November in Kansas City: Holiday Lights, Local Events, and a Quick Market Update

What’s happening in Kansas City this November?

Short answer: The holiday lights are coming on, the calendar is full, and the October housing numbers give buyers a little more room than they had a year ago, while sellers still need to be sharp on price and prep. Here’s our team’s November roundup: what to do around town, a one-minute look at the market, and a short list to get your house ready before the cold really settles in.

First, a thank-you. We’re heading into Thanksgiving, and we’re grateful for the neighbors, clients and friends who let us be part of their year. If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been with us a while, we don’t take that lightly.

We already shared a week-by-week look at November 11 through 22. This post zooms out a bit: the rest of November, including Thanksgiving week, plus the latest Greater Kansas City market figures.

Things to do around Kansas City this November

Times can shift, so give the organizer’s page a quick look before you head out.

• Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens, opens Thursday, Nov. 19. Select nights from 5 to 10 p.m. through January 3, 2027, out near Kingsville. Opening night is a Thursday, which is usually a little quieter than the weekends. Buy tickets ahead. The gardens are closed Thanksgiving Eve and Day, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve and Day. Dates, tickets and what’s new.
• Mayor’s Holiday Festival in Downtown Overland Park, Friday, Nov. 20, 5 to 8 p.m. The official program and tree lighting are at Clock Tower Landing, 7950 Marty St., from 5:30 to 6 p.m. After that, live music is over at Thompson Park, and there’s a makers market, food trucks and photos with Santa. It’s free. Festival details and Visit Overland Park’s guide.
• Holiday Swing at Union Station, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21 and 22. The Strawberry Swing’s 16th annual open-air, European-style makers market is back where it started, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Haverty Family Yards. It’s free to walk. Event info.
• Chiefs vs. Cardinals, Sunday, Nov. 22, noon kickoff at Arrowhead. Parking lots open 4.5 hours before kickoff. Game details.
• The 97th Plaza Lighting Ceremony, Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 26. This year’s start is earlier than usual so everyone can get home for the Chiefs in Buffalo. Preshow entertainment begins at 5 p.m., the ceremony starts at 5:30 at Nichols Road and Pennsylvania Avenue, and Royals catcher Carter Jensen is set to flip the switch around 6:25 p.m., followed by fireworks. It’s free. The Plaza Lights stay on from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. through mid-January. Visit KC’s ceremony schedule.
• Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting at Crown Center, Friday, Nov. 27, 6 p.m. on Crown Center Square. Youth Chorus KC performs, then remarks and a fireworks finale. Admission is free. Crown Center’s event page.

The Kansas City market in a minute

KCRAR has published the October numbers from Heartland MLS, and they’re worth a closer look if you’re thinking about a move before year’s end.

In October, Greater Kansas City’s median sales price was $330,000, the same as October 2025. The average sales price was $394,762, down 0.9% from a year earlier. Those are metro-wide figures, not a single city or neighborhood, and they don’t include sale concessions or down payment assistance.

A few more October highlights, compared with October 2025:

• Pending sales: 2,506, down 19.8% (about 20% fewer homes went under contract than a year ago)
• Homes on the market: 9,139, up 1.5% from 9,007
• Days on market: 43, compared with 41 a year earlier
• Share of original list price received: 96.4%, compared with 96.9%
• Months of supply: 2.9, unchanged from last October

Source: Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS® and Heartland MLS, Local Market Update for October 2026 (data current as of November 7, 2026).

What this means for buyers and sellers

At 2.9 months of supply, the metro still leans toward sellers. A market is generally considered balanced around six months. Even so, fewer homes going under contract and a little more time on the market can give buyers more room to think, and sometimes more room to negotiate on price or repairs.

If you’re selling, pricing and prep matter even more than they did a year ago. Buyers are comparing options, and homes that come out sharp and priced to the neighborhood still move. Metro numbers can look very different from your street or your price range, so we’ll always look at the local picture with you.

Before the cold sets in

A short list while the weather is still cooperating:

• Schedule a furnace service and swap the filter.
• Clean the gutters once the leaves are down.
• Disconnect garden hoses and cover outdoor faucets before the first hard freeze.
• Check weatherstripping around doors and windows.
• Flip ceiling fans so they run clockwise on a low speed, which helps push warm air back down.

If you want the full month-by-month version, we put together a Kansas City home maintenance checklist.

We’re here if you need us

If November has you thinking about a move, or you just want a straight answer about what these numbers mean for your house, reach out. You can tell us what you’re looking for or contact our team. We live in these neighborhoods, and we’re happy to help.

And if you know someone who’s starting to look, or thinking about selling in the new year, we’re grateful when you send them our way.

Sources

• Evergy Festival of Lights at Powell Gardens
• Downtown Overland Park Mayor’s Holiday Festival
• Visit Overland Park: 2026 Mayor’s Holiday Festival
• The 16th Annual Holiday Swing at Union Station
• Arizona Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead
• Visit KC: Country Club Plaza Lights 2026
• Crown Center: Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
• KCRAR Market Statistics / Heartland MLS Local Market Update, October 2026