Wichita’s 12 Ways of Christmas

A dozen fun Wichita activities for the holidays.

It’s not like we need reminders that the holidays are upon us. Local stores have had Christmas displays up since mid-fall and your mother has been bugging you about when you will be over for the festivities since, oh, September. But just like every family has its special holiday recipes, outings, and holiday celebrations, Wichita has its own traditions that let us know that the holidays are imminent. We did a little research and compiled this list of twelve Christmas traditions unique to our city. From heartwarming to plain quirky, these are the enduring signs of the season that many locals remember and look forward to annually.

1. Illuminations at Botanica
Each year since 2001 Botanica has been brightening the season with their annual presentation of “Illuminations.” Created both as an event to entice people to visit the gardens during the winter and as a fundraiser, the annual lighting of Botanica has become a beautiful symbol of the season.

The only time of the year that Botanica’s electric bill rivals its water bill, Illuminations’ lightscaping showcases the 9 1/2 acres of gardens, and brings in more than 10,000 visitors during the six evenings of the event. With tens of thousands of lights expertly entwined with the natural layout of the gardens, it is, “something you really have to see,” says Lori Stone, Botanica director of membership. As visitors walk through the gardens, they can enjoy the holiday spirit from one of more than thirty performance groups, enjoy hot chocolate and other homemade treats, and visit and bid on displays created by local merchants that showcase decorations for the home. “Of course, Santa will be here,” Stone says, “and AngelWorks will present story time with local author Polly Basore...It’s such a wonderful event—we love that it has become such a tradition for people. That’s the way we hoped it would be received.”

Illuminations details: Nov. 24 and 25, Dec. 1 and 2, and Dec. 8 and 9, 6-9 pm. Tickets: $6 for adults, $3 for children 3-12. Children under 3 are free. Contact Botanica at 264-0448 or botanica.org

2. Aspen Traders Christmas Card
Even before Aspen Traders became a Wichita household name, owners Monica and James Smits knew that they wanted to create and send a unique Christmas card as a key element in their advertising and client-appreciation efforts.

They hired designer Bill Gardner and conveyed to him the spirit they were hoping to create. Today, 20 years after Gardner and his creative team at Gardner Design designed and produced that first elaborate die-cut Christmas card, Aspen Traders cards have become a Wichita Christmas tradition. Each year the colorfully original card arrives early in the season and often shares a place of honor with cards from family and friends. Moreover, many Wichitans can open their Christmas decorations boxes and find years’ worth of the cards, each more amazing than the last.

“They’ve taken on a life of their own,” Gardner says. He was the originator of the die cut designs, and since then, has passed the design challenge on to Bryan Miller, Gardner vice president/senior art director. “Not a month goes by that a client doesn’t say ‘we have them all!’” Gardner says.

3. The Nutcracker Ballet
For many of us, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without seeing Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker performed by the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita.

As the oldest and largest ballet company in the state of Kansas, Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita has been bringing the art of ballet to audiences across Kansas for more than thirty years. Each December, Artistic Director Jill Landrith oversees more than eighty local dancers who perform the holiday ballet at Century II Concert Hall. Performances include world-class guest artists and live orchestration by the Metropolitan Ballet Orchestra. Four of these performances are reserved for area public and private school students only. Many times, this is the first exposure to ballet or a live theatrical presentation these young people have experienced. MBW also offers two performances for general audiences. In addition, the company takes the entire performance on tour to various cities and towns across Kansas.

Event details:  Dec. 16, 8 pm, and Dec. 17, 3 pm, at Century II Concert Hall. Tickets: $27, $18, $12, $8. Contact Metropolitan Ballet at 687.5880.

4. The Jingle Bell Run
If doing, rather than seeing, is your thing, then the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis may be your family tradition at Christmas. “The run has something for both competitive runners, and just those folks who want to be out doing something during the holiday season,” explains Dennis Bender, president of the Kansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. This year, the event returns to downtown, and runners and walkers (wearing jingle bells on their shoes) will converge at Metropolitan Baptist Church and then run or walk routes that wind through downtown. The route includes holiday decorations and music along the way and the Wichita Wagonmasters will be grilling hamburgers for participants. Awards include the somewhat-traditional run-related awards as well as special prizes for the best holiday costume and best display of holiday spirit. (See related story on p. 12).

Event details: Dec. 2, 9 am. Pre-register at Run Wichita in Old Town. For more information go to jbrwichita.kintera.org or call 263.0116.

