Leawood's Holiday Season Heads Down Mission Road, With A New Market At Ironwoods

Leawood's city-run holiday calendar for this year is mostly one address. The Lodge at Ironwoods Park, 3640 Ironwoods Court, hosts Jazz & Martinis in November, Breakfast with Santa in December and, new this year, the first Ironwoods Holiday Market on Sunday, Nov. 22. The season's quietest event is a few minutes up the same road at Gezer Park. City Hall at Town Center hosts two events, Cosmic Bingo and the Mayor's Holiday Lighting, and the lighting is the only one built around the season itself.

So if you're planning November and December around what the city puts on, most of your driving will be south on Mission Road. Here's how the season fits together, starting at the park that got a head start this fall.

Ironwoods got its new playground first

Before any holiday events, Ironwoods Park got a new playground. The City of Leawood dedicated it on Friday, Oct. 23. It replaces equipment that dated to the park's opening in 2004. The city's announcement said that after more than 20 years the old pieces had reached the end of their expected life, and replacement parts were getting harder to find as manufacturers discontinued them.

The new playground has a nature theme, a new shade structure, synthetic turf to make it more accessible and new concrete walkways. A bike rack is expected in November. Yilan Park at 12601 Nall Ave. got the same treatment, with a separate play area for ages 2 to 5, ground-level play pieces and swings. Its dedication was Monday, Oct. 19. Both projects were part of the city's 2026 Capital Improvements Program.

The new playground matters for the season because Ironwoods is where much of the holiday calendar takes place. If you're bringing kids to the market or to breakfast with Santa, there's now a new playground just outside.

Three of the season's big events share one Lodge

Look at the city's November and December listings and The Lodge at Ironwoods keeps coming up. Each event there aims at a different crowd and charges a different price.

Jazz & Martinis, Friday, Nov. 6, 7 to 10 p.m. This is the adults-only evening. The city's event page describes a live jazz ensemble, candlelit tables, light appetizers and a complimentary signature drink, followed by a cash bar with beer, wine and specialty martinis. Tickets are $60 for Leawood residents and $70 for nonresidents. Guests must be 21 or older with a valid ID, and registration is through the city's WebTrac system.

Ironwoods Holiday Market, Sunday, Nov. 22, noon to 5 p.m. This is the new event, covered in the next section.

Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 5. The city calls this one an annual tradition. There are three sessions to choose from: 7:45 to 9 a.m., 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., or 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fee is $17 for residents and $19 for nonresidents and covers breakfast and a holiday craft. Children 12 months and under are free but still need to be registered for the headcount. Kids get time with Santa and photos.

The first two Breakfast with Santa sessions are each capped at 130 people. The registration page lists a late-November deadline, so families aiming for a particular time slot should sign up well before Thanksgiving week.

The one new event is a Sunday market

The Ironwoods Holiday Market is the only new item on this year's city calendar. The Leawood Chamber of Commerce announced it in September as its "first-ever Holiday Market" at The Lodge. It recruited local businesses, boutiques, artisans, makers and specialty vendors to fill the room.

Each vendor paid $25 for a 10-by-10 booth and keeps 100% of its sales. Applications closed Sept. 18.

Shoppers get in free with no registration. The Chamber promises holiday music, festive décor and seasonal refreshments, and the city's program listing expects gifts, seasonal décor, handmade goods, clothing and accessories. The market falls on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, giving shoppers a full afternoon of local holiday shopping before Black Friday.

Here's the whole season at a glance

Laid out together, the city's own events this season range from free to $70 a ticket, and four of them are on Mission Road.

Cosmic Bingo is the family event in the middle of November: eight rounds and 16 games of glow-in-the-dark bingo with prizes, in the Oak Room at City Hall.

Town Center's one holiday night is at City Hall

Three days after Cosmic Bingo, City Hall holds the one Town Center event built around the holidays. On Monday, Nov. 16, from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., Mayor Marc Elkins and the Leawood City Council will serve cookies and hot drinks, local students will sing carols, and the crowd helps light up City Hall for the season. It runs about 45 minutes, and the Governing Body's regular meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the same building.

The commercial side of Town Center is busy this fall. Since the Mayor's Lighting brings you there anyway, here's what's new. The Coach Coffee Shop opened Oct. 16 at Town Center Crossing, 5000 W. 119th St., as The Kansas City Star reported ahead of the date and FOX4 covered on opening day. KCTV reported in September that Local Lime Tacos and Margaritas was slated to open on the north side of Town Center Plaza in November, without a specific day. Play Street Museum opened at Town Center on Sept. 9, which gives parents a place to go with kids before or after the lighting.

Two other restaurant announcements this fall won't arrive until next year. The Star reported that CAVA plans an early-2027 opening at 8680 State Line Road in Leawood Village with a car pickup lane, and that Flower Child is planned for late 2027 at 4900 W. 119th St., the former Houlihan's site.

Mission Road brackets the season

The city's last holiday event is back on Mission Road, at the park between Ironwoods and the north end of town. The Solstice Stroll at Gezer Park, 13251 Mission Road, runs Monday, Dec. 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. It's free and needs no registration. The city's listing describes a luminary-lit trail, a campfire and complimentary s'mores, and suggests dressing for the weather, wearing comfortable walking shoes and bringing a flashlight if you want one. The listing gives the West Shelter as the location.

Farther north on the same road, Cornflower Baked Goods opened Aug. 11 at 10555 Mission Road in Mission Farms. KCTV's opening coverage lists pies, cakes, pastries, coffee and savory items, which makes it a handy stop for holiday pie orders or a coffee on the way to a morning event.

If you're planning your holiday weekends around Ironwoods and Gezer, or you have questions about any part of Leawood, I'm happy to help. Dez Poole works with families across Johnson County and Linn County, so schedule a free consultation whenever you're ready to talk.