KCKidsFun

He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows when you’ve been bad or good…well, you know the drill. For those of us using Santa as a bribe/threat/gentle reminder for good behavior this month, we’ve put together a list of local Kansas City appearances the jolly old elf will be making.

I think you’ll be able to find Santa in just about every corner of the Kansas City metro this year. And I’m sure we’ve missed a few – so feel free to leave the spots we’ve missed in the comments below!

Month-long Appearances

• Crown Center – Santa’s Crayola Christmas Land and Santa’s Gingerbread Village – thru December 31

• Town Center Plaza (Leawood, KS) – thru December 23

• Oak Park Mall (Overland Park, KS) – thru December 24

• Zona Rosa (Northland) – thru December 24

• Independence Center (Independence, MO) – thru December 23

• Metro North Mall (Northland) – thru December 24

• Legends at Village West (Kansas City, KS) – thru December 24

• Great Mall of the Great Plains (Olathe, KS) – thru December 24

• Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops (Olathe, KS and Independence, MO) – thru December 24

• Cabela’s (Kansas City, KS) – December 12 & 13, December 19 & 20

Shorter Appearances

December 4

• Holiday Lights & Festive Sights, Mission KS – 6:15pm to 8:30pm – tree lighting, Santa, Dino O’Dell live and musical fireworks!
• Santa and Carolers – downtown Lee’s Summit – 6pm to 8pm
• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – Gillham Park, 6pm to 8pm

December 5

• A Visit from St. Nicholas, Shoal Creek Living History Museum, Kansas City north – a 19th Century Christmas experience! Take a horse drawn sleigh ride and meet St. Nicholas
• JCPRD’s Breakfast with Santa – 9am to 11am – Roeland Park Community Center – breakfast, games, crafts and SANTA!
• Holiday in the Tropics – meet Tropical Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Kansas City Zoo! – 10am to 2pm
• Santa & Me at Paradise Park, Lee’s Summit – 10am to 2pm
• Holiday Readings (by Madeline & Mrs. Claus), Letters to Santa and holiday crafts – Union Station, KCMO – 10am to 12pm
• Fairy Princess at Kansas City Museum, 10am to 4pm
• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – Penguin Park, 4pm to 6pm
• Santa Train, Belton, Grandview & Kansas City Railroad (Belton, MO) – 10am – Santa, cookies & hot chocolate on the train!
• Father Christmas and Christmases Past with Laura Ingalls Wilder, National Frontier Trails Museum, Independence, MO
• Holiday Fun with Santa, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – 9am to 12pm (breakfast until 10:30am)
• Santa’s Express at the Agricultural Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, KS
• Christmas on the Farm, Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site, Lawson, MO – 2pm to 7pm – caroling, treats, arts & crafts and Father Christmas – FREE!
• Lawrence (KS) Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade – 11am – horse-drawn carriages, wagons & coaches and SANTA!
• Whoville Holidays at City Market (KCMO) – 10am to 2pm – activities, projects, canned food drive, Cindy Lou Who look-a-like contest, photos with the Grinch! (Okay, so this one isn’t exactly Santa…)
• Santa and Carolers – downtown Lee’s Summit – 3pm to 5pm

December 6

• Holiday in the Tropics – meet Tropical Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Kansas City Zoo! – 10am to 2pm
• Santa’s Express at the Agricultural Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, KS
• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – Barry Road Park, 4pm to 6pm

December 11

• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – The Parade, 6pm to 8pm

December 12

• Santa & Me at Paradise Park, Lee’s Summit – 10am to 2pm
• Fairy Princess at Kansas City Museum, 10am to 4pm
• Father Christmas and Lewis & Clark Celebrate Christmas, National Frontier Trails Museum, Independence, MO
• Holiday Fun with Santa, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – 9am to 12pm (breakfast until 10:30am)
• Winter Festival, Whole Foods Market, 119th Street location, OPKS – 11am to 2pm – horse drawn hayrides, kids’ shopping & wrapping and lunch with Santa at 11 or 12 (lunch: $5/person – call 913-663-2951 to register for lunch)
• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – Swope Park (shelter 2), 4pm to 6pm
• Santa’s Express at the Agricultural Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, KS
• Whoville Holidays at City Market (KCMO) – 10am to 2pm – activities, projects, canned food drive, Cindy Lou Who look-a-like contest, photos with the Grinch!

