Plaza Lights date night in Kansas City

At a glance

When

Lit every night from 5 PM to 3 AM, Thanksgiving (November 26, 2026) through mid-January.

Cost

Free.

Parking

The Plaza garages are free.

Ceremony

Thanksgiving night. The time is not posted yet; we will add it when it is.

Dates on the Plaza

• The Plaza Lighting Ceremony

  Free

  Thanksgiving night on the Plaza: music on the stage, the switch flipped, then fireworks, then one photo together under the new lights.

• Topsy's Popcorn, Then the Plaza Lights

  About $8–$20 for two

  Pick up a tin of Topsy's popcorn to share, then walk the Plaza under the holiday lights.

• Dinner on the Plaza, Then the Lights

  About $40–$86 for two

  Dinner at Rye, then a slow walk around the Plaza under the holiday lights.

More holiday lights

• Holiday Reflections at Union Station ↗

  DowntownNov 20 to Jan 4About $22 to $27 for two

  Details and 3 dates

  The city's big indoor holiday village in the Grand Plaza of the 1914 train station, with the model train gallery included.

  Daily 10 AM to 8 PM, November 20, 2026 to January 4, 2027. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day; closes at 6 PM on December 4 and 11 and at 2 PM on Christmas Eve. Tickets are for a date and an entry time.

  $10 each Monday to Thursday and $12 Friday to Sunday (every day from December 21), plus a 10% preservation fee. The mini train ($5) and the VR sleigh ride ($6) cost extra.

  • Holiday Reflections, Then Dinner at Pierpont's · About $74–$211 for two
  • Holiday Reflections, Then Town Topic · About $37–$57 for two
  • The Holiday Swing Market, Then Holiday Reflections · About $22–$27 for two

• Winter Magic ↗

  NorthlandNov 4 to Jan 2About $20 to $40 for two

  Details and 2 dates

  A mile of lights with a light show set to music in a Northland park, seen from your warm car.

  Opens at 6 PM every night, November 4, 2026 to January 2, 2027. Closing time changes by night (8 to 11 PM) on its calendar, so plans keep to 6 to 8. You book a 30-minute arrival window.

  One ticket per car: $20 to $40 depending on the night ($40 on peak December Saturdays). Buy ahead; it costs more at the gate.

  • Dinner, Then the Winter Magic Lights · About $60–$130 for two
  • Burgers, Then the Winter Magic Lights · About $38–$68 for two

• Powell Gardens Festival of Lights ↗

  KingsvilleNov 19 to Jan 3About $48 to $54 for two

  Details and a date

  The botanical garden about 30 miles southeast of downtown, lit for the holidays.

  5 to 10 PM on its open nights only: November 19 to 22 and 27 to 29, December 2 to 5, 10 to 12, 18 to 23 and 26 to 29, and January 2 and 3, 2027.

  $19 each Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday or $22 Friday and Saturday, plus $10 parking (members get in and park free).

  • The Powell Gardens Festival of Lights · About $58–$84 for two

• Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake ↗

  Lee's Summit & IndependenceNov 25 to Dec 31Free

  Details and 2 dates

  Jackson County's own drive-through, about 200 animated displays and over a million lights at Longview Lake, and free.

  The 39th year: nightly, Wednesday November 25 to Thursday December 31, 2026. Sunday to Thursday 5:30 to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 11 PM. Another line on the same page says it is open until 11 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, so confirm Sunday's closing time.

  Free. Drivers can leave a donation for local charities at the exit.

  • Christmas in the Sky, Then Christmas in the Park · Free
  • Dinner in Downtown Lee's Summit, Then Christmas in the Park · About $50–$100 for two

• Luminary Walk at the Overland Park Arboretum ↗

  Overland ParkNov 27 to Dec 26About $34 for two

  Details

  A mile and a half of candlelit paths through the Arboretum's gardens on a few December nights.

  Select nights only, 2026: the Luminary Walk November 27 and 28 and December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19; an adults-only (18 and over) Candlelight Stroll December 3, 10 and 17; Electric Glow (electric lights only) December 16, 20 to 23 and 26. Tickets are for a half-hour entry window; no entry after 8 PM (another line says final entry 7:30) and the lights start going out at 9. The path is about 1.5 miles.

  $17 each for the Luminary Walk or the Candlelight Stroll, $12 each for Electric Glow; 5 and under free. Bought ahead online. Food, drinks and adult beverages are sold inside; no outside food or drink.

More holiday dates around the city

• Dinner, Then the Symphony's Holiday ConcertCrossroads · About $120–$360 for two
• Dinner, Then The NutcrackerCrossroads · About $138–$428 for two
• Fritz's, Then the Hallmark Christmas Market and Light ShowDowntown · About $12–$28 for two
• Fritz's, Then the Crown Center Tree LightingDowntown · About $12–$28 for two
• The Hallmark Christmas Experience, Then SkatingDowntown · About $20–$32 for two