Christmas in June 🎄

We’ve got an early (very early) Christmas present for you today. Here it is:

🎄 Hallmark announces return of Hallmark Christmas Experience

🏖️ Where does Kansas City rank for best cities for staycations?

📆 Less than one year until the FIFA World Cup visits KC

➕ more!

🤦 Correction: In yesterday’s newsletter, we wrote the wrong date for the first WeekEnder event at Crown Center. The first event is Friday, July 11th.

Events

Hallmark Announces Return of Hallmark Christmas Experience

After the wildly-successful inaugural event in 2024, Hallmark has released details on the return of the Hallmark Christmas Experience.

• Christmas in June: Last year’s event welcomed tens of thousands of guests into the immersive experience that transformed Crown Center Square into a real-life Hallmark Christmas village. The event returns over four weekends in 2025 from November 28th - December 21st, promising even more holiday magic and memories.

• Holiday Magic: The 2025 Hallmark Christmas Experience will see the return of Hallmark Channel stars, artist-led workshops, tree light shows, local vendors, and more. Already planning ahead? Check out the full schedule for this season’s event.

Tickets for the 2025 Hallmark Christmas Experience go on sale Tuesday, June 17th. Get them HERE.

Community

Where Does Kansas City Rank Among Best Cities for Staycations?

According to WalletHub, Kansas City is ranked as the 63rd best city in the country for a staycation.

• Stay & Play: The study from WalletHub compared 182 cities across the U.S. across 41 key metrics, in categories such as recreation, food & entertainment, and rest & relaxation. Kansas City landed near the middle, but above average at #63, with a total score of 47.85.

• Above Average: The City of Fountains ranked above average (#30) in the food & entertainment category, but below average (#104) in the recreation category. For those curious: Cincinatti, OH came in ranked at #1, while Yonkers, NY came in dead last at #182.

See the full list of Best & Worst Cities for Staycations from WalletHub HERE.

So, tell us 👇

Community

Less Than One Year Until the FIFA World Cup Visits Kansas City

As of yesterday, we are officially less than one year away from the FIFA World Cup kicking its way into Kansas City.

• Little Ol’ KC: The FIFA World Cup is the single largest sporting event on the planet, and Kansas City was the smallest market selected as a host city for the 2026 event across North America. KC2026, the team in charge of planning and preparation for the event, is hosting a variety of events celebrating being one year out.

• New Name, Same Home: Matches will take place at Arrowhead Stadium, although the stadium will be referred to as “Kansas City Stadium” during the World Cup due to FIFA’s standards for neutral stadium names. Arrowhead is currently undergoing “fairly major surgery” according to Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, but he expects fans to not notice a difference.

Although the World Cup kicks off on June 11th, 2026, the first game in Kansas City is scheduled for June 16th, 2026. See the full schedule HERE.

KC Daily Picks

In Other News…

• 🍃 Local Wisdom: Embark on a journey where nature becomes our guiding teacher! Nature Is Our Nurture is a picture book featuring 50+ life lessons shown through analogies in nature, paired with affirmations. Written by local author Christine Cronin and artwork by her mother, Rose, it offers wisdom for children and adults alike!*

• 🛝 Lookin’ Slick: The world’s first indoor slide and air court park, Slick City Action Park, announced it will soon open a franchise in Overland Park. Dates and locations will be announced at a later date.

• ⛳️ Golf Around the Clock: An Omaha-based 24/7 indoor golf simulator called Swing 365 will open in August at 14870 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park. Swing 365 currently has a location in St. Joseph, MO, and will open another in Lawrence, KS in July.

• 🏰 King of the Castle: Renovations are underway to convert the decaying Sauer Castle at 935 Shawnee Rd. in KCK into a wedding venue and event space.

• 🚘 Park Here: City officials broke ground on a $20 million parking garage near 18th and Vine earlier this week. The garage will offer 500 parking spaces and is a part of the $400 million “Revive the Vine” initiative.

• 🏢 You Thought IKEA Was Big: Did you know that Kansas City is home to a 2.2 million square-foot building that was once the largest building west of the Mississippi River? Thanks to the Kansas City Magazine, now you do!

• 🚕 Safe Driving: A new service called HopSkipDrive has arrived in Kansas City, which partners with local schools to bring safe and reliable transportation to schools, kids, and families around Missouri.

• 🤲 Support Your Local Newsletter: KC Daily will be free (forever) thanks to members of our Fan Club. For just $5 or $10 a month, you can support our local newsletter and have access to Fan Club-only giveaways!