Everything you need to know about the Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony: Your 2025 Guide

Many Kansas City families have called it a tradition for as long as they remember. The Plaza Lighting! What began as a small strand of 16 colored Christmas lights, lit on December 25th, 1925, has grown into a major holiday tradition. Those first lights were hung above a doorway of the Mill Creek Building by a maintenance supervisor named Charles “Pete” Pitrat. The idea took hold, and the Plaza Lighting had its first formal Ceremony in 1930. During the early years of the Depression these bulbs brought a little joy to the city when people needed it. Over the years special guests have flipped the switch and the tradition has grown onto the calendars and into the hearts of KC residents. 

The Details

Thursday, November 27th – Thanksgiving night – the Ceremony begins at 6:30PM (but get there early!), with the official switch-flip happening at 7:55. This year, KC Current team members will have the honor of flipping the switch. A post ceremony show, including fireworks, will run until 8:30. The Plaza lights are then scheduled to shine nightly from Thanksgiving until mid-January.

The main stage will be located at the intersection of Nichols Road and Pennsylvania, with the best views along Nichols Road between Pennsylvania and Broadway.

In addition to watching the Lighting of the Plaza, you’ll enjoy holiday music performances on the stage and a Sneakpeek of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s (KC Rep) iconic show, A Christmas Carol.

The Best Places to Watch

If you want to actually see the stage and feel the energy, or get some fun selfies without fighting the biggest crowds, these spots give you the best chance:

The Plaza 211 parking garage — elevated views of the ceremony and the main plaza stretches, this is one of the top spots for viewing.  If you can get rooftop access early, it’s one of the calmest ways to watch and photograph the lighting.

Hotel rooftops — InterContinental at The Plaza, The Fontaine, The Raphael, and a few other nearby hotels and restaurants have balconies or rooftop views that are popular (and often comfortable if you plan ahead and book a table/room). If you don’t mind being a little further from the stage action, it can be the calmest way to enjoy the lights coming on for the 2025 Christmas season! 

The second floor of Barnes & Noble or McCormick & Schmick’s have been choice spaces to enjoy the festivities from, as well. 

Expect thousands — often tens of thousands for the Thanksgiving-night ceremony. It’s one of Kansas City’s largest single-night holiday events, and local coverage regularly describes very large, festive crowds and a live TV broadcast of the program. 

Plaza Event Parking 

Plaza parking garages are open and free to the public. Remember those tens of thousands expected to show up? Be sure to get there early and snag a spot! You might try The Plaza 211 garage, Valencia Garage (north side of 47th & Pennsylvania), or the Balcony Garage near 46th on Wornall. All of these are commonly recommended when planning a Plaza visit.

If the lots are full, make it a walking adventure!  Park near Loose Park or nearby neighborhoods and walk down — walking can often be faster than circling for a spot during peak times. Parents, you’ll love this more than the overcrowded parking. Just be sure to get there a couple hours before the ceremony to ensure you get the spot you want and can enjoy those Plaza Lights the way you want to. 

Make a Night of It! 

Add your own family details to this event to make it YOURS! Maybe that looks like enjoying a dinner reservation, or bringing a thermos of hot cocoa and plenty of blankets. Strategize enough to stay warm, keep kids with full bellies and in jolly spirits, and enjoy the season for yourself. Have patience with the waits that come from crowds, and enjoy choosing an adventure that city anticipates together. 

Have a grand time at the Plaza Lights! 

Traditions like this are just one way to keep connecting with your family. When you’re ready to have your connections photographed and enjoy lasting heirlooms, I’d love to chat with you about a Family Session.