The
AT THE BLUE EARTH PLAZA
MANHATTAN, KANSAS
Celebrating 10 years of the Manhattan Festival of Lights!
Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
November 25th, 2022 at 7pm
While you're in your in the Blue Earth Plaza, don't forget to tune in to 88.1 FM & watch the lights dance to the music!
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Our Tree Lighting Ceremony will be
held on Friday, November 25th. Santa
will be lighting the tall, tall tree at 7 p.m.
Come enjoy this free one-of-a-kind
illumination spectacular that includes
local choirs, holiday festivities, and of
course - lots and lots of lights!
Join us Saturday, December 3rd from
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Festival of Lights
Family Christmas Carnival. There will be
free games and activities for all ages to
enjoy. Plus free Wonderbags
packed full of goodies for all
children who attend.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"The Festival of Lights has become our family's favorite tradition. Every year just after Thanksgiving, we meet at the tree and celebrate the season of giving."
— Patti C., MHK Local
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.
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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 10th year the best one yet!
Now on Venmo @WhovilleMHK
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GOLDEN RINGS
$10,000+
2022
Kansas Fencing, Inc.
Master landscape, inc.
candlewood suites
c&W insurance
Fairfield Inn
Foley equipment
Heineken Electric
kansas pro sound
holiday inn express & suites
kstate CREDIT UNION
radina's bakehouse
steel & pipe supply company
4
Calling Birds
$5,000+
3
french hens
$2,500+
hy-vee
city of manhattan
Community First National BanK
era high pointe realty
holiday display services
Midwest Concrete Materials
palmer law group
thomas outdoor signs & graphics
wtc
Aj's ny pizzeria
vista drive in
wynn & Mary ann butler
Bayer Construction
BRIGGSAUTO.COM
Capitol Federal Savings
Central National Bank
civicplus
coldwell banker real estate advisors
home depot
Jerry & Belinda Snyder
JS Sign & Awning
kan aerial
KS STATEBANK
LANDMARK NATIONAL BANK
mks web design
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Manhattan Parks & Recreation Dept
meraki rouse home staging
schwab eaton
pepsi
SITEBOX STORAGE
2
turtle doves
$1,000+
Santa's
helpers
$999 & under
COMMERCE BANK
bhs construction
HOLIDAY INN AT THE CAMPUS
BASKIN-ROBBINS
bill & sharon snyder
downtown manhattan, inc.
eileen's cookies manhattan
k-state army rotc
mark & ann knackendoffel
THE TRUST COMPANY
Manhattan fire department
gary & Elaine Gordon
AGGIEVILLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Blue skies brass quintet
Rcpd bbq team
riley county ems
the grinch by jacob disberger
kenny fischer
flint hills volunteer center
jayson & libby cyr
the fridge
amo's whoville express
Thank you all for your generous support!
