It’s once again that magical time of year! Many of our Kansas I-70 communities have unique holiday experiences, parades, and tree displays for you and your family to discover. We’ve put together a Holiday Event Guide so you can plan your trip.
Goodland
Goodland’s Annual Parade of Lights
Kick off the Christmas season Friday, November 24th, 6:30pm with Goodland’s Annual Parade of Lights!
Make sure to visit Santa at the Schoolhouse, take a holiday train ride, and more at the Downtown Holiday Event happening November 25th and December 2nd & 16th, 2023!
Colby
Come celebrate the holiday season with the Colby, Kansas community on December 2, 2023 for their kick-off to Christmas! It all starts with the Light Parade, followed by the opening of Santa City. Santa Claus will be there to listen to all the kids, and Mrs. Claus will be handing out freshly baked cookies.
December 16th is the Annual Christmas Marketplace. A huge craft fair housed at the Colby Event Center.
Oakley
Visit Oakley Sunday, December 17, 2023 for an evening of fun the whole family will enjoy! The 34th Annual Fabulous Light Parade starts downtown at 6:00pm. Before and during the parade, local shops are open to welcome you and make sure to visit Santa at Oakley’s Farm & Home True Value from 3:00-5:30pm. The parade is followed by a fireworks show at the railroad depot!
WaKeeney
For over 70 years, the downtown four block square, is turned into a holiday showplace. Highlighting this annual tradition is a handmade 35 ft tree of fresh pine greenery with over 2,000 lights. The tree rests under a canopy of heavenly blue lights in the middle of our downtown square. It is topped with four ivory stars, each 5 ft in diameter. The downtown is draped with greenery garlands, handcrafted wreaths, bells, stars, trees and more lights. In all, there are over 6,300 lights, 3 miles of electrical wiring, and 600 lbs. of pine greenery!! The handcrafted decorations from 1950 are still used today, bringing nostalgia and tradition to the holiday. The Festival is always the Saturday after Thanksgiving and begins at 9am with a large craft bazaar; at 4pm the town gathers downtown for free entertainment and live reindeer; and at 6pm Santa arrives to light the tree and greet the children with treats at the North Pole. The lights remain lit until New Years. This annual tradition is considered one of the largest Christmas displays between Kansas City & Denver!
Hays
The wreaths are hung, the white lights twinkle, and frost is in the air; Frostfest Season that is!
Frostfest is a season of magic in Downtown Hays from November through December. It kicks off with Holiday Open Houses and culminates with an Illuminated Parade! Discover your favorite holiday traditions on The Bricks!
Russell
Weihnachtsfest kicks off in Russell on November 25th from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. Enjoy extended store hours, a retail Christmas promotion, carriage rides, Santa’s Workshop, food vendors, craft vendors, pictures with Santa, Christmas music, wine/craft beer tasting and crafting at the library.
But that’s not all! The annual Russell Main Street Lighted Christmas Parade starts at 7:15pm. Join us this year as we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of oil discovery in Russell County. This year’s parade theme is “Drilling Through Time, 100 Years of Oil“. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 1923, the Carrie Oswald #1 was the first oil well to hit in Russell County.
Salina
Enjoy a cherished tradition featuring festive music of the season at the Salina Symphony Christmas Festival Sat., Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. or Sun., Dec. 10, at 4 p.m. at the Stiefel Theatre.
Get in the holiday spirit with performances from the Salina Symphony, Theatre Salina’s Iron Street Dance Company, Tamara Howe School of Dance, Salina Chorale, Kansas Wesleyan University Chorale and Salina Youth Choir. The beloved concert will end with a special early visit from Santa Claus!
Abilene
Celebrate A Cowtown Christmas in Abilene, Kansas! Named Best Historic Small Town by USA TODAY.
Visit Abilene on December 2 & 3 for the Heritage Homes Association’s 46th Homes for the Holidays Tour; enjoy an Old Fashioned Christmas at the Dickinson County Heritage Center and Cowboy Christmas at Old Abilene Town. Tour the beautifully decorated historic Seelye Mansion and ride the rails with the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad’s Cowtown Santa Express. See the live production of Meredith Wilson’s Miracle on 34th Street at Great Plains Theatre, take an evening cruise to see Griswold-style decorations and watch fireworks downtown! And remember to shop small all season long at Abilene’s small businesses.
