Who's ready for the holidays?
12th Annual Lighting Ceremony
Friday, November 29th, 2024
7PM Blue Earth Plaza
The countdown is ON!
*Thanks again to our amazing 2023 Sponsors*
You make it ALL possible!
THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IS BROUGHT
TO YOU BY LOCAL BUSINESSES
FOR THE GREATER MANHATTAN COMMUNITY
Whoville, Inc. is a group of local Manhattan business owners and community leaders who love to give back. They formed a not-for-profit collective in order to create the Festival of Lights.
Their mission is to bring our community closer together by providing curated events and magical displays that are open to the public throughout the holidays. Since it began in 2013 the Festival of Lights has been embraced by the Manhattan community and has become a place to create family traditions and lifetime memories. The Festival of Lights is fully funded annually by generous local individuals and businesses.
IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA...
It was springtime in 2013, tulips blossoming, trees swaying in the wind...and the foundation at the south end of Manhattan freshly settled. Poyntz Avenue was shaping up with new businesses opening and just beyond, the town had expanded to include a diverse array of new opportunities for our community: The Discovery Center, Hilton Garden Inn, Blue Earth Place, Candlewood Suites and Fairfield Inn anchored the newly named Blue Earth Plaza, and in 2014 were followed by Radina’s Bakehouse, CivicPlus and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
It was longtime local businessman, Colin Noble, who first had the vision to inaugurate the area with a grand holiday tree in Blue Earth Plaza. He called upon Brad Everett & Gwyn Riffel to expand the idea, wherein Wade Radina joined, ultimately forming Whoville, Inc. It was this group of leaders, together with Ward Morgan and June Schnittker of Master Landscape, Inc. who caused a simple idea of a holiday tree to expand into Manhattan's Festival of Lights! And so the overarching goal in one short year has grown into a commitment by this group and many more to hold an annual event at the beginning of the holiday season to bring our community together in celebration.
Be part of something spectacular!
Our #MHKTraditions are not possible without the help and support from local elves like yourself. Help us continue our traditions and make our 12th year the best one yet!
5
GOLDEN RINGS
$10,000+
2023
Jerry & Belinda Snyder
4
Calling Birds
$5,000+
Kansas Fencing, Inc.
Master landscape, inc.
Joann goldstein family
Fairfield Inn
Heineken Electric
kansas pro sound
steel & pipe supply company
holiday display services
FOLEY EQUIPMENT
3
french hens
$2,500+
WIBW
Community First National BanK
kohlmeier orthodontics
Midwest Concrete Materials
palmer law group
thomas outdoor signs & graphics
wtc
radina's bakehouse
bourbon & baker
Aj's ny pizzeria
bayer construction
amo's whoville express
holiday inn at the campus
Central National Bank
Manhattan Parks & Recreation Dept
the city of manhattan
wynn & Mary ann butler
civicplus
little apple post
JS Sign & Awning
KS STATEBANK
m home staging
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
SITEBOX STORAGE
2
turtle doves
$1,000+
Santa's
helpers
$999 & under
bhs construction
seaton law firm
manhattan wrecker service
manhattan fire department
riley county police department
commerce bank
americorps
mark & ann knackendoffel
THE TRUST COMPANY
viktoria pottroff
pepsi of manhattan
jayson & libby cyr
joey athon
charlie & pat hughes
gary & Elaine Gordon
AGGIEVILLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
briggsauto.com
hyvee
Blue skies brass quintet
robert & tracey debruyn
82nd brigade battalion group
ksu military affairs
charlson and wilson abstractors
lee & jackie hartman borck
the fridge
landmark national bank