Arecent issue of Discover Vintage America shone a light on neon lights – their history, their function, the way they evoke a sense of yearning for an earlier age. They’re everywhere you turn in the bevy of roadside attractions along vast stretches of Route 66. And the inventor of the neon light himself came from Paris, France – known the world over as the City of Lights, of course.

Country Club Plaza lights

Well, here in Kansas City – the “Paris of the Plains,” as we’ve been called since the early 20th century – we’re known for our lights, too. Though they’re not of the neon variety, they’re a cherished part of our city and its culture. If you’re a fellow Kansas Citian, you know I’m talking about the Country Club Plaza lights at Christmastime.

The Plaza is an historic open-air shopping center in the heart of the city, its various buildings inspired by Spanish architecture and beautiful, historic fountains sprinkled throughout (we are, after all, known as ‘the City of Fountains’ as well). Some of Kansas City’s most beloved traditions have been born on the Plaza, none more highly anticipated than the annual Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Colorful lights are strung up on just about every building within the center’s boundaries, illuminating the shops and fountains for holiday revelers all season long.

100th anniversary

In 2025, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first time the lights appeared on the Plaza – a single strand above the doorway of a single merchant’s building. By the time of the first Christmas lights being hung in 1925, the Plaza itself had been welcoming Kansas Citians, since 1912, when it opened. It wasn’t actually until 1930 that the lighting became an actual publicized event.

“The Plaza Lights grew in scale and became a symbol of the holiday season in Kansas City,” according to an article published on kcyesterday.com. “Each Thanksgiving, nearly 100,000 people gather to witness the illumination ceremony, now considered one of the most significant lighting displays in the country.”

There was a brief hiccup in the tradition in 1973, during America’s energy crisis. President Richard Nixon encouraged Americans to conserve energy; thus, the annual lighting ceremony was cancelled. Later, Nixon might have insisted he was no crook, but that Christmas, he couldn’t deny that he was seen as the Grinch, putting the kibosh on holiday fun for many.