⛲️ Mistletoe & Must-Do's

I’ve been working on a “perfect holiday itinerary” in Kansas City to share with you. My family and I tested it out this past weekend, and it passed the festive test!

🎄 The perfect holiday itinerary in Kansas City

🍺 BKS Artisan Ales opens in the Crossroads

🎁 Gift of the Day: The Landmarks Collection posters

🤔 Tuesday Trivia: Union Station opening date

Guides

The Perfect Holiday Itinerary in Kansas City

KC Daily

There are so many great holiday-themed activities to take advantage of throughout the metro, but if we had to recommend one holiday itinerary in Kansas City, this would be it:

Start at Union Station

Union Station shines bright around the holidays, and a visit isn’t complete without a trip into Holiday Reflections. The spectacular, walk-thru village illuminates Union Station’s Grand Plaza and features Santa visits, a Gingerbread village, animated displays, holiday model trains, and more. ($8-$12)

While you’re in Union Station, don’t miss Made in KC’s new shop in the Jarvis Hunt Room for some last-minute local gifts.

View from The Link

Take The Link to Crown Center

The Link is an elevated skywalk system that connects Union Station to Crown Center. Head out the doors in the southeast corner of Grand Hall in Union Station to access the climate-controlled walkway offering sweeping views of downtown Kansas City, Liberty Memorial, and the KC Streetcar.

The Link will first take you through the second level of The Westin Hotel Kansas City. Take a quick detour to check out the five-story hillside garden carved into a natural limestone bluff.

Lobby area of The Westin

Explore Crown Center

Crown Center is uniquely Kansas City, and comes to life at Christmas time. Lace up your skates at the Crown Center Ice Terrace. Catch holiday shows like Winterland: A Holiday Cirque Experience, Elf - The Musical TYA, or Milking Christmas. Listen to Holiday Choirs on weekdays. This list goes on and on!

Hall’s is another great stop for some last-minute shopping, along with Crown Center’s many other retailers. And if you consider yourself a fan of barbecue, the Museum of BBQ is a must-visit.

You’ll probably be hungry at this point, and a burger delivered by train at Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant is sure to hit the spot. Other great options include Unforked, Burnt End BBQ, or SPIN! Pizza.

Hall’s on Level 3

Visit the Hallmark Christmas Experience

Step outside to the Crown Center Square and take in the Hallmark Christmas Experience. This free, immersive experience transports you to a Hallmark-themed winter wonderland featuring a Christmas Market with local vendors, Holiday light shows, The Tree Overlook, a Hallmark Movie-Thon, and so much more. VIP experiences are available.

Don’t miss Beeatrix the Trolley!

If you take us up on this holiday itinerary, tag us on Instagram!

Opening

BKS Artisan Ales Opens in the Crossroads

BKS Artisan Ales

Great news for local beer lovers: BKS Artisan Ales opened its doors in the Crossroads!

Hop to the Crossroads: The new spot at 1701 McGee Street #400 celebrated its grand opening this past weekend, with normal operating hours beginning tomorrow, December 10th. The Crossroads location will be open Wed-Thurs 3-9pm, Fri-Sat 1-10pm, and Sunday 1-6pm.
Brookside Roots: BKS Artisan Ales opened as the first craft brewery in the Brookside neighborhood in 2017. (633 E. 63rd St.) The brewery has racked up multiple awards in the world of craft beer, most recently a Bronze Medal at the 2025 World Beer Cup for their Chur Enough New Zealand-style Pale Ale.

Take a look inside the new Crossroads space HERE.

Countdown to Christmas 🎁

Gift of the Day: The Landmarks Collection Posters

Give the Kansas City history lover on your list something they’ll treasure forever!

The Landmarks Collection features six timeless posters celebrating KC’s most iconic sites, available as high-quality matte prints or premium canvas.

Offered in multiple sizes, they make thoughtful, meaningful gifts or the perfect addition to your own home this holiday season. Get your HERE!

KC Daily Picks

In Other News…

🌳 Plaza on the Plaza: Country Club Plaza development group Gillon Property Group revealed renderings of a potential “plaza on the Plaza” mixed-use green space. A meeting by the Kansas City, Missouri, Plan Commission is scheduled for December 17.
🙊 No More Monkeys: …jumping in Prairie Village! The City of Prairie Village is considering a ban on monkeys. According to the City Council, there is one licensed spider monkey under 20 pounds in the city.
🌎 Global Tastes: Seven nations will compete in Kansas City during the 2026 World Cup, and KCTV5 rounded up a list of each country’s claim to fame and best bites, including where to find them in Kansas City.
🪾 Tree You Later: A 250-year-old tree in Northeast Kansas City will be removed in 2026 due to fungal root disease. “Frank” the oak tree has existed since before Kansas City was a city or Missouri was a state.
💖 For the Love of Pink: New York-based LoveShackFancy, a women’s boutique offering floral dresses, skirts, fragrances, and accessories, will open at 319 Nichols Road in 2026. If it looks anything like their other locations, lovers of pink are in for a treat!
🍸 Drinks for Breakfast: From June 11-19, 2026, licensed bars and restaurants in the state of Missouri will be allowed to serve alcohol from 6am-5am (23-hour window) to prepare for an influx of visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
🤨 Yay or Nay?: We've been experimenting with our newsletter format this month and want to hear from you! We're trying fewer main articles with deeper dives, plus more polls, videos, and Daily Picks—and yes, the occasional GIF. Let us know what you think using thumbs-up or thumbs-down at the bottom of this newsletter!

Tuesday Trivia 🤔

What year did Kansas City's Union Station open?

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