breast cancer awareness and rainbow colors for Pride Month.
But how does Kansas City coordinate its lights?
How are the lights organized?
Maybe the same way as your office Super Bowl party — by email.
Kansas City’s Downtown Council sends out regular emails alerting downtown building staff of upcoming events. Then, it’s up to each building whether they light up on a specific night, said Bill Miller, vice president of operations at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Kauffman Center staff generally choose recognizable events, so Kansas Citians know at a glance what the colors represent.
“We like to be a part of things that are a community wide celebration,” Miller said.
How long has Kansas City been lighting up the skyline?
The coordinated downtown light show has been held since at least 2010, The Star reported in 2019. The Royals’ World Series runs in 2014 and 2015 popularized the practice.
Miller said that in the 2010s, LED lighting became cheaper and more advanced, leading more buildings to install them.
When the Kauffman Center opened in 2011, staff had to tape lighting gels on each floodlight to change their colors, Miller said. In 2017, the center installed an LED system with 50 computer-controlled lights, making a colored lighting display as easy as changing settings on a computer.
Can I light up the skyline myself?
On some buildings, you can for a fee. At Union Station, non-profit organizations can have their colors illuminated on the exterior for $1,000 for the first day and $600 for subsequent days.
The KC Wheel will allow individuals to rent out the LEDs on the spokes of their Ferris wheel starting in February, an employee confirmed. The did not disclose costs.
Have more questions about how Kansas City works? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published February 2, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
