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This year, the Plaza Lights in Kansas City will be lit by none other than you! That’s right, the public will have the opportunity to help light up the cityscape by contributing to a special fund.
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The Plaza Lights in Kansas City
The Plaza Lights in Kansas City are a set of holiday lights that are installed every year in the Country Club Plaza district. The lights are turned on in a ceremony that typically includes a live band and Santa Claus. This year, the Plaza Lights will be lit on November 27th.
What are the Plaza Lights?
In Kansas City, the Plaza Lights are a holiday tradition that dates back to 1925. The Lights are a display of nearly 100,000 white, red, and green lights that adorn the trees and buildings in the Country Club Plaza district. The Lights are illuminated each year on Thanksgiving night and remain on until New Year’s Day.
How long have the Plaza Lights been around?
The Plaza Lights in Kansas City have been around since the early 1900s. The original lights were installed in 1908, and they have been a part of the city ever since. The lights are turned on every year in November, and they stay on until January.
Who is responsible for lighting the Plaza Lights?
The City of Kansas City, Missouri is responsible for lighting the world famous Plaza Lights. The bulbs are lit each year on Thanksgiving Day, and they remain lit until New Year’s Day. More than 80,000 people come to see the Lights each year.
The History of the Plaza Lights
The Plaza Lights have been a Kansas City tradition for over 50 years. They are lit each year on Thanksgiving night, and they stay lit until New Year’s Eve. But who is responsible for lighting the Plaza Lights? Let’s take a look at the history of this Kansas City tradition.
How did the Plaza Lights come to be?
In 1931, J.C. Nichols commissioned Kansas City’s first set of iconic Plaza Lights. The original display consisted of 48 strands of white lights, each 60-feet long with 50 lights per strand. The lights were strategically placed to outline the existing fountain in the Brush Creek Valley below J.C. Nichols Parkway (formerly known as 47th Street). From the very beginning, the Plaza Lights were an instant hit, with people coming from all over to see them.
In 1948, the original display was replaced with a new and improved set of lights. This time, there were 96 strands of lights, each 60-feet long with 55 lights per strand. The new display also featured a new and improved design, with the lights being placed in a more aesthetically pleasing way. These lights quickly became a Kansas City tradition, with people coming from all over to see them each year.
In recent years, the Plaza Lights have undergone a few changes. In 2006, the number of strands was increased to 120, and in 2011, the number of lights per strand was increased to 60. These changes have only served to make the Plaza Lights even more popular, and they continue to be one of Kansas City’s most beloved traditions.
Who was responsible for originally lighting the Plaza Lights?
In 1925, Stanley S. Kroenke, then president of J.C. Nichols Company, had the idea to string holiday lights on the newly constructed Ward Parkway in order to promote shopping at the Country Club Plaza. The Plaza Lights tradition was born! For almost a century, beginning the day after Thanksgiving, more than 80 miles of light strands have sparkled above the streets of the Country Club Plaza. In 2012, due to advances in energy-efficient lighting technology, Guests were invited to help “flip the switch” to initiate a multi-year transition from traditional incandescent light bulbs to more efficient LED bulbs. The Kansas City Downtown Marriott at the Convention Center is proud to partner with J.C. Nichols Company andUGL Equis to help maintain this beautiful Kansas City tradition.
What is the significance of the Plaza Lights?
The Plaza Lights are an iconic holiday tradition in Kansas City, Missouri. The lights were first installed in 1909 by Electrical engineer J.C. Nichols as part of his vision for the Country Club Plaza, the first shopping center in the United States designed for the automobile. The lights were originally gas-powered, but were converted to electric in 1931. The Plaza Lights have been a holiday staple in Kansas City ever since, with nearly 100,000 bulbs illuminating the Plaza every year.
The Plaza Lights are more than just a holiday decoration; they have become a symbol of hope and resilience for the people of Kansas City. In 1979, just months after a devastating tornado ripped through downtown Kansas City, the Plaza Lights were one of the first things to be rebuilt. And in 2013, when another tornado tore through the city, the Plaza Lights served as a beacon of hope once again, shining brightly amidst the darkness.
Given their importance to the city, it’s no surprise that the Plaza Lights have become one of Kansas City’s most beloved traditions. Every year on Thanksgiving night, thousands of people gather to watch as the lights are switched on for the first time of the season. It’s a moment that brings joy to everyone who sees it, and is a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
The Current Lighting of the Plaza Lights
The Plaza Lights in Kansas City are currently being lit by Leo Dailey. He has been lighting the Plaza Lights since 2013. Prior to that, the Plaza Lights were lit by his father, Bob Dailey, who lit them for nearly 50 years.
Who is currently responsible for lighting the Plaza Lights?
The Plaza Lights in Kansas City are currently being lit by private citizens, not the city government. This has been the case for several years now, ever since the city stopped lighting the lights due to budget cuts. A group of private citizens (known as the Friends of the Plaza Lights) has been raising money to pay for the electricity and maintenance of the lights, and they have been doing a great job!
How often are the Plaza Lights lit?
The Plaza Lights are currently on a schedule to be lit every night from dusk until 11 p.m.
What is the process for lighting the Plaza Lights?
The Plaza Lights are an iconic holiday tradition in Kansas City, and each year, the lighting process becomes more and more efficient. In the past, each of the 80,000 bulbs had to be individually screwed in to its socket. Now, said Fox 4 Kansas City Meteorologist Joe Lauria, “They actually have a computerized system that goes out and does a lot of the work for them.”
The bulbs are also increasingly more durable than they used to be. “They’re very light-sensitive now so they know when it’s getting dark outside and they turn on,” Lauria said. “And then in the morning when the sun comes up they go off automatically. So that helps save on electricity as well.”
All of this means that the workers who used to spend hours upon hours stringing up lights now only have to do a fraction of that work. But even with all of these advancements, Lauria says there’s still something special about seeing the Plaza Lights switch on for the first time each year.
