'Holidays Come Alive' This Today with Lighting Ceremony and More at Union Station

The "Holidays Come Alive" this Saturday, November 18th, at Union Station during a day filled with festive family activities and concluding with a spectacular holiday lighting ceremony. The celebration continues a Kansas City tradition, kicking off the start to a season spent with family and friends.

Plan to arrive early and stay all day. Remember there's no need to bundle up the kids because it's warm inside no matter what the weather is outdoors. There will be plenty of family photo opportunities (think holiday cards!) with our larger than life holiday décor. And concessions will be available throughout the day. The fun starts at 10 AM with hands-on family friendly activities. The highlight event of the day will begin at 6:30 PM when the magic of the holidays begins. The historic Station will be illuminated with colorful lights and will come alive with an all-new stage and aerial performance by Quixotic. Plus, the perennial holiday favorite, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, will be running in the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre throughout the day for only $3 per person.

"Kansas City's historic home becomes even more magical during the holidays," George Guastello, president and CEO of Union Station, said. "And this year, we have added even more spectacular and memorable holiday experiences for the entire family. To kick off the season, join us this Saturday for a full day of music, activities, nostalgia and celebration. All of our award-winning attractions will be open, including Mummies of the World, now in its final weeks. Then at 6:30 pm, the Station will be transformed into an enchanted wonderland featuring Quixotic and their creative genius. They have built their performance around a snow day theme in which children create an ice creature that comes to life. Aerialists, silk dancers, magical reindeer standing eight feet tall, hand balancers, LED jugglers, huge inflatable ornaments all help bring the holidays alive in an unexpected and utterly magnificent way. This is a day you won't want to miss!"

Saturday, November 18th Activities Include:
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Hands on Activities provided by Maker Studio and Strawberry Swing in Grand Plaza
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM - Letters to Santa in Model Rail Experience

Holiday Main Stage Features in Grand Plaza:
10:00 - 10:45 AM - School of Rock
11:00 - 11:15 AM - Starlight Stars from Starlight Theater
11:20 - 11:30 AM - Mrs. Claus
12:30 - 1:30 PM - 3 Amigos Mariachi Band
1:00 - 4:00 PM - Balloon Artist and Sister Act Face Painters
2:00 - 2:45 PM - Dan Riggs Big Band
3:00 - 3:45 PM - STEAM TEAM
4:00 - 4:45 PM - Miller Marley Youth Ballet
5:00 - 6:00 PM - Gaby Lucas House of Dance
6:30 - 7:00 PM - Holiday Lighting Ceremony Featuring Quixotic
7:00 - 7:30 PM - The Snow Globes
7:00 - 9 PM - Free rides on mini train; Astro Botanical Garden in Haverty Family Yards

Two new features to this year's holiday extravaganza include an impressive exterior light show and Astro Botanicals.

The exterior of the Station will come alive in a dazzling holiday light show every evening on the half hour. This new choreographed display will not only entertain but add to the festive illumination of the downtown skyline.

Astro Botanicals visits Kansas City for the first time and ONLY at Union Station through December 31st. Guests will experience a bold, new sculpture garden that's going to catch the eye of nature lovers, art enthusiasts and will capture the hearts of the playful. Just outside Science City in the new Haverty Family Yards, eight inflatable sculptures between eight and 15 feet tall will "grow" in a unique and fantastical exhibition. Astro Botanicals are the brainchild of California-based Stan Clark, a fabric artist who hand sews these giant ornamental pieces where architecture, geometry and nature come together. His inflatable designs are purposefully massive in scale, so their multi-colored light displays give off a magical aura.

"In the daytime they appear to be bigger-than-life ice sculptures, and at night, Astro Botanicals are illuminated in holiday colors for a dreamy winter wonderland feel," Tammy Ruder, Special Events Manager at Union Station, said.

For a complete lineup of family friendly events that last all season long, visit UnionStation.org/Holidays.

Union Station Kansas City -- a 501(c)3 non-profit organization -- is a 100-year-old historical landmark and celebrated civic asset renovated and reopened to the public in 1999. The organization -- dedicated to science education, celebration of community and preservation of history -- is home to Kansas City's internationally-awarded Science Center; the popular Model Railroad Experience; the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium; the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre, H&R Block City Stage featuring live theater, and a selection of unique shops and restaurants. Union Station is also home to prominent area civic organizations and businesses, and regularly hosts world-class traveling exhibitions. Awarded "Top Banquet Facilities in KC" by KC Business Journal, the facility regularly hosts community events and private celebrations of all sizes. Visit WWW.UNIONSTATION.ORG for details. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

To post a comment, you must register and login.