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Plaza Lights. Christmas light displays abound in Kansas City, and one of the most well-known traditions is the Country Club Plaza lights, above, which has been a tradition for nearly 90 years. The lights span 15 blocks and will illuminate the Spanish inspired buildings through Jan. 12. Leslie Collins

 

Northeast News
December 18, 2013

Kansas City is already glowing for the holidays, and we’ve rounded up a list of the best holiday lighting displays.

Topping the list is the Country Club Plaza lights which span 15 blocks and accentuate the iconic Spanish inspired buildings. The Plaza lights have been a tradition for almost 90 years and will be lit through Jan. 12.

The Mayor’s Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at Crown Center kicked off a few weeks ago and features a 100-foot Christmas tree, complete with 7,200 white bulbs. (It’s taller than the tree at Rockefeller Center and the White House). Holiday displays will dot the landscape across from Crown Center and will run through Jan. 1. After Jan. 1, the tree will be made into Christmas ornaments and sold to support the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which aids Kansas City’s less fortunate.

Several downtown buildings will light up the winter sky for City Lights Nov. 22 through Jan. 1, with the front facade of the Marriott Downtown as the notable centerpiece. The 22-story building features a synchronized display of 30,000 bulbs and 16.7 million colors. This annual celebration of lights also kicks off the return of The Salvation Army’s Annual Christmas Campaign.

Thanksgiving eve marked the return of Christmas in the Park, a festive drive-through display in Longview Lake Park which runs from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31. Christmas in the Park has been going strong for more than 25 years and currently features more than 300,000 lights and nearly 200 animated figures. New to this year’s display is a Santa flying 30 feet above the ground in an airplane delivering gifts to anxious children below, and the other lighted Santa who’s showing off his golfing skills. These two attractions alone added 20,000 lights to this year’s display. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. A portion of the proceeds will be divided among 35 local charities. To date, the event has raised more than $500,000 for local charities. Longview Lake Park is located two miles south of I-470 off of View High Drive. For more information, visit www.makeyourdayhere.com.