# Thanksgiving weekend with kids in Kansas City, 2026

> We haven’t found a 2026 Thanksgiving parade in Kansas City with posted details yet. In all we found six Thanksgiving-weekend outings in and around Kansas City: one turkey trot with a kids’ race and five Black Friday weekend picks, and three are free. We also list two places and whether they’re open on Thanksgiving Day.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- 6 listings with dates; 0 not posted or announced yet
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/thanksgiving/
- Free things to do (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/index.md
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/llms.txt

## Turkey trots with kids’ races

- **Kansas City Turkey Trot** at Swope Park, Swope Park. When: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Time: Kids Dash 8:45 a.m.; 5K 9 a.m. Price: See the registration page. For kids: Kids Dash with a finisher award for every child. Official page: https://allcommunity.events/missouri/kansascityturkeytrot/ (checked 2026-10-18)

## Black Friday weekend with little kids

- **Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting** at Crown Center Square, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27, 2026. Time: See official page. Price: Free. Light display opening this weekend. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/mayors-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa Visits at Destination North Pole** at Crown Center Shops, Level 1 Showplace, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2026. Time: Mon–Thu 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun noon–6 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Price: Free visit; own photos free; professional photo packages from $12. Santa visits opening this weekend. New walk-through candy-cane forest exhibit leads to Santa's village. Indoors. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/santa-visits-destination-north-pole (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Santa's Arrival at Crown Center** at Crown Center Shops, Grand Boulevard entrance / Atrium, 2450 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108. When: Nov 27, 2026. Time: 10 a.m. (about 15 minutes). Price: Free. Santa visits opening this weekend. Santa arrives by horse-drawn carriage, then heads to Destination North Pole. Official page: https://www.crowncenter.com/events/santas-arrival-crown-center (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Christmas Breakfast with 'The Mean One'** at KC Pumpkin Patch, Black Barn (KC Jingle Bar), 13875 S. Gardner Road, Olathe, KS 66061. When: Sat Nov 28, Sat Dec 5, Sat Dec 12, Sat Dec 19, 2026. Time: 9 a.m.–noon; choose a 9, 10 or 11 a.m. seating. Price: $20 per ticket; under 24 months free. Santa visits opening this weekend. Grinch-style character breakfast, not Santa. Pancakes, eggs, sausage; come-and-go photo ops. No refunds; transfers allowed. Official page: https://www.kcpumpkinpatch.com/festivals/christmas-breakfasts (checked 2026-10-19)
- **Santa Photos at Independence Center** at Independence Center, 2035 Independence Center Dr, Independence, MO 64057. When: Nov 27–Dec 24, 2026. Time: Most days 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec 24 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; hours change by day, full schedule on the booking page. Price: See photo packages on the booking page. Santa visits opening this weekend. Walk-ups welcome; booking a 15-minute slot online is encouraged (a few families share each slot). Official page: https://whereissanta.com/mall/0425 (checked 2026-10-19)

## Open or closed on Thanksgiving Day

- **The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://nelson-atkins.org/visit (checked 2026-10-18)
- **Arabia Steamboat Museum**: Closed Thanksgiving Day. Source: https://www.1856.com/hours-rates (checked 2026-10-18)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is there a Thanksgiving parade in Kansas City?
We haven’t found 2026 details for a Thanksgiving parade in Kansas City yet. We check again every Thursday and add it as soon as the organizer posts it.

### Are there turkey trots with kids’ races in Kansas City?
Kansas City Turkey Trot: Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Kids Dash with a finisher award for every child.

### What’s open on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City with kids?
Closed on Thanksgiving: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Arabia Steamboat Museum. Check the venue page the morning of, since holiday hours can change.

### What can we do with little kids on Black Friday weekend in Kansas City?
Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting, Santa Visits at Destination North Pole, Santa's Arrival at Crown Center, Christmas Breakfast with 'The Mean One' and Santa Photos at Independence Center. Dates and times are on each card.

### What’s free on Thanksgiving weekend in Kansas City?
Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting, Santa Visits at Destination North Pole and Santa's Arrival at Crown Center are free to watch or attend. More free ideas are on [free things to do in KC](https://littlesweekly.com/kansas-city/free/).

### How do you check these Thanksgiving listings?
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 18, 2026, and we recheck them every Thursday through Thanksgiving week. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).