Christmas Events for Kids in Lee's Summit (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit for 2026, and here is what he found: 6 family events, 3 of them free. The magic runs from November 20 (Mayor's Tree Lighting) through December 19, with Trip the Light Bike Ride (November 22), Selfies with Santa (from November 28) and Skate with Santa (December 12) along the way. We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Missouri Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Lee's Summit

  • 6 Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit
  • 3 free events, including Mayor's Tree Lighting, Selfies with Santa and Story Time with Santa
  • Meet Santa: 6 chances, including Mayor's Tree Lighting (November 20) and Trip the Light Bike Ride (November 22)
  • Parades and tree lightings: Mayor's Tree Lighting (November 20)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show, 1 Christmas light display, 1 Christmas market and 2 story times
  • Season: November 20 (Mayor's Tree Lighting) to December 19 (Selfies with Santa)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Free Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit

Tree lightingFree

Mayor's Tree Lighting

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Downtown Lee's Summit lights a new 45-foot Christmas tree at Green Street in an evening themed Home for the Holidays. Before the ceremony there are holiday vendor booths, warm drinks and treats, free kids' activities in the market building and live music on the covered lawn, and sponsor booths give out a complimentary keepsake ornament. Santa makes his entrance at the end of the live program and stays for photos.

The event is Friday, November 20, 2026 at Green Street, 209 SE Green Street. Doors open at 5:00 pm, the live program and tree lighting start at 6:00 pm, and photos with Santa and sing-along music run from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The kids' activities and Santa photos are free, and downtown shops and restaurants stay open late.

Parent tip: Arrive close to 5:00 pm so the kids can do the activities in the market building before the 6:00 pm program draws everyone to the tree. Bring your own camera for the Santa photos that begin at 6:30 pm.

Host
Explore Lee's Summit (opens in a new tab)
Address
Green Street, 209 SE Green Street, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Explore Lee's Summit (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 5 more Lee's Summit events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 6 Santa
  • 2 Lights
  • 2 Story time
  • 2 Zoos and museums
  • 3 Free

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Santa visitFree

Selfies with Santa

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Santa settles in at the Lee's Summit History Museum downtown and poses for photos with anyone who stops by. Families take the pictures themselves, so bring a phone or camera.

He is at the museum on four Saturdays, November 28, December 5, December 12 and December 19, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at 220 SW Main Street. There is no cost to take part and all ages are welcome. Pets are not allowed in the museum.

Parent tip: With four Saturdays to choose from, you can pick the one that fits around other downtown plans. Leave the dog at home, since pets cannot come into the museum for the photo.

Host
Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street (opens in a new tab)
Address
Lee's Summit History Museum, 220 SW Main Street, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street (opens in a new tab)

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Story time with SantaFree

Story Time with Santa

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Santa reads a few of his favorite holiday stories at the Budget Blinds showroom on Main Street, then poses for pictures with families. The evening is set up as an easy way to get a family photo with Santa, and it also collects food for Coldwater.

It is Wednesday, December 2, 2026 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Budget Blinds of Lee's Summit, 239 SE Main St. The event is free. Donations for Coldwater are accepted, with a wish list that includes creamy peanut butter, mac and cheese cups, fruit cups, granola bars, oatmeal packets and cash.

Parent tip: Let your child choose something from the donation list, such as fruit snacks or applesauce pouches, to hand over on the way in. The event listing shows two end times, 6:30 pm and 7:00 pm, so plan to arrive well before 6:30.

Host
Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street (opens in a new tab)
Address
Budget Blinds of Lee's Summit, 239 SE Main St, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street (opens in a new tab)

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Rally researches Christmas events in Lee's Summit daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lee's Summit.

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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Holiday lights

Trip the Light Bike Ride

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Families pedal a 4.5-mile course through Jackson County's Christmas in the Park, passing more than one million lights and hundreds of illuminated displays on two wheels. The ride begins at the Frank White, Jr. Sports Complex and follows County Park Road through the display. Santa poses for photos at the Bike Shack tent in the complex parking lot before riders set off.

The course is open Sunday, November 22, 2026 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Park and unload at Longview Community Center or MCC Longview, then enter by the ramp off the Community Center parking lot. Bike lights and helmets are required for the night ride, and the listing gives no price or registration details.

Parent tip: A 4.5-mile ride in the dark suits kids who are steady on their own bike or small enough for a trailer or child seat. Check before leaving home that every bike has a working light and every rider a helmet, since both are required.

Host
Explore Lee's Summit (opens in a new tab)
Address
Frank White, Jr. Sports Complex, 3901 SW Longview Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64081 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Explore Lee's Summit (opens in a new tab)

New Lee's Summit events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Lee's Summit daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lee's Summit.

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Santa visit

Skate with Santa

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Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation brings Santa to the Summit Ice rink for its annual holiday skate, where kids can meet him and share the ice with him. The rink is dressed with twinkle lights and a holiday tree that makes a ready backdrop for a family photo.

