The Plaza is an area in South-Central Kansas City which was developed as an upscale shopping area in the early 1930's. It was actually the very first suburban shopping center in the country. The developer sent a group of builders and architects to Seville, Spain, to study Spanish building designs, and then they returned to construct the 15 square block Country Club Plaza shopping area in Kansas City using architecture styles reminiscent of Seville, Spain . . . lots of towers and brick buildings decorated with ceramic tile . . . in the old Spanish style.
For the past 80 years, the buildings in the Plaza have been decorated with Christmas lights. Last night was the Annual Lighting Ceremony. Carole and I did not make the trip to the Plaza to join the crowd of 200,000-300,000 people to view the ceremony in person, but we chose to watch the activities on TV. The "Plaza Lights" are awesome, even on TV, so I took pictures of the lighting ceremony on TV. It is not the same as being there, but it's still awesome . . . all of the Spanish style buildings outlined in Christmas lights.
Even on TV, these images are breathtaking . . .
The towers and spires are also outlined in lights . . .
Windows are outlined as well . . .
. . . and, of course, no celebration would be worthwhile without a fireworks display . . .
. . . and a Christmas ceremony had to include a stage for musical groups, and a choir . . .
For residents of the Kansas City area, as well as many who travel from across the country to experience the annual lighting of the "Plaza Lights", this is almost a religious pilgrimage. What a breathtaking sight, one nearly impossible to describe. Pictures, especially of the TV image, simply do not do it justice.
You really need to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the magnificence of the "Plaza Lights".
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