Kristina Light, Freelance Speaker

Kristina Light is an experienced freelance speaker who presents to a wide variety of organizations and groups — including Junior Leagues, MomCo groups, Young Matrons, CVBs, Chambers of Commerce, Book Clubs, Church Groups, Small Groups, and Senior Living Centers. With a passion for Midwest travel, history, and local discovery, Kristina offers an engaging lineup of topics tailored to fit any Kansas City audience or occasion.

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Midwest Travel & Local Discovery

Waterfall at Echo Bluff State Park, Missouri — **Missouri's State Parks: A Guide to the Show Me State's Natural Wonders**A guided tour of Missouri's most stunning state parks, from Elephant Rocks and the castle ruins at Ha Ha Tonka to the wild horses of Echo Bluff, highlighting what to see, what to do, and the best times to visit each season.

A spring on the Current River, Missouri — **Hidden Natural Gems of the Midwest**Discover overlooked natural treasures across the region: scenic overlooks, serene lakes, ancient forests, and wild landscapes that rarely make the tourist maps.

The Rabbit Hole children's literature museum, Kansas City — **Literary Destinations of the Midwest**Follow the footsteps of Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and other beloved authors through the towns, homes, and landscapes that inspired their most enduring works.

Pella, Iowa at Christmas — **European Christmas Destinations of the Midwest**From Christkindlmarkts to cobblestone village celebrations, explore Midwestern towns and events that bring Old World holiday magic to life every winter.

Tulips in bloom — **Midwest Flower Festivals**Celebrate the season at Pella's Tulip Festival, Missouri lavender farms, Wamego's tulips, and Amana Maifest, plus other stunning floral destinations across the Midwest.

Highland cattle — **Animal Adventures**From majestic Clydesdales and feeding sloths to swimming with penguins and spotting wild horses, experience unforgettable animal encounters across the Midwest.

Maifest in the Amana Colonies, Iowa — **Best Fests of the Midwest**From small-town county fairs to world-class cultural celebrations, a guide to the Midwest's most beloved and spirited annual festivals worth planning your year around.

Inside a Midwest cave — **Caves, Archaeology, Dinos and More**Go underground and back in time — exploring the Midwest's remarkable cave systems, fossil sites, and archaeological discoveries hiding in plain sight.

All About Kansas City

Children at the Kansas City Central Library — **Fun with Kids in Kansas City: Customized Each Season**Explore Kansas City's quirky museums, outdoor adventures, hands-on activities, and local treats. This presentation can be updated seasonally to highlight events, holiday fun, and fresh family experiences year-round.

**Missouri's Most Famous Women**Honoring Nell Donnelly, Loula Long Combs, Laura Ingalls, and other artists, activists, and leaders from Missouri who shaped history—many with remarkable stories that are still waiting to be widely told.

Tom's Town mural, Kansas City — **Tom's Town: KC's Mob History**Explore the history of Tom's Town and the Kansas City mob, from speakeasies and jazz clubs to notorious figures who shaped the city's underworld. Discover the stories, scandals, and hidden corners of KC's fascinating organized crime history.

A night out in Kansas City — **Great Dates in Kansas City**From rooftop bars and jazz clubs to dinner cruises and art crawls — the best ways to make a night in KC feel truly special, whatever the season.

Famous Kansas Citians

**Loula Long Combs**Heiress to the Long-Bell lumber fortune and one of Kansas City's most celebrated equestrians, Loula Long Combs dazzled the nation with her championship horses and legendary showmanship at Longview Farm — a story of glamour, grit, and grace.

The John Wornall House, Kansas City — **John Wornall**A prosperous Missouri farmer whose Federal-style home became a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War's Battle of Westport. Wornall's story illuminates the devastating complexity of a border state torn in two.

**Colonel Thomas Swope**The eccentric millionaire who donated the land that became Kansas City's beloved Swope Park — and whose mysterious death in 1909 sparked one of the most sensational murder trials in American history, gripping the entire nation.

**Nell Donnelly Reed**A self-made fashion pioneer who built one of America's largest women's clothing companies from a Kansas City basement, survived a shocking kidnapping, and defied every expectation placed on women of her era — Nell Donnelly's life is nothing short of extraordinary.

Get a Quote

Tell Kristina about your group and event, and she will be in touch with a quote.