When did you last walk the short stretch of Brookside Plaza between 62nd Terrace and 63rd Street without a detour? From August 3 to September 18, part of the north parking lot was closed while crews worked on the Trolley Track Trail. Then the resurfacing crews took over in October.
That same block is where this year's Brookside Holiday Season Opener happens. The tree lighting moves to the plaza next to BKS Nails on Friday night. On Thursday night, the Tudor-style former police and fire station at 22 W. 63rd St., dark since early 2020, is set to have customers again. The holiday opener brings this weekend's biggest crowds to the same block the construction crews worked on all fall.
Thursday: a sip-and-shop night and a building with its lights back on
The opener starts tonight, Thursday, November 12, with Holiday Spirits, a cocktail crawl from 5 to 8 p.m. The Brookside Business Association describes it as an adults' evening of drinks and shopping specials at participating Brookside retailers, with food and drink promotions at participating restaurants.
The same night, Hydrangea House plans a soft opening at 22 W. 63rd St., according to Startland News. The luxury antique and home goods shop leased the two-story brick building that used to be Brookside's police and fire station.
Plenty of longtime residents will know the building as the old Fiddly Fig. The floral shop moved out in early 2020, and the 6,265-square-foot space has been empty since then. Startland reported that the owners got the keys on a Monday and spent the following days deep cleaning, replacing ceiling and floor tiles, upgrading plumbing and hanging chandeliers, with three trucks of merchandise waiting to come in.
Here's what Startland says will be inside:
- Vintage and antique furniture reupholstered in designer fabric
- New European furniture and home furnishings
- Fabric from Schumacher, Thibaut, Kravet and Covington
- A conference room for browsing fabric and wallpaper sample books
The shop is owned by Jessica Carpenter, an interior designer with more than two decades of experience, and her daughter, Abigail Gaughan. Startland reports that they also plan to put a sister brand, The Gilded Fox, on the west side of the building.
The building's location matters for the rest of the weekend. The alley between Ace Hardware and the former Fiddly Fig building is one of the next pieces First Washington Realty has said it wants to improve, which ties tonight's opening to everything else that has been happening on this block.
Friday: the tree lighting moves to a new night on the same plaza
The biggest schedule change this year is the tree lighting. The Brookside Business Association put it plainly:
New this year: The annual tree lighting celebration moves to Friday evening!
The celebration runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 13, on the plaza next to BKS Nails at 6246 Brookside Plaza. That address puts it on the stretch between 62nd Terrace and 63rd Street that crews spent the fall rebuilding. The evening runs in this order:
- 5–6 p.m.: Live music from students at heARTbeat studio
- 6 p.m.: The Brookside holiday tree lighting
- 6–7 p.m.: A brass band
Kids can watch for Santa and write him letters. Cookies, coffee and cocoa are available while supplies last.
For dinner afterward, a newer option is a short walk east. Disco Burger opened its second location at 600 E. 63rd St. in the space that was the Flying Horse Taproom, which closed in 2024. It started with a takeout window in July, as The Kansas City Star reported, and KC Daily reported on August 28 that the dining room had opened. This is its first holiday season on 63rd Street.
What the fall work did to the plaza
If you've avoided the north lot since summer, here's where things stand. The project covers the Trolley Track Trail from 62nd Street to Meyer Boulevard and the intersection of 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard. The City lists First Washington Realty as a partner on the project.
On January 15, 2026, the City Council approved more than $340,000 for design work on the trail. Construction began on the north section between 62nd Terrace and 63rd Street, and the City's project page set out this schedule for the fall:
| Piece of the project | Scheduled timing |
|---|---|
| Trail and concrete work, 62nd Terrace to 63rd St. | Completion by September 24; reopening expected by mid-October |
| Resurfacing of the north parking lot | October, finishing by November 1 |
| Resurfacing of Brookside Plaza | October, finishing by November 1 |
| Resurfacing of 62nd Terrace | October, finishing by November 1 |
| Community improvement district (CID) trail improvements | By the end of November 2026 |
The tree lighting falls between the November 1 paving target and the end-of-November finish for the trail improvements. The south section of the trail, toward Meyer Boulevard, is still in design and needs construction funding.
This project has been in the works for a long time. The City held open houses on August 3, 2023, and October 2, 2024. An online survey in August 2023 got about 550 responses before the design money was approved this year.
What comes next for the plaza
The paving isn't the last change to this block. On October 19, First Washington Realty held a placemaking open house at 118 W. 63rd St. to get feedback on how the plaza should look. Inside Brookside reported that two options for the Brookside Plaza streetscape between 62nd Terrace and 63rd Street were on easels, prepared with the design firm Dimension Innovations.
- Option 1: A row of 8-foot square pylons lit from inside, set on a concrete wall with seating, plus a directory and a metal tree and bushes at the base
- Option 2: Painted aluminum wall posts on a concrete base with grassy landscaping, built-in seating and an 8-foot marker with "Brookside" on the front
Inside Brookside reported that some attendees said neither design reflected Brookside's 1920s architecture. Others suggested combining the two, adding shade over the seating or using materials that stay cooler in summer sun.
In the same October 23 report, Inside Brookside said First Washington plans to start the work "next Spring." The First Washington representative also mentioned more bike racks and improvements to the alley next to the building Hydrangea House is moving into. The tree lighting takes place before any of that design work begins.
Saturday, and the Thursdays after
The opener ends with Cookies, Cocoa & Crafts on Saturday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participating Brookside businesses will have cookies, cocoa, crafts and shopping specials.
After that, the holiday calendar moves to Thursday nights. Brookside retailers will stay open later on:
- Thursday, November 19
- Thursday, December 3
- Thursday, December 10
- Thursday, December 17
Small Business Saturday on November 28 is also on the association's 2026 events calendar.
Each of those nights is a chance to walk the north block again: the old fire station on 63rd, the plaza that was scheduled for new pavement and the trail section crews worked on this fall.
If the changes on the north block have you wondering what's coming to your part of Brookside, The Rob Ellerman Team is glad to help you Find Your Market.
