Elizabeth Orosco
Northeast News

Twenty-year-old Anna Worley sat on a white chair trimmed with gold, in a sparkling white ball gown as a line of little girls waited outside to meet her and share their holiday wishes.

This is the third year Worley has been a Fairy Princess at the Kansas City Museum, and she often trains the new princesses coming in. She grew up in Sugar Creek and would often visit the Fairy Princess when she was little.

“I really like kids a lot,” said Worley. “It’s exciting to give them the holiday spirit and they really give it to you in return. They are as kind to you as you are to them.”

The Fairy Princess has been a Kansas City tradition since 1935, at Kline’s Department Store at 1113 Main Street. The Princess would hear the holiday wishes of each child, and make a special present appear for each of them.

The tradition continued to grow until Kline’s closed down in 1970. In 1987, The Fairy Princess was brought back to life at the Kansas City Museum. Thirty-one years later, the Museum is hosting its Fairy Princess at the Historic Garment District while Corinthian Hall is under construction.

Worley said there is a lot more that goes into becoming a Fairy Princess than one might imagine.

Some of the guidelines include wearing a sparkly white dress and tiara, and looking naturally beautiful. Worley says she likes to accent her cheeks with blush, wear pink lipstick and fake eyelashes to heighten her natural features.

“It’s important to look beautiful, but kind, because being a princess is a lot more than just about being pretty,” said Worley.

She said she also strives to make each child feel as if they are the only child she is seeing that day, and give them her full attention each time. She invites them in, asks their name, their holiday wish, and takes a photo with the children.

Then, she gets to do a little magic with them, letting them close their eyes and wave a magic wand to open a treasure chest full of surprises.

“I will never be the first to let go of a hug, and I will always compliment them,” she said.

After meeting the princess, the children are able to make their own bracelet, shop through a selection of wands and tiaras, and even get a sweet treat at the end.

One parent said he found out about the event while browsing online and decided to bring his daughter.

“She’s in love with ‘Frozen’ right now, so she loves every princess we come across, so this was the perfect thing,” he said.

There are still tickets available for Friday, December 14th and Saturday, December 15th.

Visit kansascitymuseum.org for more info.