December 13

• Santa’s Express at the Agricultural Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, KS
• KCMO Parks & Rec presents Santa’s Wonderland – Longview Tract, 4pm to 6pm

December 15

• Macy’s Santa National Tour, Summit Fair, Lee’s Summit, MO – 5:30pm to 6:30pm

December 19

• Kansas City Southern Holiday Express, Union Station – 9:30am to 5:30pm – an amazing Santa visit via train! FREE
• Fairy Princess at Kansas City Museum, 10am to 4pm
• Santa & Me at Paradise Park, Lee’s Summit – 10am to 2pm
• Father Christmas, National Frontier Trails Museum, Independence, MO
• Holiday Fun with Santa, Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO – 9am to 12pm (breakfast until 10:30am)
• Lunch with Santa, Gladstone (MO) Hy-Vee, 7117 N. Prospect, 816-452-6500 – 12pm to 2pm – lunch, picture with Santa, treat bag & craft – $10/must RSVP and pay by 12/15 (was sold out last year!)
• Whoville Holidays at City Market (KCMO) – 10am to 2pm – activities, projects, canned food drive, Cindy Lou Who look-a-like contest, photos with the Grinch!

December 20

• Kansas City Southern Holiday Express, Union Station – 9:30am to 5:30pm – an amazing Santa visit via train! FREE

Confession time. Halloween is NOT my favorite holiday.

I know, I know! Everyone else LOVES Halloween. And I do a decent job of faking it for my kiddos. We decorate. We work hard on costumes. We buy too much candy.

It does seem like the entire city is excited about Halloween though. TONS of stuff going on for the whole family around Kansas City over the next few weeks – all related to the spooky All Hallow’s Eve…(including a bunch of Trunk or Treat options for you!)

So, mark your calendars and get some good use out of those costumes!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

• Pumpkins in the Park – Roberts Park, Independence, MO – 4:30pm to 6pm – pumpkin decorating and storytelling – FREE!

Friday, October 23, 2009

• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scary hayrides, candy and much more!
• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• Friday Night Ghost Tours on the Square – Independence (MO) Square – covered wagon ride with ghost tours and historical stops – 7, 8, 9 and 10pm
• Church of the Ascension trunk or treat, 127th and Grant, Overland Park, KS 6:30 pm
• Leawood Freaky Fall Fest, Leawood City Park – 5pm to 9pm
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Enchanted Forest, George Owens Nature Park, Independence – 7pm to 9pm – designed for families with kids 3 to 9
• Spirits of the Past, Missouri Town 1855, Lee’s Summit, MO – ghost stories, hayrides and trick-or-treating through 19th century buildings – 6pm to 9pm – ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ONLY!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scaryhayrides, candy and much more!
• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• Trail of Treats, Woods Chapel Church, Lee’s Summit, MO – 5 to 6pm
• Trick or Treat OFF the Street, Mahaffie Farmstead, Olathe, KS – 5:30pm to 8:30pm
• Enchanted Forest, George Owens Nature Park, Independence – 7pm to 9pm – designed for families with kids 3 to 9
• Mystic Pumpkin Festival, Englewood Station Business District, Independence (Winner & Sterling Rds.) – begins at 4:30pm – pumpkins, the Doo-Dads, haunted fire truck rides and more!
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Spirits of the Past, Missouri Town 1855, Lee’s Summit, MO – ghost stories, hayrides and trick-or-treating through 19th century buildings – 6pm to 9pm – ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ONLY!
• Boo at the Zoo! Kansas City Zoo – all day – trick or treating and Halloween-themed activities!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

• Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church trunk or treat, 11100 College Blvd, OPKS, 3:30pm to 5pm
• Platte Woods UMC trunk or treat, Platte Woods, MO – 4pm to 6pm
• Visitation School trunk or treat, KCMO – 5pm to 6:30pm
• Boo at the Zoo! Kansas City Zoo – all day – trick or treating and Halloween-themed activities!
• Fairy Tale Forest, Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary, Liberty, MO – 5:30pm to 8pm – non-scary Halloween fun for all ages!
• Pre-Halloween Bash hosted by Robichaud Photography and Jonni’s Dance Academy, Eastbrook Plaza, 1839 NW Vivion Rd (Northland) – 1pm to 4pm – FREE trick or treating, games, crafts – professional portraits in Halloween setting for $10

Monday, October 26, 2009

• Ray-Pec Trunk or Treat, Ray-Pec High School, Peculiar, MO – 6pm to 8pm

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

• Pumpkins in the Park – Cler-Mont Park, Independence, MO – 4:30pm to 6pm – pumpkin decorating and storytelling – FREE!
• City of Riverside Trunk or Treat, Riverside (MO) Community Center – 7pm to 8pm

Thursday, October 29, 2009

• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• Trunk or Treat, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 9555 N. Oak, KCMO – 6:30 to 8pm

Friday, October 30, 2009

• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scaryhayrides, candy and much more!
• Midland Railway’s Haunted Train, Baldwin City, KS – 6:30pm, 8pm and 9:30pm
• The Doo-Dads LIVE! at the Record Bar, 1020 Westport Rd., KCMO – 6pm to 8pm
• Friday Night Ghost Tours on the Square – Independence (MO) Square – covered wagon ride with ghost tours and historical stops – 7, 8, 9 and 10pm

Saturday, October 31, 2009

• Spooktacular Halloween Party at Culinary Center of Kansas City (Overland Park) – 10am – $65/parent-child team
• Mildale Farm Fall Fest, Edgerton, KS – 10am to 3pm – hayrides, nature walks, pumpkins, cider, fishing and more!
• Kids Club Halloween Event, Whole Foods, 91st & Metcalf, OPKS – 10am to 12pm – costume parade, goodie bags, decorate a cookie, face painting, balloon artistry – FREE!
• Spooktacular Halloween at Zona Rosa (Northland) – 10am to 12pm – join KidZone and Radio Disney for this not-so-scary Halloween party!
• Spook-ZOO-tacular Fun at the Kansas City Zoo! – 10am to 3pm – costumes, snacks, magicians, ghost stories and Radio Disney!
• Halloween at the Legends, KCKS – 12:30pm to 3:30pm – costumes, trick or treating, DJ, bounce house, games, activities and more!
• Night of the Living Farm, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park, KS – 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Presale $7.00 per person; $8.00 at the gate; children under 1 free. Old-fashioned lanterns and carved pumpkins lead you through pathways of graves and ghouls. There will be games, music and dancing, scary and non-scary hayrides, candy and much more!
• The Great Pumpkin in downtown Overland Park – pumpkin patch, seasonal products, live music, games, crafts -  3pm to 6pm
• Trick or Treat Trail, Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty, Overland Park, KS – 3pm to 6pm – FREE – pumpkin patch, “apple orchard”, candy, crafts, games and more!!
• Culinary Center of Kansas City’s Haunted Kitchen – walk-in event (no reservations) – hands-on treat-making and more – 3pm to 6pm
• Trick or Treating on the Square and Halloween Parade – Independence Square, Independence, MO – 1:30 to 3pm, trick or treating; 3pm, parade
• Justin Roberts LIVE at the Record Bar, Westport Rd., KCMO – 12pm – with special appearance by Mr. Stinky Feet!
• Valley View United Methodist trunk or treat, 8412 W. 95th St. OPKS. 4pm to 5:30pm
• Winnwood Baptist Church trunk or treat, Kansas City North – 6pm to 8pm
• Lee’s Summit United Methodist Church trunk or treat, 114 SE Douglas, Lee’s Summit. 6:30-8:30pm
• Belvidere Heights Baptist Church trunk or treat, 15109 White Avenue, Grandview, MO. 6 to 8pm
• Kansas City Baptist Temple trunk or treat, Raytown, MO – 3pm to 5pm
• Red Bridge Christian Church trunk or treat, south KCMO – 6pm to 8pm
• New Hope Church trunk or treat, Kansas City North – 6pm to 8pm – with games, bounce house and more!

