KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri is again aglow with Christmas lights following the Evergy Plaza Lighting Ceremony on Thanksgiving night.
For many, like Rameen Ahmed, it was a night of firsts.
"This is amazing," said Ahmed, who moved from Pakistan to Kansas City. "It's my first time celebrating Christmas. It's so much fun. It’s full of lights, love, and just happiness.”
For others, it was a trip down memory lane.
Patti Ellis drove nine hours from Texas to join the celebration.
"As a child, we came here every year on Thanksgiving night to watch the lights go on,” Ellis said.
The last time Ellis was in Kansas City for the ceremony was in 1979.
"This is great," she said. "It’s huge compared to what I remember. When you're a kid, everything seems big, but it feels even bigger now that I've grown up.”
People found their way to stay warm in the cold night air.
"We bring all of our hot warmers," Aaron Fulk, who's come for years to the ceremony, said. "We bring heated blankets,”
But the freezing temperatures didn't seem to bother first-timers or those who have been part of the Plaza Lights tradition for over a decade.
Michelle McConnell, senior manager of community relations for Evergy, said it’s not only part of her work, but also part of her family’s traditions.
"It's amazing how much time and work the staff puts into getting these lights up, and how much of a tradition it’s become,” McConnell said. “At this point, my kids don’t know Thanksgiving without the Plaza lighting.”
Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt and his wife, Tavia Hunt, flipped the switch to illuminate Country Club Plaza.
The lights will stay on through January 12, 2025.
