For over twenty years, Great Bend has been nicknamed “A Christmas City.” From the homes adorned with festive decorations to the unique community activities, Great Bend offers lots to see and do during the holiday season. The following paragraphs will provide a brief look into a few of the features that make Great Bend such a wonderful place to make memories with friends and loved ones at Christmas time.

Home for the Holidays Parade and Festivities

Straub’s Spirit - Straub International was awarded the Holiday Spirit Award for the third consecutive year for its elaborate parade float pictured here. “We always try to put together an exciting float,” Kristy Straub says. “This year, we incorporated Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the kids really seemed to like that.”

Each year the Home for the Holidays Christmas Parade brings residents and visitors alike to downtown Great Bend to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas. This year’s parade and festivities took place on Saturday, November 28th. The day was started early with the MyTown cookie contest beginning at 10 a.m. Downtown businesses offered free cookie samples for their guests. Participants in the cookie contest went from store to store sampling each of the different kinds of cookies and then voted for their favorites. This year’s cookie contest winner was Renue Salon & Spa, located at 1415 Main Street in Great Bend.

In addition to the free cookie samples, downtown businesses also offered exclusive savings only available to the Home for the Holidays participants. Special buttons purchased for just $1 gave shoppers the ability to save big on their Christmas lists. Proceeds from the button sales, which will continue throughout December, will benefit the Great Bend Food Bank.

“The main purpose of organizing a huge family event like this is to get people excited about their hometown once again,” parade organizer Sarah Krom says. “Shopping local is a great way to support Great Bend businesses, so we’d definitely encourage people to take advantage of the discounts available on the 28th.”

Once the parade started, there was much to see. Floats decorated for the parade’s theme, “Songs of the Season,” strolled down Main Street sharing Christmas cheer with the spectators. Prizes were awarded to winning floats in several categories: Youth Group, Civic Group, Private Entrant, Best Themed Float, Church Group, and the Grand Marshal’s Best in Show. For the third year in a row, Straub International took home the Holiday Spirit Award for their float featuring Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Immediately following the parade, Mr. and Mrs. Claus helped Mayor Mike Allison light the Mayor’s Christmas tree in the bandshell. The Salvation Army Thrift Store provided free cookies and hot chocolate to keep spectators warm while children enjoyed the free synthetic ice skating rink. Rosewood Services offered free carriage rides, and the City of Great Bend gave rides on its Christmas train.

The Home for the Holidays Parade and Festivities were coordinated by Sarah Krom with Sunflower Diversified Services. “Sarah did a great job coordinating all of the activities that took place downtown during the Home for the Holidays parade this year,” City Manager Howard Partington says. “We were very pleased to see everything come together the way it did, for the benefit of Great Bend and its residents.”

Holiday Tree Display

For the eighteenth year in a row, Barton Community College extends an invitation to the public to come and enjoy their Holiday Tree Display in the Shafer Art Gallery. Featuring trees decorated by school children from around the community, the Holiday Tree Display is a unique, artistic tradition enjoyed by people of all ages. The Holiday Tree Display is available for viewing from December 1st through the 6th in the Shafer Art Gallery at Barton Community College. On December 6th, come spend some time in the gallery during the college’s annual open house from 1-4 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided. For more information or to schedule a group tour, contact Barton Community College at 620-792-9342.

Visit the Santa House

Santa’s Helpers - Children anxiously await their opportunity to have their picture taken with Santa and tell him what is on their Christmas wish list.

Instead of mailing their Christmas wish lists, Great Bend children get the unique opportunity to visit with Santa face to face at the Santa House, sponsored by the City of Great Bend. For several years now, Shane Boultinghouse has donated his photography services to help the Great Bend food bank. During the Home for the Holidays Parade, each child who brought one item for the food bank got his or her picture taken with Santa for free. While the professional photos were only available during the Home for the Holidays festivities, Santa will be available to visit with children on several occasions before Christmas. The Santa House is open December 3-5, 10-12, and 17-19 from 5-8 p.m. in Jack Kilby Square. For more information, contact the City of Great Bend at 620-793-4111.

