culture
K A N S A S D E TA I L S
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS November 27 | Manhattan
EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE Holiday celebrations and traditions
Families bundled in mittens, coats, hats and boots sip hot chocolate while enjoying a Christmas parade—it’s an image for one of the most beloved holiday traditions in several communities across Kansas. In Garden City, the Christmas Parade will mark its 20th year this December 6. Begun by three Garden City High School students as a project, the parade has grown to feature 60 to 70 entries, including floats, fire engines, squad cars and marching bands. The Winfield Main Street Lighted Christmas Parade, scheduled for December 12, typically features decorated tractors, cars and other vehicles, riders dressed in costumes on horses wearing jingle bells and lights, dogs adorned in holiday attire as they march with their owners down the streets, several school marching bands, and floats covered in gleaming lights, says Megan Beeson, Winfield Chamber of Commerce program coordinator. In Liberal, the Downtown Christmas Parade on December 5 will also feature bands, vehicles, and lighted floats and serves as the grand finale to a day full of activities that include a longstanding Folk Art Festival offering street entertainment and plenty of opportunity for shopping with handcrafted items and homemade foods in over 100 booths.
Stroll through the twinkling winter wonderland at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, where the bridge, shelters, and dozens of trees light up for the holidays through mid-January. The annual lighting celebration on December 4 will be a virtual event.
Lenexa.com (913) 477-7136 Because of health precautions in response to Covid-19, all events are subject to change. Please check the event websites for possible cancellations. Where in Kansas?
Lenexa
Winfield
Manhattan
OPPOSITE The 68-foot holiday tree will continue to be an attraction for visitors to Manhattan’s 2020 holiday celebration.
SAR-KO AGLOW December 4 | Lenexa
Liberal
visitgck.com | (800) 879-9803 Facebook: Winfield Main Street | (620) 221-2420 liberalkschamber.com | (620) 624-3855
Mhkfestivaloflights.com (785) 539-3800
Garden City
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY Trent Kendrick
By Cecilia Harris
Manhattan’s festive holiday celebration at Blue Earth Plaza will feature its traditional centerpiece, a 68-foot Christmas tree, but this year the tree will include a music-synchronized light display that visitors can enjoy by tuning their car radios to 88.1 FM. The traditional pedestrian holiday plaza might be modified in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the entire plaza light display will be up and available for visitors to enjoy until New Year’s Day.
WINTER 2020 | KANSAS! MAGAZINE
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