The Streetcar Runs to the River This Holiday Season, but Most of the Free Events Are at the Other End
Starting Friday, Nov. 27, CPKC Stadium will be filled with teal lights and KC Current-themed displays, built around a 26-foot tree that can be seen from the Bond Bridge. The KC Streetcar's 0.7-mile Riverfront extension opened for passenger service on May 18, 2026, and it now carries riders from UMKC to Berkley Riverfront. That makes this the first December the tree can be reached on the same free line that runs past Crown Center and City Market.
Downtown's holiday season now runs along one line, and its two ends work differently. The south end has the free, walk-up traditions. The river end is a timed, ticketed stadium event, and the new district around it is still filling in. If you plan the season around that difference, the evenings get easier.
Friday, Nov. 27, is opening day for the tree lighting, the Hallmark Christmas Experience, and Light Up The Pitch, and the times fit together well.
| Time on Friday, Nov. 27 | What | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. | Santa's arrival | Crown Center Atrium | Free |
| Noon to 9 p.m. | Hallmark Christmas Experience opens | Crown Center | Market and food free; Light Walk ticketed |
| 4 to 10 p.m. entry slots | Light Up The Pitch opens | CPKC Stadium | Ticketed |
| 6 p.m. | Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting with fireworks finale | Crown Center Square | Free |
The tree lighting at Crown Center is free and needs no reservation. Light Up The Pitch runs on reserved time slots, with entry between 4 and 10 p.m. That means opening night takes some planning. Watch the fireworks at Crown Center, then take the streetcar north to a late slot at the stadium. The Riverfront stop is about a five-minute walk from CPKC Stadium. On a Friday, regular service runs until 1 a.m., and the streetcar is free.
The walk-through takes about 60 minutes. Along the route are a winter wonderland, a train depot, a larger-than-life Santa, a s'mores station, and a pit-stop post office where kids can write letters to KC Current players. Early-bird prices of $25 for adults and $15 for kids ended Nov. 4, so the current rates are on the stadium's Light Up The Pitch page. If you drive, parking in the red lot costs $15 and can be bought on site or in advance. The free streetcar to the Riverfront stop is the other option.
Current Landing is the new entertainment district outside the stadium, developed by Palmer Square. It is being promoted as the place to eat and drink before and after the lights, with its own decorations, a large Christmas tree, and movies on the big screen. The district is still being built out, and Revel is the one bar and restaurant there with a reported opening date.
The anchor is Revel, an upscale sports bar on the outdoor plaza across from the stadium entry. The Kansas City Star reported that it opened to the public on Saturday, Oct. 10, after an invite-only soft opening that drew just over 300 people. Owners Shawn Lawson and Danney Elmore built it as an offshoot of their Overland Park location on West 119th Street. According to the Star, the riverfront menu has fewer pastas, different burgers, and a few more upscale appetizers. The interior uses wood, leather, and marble, and there are TVs throughout. A Patrick Mahomes statue stands at the entryway.
Next is Pitchside, the coffee brand owned by six current and former NWSL players, including former Current forward Kristen Hamilton and Current defender Elizabeth Ball. It is moving from the Crossroads to a permanent home at Current Landing that was announced for mid-November. The new space is planned as an all-day stop with wellness drinks in the morning and cocktails at night, open into the late evening. If it opens on that schedule, the walk from the Riverfront stop will have a second place to stop before Light Up The Pitch's opening weekend.
Current Landing has also announced several more tenants:
Once these places open, the riverfront end will have more to do than the stadium's timed slots. This December, the Light Up The Pitch ticket is still the main reason to ride to the end of the line, and Revel is where to eat before or after.
The weekend calendars at the two ends follow different patterns. Here is the season in order, with the location for each date:
Because of that last stretch, the river end runs two weeks longer than the market and the Hallmark event. After Dec. 20, Crown Center's free events wind down, while the stadium keeps going nightly into the new year. Only the Ice Terrace stays open longer, into mid-March.
The Hallmark Christmas Experience runs Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. The market and food are free, and the Light Walk requires a ticket. On a December Saturday, you can do Merry Market in the morning, Crown Center in the afternoon, and a stadium time slot in the evening, all on the same free streetcar line.
Regular service runs Sunday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Streetcars come every 10 to 15 minutes at peak times and every 12 to 18 minutes off-peak. Even the last 10 p.m. entry slot at the stadium finishes well before the last car on any night of the week.
Holidays change the hours. The KC Streetcar Authority runs an adjusted schedule on its designated service holidays, which include Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Last year, Thanksgiving service ran from 7 a.m. to midnight, with extra cars at peak times for the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ran from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and New Year's Eve service was extended until 2 a.m. The Grinch Weekend dates include Christmas week and New Year's Eve, so check the 2026 hours on kcstreetcar.org before planning a late ride on any of those nights.
Fall track work finished ahead of schedule, and full service between the Riverfront and UMKC resumed on Oct. 15. The whole line is running in time for the season.
If this season's Crown Center-to-riverfront evenings have you thinking about where downtown fits in your next move, The Gamble Group knows these blocks and the streetcar stops along them. We're glad to talk through what living near either end of the line would mean for you. Schedule a Consultation whenever the timing feels right.
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