5. Metropolitan Baptist Church Wreath
The wreath that hangs on Metropolitan Baptist Church, (across the river from Century II) each holiday season has been there for less than ten years, but makes a huge impression each year. The church and wreath are often featured in live local TV shots on December evenings and have come to represent the spirit of the giving season to many Wichitans.

The wreath itself was a gift to the church by longtime congregation member Barbara Huston. In 1999, she commissioned Lightworks in Wichita to build a twenty-foot-diameter replica of a small wreath she owned. Huston’s original intent was that the gift of the wreath would be anonymous, but since its first appearance on Thanksgiving eight years ago, word has spread about the wreath’s origin.

The wreath, which includes 1,200 bulbs and illuminated figures of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, is installed Thanksgiving week of each year and hangs until after New Year’s Day when a special crew from the H.M. Sutter Co. removes and stores it until next season. “By this wreath,” Huston says, “we can let His light shine brightly at Christmastime—not only for our church people but for all of the people of Wichita.”

6. An Old-Fashioned (Cowtown) Christmas
It’s one of Cowtown’s most popular events, and it’s been going on for more than a decade. Each year, Cowtown’s volunteers freeze off their spurs and petticoats entertaining visitors who want to get a glimpse into a Currier and Ives holiday season. “It’s a marvelous tradition,” says Sally Luallen, Cowtown Development Associate. “The staff and volunteers really work hard to portray the period and entertain the guests.”

For many Wichita families, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the annual pilgrimage to Old Cowtown to sample the cider, hot chocolate and the candle-lit beauty of Christmas in the 1800s. Not only is the novelty of the Dixie Lee Saloon Girls dancing to Christmas tunes a treat, but the simplicity of a holiday without batteries, CDs, video games and iPods is somehow magical. Add to that the outdoor venue, the beauty of the entire 25-acre site decorated for the season, and the delight of the volunteers and visitors and you have the snow globe version of Christmas. Of course, there is always a chance you might find Father Christmas strolling through town as well!

Event details: Dec. 1, 2, 8 and 9. Admission prices: $7.75 for adults, $6 for youth 12-17, and $5.50 for children 4-11. Package prices including a traditional Victorian meal from the Cowtown Cafe are available. For reservations, contact Vicki at 660-1870.

7. College Hill Christmas Lights
Christmas is a special time of the year for the folks who live in the College Hill neighborhood. According to Cecelia Gorlich of the College Hill Neighborhood Association, it all started about ten years ago, when residents lit luminaries and hired trolleys to take riders on a winding route through the quaint, decorated streets. Like any good tradition, the idea grew and now more than half of the residents between Central and Kellogg and Hillside and Oliver participate.

If there were “over-the-top” awards at stake however, the residents on Pershing would definitely be contenders. For the last six years these neighbors have strung lights from house to house and tree to tree, across the street and back and forth. Resident Bill Hess says he and his wife, Judy, started doing this because hanging lights on trees and bushes and his house wasn’t fun anymore. The neighbors liked it, so the next year there were three neighbors who jumped on board, then two more across the street, and now the whole block plus two more houses to the north are involved—about twenty houses in all. “Lots of people drive through,” says Hess, “It’s almost continual traffic for two weeks leading up to Christmas...cars, buses, limos and trolleys.”  

Event details: Streets decorated and lit by the Dec. 10 to begin trolley rides, which run 5:30-8:30 pm. East Heights United Methodist Church hosts the trolley start and offers a coffee bistro and living nativity. Tickets: $6 per person, available at the church as well as at Traditions, beginning Dec. 1.

8. Henry Harvey and Santa’s Workshop
For years, Henry Harvey was the only Santa that kids in the Wichita television-viewing audience knew. We watched him on KAKE Channel 10 before dinner every night for weeks before Christmas as he marked down the days until the big event—his trip around the world. Along the way, he had crazy conversations with his sidekick, who spun himself into a dizzy frenzy describing Santa’s upcoming journey “goingzoomzoomzoomaroundthebigwideworld!” Literally every child we knew who grew up in Wichita recalls the show and especially, the Santa that Harvey created. For several weeks each year, Harvey was Santa and his sincerity and delight touched us all.

After Harvey’s death, Santa’s Workshop became a cherished memory until 2001, when KAKE producers revived a past show and put together a DVD of clips of the production. “Henry Harvey was a very talented person,” says Bryan Frye, KAKE marketing director and one-time Harvey/Santa devotee, “It’s amazing how many copies we’ve sold.” It will be shown again this year on December 24 and 25 on KAKE. And it can be ordered for $21.95. But only for good girls and boys. Contact KAKE at 943-4221 for details.