It runs Saturday, December 12, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Summit Ice, 120 NE Chipman Road. The listing does not give admission or skate rental prices, so check with Parks and Recreation before you go.

Parent tip: Selfies with Santa at the History Museum runs 3:00 to 5:00 pm the same day, so both can fit into one outing. At the rink, pack gloves and a warm hat, and take the photo by the tree early, before little legs tire.

Host
Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)
Address
Summit Ice, 120 NE Chipman Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64063 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation (opens in a new tab)

New Lee's Summit events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Lee's Summit daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lee's Summit.

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Santa and Mrs. Claus

Storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus

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Santa and Mrs. Claus visit the Colbern Road Library Center to read a story to the children. Afterward, kids can tell Santa what they are hoping for this Christmas and pose for photos if they wish.

The program is Wednesday, December 16, 2026 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in Community Rooms 1 and 2. It is open to all ages and registration is required through Mid-Continent Public Library. The library asks families to register only the children taking part.

Parent tip: Sign up early and register just your children, not the adults coming with them. If this evening does not suit, the same storytime is offered at other Mid-Continent branches on different December dates.

Host
Mid-Continent Public Library (opens in a new tab)
Address
Mid-Continent Public Library, Colbern Road Library Center, 1000 NE Colbern Rd, Lee's Summit, MO 64064 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Mid-Continent Public Library (opens in a new tab)

New Lee's Summit events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Lee's Summit daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Lee's Summit.

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We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Missouri Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Lee's Summit Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Mayor's Tree Lighting in Lee's Summit on November 20; the last runs to December 19. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Missouri Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Independence, MO, Kansas City, MO, Climax Springs and Osage Beach. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2026 Christmas events are coming in late November

More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.

The story of Christmas in Lee's Summit

The biggest Christmas display in Lee's Summit began as a challenge. In 1987 a Jackson County executive asked parks staff to build a winter wonderland at Longview Lake, and they had about three months to get it done.

How Lee's Summit celebrates

Downtown, the season has opened with the Mayor's Tree Lighting for more than 30 years, according to a 2023 news report. For much of that time the ceremony was held at Howard Station Park, with choir performances, a visit from Santa, late-night shopping and live window displays in the storefronts. By 2025 it had moved to Green Street. On the west side of town, Jackson County's Christmas in the Park has lit up the Longview Lake area since 1987, and Christmas in the Sky has opened it with a stage show and fireworks since 1997. The Lee's Summit Magic Tree, lit each November, has drawn visitors for more than a decade.

Christmas last year in Lee's Summit

In 2025 the Mayor's Tree Lighting was held on November 21 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at 209 SE Green Street, with live music, window displays, a holiday light show and Santa, and organizers collected toys and teen hygiene products. Jackson County held its 27th annual Christmas in the Sky on November 26 at Longview Lake Beach with fireworks at 8:00 pm, and the 38th annual Christmas in the Park ran from November 26 through December 31 with a Magical Gifts of Christmas theme. The Magic Tree was lit the same night at Paragon Star, in what a local TV report called its 12th year, with visitors from Poland and Denmark in the crowd.

Fun facts about Christmas in Lee's Summit

Christmas in the Park started with about 30 displays and 100,000 lights, and the county now counts more than one million lights and 200 animated displays. About 300,000 guests visit each year. Admission is free, and voluntary donations collected at the exit have added up to more than $1.3 million for over 1,000 area charities. In 2020, when the tree lighting was streamed online, more than a dozen downtown storefronts still staged window displays with live mannequins.

Traditions today

  • Mayor's Tree Lighting: Downtown's kickoff ceremony has opened the holiday season for more than 30 years and now takes place at Green Street.
  • Live window displays: Downtown storefronts stage holiday scenes with live mannequins on tree lighting night.
  • Christmas in the Park: Jackson County's free drive-through display near Longview Lake has run since 1987 and now has more than one million lights.
  • Christmas in the Sky: A stage show and fireworks at Longview Lake Beach on Thanksgiving Eve open the county's light display, a tradition that began in 1997.
  • Lee's Summit Magic Tree: A brightly lit tree at Paragon Star, visible from Interstate 470, is switched on each November and collects toys for Operation Toy Soldier.
  • Santa at the History Museum: Santa greets families at the Lee's Summit History Museum on Saturday afternoons between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

A fact for kids

At Christmas in the Sky, Santa arrives by sleigh at the Longview Lake beach, and then fireworks light up the sky to open more than a million Christmas lights.

Questions about Christmas in Lee's Summit

How long has Lee's Summit held the Mayor's Tree Lighting?

A 2023 news report said the Mayor's Tree Lighting had launched the downtown holiday season for more than 30 years. At that time it was organized by Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street and held at Howard Station Park, with the lights switched on at 6:30 pm on a Friday.

Where is the Lee's Summit tree lighting held now?

The ceremony is at Green Street, 209 SE Green Street, in downtown Lee's Summit. The 2025 lighting took place there on November 21, and the 2026 event on Friday, November 20 features a new 45-foot Christmas tree, with doors at 5:00 pm and the lighting program at 6:00 pm.

