Ornament Review: Christmas in Kansas City - Snowtop Lodge Companion Piece - 2017 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun variation on a favorite ornament

Cons: Bottom picture not as distinct as I would like

The Bottom Line:

New take on old piece

Local released ornament

Good, parts not distinct

It’s a Bright Night in Kansas City

I’ve become a huge fan of the Snowtop Lodge ornaments in the last couple of years, so when I learned that Hallmark was producing a local compliment to the series entitled Christmas in Kansas City, I had to get my hands on it.

This ornament is a repaint of sorts based on Louie D Lightly, which is one of my favorites in the series, which was another reason I wanted this piece.  Like Louie, this snowman is holding a string of Christmas tree lights and his buttons are also lights.  He has a red garland scarf, but unlike the original, he is wearing a Santa hat.

The biggest difference is the scene on the bottom of the snowman.  The original features some houses with lights on them.  This one features more of a city scene.  The buildings are supposed to be all lit up, but the effect is a bit more washed out.  It definitely fits the city motif better, but I do miss the more distinct houses of the original.  This one is at night, with a dark outline to this scene, so maybe the buildings are supposed to be lit, and that is one reason why the buildings aren’t as distinct.  Don’t get me wrong, I do still like this one.  The scene just looks like it was done in watercolor as apposed to the sharper picture of the original.

As much as I’ve talked about lights, I do want to point out that this ornament doesn’t light up at all.  I actually think lights would ruin the look here, so I’m happy about that.

Like the rest of the series, this ornament stands on its own, so you can easily set it out to be displayed anywhere.  He does tip forward a little bit when you go to hang him, but it’s not enough to look bad, especially when he is nestled in tree branches.

Christmas in Kansas City is a fun variation on a great ornament.  While not quite as good as the original, I’m still glad I added him to my collection.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Snowtop Lodge series.

Original Price: $19.95