And don’t forget to check out our Pumpkin Patch Directory!!

Labor Day has passed. The Renaissance Festival has come to town. Football and soccer practices fill our calendars. (It’s probably best if I don’t mention that the Chiefs’ season has begun, right?) There’s no two ways about it – fall is here (or at least knocking on the door) in Kansas City.

Moderate temperatures and sunny skies make September and October perfect for Kansas City’s pumpkin patches and apple orchards. Have you been yet? Which are your favorites?

You’ve got many, many choices to pick from this year in Kansas City:

Sponsored Listings

Faulkner’s Pumpkin Farm features tons of fun for the whole family and thousands of pumpkins!  Join us each Tues. and Thurs. in October for HALFY HOUR (1/2 price admission to the huge family play area) from 3:00pm – 4:00pm.  Special Events Every Weekend.  Check out www.faulknerspumpkinfarm.com for more details!

General Listings

Northland:

Alldredge Orchards (Platte City) – apples, pumpkins, playground and more!

Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze (Liberty, MO) – pumpkins, hayrides, train and many other activities

Looper Farms (Holt, MO – just north of Clay County on I-35) – u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrides, trainrides

Pumpkins, Etc. (Platte City, MO) – pumpkins, mums, haystacks and fall decor

Red Barn Farm (Weston, MO) – pumpkins, animals, hayrides and corn maze

Schweizer’s Orchard (St. Joseph, MO) – pick your own apples and pumpkins!

Vaughn Orchard, 816-386-2900 (Weston, MO) – pick your own apples and pumpkins

KCMO:

13th Annual Crown Center Pumpkin Patch (KCMO), Saturday, Oct. 10 @ Crown Center Square

Faulkner’s Pumpkin Farm (Kansas City, MO – south of I-470) – a TON of family-friendly fun!

Cass County, MO (just south of KCMO):

The Berry Patch (just south of Leawood & Martin City) – no blackberries yet for the fall; not sure if there will be pumpkins this year – keep checking their website!

Dunn’s Cider Mill (Belton, MO) – cider and donuts!

Johnson Farms (Belton, MO) – you pick pumpkins, playground, animals and more!

Pumpkins & Pines (Pleasant Hill, MO) – tons of varieties of pumpkins!

Shuck’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch (Pleasant Hill, MO) – HUGE cornfield maze, pumpkins and variety of activities

Johnson County, KS:

KC Pumpkin Patch (Gardner, KS) – TONS of fun things to do (and they have pumpkins!)

Wagon Wheel Orchard (Gardner, KS) – apples but be sure to check the picking report!

Miami County, KS (just south of Johnson County, KS):

Louisburg Cider Mill (Louisburg, KS) – cider, donuts and fun activities!

Louisburg Corn Maze (Louisburg, KS)

Powell Pumpkin Patch (Louisburg, KS) – you pick pumpkins, playground, hayrides, corn maze

Douglas County, KS (just west of Johnson County, KS):

Pendleton’s Country Market (Lawrence, KS) – pick your own pumpkins and more

Schaakes Pumpkin Patch (Lawrence, KS) – you pick pumpkins, hayrides, mazes, animals

Eastern Jackson County, MO:

Sibley Orchards (Sibley, Jackson County, MO) – apples, pumpkins, hayrides & cider!

Wyandotte County, KS:

Kerby Farm Pumpkin Patch (Bonner Springs, KS) – pumpkins, corn maze, hayrides

Our friends over at VisitKC.com put together a terrific Google Map showing most of these locations:
View Fall Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards in a larger map

(And if you haven’t checked out VisitKC.com, what are you waiting for?! It’s a terrific resource for locals and visitors alike.)