🌾Holiday Season in Wichita 2024

November 20, 2024 | Sign Up | Support Us

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Wichita! This is the Wichita Life Update — the secret to always knowing what is happening in Wichita before your friends.

Let's get to it!

- Landon Huslig

p.s. Happy belated birthday to Hannah!

TOGETHER WITH TAPNPADDLES

TapNPaddles just officially opened and it could not have opened at a better time.

We all know how tough it can be to find things to do for the whole family around the holidays and with Thanksgiving sneaking up on us next week, TapNPaddles wants to thank you for all of your support.

Beginning Monday, November 25 and running through Sunday, December 1:

BUY ONE court hour and get the second hour FREE!

You'll want the Court Reserve App (Apple or Google Play) and follow the instructions via the GIF above!

See you on the Courts! (if you have any trouble with the deal, shoot me a message and we'll get you straightened out!)

Learn More Today

Winter in Wichita

The holiday season is magical.

There is just something joyful about Christmas music (for some people, only for the month of December. For others, like my wife, year-round), lights, trees, and everything else that goes along with it.

Wichita has a lot of holiday festivities we don’t want you to miss.

We will likely miss some things here, so please share your favorites!

Christmas Tree Lightings

One of our favorite traditions in Wichita is to head over to Bradley Fair for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, but that isn’t the only one in town.

Many of these offer hot chocolate, crafts, movies, Santa, food, and more!

Here is a list of a few in Wichita:

Merry & Bright Union Station Lighting Event & Toy Drive | Historic Union Station | 11/21 @ 5:30pm
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony | Bradley Fair | 11/24 @ 4pm
Friends University Ceremony of Lights | Friends U Historic Davis Clock tower | 11/24 @ 6pm
Grand Tree Lighting | Botanica | 11/26 @ 6pm
Winter Wonderland | Naftzger Park | 12/13 @ 6pm

And here is a list of a few from the 'burbs:

City of Derby Tree Lighting | 512 E Madison Ave, Derby | 11/21 @ 6pm
Mulvane Tree Lighting | Mulvane | 11/21 @ 6:45pm
Christmas on Main Street | Goddard | 11/30 @ 4pm
Haysville Tree Lighting & Christmas Village | Pride Park in Haysville | 12/7 @ 5:30pm
Maize Whoville & Christmas Tree Lighting (1st Annual) | Maize Clair Donnelly Amphitheater | 12/8 @ 5pm
Hometown Christmas | Andover Central Park | 12/12 @ 5:30pm

Holiday Light Displays

Illuminations at Botanica - Visit Wichita

Illuminations at Botanica - over 2 million lights and a 62 foot MEGA Christmas Tree. Open 11/29 to 1/4. Illuminations is THE ultimate holiday experience for making memories and starting new traditions with friends and family.
27th Annual Lights at Ability Point (drive-thru) - over 1.6 million lights. Open 11/23 - 12/28
Fulton Valley Farms A Country Christmas - 5079 SW Fulton Rd, Towanda. Over 1.2 million lights, live reindeer, and more. Starting 11/29, enjoy 17 full nights of Christmas Cheer (open 11/29 - 12/8 & 12/13 - 12/23)
Sedgwick County Zoo Wild Lights - this is such an incredible display, albeit not specifically holiday themed. You don’t want to miss it. Open now through 12/22
Candy Cane Lane - N Azure Circle
Christmas on Crestline - 914 N Crestline St - Animated Christmas light show with over 80,000 computer controlled lights

There are honestly too many homes full of cheer for us to list all of them here. The Wichita Mom Blog has a great interactive map so you can see what is closest to you (although many others are definitely worth the drive).

Christmas Pop-ups

Christmas “Pop-up” have only become more and more popular with more and more pop-up bars popping up and becoming popular each year.

These include themed bars that make you feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie and igloos that make you feel like you're in a snowglobe

Make sure to grab a reservation because these places sell out and fill up fast:

Miracle on Mosley St at River City Brewing Company - 11/18 - 12/31
The Jingle at Public at the Brickyard - 11/20 - 1/5
The Holiday Hideaway at Chicken N Pickle - Now - 12/31
Sippin' Santa at Dockum - 11/18 - 12/31
Sparky’s at the Belmont / Larcher's - Dates TBD
Christmas Pop Up Bar at Ziggy's - Dates TBD
Igloos: Chicken N Pickle, Ziggy’s, Norton’s
Ice Pond - Chicken N Pickle offers an awesome outdoor ice skating rink that will make you feel like you’re in a bigger city for the holidays.

Other Holiday Fun

12 Drinks of Christmas - Exploration Place

Die Hard Candy Christmas at Mosley Street Melodrama - 11/8 - 12/22
10th Annual Feztival of Trees | Midian Shrine | 11/22 at 9am
Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Century II Concert Hall - 11/26 - 11/27 (giveaway over on our Instagram right now!)
Holly Jolly Jurassic Holiday Elf Invasion at Field Station: Dinosaurs - 11/29 - 12/31
HoliDAZE Pop Up Market 2024 at Brick & Mortar Venue - 12/1 @ 11am
12 Drinks of Christmas at Exploration Place - 12/6
Girl Named Tom Christmas Tour at the Orpheum - 12/6
Victorian Christmas at Old Cowtown - 12/6 - 12/7 & 12/13 - 12/14
Breakfast with Santa at Old Cowtown - 12/7 at 9am
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation at the Orpheum - 12/7
Nutcracker! Ballet at the Orpheum - 12/10
Close to You: A Carpenters Christmas at the Orpheum - 12/14
Cookie Decorating Party at Exploration Place - 12/19
Christmas Soiree at Old Cowtown - 12/19 at 6:30pm
and even more at Visit Wichita!

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? Make a list of what you want to check out and check it twice cause it's sneaking up on us fast.