The last regular Saturday of the Downtown Lee's Summit Farmers Market runs 8 a.m. to noon on October 31 inside the market building at 209 SE Green St. At 9:30 that same morning, a costume contest starts on the same grounds. At 10, a walking parade sets off from City Hall toward Howard Station Park at 220 SE Main. Until noon, kids trick-or-treat at more than two dozen downtown businesses. The market and the trick-or-treating both end at noon.
That shared morning shows how downtown Lee's Summit runs now. Green Street is where a crowd gathers, and the shops on Main and Third are where it ends up. After the weekly market ends, the building doesn't sit empty. Through Thanksgiving weekend it hosts one downtown event after another, and nearly every one is planned to move people from Green Street out to the storefronts.
Halloween morning, hour by hour
Boos, Barks & Badges is run by Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, and dogs are invited. Here's the morning as the organizer lays it out:
- 8:00 a.m. The last regular farmers market of the 2026 season opens at Green Street.
- 9:30 a.m. Costume contest at Green Street.
- 10:00 a.m. Walking parade from City Hall to Howard Station Park.
- Until noon. Games, face painting, a bubble party from Bubbletastic, and trick-or-treating at participating businesses.
The trick-or-treat list covers most of the downtown core. It includes Whistle Stop Coffee, KD's Books, Well Read Bookstore, Fringe Beerworks, Smoke Brewing Company, El Plato Mexican Grill and Cantina, Messner Bee Farm, Brooks Family Farm Store, Unwind Fiber Arts, The Purple Hippopotamus, Simply Threads Boutique and Local Foundery. The contest is at Green Street and the parade ends at the park, but the candy is in the shops.
If you're shopping the market that morning, get there early. The market runs until noon, but the costume contest begins on the same grounds at 9:30.
What the building is meant to do after the market season
The City of Lee's Summit's Green Street page says the indoor farmers market runs Wednesdays and Saturdays from April 4 through October 31. It also says what happens to the building after that:
"The space will double as an event space when the market is not in session."
This is the second holiday season for that plan. Green Street opened in August 2025, which makes 2026 its first full market season. Last year's Holiday Mart and Mayor's Tree Lighting were already held at Green Street.
The bigger change came this September. The Lee's Summit Chamber moved Oktoberfest to Green Street, and the festival listing lists "New Location" among the year's changes. The festival grounds took in the Green Street Market, the Pavilion, the Grove and the green space around them. Downtown's biggest fall festival now uses the same grounds as the weekly market and the winter events. Nearly all of downtown's main events now start in one place.
November 6 and 7: the shops go first
The first weekend in November flips the usual order. Downtown Lee's Summit lists a holiday shopping event for Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, at participating businesses. As of this writing, the organizer says details on participating stores and giveaways are still to come.
On Saturday, November 7, at 11 a.m., the Veterans Day parade comes through downtown. This year's theme is "Legacy of Liberty: 250 Years of the American Spirit," with marching units, floats and community entries covering key eras of U.S. history. Explore Lee's Summit lists the same date, time and theme. No route or staging details have been posted yet, so check the Downtown Lee's Summit events page closer to the day before you pick a spot.
As a Navy veteran, this is the one on my calendar I care about most. The timing works well if you're already downtown for the shopping weekend. An 11 a.m. parade lets you finish breakfast before it starts and puts you near the stores when it ends.
November 14: the market comes back on Saturdays
The Farmers Market Holiday Mart brings vendors back to Green Street on November 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It returns November 28, then December 5 and December 19. The organizer's listing gives the venue as Green Street, 209 SE Green St. It promises handcrafted gifts, artisan goods and stocking stuffers, so expect a different mix than the summer produce tables.
The schedule matches last year's. The 2025 Holiday Mart ran November 15 and 29 and December 6 and 20. Both years follow the same order: two November Saturdays two weeks apart, then two December Saturdays two weeks apart, with one week between the last November date and the first December one. Each 2026 date falls one day earlier than its 2025 match. After two seasons it's a schedule you can plan around.
One practical difference from summer is the hours. The weekly market opens at 8 a.m. and the Holiday Mart opens at 10, so a regular who shows up at 8 will be waiting.
November 20: the tree lighting runs the whole loop in one night
Of all the November events, the Mayor's Tree Lighting follows the pattern most closely. It's presented by Security Bank of Kansas City with Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street and the City of Lee's Summit, and this year it lights a new 45-foot tree at Green Street. Here's the published schedule:
| Time | Where | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 p.m. | Market building and covered lawn | Doors open, holiday vendor booths, free kids' activities inside, live music on the lawn, keepsake ornaments at sponsor booths |
| 6:00 p.m. | Green Street | Live program and tree lighting, ending with Santa's arrival |
| 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Green Street and the historic downtown | Photos with Santa, while dozens of locally owned shops and restaurants stay open late |
The first hour is all Green Street: the market building, the covered lawn and the vendor booths. Once the tree is lit, the schedule sends people to the shops, and stores stay open late to catch them. It's the same handoff as Halloween morning, just on a bigger scale and in the dark.
The 2025 tree lighting was also on a Friday, November 21, at Green Street. This year's version adds the new 45-foot tree.
A planning note: the free kids' activities are listed in the 5 p.m. block, before the 6 p.m. ceremony. If those are the main goal, come at 5 and do them before the program starts.
The walk between Green Street and the shops is finished
This handoff depends on an easy walk from the Green Street grounds to the storefronts, and in 2026 that walk has improved. The city's Third Street Improvements project covers Third Street from Blue Parkway to Jefferson Street. It added pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, lighting, new pavement, drainage and water-line upgrades. According to the city's project updates, the project reached substantial completion on January 12, 2026, with a few lighting and punch-list items left. This is the first holiday season with that work mostly done.
Third Street could also gain a new place to eat. The Kansas City Star reported that Hometown Subs planned to open at 11 S.E. Third St. this fall, aiming for early October. Check before you plan a tree-lighting dinner around it.
November 28: the whole route in one day
Thanksgiving Saturday puts every part of downtown to use in one day.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The second Holiday Mart Saturday at Green Street.
- Store hours vary. Small Business Saturday across Downtown Lee's Summit, with a limited-edition tote among the promotions.
- 3 to 5 p.m. Free Selfies with Santa at the Lee's Summit History Museum, bring your own camera. More dates follow on December 5, 12 and 19.
Here's a realistic plan for that Saturday. Do the Holiday Mart before noon, walk Main and Third for Small Business Saturday after lunch, and get to the History Museum by 3 for Santa. You'd start at Green Street, spend the middle of the day in the shops, and finish at a downtown museum. That's the same handoff as Halloween morning and the tree lighting, spread over one Saturday.
Organizers haven't posted hours for Small Business Saturday or the November 6–7 shopping weekend, so check individual store hours before you go.
If you live near downtown Lee's Summit and you're curious what your home is worth now that Green Street is busy most of the year, I'm glad to put together the numbers for you. Heather Brown offers a Free Home Valuation based on recent sales near your street, so you can see where you stand.