Santas Around the World

Getting to Know St. Nick - Over 20 life-sized Santas are depicted as they are described to children all over the world in Santa World.

While many may picture Santa in a red fur suit with black boots and a bag of toys over his shoulder, there are many children around the world who picture him quite differently. In 2002, Great Bend artist Loretta Miller made the first life-size depiction of a Victorian Santa as a tourist attraction to enhance the existing Christmas atmosphere in the City of Great Bend. In addition to the original Santa, five more Santas were placed in downtown store fronts so visitors could see them from the street. In 2003, the Santas World exhibit even made A&E’s “Ultimate Holiday Town USA,” putting Great Bend on the map. Many more Santas have been added over the years and the exhibit now includes over 20 life-sized Santas from all over the world. Since 2007, the use of I-pods has added a whole new aspect to the exhibit, allowing visitors to listen to stories about each of the Santas, the artist who made them, and the history of Santa World.

Santa World, now located at 1901 Lakin inside the Legends Art Gallery, is open Monday through Thursday from 2-7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The exhibit costs only $1 to view, and is free for children 6 and under with a paid admission. For more information or to schedule a group visit, contact Santa World at 620-792-1614.

Holiday Trail of Lights

Lights Left and Right - The Holiday Trail of Lights takes place each holiday season in three separate areas of Great Bend. Brit Spaugh Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Jack Kilby Square all come aglow each evening after dark during the Christmas season.

One of Great Bend’s most distinguishing Christmas characteristics is its Holiday Trail of Lights. Created and operated by the City of Great Bend, this beautiful lighted display of Christmas spirit is an annual delight for Great Bend residents and visitors. Each year, City employees work diligently to display thousands upon thousands of Christmas Lights in three areas of Great Bend.

The first exhibit, called ‘Wild Lights’ is in Brit Spaugh Park on North Main Street in Great Bend. Enjoy the peaceful winding lights display featuring animated animals, Santa and his elves, a lighted tunnel, and much more. The second exhibit, called ‘Lights on the Lake’ is located at Veterans Memorial Park on 17th Street in Great Bend, and will take you through all of the twelve days of Christmas. Finally, downtown Great Bend near Jack Kilby Square boasts lighted trees and storefronts that truly set Great Bend apart as a “Christmas City.”

Take a tour of the Holiday Trail of Lights any time after dark through Christmas day. For more information, contact the City of Great Bend at 620-793-4111.

Christmas Craft Mall

If you like to shop for out-of-the-ordinary Christmas items, than the Christmas Craft Mall in Great Bend is the place to be. Located at 4811 10th Street next to the Village Cinema, the Christmas Craft Mall offers unique gift items for people of all ages and interests on consignment from local artisans. The Christmas Craft Mall is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. For more information, call the Christmas Craft Mall at 620-793-3315.

Christmas Talent

Several community organizations host Christmas programs each season to share their talents and spread some Christmas cheer with their audiences. Here are a few of the programs taking place this Christmas season:

December 5 - BCC Music Department’s Jingle Bell Swing
This big band dance takes place at the American Legion Hall at 1101 Kansas in Great Bend from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, December 5th and features BCC’s Hilltop Singers. For more information or to get tickets, call 620-792-9395.

December 7 - BCC Music Department Holiday Concert
Vocal and instrumental music performers will provide a Christmas concert on Monday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium at Barton Community College. For more information, call 620-792-9396.

December 13 - “Ghosts of Christmas Past”
The Barton County Historical Society’s annual open house takes place on Sunday, December 13th from 1-5 p.m. at their museum on South Highway 281. For more information, contact the Historical Society at 620-793-5125.

December 13 - GBHS Vespers Concert
The Great Bend High School Vocal Department will present its annual Vespers concert on Sunday, December 13th at 2 p.m. in the GBHS Auditorium. Following the high school concert, the community Youth Choir will also perform at 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact GBHS at 620-793-1521.

December 20 - Music of Christmas Concert
First United Methodist Church congregation members Jennie Allford and Brad Shirer will provide a piano/organ concert on Sunday, December 20th at 4 p.m., 2123 Forest in Great Bend. For more information, contact First United Methodist Church at 620-792-2148.