November 5, 2022

By Julie Cook

All aboard! Make your way to Howard Station Park on Friday, Nov. 18 for the Mayor’s Tree Lighting in Downtown Lee’s Summit. The train depot serves as the perfect backdrop for this year’s theme, “Downtown LS Polar Express.” The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. on SE Main Street. Join your friends and family to celebrate the holiday season and see Mayor Bill Baird light Downtown in thousands of sparkling lights. Guests will enjoy an evening filled with musical performances and a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Complimentary keepsake ornaments will be available at the event sponsor booths on SE Main Street while supplies last.

Musical guests The Dickens Carolers will serenade the crowd with holiday classics. Performances by the Lee’s Summit Elementary Cougar Choir and the Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic High School drumline are sure to get attendees in the holiday spirit. Guests of honor, Santa & Mrs. Claus, will make their debut at 7 p.m. and will be available for photos with children until 8 p.m. Over a dozen shops and restaurants will be open until 8 p.m. for holiday shopping, and eight businesses will showcase Live Window Displays. Downtown Lee’s Summit will look brighter than ever, thanks to an animated holiday light display programmed by the Lee’s Summit High School Robotics Team, Team Driven. The display is made possible by a grant from the Downtown Lee’s Summit Community Improvement District. Families are invited to City Hall Plaza to see the light show through the first week of January.

The Mayor’s Tree Lighting is presented by Security Bank of Kansas City and hosted by Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street and the City of Lee’s Summit. The event is made possible thanks to sponsors Aristocrat Motors, Leaf Filter Gutter Protection, ReeceNichols of Lee’s Summit, and Saint Luke’s East Hospital. For more information on the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and upcoming holiday events in Downtown Lee’s Summit, visit downtownls.org.