guides

Kansas City Santa and Holiday Character Appearances

A guide to all the best places you can see Santa & Friends in KC this year!

By Melissa Basgall, Editor and Publisher, Macaroni KID JoCo November 18, 2021

Make your list and check it twice! Here's our list of Santa and other holiday character appearances happening in Kansas City this holiday season! From Mr. Grinch and Cindy Lou to the man in red himself, all your holiday favorites are popping up across Kansas City season long!


This guide has been made possible by: Inspired Play Cafe


Pre-sale tickets to these festive opportunities with Santa and the Grinch are available now.
Click here to purchase tickets for the Overland Park Location
Click here to purchase tickets for the NEW Merriam Location




Note: Make sure to double-check specific dates, availability, and pricing, as they may change each year. Reservations are strongly recommended for all Santa train events, as these can sell out quickly due to high demand during the holiday season!


Daily Appearances


Santa's Gingerbread Station at Crown Center - All aboard for a favorite holiday tradition at Crown Center! Kids and families can meet and have their photo taken with Santa Claus. A professional photographer will be on-site to take photos for a fee, or you may take your own. See Santa November 29-December 24, 2024. Click here for more information!

Meet Santa at Zona Rosa - It's that magical time of year and we love being part of your holiday traditions! Come visit Santa in his Winter Wonderland at The Grove at Zona Rosa on select dates November and December. Online reservations highly recommended but not required. Walk-ins welcome. Click here to make a reservation and click here to view Santa's schedule.

Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s - Experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Wonderland at your local Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s! Now-December 24. Click here to make a free reservation!

Oak Park Mall - Continuing the tradition of hosting Santa to meet and greet all kids and kids-at-heart. Visits are always free, photo packages are available for purchase. Learn more about Santa's whereabouts, click here to visit the Santa's Workshop page.

Holiday Reflections at Union Station: Roaming Santa November 22-December 24 (closed Thanksgiving). Click here for the full schedule


Appearances By Date


There's no better way to get into the spirit of the season than by spending time with Santa Claus and his crew. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities to do just that throughout the holiday season. From local malls to community events and everything in between, there's no shortage of festive fun to be had. Our list includes all the best places to see Santa, from traditional photo ops to pancake breakfasts and other special events. So grab your family and friends and get ready to make some memories that will last a lifetime. Don't forget your wish list!

November 23

Santa Saturdays at Park Place

Santa's Workshop at Pack's Hardware!

Zona Rosa Holiday Lighting Ceremony

November 29

See Santa at Bright at Bluhawk’s Holiday Tree Lighting!

Santa's Arrival at Crown Center

Santa Saturdays at Park Place

December 6

North KC Mayor's Tree Lighting + Santa + Festive Fun!

North KC Mayor's Tree Lighting + Santa + Festive Fun!

Santa at Crestwood Shops

Christmas in the Courtyard in Merriam

December 7

Santa's Express at Ag Hall of Fame

Santa Saturdays at Park Place

Holiday Slime with Santa at Inspired Play Cafe

Breakfast with Santa in Merriam

Santa at Crestwood Shops

See Santa at Shoal Creek Museum

See Santa a CandyLand Christmas in Smithville

Santa 'Paws' in the Park at Loose Park Rose Garden

Holiday Nights at Atkins-Johnson Farm and Museum

Breakfast with Santa at Leavenworth Riverfront Community Center

December 14, 2023

Santa Saturdays at Park Place

Playtime with Mr. Grinch at Inspired Play Cafe

Donuts with Santa at Boho Brewing

Santa at the Firestation in Smithville

December 21, 2023

Snowglobe Creation with Santa at Inspired Play Cafe

Santa Saturdays at Park Place

December 22, 2023

Play + Private Photos with Santa at Inspired Play Cafe

 December 23

Cookies+Storytime with Santa at Inspired Play Cafe


Are you hosting a Santa event you'd like listed? Submit your event to the calendar for its part of town by clicking the link below:

North KC: northlandkansascity.macaronikid.com/events/submit

Overland Park-Olathe-Shawnee-Lenexa: overlandpark.macaronikid.com/events/submit

Downtown-South KC: downtownkansascity.macaronikid.com/events/submit

Gardner-Spring Hill-Paola: paola.macaronikid.com/events/submit

WyCo/Leavenworth Co: kansascityks.macaronikid.com/events

SouthEast KC (includes Independence, Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit) sekansascity.macaronikid.com/events/submit


For more holiday fun, including character appearances, light shows, holiday pop-up bars, and more, check out the complete Family Guide to The Holidays in Kansas City!