From Snake Saturday to 816 Day: Your guide to 6 unique KC-area holidays and festivals

Eleanor Nash
·2 min read

On Tuesday, the city’s public fountains will spring to life on Fountain Day. This is one of the numerous Kansas City-specific celebrations that take place every year.

From Snake Saturday to SantaCaliGon Days, the Kansas City area is home to many unique festivals. While some area events are self-explanatory – Plaza Art Fair and Kansas City Airshow, for example.

Whether you’ve lived in the area for years or just moved here, here’s your guide to six unique holidays and festivals celebrated in and around Kansas City.

Kansas Day: Jan. 29

The Sunflower State goes all out for Kansas Day, which marks when the state entered the unionon Jan. 29, 1861. Many schools celebrate with events like making Kansas maps out of graham crackers and learning state trivia, and museums and wildlife centers hold events. While less popular, Missouri Day is held on the third Wednesday in October, though the state entered the union on August 10, 1821.

Snake Saturday: the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patricks’ Parish School marched with a snake in the 2016 Snake Saturday Paradein North Kansas City. SUSAN PFANNMULLER/Special to the Star
St. Patricks’ Parish School marched with a snake in the 2016 Snake Saturday Paradein North Kansas City. SUSAN PFANNMULLER/Special to the Star

For over 40 years, North Kansas City has held the Snake Saturday parade to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Started as a promotion for a local motel, the parade and cook-off can draw over 100,000 spectators. The name refers to the legend of St. Patrick expelling snakes from Ireland.

Fountain Day: April 16

Each April, the city turns on the almost 50 public fountains for the event coined Fountain Day. Known as the City of Fountains, Kansas City has over 200 of these water features.

816 Day: August 16

Leslie Shortey, a master life coach, paused to use her fan in the 90-degree heat on Vine Street during 816 Day. Roy Inman/Special to The Star
Leslie Shortey, a master life coach, paused to use her fan in the 90-degree heat on Vine Street during 816 Day. Roy Inman/Special to The Star

SantaCaliGon Days: Labor Day weekend

The annual Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival in Independence draws huge crowds every year. Joe Ledford/The Kansas City Star
The annual Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival in Independence draws huge crowds every year. Joe Ledford/The Kansas City Star

This Independence festival takes place every Labor Day weekend. It was named after three 19th-century trails that started in Independence: Santa Fe, California, and Oregon. Held annually since 1974, the festival features historical demonstrations, concerts and carnival rides.

Plaza Lighting Ceremony: Thanksgiving

Patty Scholten of Garden City, Missouri, kisses her husband Chris after holiday lights were switched on at the Country Club Plaza during the 93rd annual Thanksgiving night lighting ceremony. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
Patty Scholten of Garden City, Missouri, kisses her husband Chris after holiday lights were switched on at the Country Club Plaza during the 93rd annual Thanksgiving night lighting ceremony. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com

Seeing the Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony is a popular tradition in Kansas City, marking the unofficial start of the holiday season. On the evening of Thanksgiving, 15 blocks light up with thousands of colorful bulbs. The first ceremony took place in 1930.

Do you have more questions about Kansas City traditions? Contact the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.