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Kansas City flips the switch this weekend — plazas glowing, Christmas trees lit, lounges humming. From holiday markets to cozy speakeasy jazz, here’s the sharpest way to navigate Thanksgiving weekend without slipping into a tryptophan coma. Let’s get you moving.
I’ll see you at the bar.
—Jay, SecretKC editor
🕯️ The Whisper — Thanksgiving Highlights
KC Bones · 8:30 PM @ Westsider (Westport)
Local blues-rock warmup to shake off the holiday haze.
🔗 mikekellyswestsider.com
Mark Slimm Duo · 6:00 PM @ Green Lady Lounge
Straight-ahead KC jazz in a dim red room — the purest Thursday play.
🔗 greenladylounge.com
Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony · 6:30 PM
The city’s most iconic holiday moment — live music, fireworks, millions of jewel-tone lights.
🔗 visitkc.com/plaza-lights
DJ Ashton Martin & DJ Highnoone — 4-Deck Set · 9:00 PM (Wed/Thu, Nov 27)
The Plaza Lighting After-Party!! A high-energy DJ-driven dance experience.
🔗 O’Dowds
House Picks
Our editor’s go-to rooms for cocktails, music, and unmistakable KC atmosphere.
The Monarch — Country Club Plaza
Gold-accented, elegant, and precision-driven. One of KC’s sharpest cocktail rooms and a flawless date-night opener.
🔗 themonarchbar.com
Libations & Co. / 1909 Club — Lee’s Summit
A true speakeasy: candlelit, quiet, and intentional. Serious cocktails, intimate pacing, and the kind of room built for leaning in.
🔗 Libations and Company
Brass Monkey — West Bottoms
Neon, vintage, playful. A cocktail bar with personality, unpretentious energy, and a touch of mischief.
🔗 instagram.com/brassmonkeykc
The Ship — West Bottoms
A back-alley institution pulsing with jazz, funk, and soul. Part bar, part club, fully KC.
🔗 theshipkc.com
Sherri’s Executive Lounge — East Side
Warm lighting, velvet R&B, and grown-night ambiance. A SecretKC anchor and one of the city’s great live-music lounges.
🔗 sherrislounge.com
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Black Friday!
Evergy Festival of Lights @ Powell Gardens
A sweeping winter-lights walk-through across 100+ illuminated acres.
🔗 powellgardens.org/festival-of-lights
Santa’s Workshop @ Powell Gardens
Holiday pop-ups, makers, and cozy seasonal energy at the festival kickoff.
🔗 powellgardens.org/santas-workshop
Sherri’s Executive Lounge — The James Atwood Experience · 8–11 PM
Silky live R&B in a low-lit lounge — classic SecretKC vibe.
🔗 sherrislounge.com
VOO Lounge — Michael Shanks · 8–11:30 PM
Polished guitar-forward groove set inside KC’s most elevated cocktail room.
🔗 vookansascity.com
Season To Risk · 7:00 PM @ recordBar
High-energy punk/alt-rock for a late-night jolt.
🔗 therecordbar.com
MoonShroom & The Western Cuts · 9:00 PM @ Knuckleheads
Bluesy bar heat with a rootsy edge.
🔗 knuckleheadskc.com
Groove Jazz with KC GREEN @ The Ship
Back-alley funk, groove, and brass in the West Bottoms.
🔗 theshipkc.com/music
Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting @ Crown Center
KC’s other major holiday ceremony — family-friendly, festive, and photogenic.
🔗 crowncenter.com/tree-lighting
The Weekend
Holiday Swing Weekend @ Strawberry Swing
KC’s indie-maker holiday market + swing, jazz, and festive outdoor energy.
🔗 strawberryswing.com/holiday-swing
Danielle Nicole · 8:00 PM @ Uptown Theater
Alt-R&B and blues powerhouse with a full-room sound.
🔗 uptowntheater.com
Darryl White Quartet feat. Broc Hempel · 8:30–11 PM @ The Blue Room
A high-level jazz set in the historic 18th & Vine corridor.
🔗 Eventbrite Listing
Jazz Brunch w/ Millie & Dan · Sun 10 AM @ The Phoenix
A smooth brunch session with soulful vocals.
🔗 thephoenixkc.com
Nace Brothers · Sun 1 PM @ Knuckleheads
Roots-rock with a warm afternoon vibe.
🔗 knuckleheadskc.com
Brant Jester · Sun 6:30 PM @ The Majestic
Piano-driven evening jazz in a classic downtown steakhouse setting.
🔗 majestickc.com
Tinsel Tavern @ KC Live! (Power & Light)
A holiday pop-up bar wrapped in lights, ornaments, and nostalgia.
🔗 powerandlightdistrict.com/tinsel-tavern
Date Night Spotlight: Affäre
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
— Virginia Woolf
Affäre is what happens when Crossroads artistry meets German-influenced fine dining — intimate without feeling stiff, modern without losing its soul.
Start with a drink at the bar: their seasonal craft cocktails lean savory and elegant, often built on house infusions and European spirits. Then settle in for plates built for sharing. The menu changes with the seasons and is sourced locally. Can’t decide…go with the Brat Trio. You’re welcome.
The staff has a knack for pacing a date night: never rushed, never absent. Affäre is a move for couples who want dinner to feel like an experience, not an errand — sophisticated, a little European, and absolutely Crossroads. The kind of night that ends with a shared dessert and a slow walk past the galleries outside.
Stay sharp, KC ☾