For the man at the helm of Kansas City’s brightest tradition, the tradition part is important

By Morgan Mobley

Click here for updates on this story

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — What started as a single strand of lights strung over the doorway of the Mill Creek Building in 1925 has become one of the richest holiday traditions in Kansas City.

It’s one of the most spectacular holiday lighting displays in the nation.

Lights have been illuminating Kansas City’s iconic Country Club Plaza for 95 years.

“I love it,” said Matt Deardorff, the Plaza Lights Project Manager. “Sometimes it’s kind of surreal, you know. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m actually in charge of the lights.'”

Deardorff is the man behind it all.

“It’s definitely not just another job,” he said.

It’s a labor of love that actually begins in the hot summer months.

“I normally start hanging them about, the end of August, and it really takes up until Thanksgiving to get them all hung.”

It’s a big operation executed by a very small crew. Deardorff says most people are surprised to learn it’s just three or four people working to get all those lights hung and working.

Together they put together a 15-block holiday display that features thousands of glimmering, jewel-colored lights, accentuating every dome, tower, and window of the iconic plaza architecture.

“It is a challenge on certain buildings,” Deardorff said. “The features on the building make it harder to hang lights, but, like, for instance, the tiles — you have to step lightly so you don’t break them.”

Workers use special trucks with lifts to reach tall places for the domes and towers. They use ropes and shoes just like mountain climbers to keep their footing.

Once all the lights are up and the testing period rolls around, Deardorff’s alarm starts going off in the middle of the night, all for the sake of keeping the sight sacred.

On Thanksgiving Day, families will tune to KMBC 9 or bundle up and head out for the Evergy Plaza Lighting Ceremony.

Meanwhile, Deardorff waits with bated breath for the moment he’s been working tirelessly for: The flip of a switch.

“It’s the — it’s my biggest worry of the whole year. And so, after the lights come on, when they come on, it’s a big relief.”

It’s a tradition unlike any other, and Deardorff plans to remain at the helm for decades to come.

“I take a lot of pride in keeping it the same, making sure it keeps going,” he said. “And then, you know, throughout time, this knowledge has been passed down to hang the Christmas lights. And I think it should stay that way.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.