Country Club Plaza - Plaza Lights

Plaza Lights

In 1925, a tradition began with a single strand of 16 colored lights placed above a doorway in the Country Club Plaza to celebrate Christmas. Through the years, the number of lights have increased annually. The first official "Plaza Lighting Ceremony" took place in 1930. On Thanksgiving night, tens of thousands of people visit the Country Club to enjoy the local entertainment/performances (including celebrities) and to watch the electric lights (including fireworks) to initiate the Christmas season. A special guest or celebrity "flips the switch" each year. In its 81st year (as of 2010), the Country Club Plaza's "Season of Lights" is a Kansas City winter trademark and one of the city's longest/oldest traditions. According to sources, it's considered the most spectacular holiday lighting display in the nation. More than 80 miles of Christmas lights accentuate every dome, tower and window of the Plaza's Spanish-influenced entertainment district, featuring more than 150 shops and restaurants. The lights currently shine nightly from 5 p.m. until 3 a.m. into mid-January of the following year (i.e. January 17 in 2011). The one- to two-hour ceremony is free and broadcast live on location television station KCTV. A century-old tradition of holiday lights and seasonal attractions also extends into neighboring Crown Center.

The song "Christmas In Kansas City", sung by Brad Millison and recorded in 1985, got considerable airplay on KC radio (KUDL) during the holiday season. It expresses the sights-and-sounds of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City during Christmastime.