Weekend Possibilities | ‘Elf,’ Adult Night at LEGOLAND and Martina McBride Ultimate Weekend Checklist

Make like Santa and check this list twice. There’s plenty of holiday fun coming to town, from Martina McBride’s Christmas tour to a Hanukkah Glow Party at “The J.”

Friday, Dec. 16

5 – 8 p.m. Legoland Discovery Center, 2475 Grand Blvd., is leaving the lights on late for an Adult Night Ugly Sweater Holiday Party. Those aged 18 and up will be able to enjoy LEGOLAND’s mind-blowing exhibits kid-free, compete in builds based on holiday movie scenes and partake in an ugly sweater competition. Those 21 and up will get their first drink for free. Tickets are $19.99, plus tax.

5:45 p.m. Step away from the stress of the holiday season Friday night with Blue River Forest Experience’s Winter Solstice Luminary Walk, 17315 Antioch Road. The garden and forest paths will be lined by candlelight, as visitors stroll the grounds to the sounds of relaxing music. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. Be sure to register in advance. Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and $6 for children under 18.

7:30 p.m. Make the short trip west to Lawrence, where a production of Drunken Christmas Carol is on the books for two nights at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. The intimate and hilarious performance of the holiday classic includes audience participation, so don’t be shy. Tickets start at $20. The show is recommended for those 18 and older.

Saturday, Dec. 17

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kansas City Parks and Recreation and the Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., will provide a history lesson Saturday that will look back millions of years. Around Since The Dinosaurs is an interactive experience led by nature experts that will feature encounters with possums and turtles, plus a lesson on bats – all creatures that have been around since the dinosaurs.

10:30 a.m. Kansas-native Martina McBride is returning to familiar territory Saturday night as part of her The Joy of Christmas Tour. The Grammy-nominated country music star will take the stage at the Midland Theater, 1228 Main St., to celebrate the holidays with fans, playing seasonal tunes and more from her repertoire. Tickets at the door start at $49.50, plus tax and fees.

5:30 – 8:30 p.m. “The Farm” at KC Pumpkin Patch and KC Wine Co., 13875 S. Gardner Road, is decked with the sights and sounds of the holidays for a KC Winter Wonderland experience for the entire family. Grab tickets before it’s too late to check out light displays, get in on plenty of photo opportunities and enjoy snacks, drinks and games alongside friends and family. Tickets are $12.95.

6 – 11 p.m. Sar Ko Par Trails Park’s, 14915 W. 87th St., Sar-Ko Aglow is a free light display and the perfect space for an evening stroll filled with holiday spirit. As soon as the sun sets, thousands of colorful bulbs will illuminate the park and reflect from the water in Rose’s Pond. The display will remain in place through January.

Sunday, Dec. 18

Noon – 5 p.m. As production picks up at the North Pole, the big man himself will be rounding out the Christmas list this weekend at Santa’s Gingerbread Station inside Crown Center, 2405 Grand Blvd. A professional photographer will be on hand to snap and sell photo packages for $12. You are also welcome to take pictures of your own. Be sure to check out the full slate of holiday fun at Crown Center online in advance.

3 – 5 p.m. Games, crafts, food and fun are on the docket for Sunday afternoon’s Hanukkah Glow Party at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115th St. Designed for children ages 8 and up, the blacklight family dance party to the tunes of DJ Stann is $5 per family.

3:45 p.m. An all-time classic is coming to the big screen at Screenland Armour, 408 Armour Road, Sunday afternoon. The North Kansas City theater’s matinee screening of “Elf” will be movie-goers last chance to laugh along with Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf, who takes on the challenge of adapting to life and spreading Christmas cheer in New York City, far from his home at the North Pole. Tickets are $8.

Clarence Dennis is audience and digital content strategist with Flatland.