KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Every year, thousands of people step away from their Thanksgiving Day meals and make their way to Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza for the annual KCP&L Plaza Lighting Ceremony.
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m., when groups of performers and musicians take the stage to entertain the audience. Most of those performers are from the Kansas City area.
Strand upon strand of multi-colored bulbs are later turned on with the "flip of the switch" – lighting up every dome and tower across the historic shopping center.
The Plaza Lighting tradition is unique to Kansas City. It first started in 1925, when a single strand of colored bulbs was draped over the entrance to what is now the Millcreek Building on 47th Street.
The first Plaza Lighting ceremony took place a few years later in 1930.
“It’s incredible how every building has its own descriptive style and color of lights,” Country Club Plaza General Manager Meredith Keeler said. “It welcomes the holiday and frames it in a beautiful way.”
41 Action News Chief Meteorologist Gary Lezak has emceed the ceremony for several years.
“It's just a great moment that's different,” Lezak said. “We have a unique setting. A unique holiday tradition here in Kansas City that we get to share and do.”
Along with the crowd, the planning and production of the ceremony have grown, too. Truckloads of equipment are needed for the planning and execution of the ceremony. KCP&L, the Country Club Plaza, 41 Action News and Harvest Productions all work together to ensure the show’s success.
This year will mark the 89th annual lighting ceremony. Kansas City Mayor Sly James will help flip the switch, along with Lezak and a child selected from the audience.
Viewers can watch the television broadcast on 41 Action News or on our website and mobile app.
The 15 blocks of lights will shine daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. through Jan.13, 2019.