What are the live window displays in downtown Lee's Summit?

On tree lighting night, downtown shops turn their front windows into holiday scenes with real people posing as mannequins. In 2020 more than a dozen storefronts took part, and one shop owner compared the effect to a snow globe. One window was planned around the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.

When did Christmas in the Park begin?

Christmas in the Park opened in 1987. A Jackson County executive challenged the parks department to create a winter wonderland, and staff built it in about three months. On opening night the line of cars stretched farther than anyone expected. It started with roughly 30 displays and 100,000 lights.

How big is Christmas in the Park today?

Jackson County says the display has more than one million lights and 200 animated displays, and it draws about 300,000 guests a year. The entrance is at the Frank White, Jr. Softball Complex on Longview Park Road. New displays are added each year.

Does Christmas in the Park cost anything?

Admission is free. Visitors can make a voluntary donation as they exit, and the county says those gifts have raised more than $1.3 million for over 1,000 area charities since the event began. In 2025 a portion of the proceeds went to 36 local charities.

What is Christmas in the Sky?

Christmas in the Sky is the opening celebration for Christmas in the Park, held at Longview Lake Beach on the night before Thanksgiving. It began in 1997 and includes a holiday stage show, fireworks and Santa's arrival. In 2025 gates opened at 5:00 pm and fireworks started at 8:00 pm.

What is the Lee's Summit Magic Tree?

The Magic Tree is a lit tree that has been a local holiday stop for more than a decade. It now stands at the Paragon Star sports complex, where it can be seen from Interstate 470. The lighting ceremony is free, and visitors are encouraged to bring a new toy for Operation Toy Soldier.

What happened in Lee's Summit during Christmas 2025?

The Mayor's Tree Lighting was held on November 21 at Green Street. On November 26, Christmas in the Sky opened the 38th Christmas in the Park, which ran through December 31, and the Magic Tree was lit at Paragon Star with visitors from as far away as Poland and Denmark.

When do the big Lee's Summit holiday traditions happen in 2026?

The city's tourism calendar lists the Mayor's Tree Lighting on November 20, 2026, the Magic Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 24, and Christmas in the Sky and the opening day of Christmas in the Park on November 25. Selfies with Santa at the History Museum begins November 28.

Sources

  1. You better watch out: These festive Lee's Summit holiday events are coming to town, AOL News
  2. Christmas tree lightings, holiday displays across Kansas City area 2025, Nexstar Media via Yahoo News
  3. Jackson County Parks + Rec lights up the holiday season with Christmas in the Sky and Christmas in the Park (November 19, 2025), Jackson County, Missouri
  4. Christmas in the Park turns 35: here's how it came to be, Kansas City Magazine
  5. Holiday window displays to come to life during tree lighting in downtown Lee's Summit, KMBZ / Audacy
  6. Lee's Summit Magic Tree Lighting Ceremony at Paragon Star, Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce
  7. Visitors from Poland and Denmark among those enjoying holiday traditions at Lee's Summit Magic Tree, KSHB 41 Kansas City
  8. Mayor's Tree Lighting (2026 event listing and calendar), Explore Lee's Summit

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Missouri city.

Lee's Summit Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit to start with?

Begin with the Mayor's Tree Lighting on Friday, November 20, 2026 at Green Street, which has free kids' activities, live music and Santa's arrival. After that, Selfies with Santa runs on four Saturdays at the History Museum, and Story Time with Santa is on Wednesday, December 2 on Main Street.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Lee's Summit?

Yes. Selfies with Santa at the Lee's Summit History Museum costs nothing on November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19, 2026. Story Time with Santa on December 2 is free, with food donations for Coldwater welcome. The Mayor's Tree Lighting on November 20 offers free kids' activities and photos with Santa.

Where can kids meet Santa in Lee's Summit?

Santa has several stops. He arrives at the Mayor's Tree Lighting on November 20, 2026, poses at the History Museum on four Saturdays from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, reads stories at Budget Blinds on December 2, skates at Summit Ice on December 12, and visits the Colbern Road Library Center with Mrs. Claus on December 16.

Where can families see Christmas lights in Lee's Summit?

The new 45-foot tree at Green Street is lit on November 20, 2026. Jackson County's Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake has more than one million lights, and the Trip the Light Bike Ride on Sunday, November 22 lets families ride a 4.5-mile course through the displays from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.

Which Lee's Summit holiday events need sign-up?

Storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Colbern Road Library Center on December 16, 2026 requires registration, and the library asks you to register children only. The tree lighting, Selfies with Santa and Story Time with Santa are walk-up events. The bike ride and Skate with Santa listings do not mention registration.

Can kids skate or ride bikes with Santa in Lee's Summit?

Both, in a way. Skate with Santa is Saturday, December 12, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Summit Ice, where Santa joins skaters on the rink. At the Trip the Light Bike Ride on November 22, Santa is at the Bike Shack tent for photos before the ride, and helmets and bike lights are required.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Lee's Summit?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Missouri Christmas train rides guide. This Lee's Summit guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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