9. Appalachian Christmas Quartet
Yes, this is the quirky one. The web site for the Appalachian Christmas Quartet features, are you ready? A jack-a-lope. Actually, a jack-a-lope holding a guitar, to be precise. A quick perusal doesn’t give you the traditional “about us” page either. What you do find fairly quickly is a discography and mp3 samples of the group’s music—which, according to the discography notes, is played on instruments including the dulcimer, harmonica, washboard, popcorn tin, soup cans, cello, accordion and guitar, among others. And guess what?  It’s wonderfully good music.

The Appalachian Christmas Quartet has been performing locally at Christmas since 1997 and their energetic performance continues to be a favorite with local audiences. The group now features four actual musicians, a manager and, of course, the jack-a-lope.

“They are amazing—you just have to see them in concert to believe that this is real,” enthuses Cheryl Hurley, concert/events director for Central Christian Church. “They are classically trained musicians who play—just random things, typewriters, pvc pipes—and make this amazing music!”

Event details: Dec. 22, 7 pm, Central Christian Church. Admission is free, although an offering will be taken. Contact Central Christian Church at 688.4400 or ccc.org.
                    
10. Tracking Santa Claus
The magic of Christmas extends to local television meteorology departments on Christmas Eve, where a fun mix of technology and Christmas Spirit takes place each year as local weather teams provide a glimpse of Santa’s journey.

Both KSN and KWCH meteorology departments have the last word on Santa for youngsters preparing milk and cookies—the weather report and radar update showing Santa zooming into Kansas. Kids know that if they don’t go to sleep, Santa can’t come! Wichita TV stations have been providing this service to area parents (or kids, depending on whom you ask) for decades. While the format changes slightly by station and meteorologist, the basic premise is similar and has been a part of Christmas Eve traditions in the Wichita viewing area for several years.

“KSN’s world-famous Triple Turbo Super Santa Seeker Doppler Radar has been tracking those mysterious echoes since 1993,” explains Dave Freeman, KSN chief meteorologist. “In the early shows, we show the echo leaving the North Pole and heading for Europe. Then at 10 pm, we bring him into the U.S. I usually appear on camera with all kinds of paper wire copy draped around my neck, tie loosened, looking a bit disheveled. I throw a bunch of papers in the air and declare an emergency as we show the echo circling Kansas, unable to land because there are still children awake. I finish with a stern warning that all kids who are expecting a visit from Santa need to go to bed immediately.”

The stations routinely get feedback from parents who appreciate the meteorologist’s efforts to keep the magic of Christmas alive—and help get excited children to bed! “Apparently,” Freeman elaborates, “its pretty effective...as soon as I finish, the kids are tearing off to bed.”

11. The Act of Giving
Perhaps the best and most appropriate Christmas Tradition that Wichitans can be proud of is the spirit of giving that pervades our city from November to January. Literally every media outlet in the area sponsors a charity event to bring in toys, food, or clothing donations. Often these events have had a bit of the whimsy of the season attached: Who can forget the DJ who lived in an igloo (yes, in Wichita) until his station’s plea for toy donations was achieved? Or the year the DJ camped out on a billboard?

From the Salvation Army Angel Trees in the malls, to the US Marine Corp Toys for Tots Campaign, to Child Start’s Hats and Mittens campaign as well as local food bank donations, there is no shortage of opportunity to give to those less fortunate. If you haven’t already, make it a point to include giving to the community a part of your holiday traditions. And many happy returns.  

12. WSU School of Music’s Candlelight Christmas Concert
One of WSU's longest-running presentations, the Candlelight Christmas Concert is in its forty-fourth year and is steeped in tradition:  From the name, which originated with the earliest performances when the concert was held in a venue that allowed candles (now participants carry battery lit candles,) to the beginning piece, which for the last ten years has been “Personet Hodie”. “It starts with four trumpet players playing in different corners of the hall,” explains Tom Wine, director of choral activities, “and it is accompanied by four percussionists and our big organ. The choirs enter in a procession that ends up in ‘surround sound’ as they wrap around the hall.”  

This year’s concert will include a wide variety of music, some sing-alongs and the traditional features that have made it such a long running hit. “Get your tickets early,” Wine recommends.

Event details: Dec. 3, 4 pm, and Dec. 4, 7:30 pm. Tickets: $6 for adults, $2 for students. Available through the WSU box office. Call 978-3233 for more information or to request tickets.