FREE & Cheap Things to Do with Guests Thanksgiving Weekend in Kansas City

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner with overnight guests this Thanksgiving weekend? Here are some FREE and cheap things to do with guests Thanksgiving weekend (after a nice, long, post-feast nap, of course).

Photo Credit: Deposit Photos

Watch the Plaza Lighting Ceremony

Thursday, November 27, 2025
Location: Country Club Plaza
Time: 6 PM – 8 PM (hours adjusted to accommodate the KC Chiefs Game in the afternoon)
Admission: FREE

If you’ve ever been to the Plaza Lighting Ceremony, you know how spectacular it is! If you haven’t been, you’re missing out. After Thanksgiving dinner, take your guests for an evening of entertainment, followed by a tour of the amazing Plaza Lights. There will even be a fireworks display.

Go ice skating

Thursday through Sunday, November 27-30, 2025
Location: Crown Center Ice Terrace
Time: 10 AM – 9 PM on Thursday and Sunday; 10 AM – 11 PM on Friday and Saturday
Admission: Adults and children 4 and over $10, skate rental $6.00, children under age 4, free with adult admission, children 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult

The Crown Center Ice Terrace is sure to impress people who love ice skating. And Kansas City’s first outdoor skating rink is open for most of the holiday weekend.

Do Some Black Friday shopping

Friday, November 28, 2025
Location: Multiple

The stores have mostly given up on their midnight madness events in favor of more sensible shopping hours. If you prefer to shop from home, some major online retailers are also offering big discounts for Black Friday. So if your guests like to shop, you could make a day out of it.

Take a luminary walk

Friday and Saturday, November 28 & 29, 2025
Location: Overland Park Arboretum
Time: 5 – 9 PM (Last entry at 8 PM)
Admission: General Admission $17, FOTA Members $15, Children 5 and younger are free (still need to purchase a FREE child’s ticket) Photos with Santa: 5 – 8:30 PM Train Garden: Trains runs until 8:45 PM

The holiday luminary walk is a great Kansas City date night or family event. It includes romantic candlelit trails, light displays, horse-drawn wagon rides, hot cider around a campfire, plenty of kids’ activities, and more.

Catch a Holiday classic

November 27 – November 30, 2025
Location: Union Station
Time: 12:30 PM, 4 PM, 7:30 PM
Admission: $3.75/ticket

Union Station is showing the movie “Elf” on the Regnier Extreme Screen. While you’re there, you can explore the station, which is pretty impressive in and of itself, especially when it’s all decked out for Christmas.

Drive through Christmas in the Park

Thursday through Sunday, November 27-30, 2025
Location: Longview Lake (begins @ the Frank White Jr. Softball Complex)
Time: Sunday – Thursday: 5:30 PM – 10 PM, Friday & Saturday: 5:30 – 11 PM
Admission: FREE; donations are accepted.

Christmas in the Park is another Kansas City must-see at Christmas! This light show features more than 300,000 lights and more than 175 animated figures, and you can see it all from the comfort of your car. Tip: Lines will be long, so get there early.

Listen to live jazz

Friday through Sunday, November 28 – 30, 2025
Location: Multiple
Time: Hours vary
Admission: FREE

Jazz is a Kansas City tradition; so the city has a lot of great jazz musicians. And there are plenty of places to hear live jazz that don’t have a cover charge. Of course, you’ll be expected to buy food and/or drinks, but you’ll probably want to eat out once or twice while your guests are in town anyway.

Tour the art museum

Friday through Sunday, November 28-30, 2025
Location: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Time: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Admission: FREE

The museum features traveling exhibitions in addition to its own collection of more than 33,500 objects. There is over 5,000 years of art history to be found as visitor’s peruse the various art collections. Museum admission is FREE; they also offer FREE audio-guided tours.

So, don’t go broke or let your guests grow bored! Instead, try a few of these things to do with guests over Thanksgiving weekend.

Mayor’s Holiday Festival (Overland Park, Kansas)

Friday, November 21
Location: Thompson’s Park, Downtown Overland Park, KS
Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission: FREE

Gather and enjoy the tree lighting ceremony @ 6:00 p.m. Other favorite activities include: photos with Santa, the Grinch, Justice League characters, and princesses. There are also pony rides, train rides, live music, Maker’s Market, and food trucks.

Johnson County Museum (Overland Park, Kansas)

Wednesday, November 26
Location: 8788 Metcalf Ave. Overland Park, KS 66212
Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission: FREE (November 26 is the last day of one of four days in 2025 that are free)

The Johnson County Museum, housed in what used to be King Louie’s Bowling and Ice Skating Rink is now home to a 1950’s All Electric House along with many other fun exhibits. The interactive KidScape exhibit is a family favorite.

Mayor’s Tree Lighting (Lee’s Summit, MO)

Friday, November 21
Location: 209 SE Green Street, Downtown Lee’s Summit, MO
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission: FREE

Tree lighting ceremony @ 6:30 p.m. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus, browse the live window displays, just like Ralphie from “A Christmas Story”. Enjoy shopping with extended hours to help start of the Christmas season. When the switch is flipped for the Christmas tree, so are the lights for the entire downtown area.

Ride the KC Street Car (Kansas City, MO)

Thursday, November 27 – Sunday, November 30 (KC Street Car runs all year long)
Location: 18 Stops
Time: Thanksgiving, November 27, 7 a.m.-Midnight, Fri & Sat 5:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m., Sunday 5 a.m. – Midnight
Admission: FREE

Streetcars run every 10-15 minutes during peak periods and every 12-18 minutes during off peak hours. There is boosted service from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. for the Plaza Lighting Ceremony.

Stops include the River Market, River Market West, City Market, The North Loop, The Library, Metro Center, Power & Light, Kauffman Center, Crossroads, Union Station, WWI Museum & Memorial, Union Hill, Armour, Westport, Southmoreland, Art Museums, Plaza, UMKC. Riverfront/KC Current stop opening early 2026.

Merry Market (River Market District, Kansas City, MO)

Saturday, November 29 & Sunday, November 30 (runs through December 22)
Location: River Market District
Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission: FREE

Enjoy a warm drink and seasonal bites as you peruse over 75 local artists and their wares. Find a unique gift from hand-crafted treasures to unique gifts and treats. Fun for the whole family with festive lighting, live music, and kid-friendly activities.