Weekend Possibilities | Sea of Lights, The Mercury Room and Board Game Brunch

If a broadcast-only Country Club Plaza lighting ceremony is raining on your Thanksgiving parade, perhaps a long weekend of virtual, scheduled entry and football related events will help ease the pain.

Do us a favor, though, and please wear a mask. And save us a turkey leg.

Thursday, Nov. 26

6 p.m. You guessed it. This year’s Plaza Lighting Ceremony will be a broadcast-only event. Make a big plate of food and tune in to the 91st lighting ceremony, which will feature performances by Barnaby Bright, Casi Joy, the Kansas City Symphony, the Kansas City Ballet and more. You can watch the ceremony on KMBC-9 or stream it at KMBC.com. The lights will flip on just before 7 p.m. Gathering in person for the lighting is prohibited.

Friday, Nov. 27

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sea Life Kansas City Aquarium, 2475 Grand Blvd., will once again transform into a dazzling display of underwater lights for the holiday season. Make plans to visit the aquarium at Crown Center for Sea of Lights between Nov. 27 and Jan. 10 to take in a light display unlike any other. If you’re lucky, scuba-diving Santa Claus might make a celebrity appearance. Tickets start at $21.95.

Celebrate the magic of the season’s first snow fall and stream The Snowy Day and other stories by The Coterie Theatre. This year’s Mesner Puppets production of stories from author Ezra Jack Keats will be available to watch on demand starting at $25 for small households. Ticket prices vary depending on household size.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Real Black: a spectrum of the Black present, along with the UMKC Gallery of Art, will host Family Friday this weekend at the campus gallery, 5015 Holmes St. Doors will be open to friends, family and community members outside of regularly scheduled hours for an in-depth look at the Real Black exhibit, which “illustrates both the experiences of living Black artists and visions of the future.” Feel free to bring the whole family. There’ll be a scavenger hunt for children ages 5-10. The open gallery is free. Scheduled entry is required.

Saturday, Nov. 28

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. If you have plans to shop on Small Business Saturday, Bella Patina in the West Bottoms,1320 W. 12th St, should be a required stop. The 25,000-square-foot vintage, antique and consignment shop with over 80 vendors surely has one or two treasures that just might make the perfect holiday gift. Masks are required while shopping.

Holiday Lights Rides are now rolling out of Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road. Whether you have family in town or are looking for something new over the holidays, an old-fashioned trolly ride through the streets Kansas City might do the trick. The light tours take riders past Crown Center and the Plaza Lights, in addition to other stops around town, with holiday tunes playing over the radio. Tours are $20 per person and can be scheduled online.

If you’re needing a night out, make reservations for a night at The Mercury Room, 1800 Walnut St., Suite 1400. The swank new Crossroads cocktail lounge, brought to you by the creators of The Monarch Bar and Verdigris, offers a starry view of the Kansas City skyline, plus a shortlist of finely crafted cocktails. Just a heads up, there’s a dress code.

Sunday, Nov. 29

11 a.m. You can’t eat leftovers forever. Get up Sunday morning and head to Pawn and Pint, 613 Walnut St., for Board Game Brunch. Homesteader Cafe will bring the bites, all you have to do is choose which games to play and how many bottomless mimosas to drink.

3:25 p.m. Alternatively, you can box up those leftovers and bring them to Border Brewing Co., 406 E. 18th St., to watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Border’s watch parties allow outdoor food and require a mask. Be sure to check the taproom’s beer list online to game plan on what goes down the hatch first.