ELLINWOOD — Dodge City Marshal Allen Bailey will perform during the inaugural Christkindlmarket, to be held Dec. 1 in Ellinwood. Bailey, along with his wife Cowgirl Janey will perform a variety of Cowboy and Christmas songs in a lively performance entitled, “A Cowboy Christmas.”
Allen D. Bailey was appointed Dodge City Marshal on Feb. 21, 2000 by Dodge City Mayor Gerald H. Schmidt and the city commissioners. In addition to serving as Official Marshal of Dodge City, Bailey is the host of the internationally acclaimed radio show, Western Swing and Other Things, celebrating its 25th year on High Plains Public Radio.
In 2004, Marshal Bailey was inducted into the Kansas Western Swing Society Hall of Fame. He was a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee into the Western Swing Society of the Southwest and in 2010, Bailey was the Cowtown Society of Western Music’s Disc Jockey Of The Year.
The Christkindlmarket kicks off at noon with a German buffet at Lone Wolf Restaurant. At 2 p.m. Ellinwood merchants will open their doors offering special holiday deals and treats. In addition to merchants, a host of vendors will be on hand offering everything from arts and crafts to delicious holiday baked goods. At 3 p.m., St. John’s Lutheran Church will host a Festival of Carols. Also at 3 p.m., the Ellinwood Historical Society will host a traditional Abendbrot Dinner at the Heritage Club.
At 5 p.m., attendees will gather at Wolf Park on Main Street, where, led by a choir, they will sing Christmas carols leading up to the lighting of a large Christmas tree that will be placed in the band shell.
After the Christmas tree at the historic band shell is illuminated, attendees, led by the choir, will proceed to the American Legion Park, where a Living Nativity will be held at approximately 6:15 p.m. as well as a traditional German Sankt Nikolaus (Santa Claus) and a variety of concessions including German beer, hot cocoa, wassail, apple cider and other holiday treats and eats.
The activities under the big tent at the American Legion will last from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Marshal Bailey and Cowgirl Janey will perform at 7 p.m. For more information contact the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce at 620.564.3300.