Visit www.AbileneKansas.org/Christmas for a full schedule of events.
Junction City
On November 24th, join Junction City for the 28th Annual Christmas Parade starting at 5:30 pm. Parade route is Eisenhower to Washington along 6th Street. The theme this year is A Christmas Carol: Bring Your Favorite Holiday Song to Life. Local businesses and organizations will enter floats into the event and you’ll even catch a glimpse of the main man himself!
Manhattan
Manhattan, Kansas is gearing up for an exciting Spirit of the Holidays season filled with festive events and activities. Our Downtown and Blue Earth Plaza is adorned with twinkling lights and holiday decorations, creating a magical atmosphere for all. Families look forward to the annual Festival of Lights Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday November 24 at 7 pm when the tall, tall tree is turned on for the holiday season. Special guest appearance by Santa Claus is a highlight of the evening. Throughout November and December, there are many events to make your holiday season memorable in the Little Apple®. Be sure to ring in the New Year in Aggieville on Dec 31, 2023. Warm and comfortable hotel beds are a short distance to the biggest party in town. Join the fun and celebrate with us!
Topeka
Experience downtown Topeka for holiday magic like never before! Join us in the heart of Kansas’ capital city on Dec. 2 from 6-8 p.m. for the 28th Annual Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade, presented by Giant Communications. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever! Get ready for up to 200 fantastic floats, marvelous marching bands, a carpeted grandstand, a special performance by Broadway star Jeff Kready, and even a visit from the very-merry Santa Claus and his reindeer! You’ll also get to vote for your favorite parade entry, with the winner taking home $500.
For more details, visit DowntownTopekaInc.com!
Lecompton
Visit us at the Territorial Capital Museum from November 1- December 31 to experience Christmas Through the Ages. Over 225 Christmas trees decorated with ornaments, lights, and garland spanning from 1865 to modern day. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am – 4pm and 1 – 5pm on Sundays.
Lawrence
Ring in the holiday season in style with two #UnmistakablyLawrence events: The Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony & Santa Rescue and the Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade. On Friday, November 24, watch as the length of Mass Street is ceremoniously lit up with twinkling lights in every tree, followed by a brave rescue of Santa from the roof of Weaver’s Department Store by the Lawrence Fire Department.
Continue the holiday magic by visiting Lawrence for Winter Wonder Weekend, a major weekend of shopping & holiday fun trademarked by Saturday, December 2nd’s Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade. It’s one of the most unique parades in the nation, and adults and children alike will marvel at this incredible parade full of horses and carriages decked out in their holiday finest.
Bonner Springs
The Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, December 2 in Centennial Park. Make an evening of it and come early for the Candy Cane Hunt and the Holiday Lighted Parade. After the tree lighting, come visit Santa at the Community Center for pictures, cocoa and cookies!
Schedule of Events:
4:45 p.m. – Candy Cane Hunt at Centennial Park
5:30 p.m. – Holiday Lighted Parade in Downtown
5:45 p.m. – Mayor’s Tree Lighting in Centennial Park
6:15 p.m. – Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at Community Center
All events are free and open to the public. Find event details online on the City’s Facebook page.
Shawnee
Music Theater Kansas City (located inside Shawnee B&B Theater) is performing the Holiday Edition of Hollywood Live: A Theatrical Concert Series. This production features songs from your favorite Christmas movies performed live on stage by Kansas City’s greatest professional singers and dancers and MTKC’s signature full onstage orchestra! Get your tickets today: https://www.mtkc.org/tickets/index.html
Kansas City
Kansas City boasts the world’s largest light maze with Enchant, an immersive experience, infusing magic into every nook and cranny, making it an ideal destination for joyous seasonal festivities!
Embark on an exciting journey through The Mischievous Elf, a mesmerizing and colossal light maze that serves as the heart of the Enchant adventure. Join the mischievous little elf, Eddie and his loyal companion Sparky, the reindeer as they embark on a quest to recover eight toys designated for the children on Santa’s list that have gone missing! Assist them in locating these precious items before the grand night of Santa’s arrival!
