Kansas City Set to Celebrate 80th Annual Plaza Lights Ceremony Thanksgiving Night

Among the many celebrated Kansas City traditions, the annual lighting of the holiday lights on the Country Club Plaza is likely the most widely known and anticipated by Kansas City metro residents.

Since Thanksgiving Night in November 1929, Kansas Citians have gathered in the winter air to watch the switch flip on the amazing lighting display. Local and national celebrities have participated in years past, including former Kansas City Royal George Brett and legendary newsman Walter Cronkite. This year's festivities will be honored with the presence of Saturday Night Live actor/comedian Jason Sudeikis.

The lights outline historic Country Club Plaza. When the large switch is thrown Thanksgiving night at 7:30, over 80 miles of stringed lights will illuminate the shopping district, ringing in the Christmas Season for the Kansas City region. The tradition began more than eighty years ago when one Plaza shop hung a few strings of light over the entryway in 1925.

The lights themselves require near Herculean efforts to maintain. The almost 300,000 lights bulbs are taken down and put up each and every year. Workers begin in late summer to string the multi-colored lights, and taking them back down begins in January and lasts until March. The result is one of the most terrific holiday lighting displays in the country.

Several Plaza area restaurants offer Thanksgiving feasts, and are open late enough for Plaza Lighting spectators to take in a delicious meal while enjoying the tradition. A few offerings include The Capital Grill, Chaz on the Plaza, and McCormick and Schmick's. All three restaurants will feature a traditional Thanksgiving Day menu. Several other area restaurants are open as well. Be sure to check out the following: http://www.countryclubplaza.com/Events/holiday-dining for a more complete list of establishments opened for Thanksgiving near the Plaza.

Following the lighting ceremony, there will be a fireworks display for the further enjoyment of onlookers. Free parking is available at various locations around the Country Club Plaza. Onlookers will be sure to find thick crowds gathered to witness the event; but the experience is a holiday must for many natives and tourists who come to the City just to see the lights. Standing in the cool autumn evening and watching the lights suddenly spring to life is a one-of-a-kind thrill. For an even better experience, be sure to check out the Country Club Plaza's wide variety of shops, including area originals like Hall's and Tivol, and get an early start on the shopping season.

Sources- http://www.countryclubplaza.com/Events/holiday-dining

http://www.visitkc.com/things-to-do/attractions/plaza-season-lights/index.aspx

http://www.countryclubplaza.com/Events/Plaza-Lights